Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.

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Good morning, Portland! I accidentally slept past my alarm, so please accept my apology for a tardy GMN. OKAY, ANYWAYS:

Race and Class in Los Angeles: In LA, African Americans are more than eight times more likely to be homeless than other racial groups. The New York Times helps explain why.

Welcome to Abbottville: Here's how Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has chosen to address Austin's growing homelessness population.

One Star Review: Uber founder Travis Kalanick—known for shrugging off privacy incidents and complaints of discrimination and sexual harassment at the company—has (finally) stepped down from the board, completely severing ties with the company he created.

Legal Tantrum: A lawyer representing far-right group Patriot Prayer and its founder Joey Gibson is unhappy with a Multnomah County judge's refusal to throw out a $1 million lawsuit against his client. So, he's appealing.

An Inside Job: A correctional officer at Oregon City's Coffee Creek Correctional Facility has been accused of smuggling in heroin and methamphetamine to sell to inmates.

SAFES is Back! After a four month hiatus due to funding cuts, one of the few shelters for homeless women has reopened in downtown Portland. Regular guests tell Street Roots that it's wildly improved: “Before, it was terrifying. Drugs, alcohol, fights, people going through your things while you were sleeping. You feel the love in this place now. It’s completely different. Having been here before and been here now, it’s like two different places.”

Hometown Hero: Keanon Lowe, the Parkrose High School coach who disarmed a distraught student with a gun earlier this year, has been named one of Time's "Heroes of 2019."

Need Some Gift Wrapping Tunes? Look no further than the Mercury's roundup of local artists' favorite records of 2019. A taste: