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Good morning, Portland! I'm going to level with you here: the Mercury's annual holiday party was last night, and I'm too tired to think of anything funny or interesting to say here. What did you expect, this paper is free!!
Anyway, here are the headlines.
I'm Exhausted Already: The House Judiciary Committee convened yesterday to begin debating the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, and Republicans were less than helpful. Rep. Steve Chabot, for instance, called the proceedings a "tragic mockery of justice," because words lost all meaning in 2019.
Fareless Future: At yesterday's TriMet board meeting, two board members said they were looking into the possibility of someday transitioning to a fareless system. That's a big switch from TriMet's previous public position on the issue, and transportation activists are stoked.
Are You Listening, Zuck?
ICYMI from yesterday: HIV/AIDS organizations, including Cascade AIDS Project here in Oregon, worry that misleading ads on Facebook will discourage people from using PrEP, an HIV prevention drug.
Facebook hasn't listened to their concerns.https://t.co/HyvCeTqlGx
— Blair Stenvick (@BlairStenvick) December 11, 2019
Across State Lines: OPB published a deep investigation of Oregon's foster care system yesterday, and what it found was pretty damning. The main takeaway: Oregon trusted a private, for-profit company to take care of foster kids sent across state lines, despite serious allegations of abuse and neglect.
Art is Good: Some homophobic protestors in Mexico are pissed off about a new painting hanging in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the country's most important museum. The painting in question depicts famed revolutionary hero Emiliano Zapata in a feminine, homoerotic pose, riding a stallion with a boner. Art is good, and homophobia is bad, so let's all share this picture far and wide, shall we?
Hot Soup: Many homeless advocates feared that a new parks permit policy would make it difficult for them to serve free meals to homeless people in Portland parks. But it turns out the city isn't enforcing that new rule—could that have anything to do with the lawsuit the Oregon Justice Resource Center filed against the city over it?
'Tis the Season:
They’re wrong for using the same stock photo of Vivica A. Fox for two different Christmas movies. They didn’t even try 😂 pic.twitter.com/xHzDKavkK1
— Maya A. Jones (@MJay615) December 11, 2019
