Heads up before we get started: The Steel Bridge’s lower deck will be closed for today’s commute. Take the top deck, or another bridge.
Today’s the last day you can register as a political candidate in the May primary, so get going if you’re planning on it. Plenty of others are. Yesterday, the Republican side of this year’s governor’s race got a new candidate: Past candidate Allen Alley. One time we were on OPB together, and when asked to name the quintessential Oregon book, Alley picked Atlas Shrugged. We all had a good laugh… but also he was serious.
Other candidate news: Commissioner Amanda Fritz scooped up not one but two last-minute opponents. Street fee foe Ann Sanderson and wi-fi foe David Morrison.
Another ballot change: A $15 minimum wage is officially off the table. The group 15 Now Oregon says it lost substantial steam after legislators enacted their own minimum wage raise last week during the legislative short session.
Meanwhile, some of the more vociferous voices predicting the wage raise will lead to hard times? Oregon’s public universities.
Also today: The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is planning to release its findings as to whether the shooting death of Oregon occupier LaVoy Finicum was justified. Given the fact that Finicum was seemingly grabbing for a gun when he was shot January 26—coupled with the fact that he’d said he wouldn’t be taken alive—we can all probably guess the outcome.
Cops like Multnomah County Commissioner Jules Bailey for mayor. The Portland Police Association yesterday went against the grain in endorsing Bailey. Many other unions have opted to endorse both him and state Treasurer Ted Wheeler for mayor.
Justice system news! Moneyed television personality who was surreptitiously filmed naked gets $55 million! Kid whose finger got chopped of in his turbine maintenance class can’t get $31,000!
In this new nimble world of Portland’s formally declared housing emergency, bolstering your homeless shelter is still pretty burdensome. One St. Johns shelter is asking the city to waive fees for an expansion. The city’s having a hard time saying ‘yes.’
Cat hotel—a fancy one—opening up right by the cat cafe.
Props to former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who’s not going to mount an independent campaign for president this year, largely because it might help Donald Trump (and also: no real shot he’d win).
And while we’re at it, props to Donald Trump, for spurring (apparently) an uptick in the number of Latino immigrants who are naturalizing simply to vote against him.
More primaries/caucuses today! Four of them, with both Republicans and Democrats most licking their chops over Michigan, lead-tinged peninsula of my provenance.
Well hey. The Seattle Times just endorsed Bernie Sanders (and John Kasich).
Also: It’s been 2 years since that Malaysia Airlines flight disappeared. It is still missing.
Surprise! Rain.
I don’t see why the FBI doesn’t just ask China(embarrassing, but) how to break the i-phone. That’s how they hack the US.
Not sure how that relates to the cat hotel, but the FBI can unlock an iPhone. What they actually want is precedent and for Apple to loosen privacy safeguards like other manufactures.