Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.
Third Time’s the Charm (Probably Not): Trump has booted his second national security advisor, Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, and replaced him with John Bolton, a man more in line with Trump’s “BOMB NORTH KOREA AND PROBS IRAN TOO” policy plans. Cherry on top: Bolton once recorded a really weird video for a Russian gun rights organization urging the Russian government to relax its gun laws.
Shooting in France: Three are dead in the small town of Trèbes, France, after a gunman claiming allegiance to Isis opened fire in a grocery store. The shooter said he wanted to “avenge Syria” and demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving suspect of the 2015 Paris attacks, who is jailed in France. After a brief stand-off with police, the man was shot and killed by officers entering the building.
Same Old: Congress averted another pending government shutdown early Friday morning with the passage of a $1.3 trillion spending bill. The final product (a whopping 2,232 pages long) features ramped up defense spending but ignores most of Trump’s aggressive anti-immigration demands. Surprising no one, Trump has already expressed his intent to veto the bill unless it fully funds his border wall.
TTYL: A man booked in the Multnomah County Jail for charges linked to identity theft hopped into an unlocked truck during a work crew shift on NE 52nd yesterday and took off. As of this morning, 25-year-old Scott M. Smith has yet to be tracked down.
Sounds About Right: A Multnomah County grand jury has ruled that a pair of officers’ decision to shoot a burglary suspect (prompting the suspect to return fire) was justified by law. The suspect, meanwhile, faces a number of attempted murder charges.
No More Birds on Things: IFC aired its final episode of Portlandia, that show we laughed at once and promptly blamed all of Portland’s problems on. A bearded Sam Adams showed up one last time to remind us how long it’s been on (7 years). Here’s to one day, far in the future, where people stop asking me if I live in a hipster daydream.
Meanwhile, in Trashlandia: Remember that floating mass of trash collecting somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that’s probably a few football fields large? Turns out it’s now twice the size of Texas and will probably devour us all within the next decade.
Getting Personal: A Republican state lawmaker and gun rights advocated used Facebook to share personal phone numbers and home addresses for three Portland clergy members who’ve rallied for a statewide assault weapon ban. Asked why by Oregonian reporter Hillary Borrud, Rep. Bill Post said: “Knowledge is power.”
Yep, it Snowed Last Night: And you should expect a “wintery mix” of weather (including some thunderstorms) the rest of the day. Follow Portland’s National Weather Service twitter account for updates. Happy Spring Break, kids!
Big, wet snowflakes to greet the day @ 700’ in NW Portland! Not sticking! But it is at Skyline! #LiveOnK2 @NWSPortland pic.twitter.com/8dR9Mqsi7F
— Mary Loos (@MLoosKATU) March 23, 2018
