Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.
Good morning, Portland! Today is going to be sunny and cold, with a high of 45. We’ve made the transition from Beanie Season to Beanie and Scarf Season, so that’s fun.
Here are the headlines:
Here We Go Again: CNN, among others, is speculating that another shoe is about to drop in Robert Mueller’s Trump investigation. Files to be released today and Friday “could offer tantalizing new details of Mueller’s deep dive into the 2016 campaign.” Sorry, but I refuse to find anything about the 2016 election tantalizing!
Climate Injustice: Al Jazeera has a report out today about how wildfires on the West Coast can be especially devastating for an already fragile population: undocumented immigrants. “Due to the wildfires, there’s less work because many fruits went bad,” an undocumented migrant worker told the outlet.
What a Turn-Off: Tumblr announced yesterday that it will ban all porn (including “female-presenting nipples”) from its website on Dec 17. It’s a decision that has left many, including sex workers and LGBTQ users, reeling.
Four More Years… In an interview with the Portland Tribune released yesterday, Mayor Ted Wheeler said that despite muttergate, he currently intends to run for reelection in 2020. Apparently the mayor feels that “people have a long history of underestimating” him.
…Of This? More mayor news: Willamette Week reported yesterday that Wheeler’s communications director made yet another eyebrow-raising decision: asking reporters to sign non-disclosure agreements.
She’s now defending the move on Twitter.
The reason why an NDA was presented was mainly to prevent sensitive & confidential tactics from being shared in real-time.
We had one sincere intention with this: To offer journalists a glimpse into what goes on at PPB during an active, potentially violent demonstration. https://t.co/mGTp7NQDAO
— Eileen Park (@eileenparkpdx) December 3, 2018
Becoming Less House-Poor: Thanks to the recent passage of Measure 102, which allows more flexibility in spending government housing bond money, the city of Portland is reimagining its strategy for the 2016 housing bond. The city can now lend bond money to private affordable housing projects, which could mean more affordable units, the Oregonian reports.
File This Under “Boring But Important”: Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services needs to do a better job prioritizing and keeping track of its flood prevention and water quality projects, an audit released today found. “The bureau’s really had trouble meeting some of the commitments it’s laid out,” an auditor told the Mercury.
“Oh, Love It!” (And “It” Is Weed): Cannabis legalization in Oregon opened up the floodgates of capitalism, and you’d be forgiven for feeling a bit of fatigue when it comes to the hot new pot product. But KGW has a charming man-on-the-street segment about a new cannabis-infused perfume, and it made me chuckle. Tag yourself; I’m the woman in the pink coat whose friend thinks it’s mint because I, too, am a bold truth-teller!
What does this new perfume smell like? #IAmUpPDX pic.twitter.com/r7bvjNVTus
— KGW News (@KGWNews) December 4, 2018
I’m the commentator over on the far right
who’s blown away we’re even Talking
about ‘cannabis’ on theTeeVee!
Reefer Madness, baby!
Say — what’s it like?