Free the disco trike! Police impounded the sparkly gold tricycle of local activist and filmmaker Dan Kaufman during an Occupy Portland rally, an unpermitted march celebrating the one-year anniversary of Egypt's Tahrir Square protest. On Wednesday, January 25, about 75 protesters—including Kaufman on his sound-system-equipped tricycle—took to downtown streets. Police arrested six protesters on various charges and released the disco trike six days later. SARAH MIRK

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A new study from the Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCCP) attacks the right-wing image of undocumented immigrants as drains on public coffers. According to OCCP's number crunching, the 110,000-220,000 undocumented immigrants in Oregon's labor force pay a total $154-309 million in taxes annually, despite being ineligible for numerous public services. SM

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Portland officials tentatively agreed to settle a long-running federal lawsuit over the city's camping ban. But the agreement, filed January 11 and first reported by the Portland Tribune on January 23, isn't cause for celebration just yet. The sides have yet to deeply discuss any of the settlement terms, and deputy city attorney David Landrum says any changes to the ordinance would be limited to how cops are trained to enforce the ban. A 2010 agreement would have allowed small campsites in the city, but it foundered amid the fine print. DENIS C. THERIAULT

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Chop chop! TriMet is considering budget cuts that could severely affect service. TriMet spokesperson Mary Fetsch confirmed last week that the agency is looking into eliminating round-trip transfers and all zones (making the base fare $2.50) to patch a $17 million budget hole. SM

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Union city transportation workers marched through Northeast Portland on Monday, January 30, to protest up to $16 million in cuts that will slice at least 27 transportation jobs and leave another 33 positions unfilled ["Overcommitted!" News, Dec 15, 2011]. The crowd, including politicos Mary Nolan and Tina Kotek, shouted, "Sam! Sam! Where are you? You say you're mayor, but you cut your crew!" SM