Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.
Good morning, Portland! Quick: Got any good white elephant gift ideas?
Here are the headlines.
Falling Short: According to a new city auditor's report, Portland City Council "fell short" when keeping promises to voters about new taxes and bond measures. Read more in the Oregonian.
Everyone's Got an Opinion: A range of city leaders have put out statements regarding the latest Portland police deadly shooting of a man with mental illness. Some blame the cops, some blame the mental health system, and some have the shocking audacity to suggest that life is complicated and that both entities need reform.
Brown Speaks: Governor Kate Brown weighed in on a planned expansion of Interstate 5 in the Rose Quarter—at almost literally the last minute, as the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) is set to decide next steps for the project today. In a letter, Brown encouraged OTC commissioners to slow down the process, and consider ways to make the project more environmentally friendly. Those options include road tolling and freeway lids.
Nothing to Worry About Here:
'There's a growing body of very compelling and very frightening literature that shows that as local news declines, gov't corruption and gov't costs increase, officials conduct themselves with less integrity and efficiency,' says @PENamerica's @VilkViktorya https://t.co/zzEYpZlZkG
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) December 17, 2019
Impeachment Inquiry: A Retrospective: US House members will vote on two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump tomorrow. Feeling fuzzy on the impeachment timeline? Missed some of the fun of the hearings the first time around? Don't worry: NPR's got a handy look-back on one of 2019's biggest news stories.
United We Stand: A Democratic primary debate was in danger of not happening on Thursday, because participating would have required candidates to cross a union picket line. But food service workers at Loyola Marymount, where the debate is being held, appear to have struck a deal with their higher-ups. That means the debate is probably on—feel free to breathe a heavy sigh of relief!
The QuickBooks of Mormon: Hey, who needs coffee when you have $100 billion?
New: A whistleblower complaint to the IRS alleges the Mormon Church has improperly amassed a $100 billion tax-exempt investment fund and used it to bail out for-profit companies https://t.co/NhJIIkv799
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) December 17, 2019
Question of the Day: "Is there less monoculture today, or is culture more mass than ever?"