Governor Kate Brown Credit: GOVERNOR'S OFFICE
Governor Kate Brown
Governor Kate Brown GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

Here’s your daily roundup of all the latest local and national news. (Like our coverage? Please consider making a recurring contribution to the Mercury to keep it comin’!)

In local news:

• Oregon is currently the state with the fastest-growing COVID-19 case count in the country. At a press conference today, Gov. Kate Brown noted the alarming surge in cases, and warned that many Oregon counties may soon have to go back into the “extreme-risk” category, meaning more health and safety requirements for local businesses.

• Mayor Ted Wheeler is extending his declared state of emergency through this weekend, allowing him to set a curfew and close city streets if he deems it necessary. Wheeler first declared the state of emergency on Tuesday, in advance of the jury verdict announcement for Derek Chauvin. At a press conference this afternoon, Wheeler said “self-described anarchists who engage in criminal destruction” were a threat to the city’s safety tonight, and that they “want to burn, and want to bash.”

• The family of Robert Delgado, the man killed by Portland police a week ago in Lents Park, wants a special prosecutor on the case:

• Reminder: You have until April 27 to register to vote in order to vote in Multnomah County’s May election.

In national news:

• A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) panel recommended this afternoon that the United States resume using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, and isn’t recommending that the vaccine come with a warning about extremely rare blood clots that a tiny fraction of recipients have developed.

• Sexual assault is a rampant problem in the US military. A new special Pentagon panel is now suggesting that commanders should no longer have control over handling sex assault cases, because they tend to do a piss-poor job at it. Instead, the panel suggests handing the cases over to independent judge advocates.

• Could the US finally have sensible family and medical leave policies for workers? I’ll believe it when I see it!

• After a very weird year for the film industry, the Oscars are being held this Sunday. Here’s a sneak peek of who’s likely to win trophies this year.

And just for fun:

• Let’s celebrate! The Portland Mercury’s PIZZA WEEK is back, running through Sunday, April 25! Check out all the slices you can score for a measly $2 each! (Whole pies are available, too!)

• Here’s your weekend playlist:

Blair Stenvick is a former news reporter and culture writer for the Portland Mercury.