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Dont be like this dude, Portland homeowners!
Don't be like this dude, Portland homeowners! Stock / Getty Images Plus

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

In local news:

• United States film and TV production almost ground to a halt in October, as IATSE, the union for set workers, was prepared to strike. That strike was avoided, but Oregon IATSE members are still sounding the alarm about unsafe working conditions. "When bad situations happen and people die, that draws attention to the safety world," one local set worker told the Mercury. "That’s the only time that we have to make change. It seems that safety is built on buckets of blood.”

• Kids ages 5 to 11 in Oregon are able to get vaccinated against COVID-19 starting today, according to Governor Kate Brown. While shipments of the youth vaccines are currently arriving to pharmacies and local doctors, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) notes it may take a few days before the vaccine is widely available to children.

• Portland’s complaint-driven system for property maintenance enforcement is disproportionately racking up fines for homeowners of color living in gentrifying neighborhoods, a new city audit found. I wonder how many "Black Lives Matter" signs those whiny white gentrifiers have on their front lawns?

• I'll never feel the same walking into a Portland Marriott again:

• Body cams for cops, hefty bonuses for new hires in the Portland Police Bureau, a new police training academy in Portland—these are just a few of the proposals Mayor Ted Wheeler will suggest City Council fund in the city's upcoming budget adjustment talks. News editor Alex Zielinski's got all the details on this police funding spree!

In national news:

• New York state has a law that limits the right to carry concealed handguns to people who are using the guns for hunting or target practice. That law is now being challenged in the Supreme Court—and it appears that the justices are on the verge of ruling the law unconstitutional.

• Well, well, well. As you've probably heard, last night's election results didn't go so well for Democrats. Now, some House Democrats are fighting to put paid family leave—an incredibly popular provision—back into President Joe Biden's Build Back Better package. If the election results can scare Democrats into actually doing something meaningful for working families, then that's at least one good thing to come out of it.

• Cool cool cool:

• Look, I'm not going to pretend that I completely, 100 percent understand what the Federal Reserve does, because that would be an uncomfortable farce for both me and you. But according to this AP article, the Fed is going to slow down on purchasing bonds that help boost the economy, out of fear that inflation could worsen. However, low interest rates meant to spur economic growth will remain low for the time being.

And just for fun:

• If you need a drink, you won’t want to miss the Mercury’s “Shot & Beer” week, featuring creative, one-of-a-kind pairings of shots and beers from your fave local drinkeries. It all goes down from November 8 through 14, and you can get a taste of all the offerings here!

• Finally: ROCK ON!!! 🤘🤘🤘