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Mayor Ted Wheeler addresses media at a Sunday, Aug. 30 press conference, as Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell looks on.
Mayor Ted Wheeler addresses media at a Sunday, Aug. 30 press conference, as Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell looks on. NATHAN HOWARD / GETTY IMAGES

Good morning, Portland! Here we are, four days into November of 2021. Time inevitably marches on.

Anyway, here are the headlines!

• One year after Portland City Council voted to nominally defund the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), Mayor Ted Wheeler would like to please refund the police—in spades. In the city's upcoming budget adjustment talks, Wheeler will ask for $7.8 million to fund body cams for cops, hefty bonuses for new PPB hires, and a new police training academy.

• 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. Pro-tip: If you're pissed off at your neighbor of color for not mowing their lawn or leaving a home repair unfinished, consider directing your rage at literally anything else in this world.

• Do you love Shrill, or Pig, or any other movie or TV show filmed in Oregon? If so, you ought to read this important piece about local TV and film workers:

• Students at Northeast Portland's Roseway Heights Middle School walked out of class recently, in protest of unchecked sexual harassment among classmates at the school. Many parents told OPB that their kids feel unsafe going to school each day.

• If you are a parent or know a parent, then you're probably aware that yesterday was a big day, as Gov. Kate Brown announced that kids ages 5-11 can start getting vaccinated against COVID-19. However, there's a lag in new doses arriving in Oregon, meaning that some kids might still not be fully vaccinated in time for the holidays.

• Nothing to worry about here:

• It's official: President Joe Biden says that everyone who works at workplaces with 100 or more employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID by January 4, or get tested weekly. Queue the lawsuits from self-important conservative organizations in three...two...one...now.

• Opening statements in the murder trial against Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan—the trio who killed Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery last year—kick off tomorrow. But in a case where race is a crucial factor, 11 of the 12 jurors are white, and the prosecution argues that the defense orchestrated that result unconstitutionally. The judge partially agrees, but is allowing the trial to move forward with this jury anyway.

• And finally, please join me in this November challenge!