The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

While 91 current officer positions are vacant, Mayor Wheeler wants to hire 67 more.
While 91 current officer positions are vacant, Mayor Wheeler wants to hire 67 more. STEVE DYKES/GETTY IMAGES

Good afternoon, Portland! Here are your "hump day" headlines.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Mayor Ted Wheeler has proposed adding 67 new officers to the scandal-wracked Portland Police Bureau for the upcoming budget cycle, despite the fact that 91 current officer positions in the bureau were vacant as of December. Wheeler said in November that he wants to expand the bureau by 300 officers over the next three years. Alex Zielinski has more.

• In 2019, Portland Public Schools vowed to dramatically boost Black, Latino, and migrant student achievement, particularly in math and reading. But today, three years later, most PPS teachers are still using a reading program that has historically failed students of color.

• Workers at three Portland-area Starbucks stores, two in Beaverton and one in Southwest Portland, have joined a nationwide movement and filed for union elections. Read more about their efforts and the pushback they're expecting to face from Starbucks management here.

• The Great Leap, currently running at Portland Center Stage, uses basketball to drive both personal and political stories as China is rocked by protests in 1989. Andrew Jankowski has our review.

• New research from Oregon State University focuses on the effects of the 2020 wildfires on survivors in the Santiam Canyon area, where residents are struggling with everything breathing issues to finding permanent housing. The study's principal investigator said that the region needs more mental health support and infrastructure support moving forward.

• Many in Portland are fondly remembering the life and times of memorable two-term mayor Bud Clark, who died yesterday at the age of 90. Clark, who led community policing efforts and battled homelessness during his time in office, was affectionately known as the city's "citizen mayor."

IN NATIONAL NEWS:

• CNN President Jeff Zucker has resigned, citing his failure to disclose a consensual relationship with the network's chief marketing officer. Zucker, who ran CNN for nine years, disclosed the relationship as part of the network's investigation into former host Chris Cuomo.

• President Biden is sending some 3,000 troops to Germany, Poland, and Romania as the U.S. and Russia continue their standoff over Russia's troop buildup at the Ukrainian border. Putin, for his part, accused the the US and NATO of using Ukraine as a "tool" to try to lure it into war.

• Former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson may be preparing to join Brian Flores' class action lawsuit against the NFL, alleging that he was offered bonus money by Browns owner Jimmy Haslem for losing games during his tenure with the team. Flores' lawyers said they expect more coaches to join the suit in the coming days and weeks.

• Four men have been indicted in connection to the death of beloved New York City actor Michael K. Williams, who died after taking fentanyl-laced heroin and accidentally overdosing in September. Of the 93,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2020, some two thirds were linked to fentanyl.

• It’s back for 2022! America’s sexiest, funnest dirty movie fest, HUMP! Coming at ya starting February 24 at Revolution Hall—GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

• Finally... uh oh.