Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.
Obamacare at Risk: A federal judge in Texas did the most stereotypically Texas thing and upheld a lawsuit deeming the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional. While a group of progressive states, led by California, intend to appeal the decision, the Trump-approved ruling could easily find its way in a Trump-approved Supreme Court and sentence low-income Americans to a aTrump-approved death.
Off the Wall: We’re ending the year the same way it began, with a looming government shutdown over Trump’s border wall. Few Republicans are backing him. And yet! Since an unbuilt border wall is truly the only way Trump can keep his base in a state of constant, vote-getting fear, don’t expect a resolution anytime soon.
Anti-Immigrant Protest in Brussels: More than 5,000 right-wing protesters clashed with police on the streets of Brussels Sunday to oppose a progressive UN agreement to meant improve immigration policies. Only 1,000 showed to counter the far-right protest.
Stunning beauty queen makes history as first transgender Miss Universe contestant https://t.co/OTfdlNaiqW pic.twitter.com/Y7PE3I7dsB
— Fabulous (@Fabulousmag) December 16, 2018
Death on the Border: The family of a Guatemalan girl who died in ICE custody are disputing allegations by US officials that 7-year-old Jakelin Caal Maquin was starving and dehydrated before reaching the US border earlier this month. The contradicting stories raise questions about conditions at the child detention facilities.
Zeroed In: A US Senate report on Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election shows that Russian hackers used social media to target and influence African-American voters expected to vote Democrat.
Housing Hero: Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek is brewing up legislation that could make Oregon the first state to ban single-family residential zoning in major metro areas. For non-zoning nerds, this means more multi-unit homes could fit on a single property, promising cheaper rents. Joy!
Outlaw’d: The Oregonian has published a year-end critique of Mayor Ted Wheeler. The review includes some biting commentary from Wheeler’s peers, and pits the mayor against Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw. Outlaw issued a press release Sunday afternoon, softening her comments.
Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw responds to @Oregonian piece compiling critiques of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s first term. pic.twitter.com/D4ayQsVhID
— Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) December 17, 2018
Newfangled Movie House: A new movie theater is coming to Southeast Powell and it’s FANCY. By that, I mean it has a kind of high-tech audio system I have never heard of before but the Mercury’s film whiz Erik Henriksen assures me is FANCY. Also, it will have “penthouse theaters,” which sounds like some gentrifying bullshit which is FANCY.
Scandal? An Oregonian investigation into when a relationship between two mayoral staffers began—and if the relationship impacted their recent promotions—didn’t find any obvious legal problems.
Longread of the Day: The ballad of H-E-B, your favorite Texas grocery store.
Relax, Relax. These people are fleeing atrocious violence and crumbling economies that for the most part were caused by our own corrupt policies in Central and South America. Besides we need the workers. To say the United States cannot afford to take on asylum seekers while protecting their humanitarian rights is pure ignorance. Do you have any idea how much private for-profit prison companies are charging the taxpayer for detaining these tens of thousands of immigrants in tent cities? Something like $50,000 a year per head. This crap is straight out of Hitler’s playbook: pick a vulnerable population and make them the enemy so you can scare the population into accepting fascism. Wake the fuck up.
“… the Trump-approved ruling [to rid us forever of ‘affordable’ healthcare] could easily find its way in a Trump-approved Supreme Court and sentence low-income Americans to a Trump-approved death.”
Well, if they were Important people, they wouldn’t be Low-income! Besides, if they can by duped into voting against themselves, who — other than Republicans — needs ’em?