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Masks On: A Hong Kong court has overruled the region's attempted ban on protestors wearing masks. Meanwhile. HK pro-democracy protestors spent the weekend in a standoff with law enforcement at a Hong Kong university, using molotov cocktails and arrows to defend themselves against the officers.
Walking the Walk: The US Democratic Attorneys General Association have become the first national political committee to require that any candidate they endorse supports abortion—and expanded access to reproductive health care in general.
Too Little, Too Late? Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor who's been sniffing out a presidential run, showed up at a predominately Black church in Brooklyn on Sunday and apologized for a policy that was a pillar of his mayoral career: stop and frisk. “I was wrong,” Bloomberg declared. “And I am sorry.”
Ok Boomer:
Biden says he won't legalize marijuana because it may be a "gateway drug" https://t.co/bdUQK3GOw4 pic.twitter.com/MSNbkhfXJV
— The Hill (@thehill) November 18, 2019
Another Dem Governor Keeps His Seat: Louisiana's Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards (best to call him Democrat-lite) won a re-election campaign on Saturday, trouncing his Trump-backed competitor. This is the third and final gubernatorial election of 2019.
Looking Out For Number One: Donald Trump is backing away from a national ban on e-cigarettes (because they're mysteriously killing people) after learning that his fans love to vape.
Oregon Follows Suit: Last month, the Oregon Court of Appeals blocked Gov. Kate Brown's temporary ban on flavored tobacco vaping products. Now, the court's blocking the ban on flavored cannabis vape products, too.
Checks Out: Portland State University researchers attribute a slowdown in Oregon's population growth rate to a decrease in economic growth.
People have been doing these studies for 50 goddamn years, and I would bet a majority of white people still do not believe this stuff happens. https://t.co/hVrNTnzsAB
— Alexis C. Madrigal (@alexismadrigal) November 18, 2019
Game Plan: City Council will consider a pilot program proposal for Portland Street Response—a low-level first response program for homeless Portlanders—on Thursday. Here's what that program could look like on the ground.
The Future of Community Engagement: At a Thursday Council meeting, City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly extended the timeline of a plan to update the Office of Community and Civic Life’s (OCCL) city code—a document that defines a bureau's key function—by at least one year.
Weird Flex: Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw rejects a recommendation from the bureau's training review board to include a victim's ethnicity and race in reports when officers use force against a member of the public.
Come On, Ya'll: Anti-Semitic hackers hijacked the phone lines of Portland Israeli restaurant Shalom, Ya'll this weekend, replacing the outgoing voicemail box with an homophobic, anti-Jewish message. Portland police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.