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Good morning, Portland! TODAY IS ELECTION DAY!
Still need to vote and aren't sure where to start? We've got you covered. Here’s our handy ballot cheat sheet, and here are links to endorsements broken down by position:
Portland City Council and Mayor
Local Ballot Measures
Metro Council
Multnomah County District Attorney
Oregon Legislature and Secretary of State
US Representatives and President
And now, here are the headlines.
• Yesterday was a rollercoaster for Oregonians and Gov. Kate Brown's stay at home orders. In the morning, a Baker County Judge ruled that Brown's executive orders related to the coronavirus were "null and void," thanks to a lawsuit waged by church leaders upset they aren't allowed to hold in-person services. But last evening, the Oregon Supreme Court reversed that judge's decision, meaning the orders can stay in place for now. However, the Court's decision isn't final—just a stopgap measure. TL;DR Version: Nothing has really changed, but it could still change in the future!
• Mayor Ted Wheeler has been fined $500 for campaign finance violations in his re-election campaign. We'll see tonight whether missteps like that have dinged his reputation among Portlanders.
• Calls to domestic violence crisis lines doubled shortly after Brown instituted the statewide order in mid-March. Two months later, that call load is just as high—and calls stem from deadlier situations. Our Alex Zielinski has more.
• Well, well, well, looks like the Mercury's own Bob Ham picked up a Society of Professional Journalists Northwest Excellence award last night! Congrats, Bob!
Our sports feature winner is @portlandmercury journalist Robert Ham, for his coverage of the effort to bring pro baseball to Portlandhttps://t.co/NmSYdasTA9
— Oregon Territory SPJ (@SPJOregon) May 19, 2020
• Apple stores are beginning to reopen in some states—but they're requiring temperature checks for customers before they enter so as to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For what it's worth, I asked the Oregon Health Authority a couple weeks ago why Oregon wasn't requiring this, and was told that it's not very effective—but it's now common practice in many Asian countries.
• Over 100 workers at an Amazon warehouse in Pennsylvania have tested positive for COVID-19. And, surprise surprise, Amazon is being less than forthcoming with information about the outbreak.
• Huh.
President Trump says everyday he takes a pill of hydroxychloroquine.
"I've taken it for about a week& a half & I'm still here," he said.
He said he has had no symptoms for coronavirus.
Trump also said he asked the WH doctor for it and the doctor said it was fine to take.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) May 18, 2020
• Listen to this! Local Portland music artists may be staying at home, but they're still churning out new music at impressive rates. Check out our roundup of some of the best new tracks.