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MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND

Good afternoon, Portland! Here's the latest on local news, national news, and a little bit of fun.

In local news:

• Members of Oregon's congressional delegation appear to be fed the fuck up with watching right-wing extremists turn Portland into a battlefield during their frequent rallies. In a letter sent to US Attorney General Merrick Garland on August 30, four Oregon members of Congress urged the country's top prosecutor to investigate criminal activity coordinated by members of the Proud Boys and other right-wing groups in Oregon.

• Leadership within the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is undergoing another reshuffle: Chief Chuck Lovell has appointed former Assistant Chief Mike Frome to be his second in command as deputy chief. It remains to be seen whether Frome will operate as another "shadow chief" like outgoing Deputy Chief Chris Davis.

• In case you missed this juicy/infuriating news from Alex yesterday:

• We're coming up on the one-year anniversary of the absolutely brutal wildfires that decimated our state and enveloped Portland in unbreathable smoke last September. Today, OPB has aerial before-and-after video showing just how vast and terrible the effects of those fires are.

In national news:

• United States troops officially pulled out of Afghanistan yesterday. In a speech this afternoon, President Joe Biden called the exit the "best decision for America." "I was not going to extend this forever war," he added, "and I was not extending a forever exit." However, some Americans—and Afghans who aided the US military—remain stuck in the country.

• Brace yourself: The US Supreme Court could make a potentially devastating decision for abortion rights as soon as this evening. The Court is being asked to weigh in on a recently passed Texas law which bans abortions after only six weeks of pregnancy. If the conservative-leaning Court upholds the law, it could spell the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade.

• In other news about shitty Texas laws, the state's legislature passed a slate of anti-voting restrictions today, and Gov. Greg Abbott says he'll sign it. Like other state voting restriction laws passed this year, this will make it significantly harder for people—particularly people of color—to vote in Texas.

• The influencers are not okay:



And just for fun:

• After a three-month hiatus spent moving and renovating its new digs, Portland favorite Quaintrelle’s playful, upscale dining has landed on SE Clinton. Check out our full review here.

• Finally: Same, Kate, same.