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Portland Mercury
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Good Morning, News: New Seasons' Pre-Thanksgiving Strike, Beware Busy Holiday Travel, and Will Dipshit Elon Musk Buy MSNBC?
Nov 25, 2024Tap to summarizeby Wm. Steven Humphrey If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! 👋 Surprise! The sun will return this week (after a few scattered showers today and tomorrow) with highs in the mid-40s, just in time for your Thanksgiving festivities... and here's my annual reminder that you have no business playing touch football at your age. You're just going to fuck up your knees and back, while also probably pulling a groin muscle. JUST SAY NO. Eat an edible and crash on the basement couch instead. Just another wise public service announcement from Wm. Steven Humphrey, and now let's read some public service NEWS. IN LOCAL NEWS: • Union workers at New Seasons grocery stores in the area have announced they intend to stage a one-day strike on the day before Thanksgiving (AKA one of the busiest shopping days of the year—though if you do shop on that day, you're an amateur and should reexamine how you do things in general). Eleven New Seasons stores in Portland and Beaverton will be involved in the strike in response to what union leaders are calling management's refusal to deal with specific issues including starting wages, reduction in holiday pay, and wage cuts for those in higher unionized positions. Management has until today to respond to the warning, or else the walkout goes on. President-elect Donald Trump has chosen Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer as his nominee to lead the Labor Department. Read more here: www.oregonlive.com/nation/2024/...[image or embed] — The Oregonian (@oregonian.bsky.social) November 22, 2024 at 5:01 PM • Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade is refusing to further investigate a potential campaign violation by former City Council candidate Ben Hufford, who tried and failed to ride Commissioner Rene Gonzalez failed coattails into office. In a Willamette Week article, Hufford was accused by 11 witnesses of telling 150 people they would be allowed into his bar if they donated $10 to his campaign (instead of paying a $20 cover fee... both of which sounds insane to me). Griffin-Valade says her office will not be pursuing the case, since the bulk of the evidence is the WW's article. (Has anybody thought to ask the 11 people who witnessed the violation?) Anyway, the decision will most likely be appealed, because... C'MON! • Good news for Portlanders (and bad news for the Oregonian and rich folk who depend on high crime rates to push their conservative agenda): There has been a 63 percent drop (!) in reports of stolen vehicles since March 2022. Portland Police are patting themselves on the back for the significant decrease in car thefts—though it's important to remember the cops admitted to lying in 2021 about there not being enough officers to enforce traffic laws in order to trick city council into increasing their already bloated budget. So in actuality, all the police did to improve those stolen vehicle rates was... *checks notes*... do the work we pay them to do. 🙄 • If you're flying out of PDX for Thanksgiving this week, give yourself some extra time, because holiday travel is expected to almost return to pre-pandemic (AKA verrrrry busy) levels, with 1.7 million more people traveling as opposed to last year. Oh, and PRO TIP: If you find yourself with some extra time at the airport, heed the sage advice of our Suzette Smith, and get your holiday shopping done at some of those super cute stores at the airport! Feeling fancy? You've got a bunch of new food & drink options, including champagne at Fancy Baby, seafood towers at Jacqueline, and duck "Spam" musubi at Canard. Plus, find out where to snag teriyaki ice cream and pudding shots. It's the week in Portland food news! 😋[image or embed] — Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.bsky.social) November 22, 2024 at 2:32 PM IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: • Portland's airport isn't the only place heating up for holiday travel; a whopping 30 million people across the nation are expected to be in the air and on the road this Thanksgiving week. However, smooth travels may be stymied thanks to a storm system that's bringing rain and snow to a large portion of country, as well as a strike at the very busy airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, where workers are demanding an "end to poverty wages" as well as "respect on the job during the holiday travel season." • 👀 The Paris Council has requested that SUVs be banned from urban areas across France. eutoday.net/paris-calls-...[image or embed] — David Zipper (@davidzipper.bsky.social) November 25, 2024 at 6:06 AM • Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed "in principle" to a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Israeli cabinet is expected to vote on it tomorrow. That said, Israel and Hezbollah are currently still trying to kill each other, and the deal is tenuous at best. • Ding-dong, Matt Gaetz's political career is practically dead—and while there's much to celebrate after the accused sex trafficker stepped away from his Attorney General nomination last week, Trump has even more alleged sex abusers and enablers lined up to join his cabinet. Still in the running: Pete Hegseth, chosen to run the Defense Department, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's all set to ruin the Department of Health and Human Services, and former WWE co-founder Linda McMahon, the absolutely laughable choice to head up the Department of Education. However, some Republicans are signaling they will fight these nominations as well, if they can screw up the courage to disobey their cult leader. We'll see, I guess! When your goal is to sidestep checks on your power, you do stuff like claim that 52 percent support for a vaguely articulated policy is proof of popular demand. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...[image or embed] — Philip Bump (@pbump.com) November 25, 2024 at 7:49 AM • While billionaire dipshit Elon Musk is threatening to buy MSNBC (and presumably destroy it, just like he did with Twitter) which is sending a chill of the spines of progressives, there are reportedly other—far more reasonable—billionaires who would step in to buy the network if it were for sale (which it currently is not). So feel free to continue ignoring that billionaire dipshit. • Rest in dirt, dirtbag. Chuck Woolery, the host of “Love Connection,” “Wheel of Fortune” and other TV game shows, who later became a co-host of a popular right-wing podcast, died on Saturday. He was 83. nyti.ms/4eOTxkO<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:p...
Transcribe →Winter Road Dread
Nov 20, 2024Tap to summarizeby Anonymous Some guidelines to all of Portland metro area, from the perspective of someone who drives 4/5 hours a day. - Headlights on please (and those of you who see these idiots, please help me by flashing your brights and flicking your lights! We need more on the good side. - Speed up to the speed of traffic at highway merges. - If you find yourself needing more personal phone time please not behind the wheel. I swear, the weather is mild still and people are driving like it’s middle of February and the roads are icy. I want to get home on time and I’d really appreciate if y’all participated in general care on the road to allow that.
Transcribe →Film Review: In Heretic and Don't Move Meek Heroines Fawn and Freeze
Nov 20, 2024Tap to summarizeThis fall, femmes find new ways to survive. by Suzette Smith Much has been made of Brit cinema heartthrob Hugh Grant's heel turn in A24's suspenseful horror film Heretic. It's as if someone actually started listening to the actor, who has loudly proclaimed for decades that his bashful grimaces and hair shakes—found in iconic hits like Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Love, Actually—are just mannerisms affected for a role. As Mr. Reed, a potential Mormon convert turned long-winded captor, Grant has found a vehicle to deploy his signature whimsical shrug under sinister circumstances, and the results are deeply creepy. Those goosebumps alone justify Heretic's ticket price, but his co-stars, who play missionaries Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), offer strong performances of their own. It's an almost-comical mismatch to put strong acting in a premise as belabored as what we find in Heretic. If you came for the philosophical arguments, have fun in the kiddie pool because it's not very deep. The plot is full of holes, and the existential back-and-forth between the missionaries and their captor is no more clever than those you've heard in college dorm rooms. There is an honest-to-god exploration of the similarities between Radiohead's "Creep" and "The Air That I Breathe" by the Hollies, if you haven't heard that one before. However, while everything Mr. Reed lays forth fizzles out, the experience of listening to two sides talk past one another hits. And when one side threatens to lock the other in their basement until they either agree or die—well, that also sounds familiar. That may explain the film's election-adjacent release date; it opened too late for a Halloween horror audience and also after November 5, when many expected widespread anxiety about religious control to drop off. And while a good amount of Heretic's success is due to A24 marketing the hell out of it, audiences may also find a catharsis therein. And the rise / return of a hero type: the Fawn Fatale. We're all likely familiar with fight or flight, the common labels for physical responses—which are sometimes uncontrollable—caused by fear or trauma. It turns out there are more than two options. Freeze has been part of the conversation for over a century; Fawn is newer, coined by an American psychotherapist in the '00s. It describes flattering or soothing behavior towards a threat. The Fawn Fatale is not forceful. And if she exclaims anything too loudly she will soon be corrected. In Heretic, we meet the Mormon mission partners as Paxton unselfconsciously tells Barnes about a cringe-worthy porn. Barnes wryly wonders if Paxton watches much porn, and her partner backpedals with embarrassment. Their established archetypes never waver: Barnes is wise and worldly, and she is simultaneously laughing at and shepherding Paxton through innocent, embarrassing fumbles. When Mr. Reed's machinations later separate the two, Paxton must try to survive using her own talents. But she has little in her arsenal aside from flattery and retreat. She admits to Mr. Reed that she isn't as smart as he is, but forthrightly declares she's still going to try to escape. Someone, ring the folksy alarm because we have a Simple Country Lawyer deploying self-deprecating charm! We won't say to what extent Paxton's stratagem succeeds, but it works for a while. And staying alive a little bit longer is at the top of Last Girl goals. Heretic's playbook is similar to another recent release, the Netflix thriller Don't Move. Produced by Sam Rami, this film asks: What if a lady in danger just lies down for a whole movie? Absent are the half-feral revenge mavens. Here, Iris (Kelsey Asbille) must escape a serial killer (Finn Wittrock) while she lays completely inert. Sure, he injected her with a paralyzing agent, but she's also very depressed. It's a frustrating watch, and the acting isn't great, but you can't fault the concept for exploring a lesser known fear response: freeze. As we noted before, freeze should be a more widely-acknowledged response, since it's been observed in humans, animals, and other biological organisms for nearly as long as this theory has existed. While fight and flight get all the glory, we are firmly in the camp of whatever works. Some people work on controlling the freeze instinct. Others embrace their self-protective habit to become quiet and escape notice. It's still a bit early to identify with certainty a deluge of mollifying, meek survivor-types working Olympic-level social gymnastics. But art imitates life, and if this is an actual trend—DIBS, I CALLED IT. Heretic is playing in wide release, Don't Move is streaming on Netflix.
Transcribe →Good Morning, News: Trump's Clown Cabinet, Gaetz's Peculiar Venmo History, and Multnomah County's Legal Troubles
Nov 20, 2024Tap to summarizeby Courtney Vaughn The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland! Today’s forecast: partly sunny with a chance of …cyclones? Not today it seems. Forecasters say we’re in for intermittent sunshine and a high of 53 degrees, with a chance of evening showers and gusts of up to 11 mph. 🌦️ The bomb cyclone that hit the Northwest yesterday reportedly knocked out power to roughly 600,000 people across Oregon, Washington and Northern California. At least one person died in Washington, when high winds knocked down a large tree that fell on a homeless encampment where a woman was staying. Great excuse to stay inside and read the news. In Local News: Chew on this: If you’ve ever shoved a wad of soft pink shredded bubble gum in your mouth, you likely remember the joy of Big League Chew. The product was invented right here in Portland, during a Portland Mavericks minor league baseball game in 1977. But as The Oregonian reports, Big League Chew is now in a legal dispute with its manufacturer, which applied for a trademark on the shredded gum. Big League Chew’s inventor, former Mavericks pitcher Rob Nelson, says the manufacturer has licensed his product for the past 14 years, and recently tried to buy out his company, to no avail. Now, the manufacturer is applying for a trademark, which Nelson and Big League Chew allege is an intellectual property infringement and violates the licensing agreement. In local government news, Multnomah County Board Chair Jessica Vega Pederson says she deeply values transparency, and insists her office has always adhered to public records laws. The defensive statement came last weekend, in response to media reporting on a lawsuit filed against Multnomah County by a former employee who worked in Pederson’s office. The employee alleges she faced retaliation and ultimately lost her job after she spoke up about concerns that Pederson’s staffers were violating Oregon’s public records law by using Pederson’s private email to send messages to the county chair. Pederson says she never authorized or asked staff to do that, and noted she turned over 189 emails sent to her private inbox over the past few years, most of which were copies of newsletters from other regional government entities. Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson defends adherence to public records laws, after former staffer alleges she faced retaliation for blowing the whistle on potential violations within Vega Pederson's office.[image or embed] — Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.bsky.social) November 19, 2024 at 11:52 AM The Portland Clinic, which has operated downtown for more than 100 years, will close soon. The medical center has been in its current location at SW 13th and Yamhill for about 50 years. Staff at the clinic say the location has been surrounded by crime and drug use, making it untenable to continue operating there. Video footage aired by KGW shows the facility’s quiet facade during clinic hours transform into a bustling corner at night, with patients and nearby residents claiming it’s become the city’s latest fentanyl epicenter. An Oregon judge who was appointed by President Biden for a US District Court seat more than a year ago has finally been confirmed by the US Senate. Oregon Magistrate Judge Mustafa Kasubhai was confirmed Tuesday to the U.S. District Court for Oregon, after having previously undergone a hearing in which GOP leaders heavily questioned Kasubhai’s practices and personal beliefs, focusing more on what they deemed were his woke values than his experience as a judge and past rulings. Democrats have reportedly been scrambling to get Biden’s court appointments confirmed before new conservative members of Congress are sworn in. One amusing take: Tuesday’s confirmation vote likely passed with the help of Republican absences. A few lawmakers, including Ohio Senator and VP-elect JD Vance, skipped work to accompany President-elect Donald Trump to watch Elon Musks’s SpaceX launch. The weather can make it tempting to stay indoors all week and just embrace the cozy, but our city is abuzz with things to eat, watch, and do. Our Everout weekly event guide is here to help you pick your poison. We've got the very best picks of fun events this week, from Tinashe to the Sun Ra Arkestra and from A Conversation with Larry David to the Portland Cheese and Meat Festival. LET'S. GET. BUSY! everout.com/portland/art...[image or embed] — Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.bsky.social) November 18, 2024 at 12:04 PM In National/World News: New research suggests one in five Americans regularly relies on internet and social media influencers for their news. A study done by Pew Research Center sampled 500 influencers across multiple social media platforms who regularly discuss “news” on their feeds. The followers of those accounts were analyzed, giving researchers an idea of how popular and ubiquitous social media has become as a source of information, particularly among adults under 30. Among the influencers and podcasters with the most notoriety and followers: UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who regularly hosts comedians and celebrity guests on his show. Speaking of the youths, guess who Trump tapped to lead the US Department of Education? None other than WWE co-founder Linda McMahon. McMahon previously oversaw the Small Business Administration under Trump’s previous presidency. Other recent cabinet picks include Dr. Oz, Robert “Brain Worm” F. Kennedy, Jr., and Brendan Carr, who would lead the FCC. Carr is cozy with Elon Musk, who is pushing hard to get government subsidies for his broadband internet service, Starlink. Wait what. Seriously?Like he’s literally just watching TV and writing down names as he goes? — Stephen Is My Name (@crazy_stephen_i) November 19, 2024 New revelations about another Trump cabinet pick, Matt Gaetz, are surfacing. Trump has nominated Gaetz to be the US Attorney General, despite the fact that Gaetz has been under investigation for drugs, alleged bribes, and having sex with underage teen girls. Now, it's being reported that several strange Venmo payments totaling more than $10,000 were made by Gaetz to two women who testified in the House Ethics Committee probe into Gaetz's alleged illegal behavior. View this post on Instagram A post shared by moistbuddha (@moistbuddha)
Transcribe →Multnomah County Chair Defends Herself Against Former Employee's Lawsuit
Nov 19, 2024Tap to summarizeA former employee alleges retaliation for blowing the whistle on potential records law violations among staff in Jessica Vega Pederson's office. by Courtney Vaughn Updated: Nov. 20. This story has been updated with additional input from the county clarifying its investigation into alleged unlawful workplace behavior. Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson is defending what she calls limited and “rare” use of private email channels to conduct county business. The remarks came in a newsletter from the county chair's office over the weekend, in light of reporting on a lawsuit filed against the county by Vega Pederson’s former deputy chief of staff. The former employee claims she lost her job after reporting potential public records law violations by staff in the county chair’s office. In a lawsuit filed November 12, Tabitha Jensen claims she was retaliated against and ultimately fired for bringing up concerns about staff in Vega Pederson’s office using private backchannels of communication, effectively shielding the messages from public records law disclosure. Jensen was hired in July 2023 to serve as Vega Pederson’s deputy chief of staff. Six months later, in January, Jensen was shifted to oversee budget and strategic projects for Vega Pederson. According to her lawsuit, Jensen began raising concern with county officials, including a county attorney, about instances of potential records law violations in May. Jensen claims she was denied a permanent position as a director of the county’s Youth & Family Services department in October, even though she was already performing that job on an interim basis. She says she was also denied the chance to transfer back to her job as Vega Pederson’s budget and special projects director, and then was notified she would soon be terminated. Jensen believes she was ousted for blowing the whistle on high-ranking county staff. Under Oregon law, communication between government employees is generally considered public record. Employees who are subject to the law aren’t supposed to use private email or personal phones to conduct official business. Vega Pederson said that a records request from The Oregonian for emails that have come through her private inbox yielded 189 emails out of 90,000 sent since her time as a county official. “The emails I provided showed that two former members of my staff chose to correspond with me on my personal email, not at my request. They no longer work for me, and since bringing in a new Chief of Staff, we’ve re-trained my team to assure transparency and use of county devices for our work," Vega Pederson wrote in her newsletter. "We’re also clear that county business records, no matter where they’re kept, must be retained—this is the law and a strongly held value by myself and my team. Since this training, there have been no communications coming to me from my team in personal email." Jensen’s lawsuit raises questions about the county’s compliance with state records laws on a broader level. "It is the long established policy of the County that all employees comply with Oregon Public Records law and retention policies,” Julie Sullivan-Springhetti, director of Multnomah County's communications office, told the Mercury. “The impact of these rules is that employees must retain and provide any work records created or maintained on personal devices, including but not limited to emails, electronic documents, texts, chats, and voicemails.” Sullivan-Springhetti said county employees review personnel rules annually, and staff are now instructed not to use their personal cell phones for work-related business, except for "brief, occasional, or intermittent use." In a public statement, an attorney representing Jensen called his client a “respected member of the greater Portland community,” whose professional work includes human services and administering programs for homeless youth and young adults. “The purpose of this lawsuit is to hold the County accountable to its stated mission, vision, and values,” Michael Fuller of Underdog Law Office stated. “Based on our investigation, Tabitha experienced retaliation in the workplace after she raised concerns that the County was not complying with Oregon’s public records laws. Specifically, Tabitha raised concerns after she was asked to communicate using the County Chair’s personal email, then noticed that the County was not timely producing communications involving the County Chair’s personal email account. The communications were ultimately produced, but only after Tabitha raised her concerns with the County Attorney.” Vega Pederson said her handling of emails and records has been "mischaracterized." “I care a lot about transparency and have championed public records updates during my time as Chair,” Vega Pederson stated in her newsletter. “Our last budget included investments in a new public records system and manager in response to the vast increase in requests that have been made of the County these last few years. I also led a change to our internal rules that explicitly states County employees should use County cell phones, not personal cell phones, to conduct regular county business. This was a significant policy shift from past practice.” County says legal counsel is investigating Jensen's complaints Shortly after learning her employment at the county was ending, Jensen reported the alleged illegal workplace behavior to the county's Complaints Investigations Unit. It appeared the county took Jensen’s complaint seriously, and tried to schedule a meeting with Jensen and outside investigators with the law firm Beery, Elsner & Hammond. But soon after Jensen informed a county investigations coordinator of her pending lawsuit against Multnomah County over the same employment issues, the investigations unit halted its investigation. “I'm not sure if the CIU is aware, but there are other legal activities related to my reporting that are happening concurrently," Jensen told the investigations coordinator. "Just wanted to make sure this was on your radar." "We are not able to continue with the CIU investigation at this time," the coordinator told Jensen, citing advice from the county's attorneys. Sullivan-Springhetti, the county communications director, says that doesn't mean the investigation has been abandoned. She says the county's attorney is looking into Jensen's claims. She provided additional clarification Wednesday, November 20, noting there are several pathways employees can take to file a complaint. "When an employee brings complaints through multiple channels, the County coordinates internally to assure that complaints are addressed efficiently and without duplication of efforts. Here, Tabitha brought both a legal claim and an allegation of personnel rule violations," Sullivan-Springhetti told the Mercury. "The County Attorney is currently investigating those claims and will provide advice to the County on next steps. Jensen is seeking reimbursement of her attorney fees, and non-economic damages of up to $425,000.
Transcribe →SAVAGE LOVE: Twinning
Nov 19, 2024Tap to summarize"I might be falling in love with my husband’s identical twin brother." 👯‍♂️ by Dan Savage I might be falling in love with my husband’s identical twin brother. My husband and I have been in a traditional monogamous cishet straight marriage for twelve years. It wasn’t until the last few years that I started catching feelings for my brother-in-law, who is also married. I first started to notice my BIL in a way that surprised me when we went on a family vacation together. He’s just so empathetic, compassionate, and articulate. He also has the same body my husband does (obviously), although my BIL is little fitter. What is really hard to understand is that my feelings for my husband haven’t changed. Do I love them both? Is that possible? Our sex life isn’t suffering. I’ve never been someone who can have orgasms without a vibrator assist, and I’m fine with that. Sometimes though, I find myself thinking about my BIL and feel extremely turned on.… [ Read more ]
Transcribe →Good Morning, News: Hayden Island Residents Speak Out Against I-5 Bridge Replacement, Oregon Electric Car Adoption, and Future USDOT Secretary May Be Reality TV Star
Nov 19, 2024Tap to summarizeby Taylor Griggs If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland! Winter has arrived with a vengeance. It's dark, cold, and wet out there most of the time nowadays, and today will be no different. In fact, there's a "bomb cyclone" on the way, meaning an (EXTRA) lot of rain is on the forecast starting tonight, potentially resulting in some flooding, so be careful! The weather system should also bring some needed snow to the mountains and make Mt. Hood all pretty and stuff, if the clouds ever part so we can see it again. That's enough of the weather report. Let's get to some other news. IN LOCAL NEWS: • The city of Portland is expected to pay $400,000 to settle an excessive force civil suit brought against Portland police by resident Dustin Ferreira. Ferreira, who uses a wheelchair, says former police Sgt. Justin Damerville used excessive force against him during a 2020 protest, pushing his wheelchair and grabbing him. This is the largest settlement yet for a single plaintiff regarding use of excessive force by Portland police during the 2020 protests. Facing inherited budget woes, unfamiliar bureaucratic systems, and voters eager for a new direction, expectations are high for Portland's brand-new city councilors. Here's how some of the new electeds — and the people who helped propel them into office — are thinking about the task.[image or embed]— Alex Zielinski (@alexzee.bsky.social) November 19, 2024 at 8:18 AM • The public comment period for the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project ended last night, so hopefully those aggrieved (or happy with) the project got a chance to share their opinions. We covered this issue last week and it already got a Good Morning, News blurb yesterday, but I wanted to promote some more coverage of a group that is especially riled up about the current plan to replace the I-5 bridge connecting Portland to Vancouver: Hayden Island residents. An OPB article digs deep into I-5 bridge replacement concerns from people who live on the island in the Columbia River, which is well-known as the home of the Jantzen Beach Center but also has about 3,000 residents. Those who live on Hayden Island are worried about the long-term impacts of construction for this massive project, potential residential and commercial property displacement, the impact of tolling, and more. IBR program administrator Greg Johnson is quoted in the OPB article weighing the project's priorities: “We have to look out for the local interest, but we also have to look at the bigger picture of what’s happening regionally and nationally with this corridor." But Hayden Island residents feel project leaders haven't been responsive to their needs. • About 1,000 graduate students at Oregon State University have been on strike for a week now, with no sign of an end in sight. The graduate workers are demanding a 40 percent raise for the lowest-paid union members, who take home only about $1,400 monthly after taxes—not a living wage! The university hasn't been receptive to these demands, and the strike will continue until OSU's leaders step up. • New Critical Energy Infrastructure hub news: Multnomah County is advancing an ordinance to require owners of fossil fuels & hazardous materials facilities to provide financial assurance for damages caused by catastrophic spills at the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub in NW Portland. New from @jeremiahhayden.bsky.social[image or embed] — Nick Caleb (@ecosozialismus.bsky.social) November 19, 2024 at 8:54 AM • There are now more than 100,000 registered electric cars in Oregon, marking a new milestone for the state–and solidifying our place as a top national adopter of electric vehicles. Only 10 years ago, Oregon had just over 5,000 EV registrations, and about 27,000 five years ago, so this new record marks big growth. It's due in large part to the combined state and federal tax credits for purchasing electric cars—the latter of which will likely be going away under the future Trump administration. It's unclear what Oregon leaders will do to combat the impact that could have on local EV adoption. IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: • Pope Francis has called for an investigation about whether or not Israel's attacks on Gaza constitute a genocide, and suggested in a new book he believes it does. This is the first time he's suggested publicly that Israel is engaged in a genocide, a claim many people have made over the last year as the country's military has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, many of them children, in supposed pursuit of Hamas leaders. Will the pope's words mean anything to those justifying these killings? That's not clear, but it's notable that he is speaking out. • Oh, great. I was spending the last couple weeks so worried about the climate crisis, I couldn't even start to worry about nuclear war. But the brain is capable of doing multiple things at once, especially after this recent development: President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday lowered Russia’s threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. The timing appeared designed to show the country could respond aggressively to Ukrainian strikes on their territory with U.S. long-range missiles.[image or embed] — The New York Times (@nytimes.com) November 19, 2024 at 8:49 AM • Who will be Pete Buttigieg's successor as the secretary of the US Department of Transportation? If Trump gets his way, it'll be former Wisconsin Congressman/reality TV show personality/current Fox News contributor Sean Duffy. Trump announced his intention to nominate Duffy yesterday, in a move that didn't get quite as much attention as some of his more high-profile nominations in the past couple weeks. Duffy seemingly has very little experience with in the transportation world, which doesn't matter much when your job mainly revolves around shilling for Elon Musk and Tesla. • Good news! A judge in Wyoming struck down the state’s abortion ban and ban on medication-induced abortions. The state laws were challenged in court by four women, including two doctors and two nonprofit leaders—and they won! It’s unclear if the case will be challenged in a higher court, but it’s good to see these draconian bans challenged even in Republican strongholds (and that’s putting it lightly) like Wyoming. • Finally...may your day today be as relaxed as this 140-year-old tortoise at the San Diego Zoo. BYE! View this post on Instagram A post shared by San Diego Zoo (@sandiegozoo)
Transcribe →The Mercury Is Hiring a Full-Time Music Editor (Hurry, Applications Due This Friday!)
Nov 18, 2024Tap to summarizeby Wm. Steven Humphrey Do you love local music and seeing it live? Do you have thoughts about it and can write it all down in an entertaining, informative manner? Then you may be the perfect candidate for the Mercury's newest MUSIC EDITOR. Check out the job description below, and see if you (or someone you know) is qualified! HELP WANTED: Music Editor The Portland Mercury is currently looking for a full-time MUSIC EDITOR to join our small, dynamic, hard-working editorial staff. Are you a smart, thoughtful writer filled with passion, hustle, and the desire to share their love for—and critiques of—the Portland music scene? This is an excellent position for an engaging writer with a deep knowledge of local and national music, who believes a strong arts scene makes for a stronger city. If you have experience and love for other areas of arts and culture (including food, nightlife, comedy, theater, film, books, visual art, and more), that’s even better. A degree in journalism isn't required, but possessing basic reporting chops is very helpful! Salary: $70,000 starting Qualified applicants should possess the following: • Snappy, smart writing paired with a passion for digging deep into the music scene and other areas of cultural significance. The ability to write about various genres of music with respect and research is a definite necessity for this job. At least two years of experience in culture writing is preferred. • Must love going out and attending lots of shows—this is a requirement. • Previous editing experience and being able to weather critical feedback from readers is particularly helpful. • Must be extremely organized and able to write longer reviews as well as short blurbs, report on breaking music news, and manage freelancers. You should have an ability to devise and execute fresh story ideas with little to no hand-holding, and adhere to deadlines. You will also be asked to write for and help produce our print products, as well as contribute content to our online calendar, EverOut. • Exceptional grammar and style skills, and the ability to proofread your colleagues' work. • Familiarity with major social media platforms. • And of course: enthusiasm, professionalism, people skills, and a good sense of humor! This is a full-time, exempt and union position with a starting annual salary of $70,000. Our employees split telecommuting with some office time. Applicants should live in the Portland metro area, or have the ability to relocate for the job. Ideally, you'll have a familiarity with the area. Our general work schedule is Monday-Friday, but you will be asked to work some evenings and weekends. And just so you know, the Mercury is a really fun place to work with nice people who treat each other with respect. Interested applicants should send us a résumé, links or PDFs to at least three published pieces, four brief story ideas, and a cover letter that won't bore us to death. Submit your application here. Benefits: Health Insurance: Employer contributes toward medical, dental, and vision premiumsRetirement Plan: SIMPLE IRA with employer matching contributionsPaid Time Off: Seven paid holidays, two any-day paid holidays and vacation starting at two weeks in first year, increasing up to 4 weeks after 5 yearsEmployee Assistance Program: Access to wellness and financial support servicesFlexible Spending Account (FSA): Options to set aside pre-tax funds for medical and dependent care expenses Why Noisy Creek? Aside from being an equal opportunity employer, we’re also a vibrant, creative team that believes the more diverse voices that are at the table, the better the conversation—and the work! We realize that not everyone receives the same professional or educational opportunities, so if you don’t meet all the above qualifications but still think you’d be a good fit, please consider applying. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and particularly encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and other underrepresented communities. If you want to be part of a team where your skills and ideas are valued, we want to hear from you! Application Deadline: Friday, November 22, 2024 SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION HERE.
Transcribe →The Top 38 Events in Portland This Week: Nov 18–24, 2024
Nov 18, 2024Tap to summarizeTinashe, Larry David, and More by EverOut Staff We're putting you in the know about all of this week's noteworthy events, with suggestions from Tinashe to the Sun Ra Arkestra and from A Conversation with Larry David to the Portland Cheese and Meat Festival. TUESDAY LIVE MUSIC DusterEvery autumn, my music taste glides between the '60s Appalachian folk revival (Jean Richie, Peggy Seeger, Hazel & Alice, etc.) to the moodiest, gloomiest indie rock of the '90s. The San Jose-born slowcore quartet Duster fits the latter bill precisely. The band went on an extended hiatus in 2001 but was able to sustain a modest cult following with their two albums Stratosphere and Contemporary Movement. In 2020, their 1998 song "Inside Out" had an inexplicable boom on the internet (the song has been streamed over SEVEN BILLION times on TikTok alone). It’s easy for us longtime supporters to feel territorial over the band, but we should remind ourselves that these guys deserve all the success that comes their way! The band will support their new album, In Dreams, after an opening set from the lo-fi hip-hop project Dirty Art Club. AUDREY VANN(Revolution Hall, Buckman)
Transcribe →THE TRASH REPORT: Sexiest Man Alive vs. Sexiest Nerd on TGIF
Nov 18, 2024Tap to summarizeby Elinor Jones Listen up, fives: another five is talking. She's me, Elinor Jones. Welcome to the Trash Report! How are you? Personally, I'm experiencing an all-encompassing rage that is weirdly manifesting as extreme silliness. You know that dance we did as kids where you try to keep your head in one spot while the rest of your body flails around? That's what I feel like is happening with me. If my column is dumber than usual, I've got great news: dumb is the new normal. Put on your helmets, it's time to dig in the trash! Trump Trash President Joe Biden met with former and future president DJ Tromp to ensure a peaceful transfer of power which Biden famously never got. "We will do everything in our power to prevent the fascist Trump from a dangerous second term" changed to "here are the keys, buddy, there's gas in the tank, have fun!" awfully fucking fast! If he's not going to make Tormp feel unwelcome back in Washington, couldn't the Bidens' bitey dogs at least have made an appearance? Maybe (hopefully!) they were dumping out in hidden corners of the residence where the turds won't be found for a while and the whole place stinks of dogshit when Donathan moves back in. Gone are the days of a harmless prank like Clinton staffers pranking Bush Jr. by removing the Ws from computer keyboards; I want dogshit hidden in every desk drawer in that goddamn building. Put sugar in all the salt shakers so the McDonalds fries are bad. Shortsheet the beds. Put bouncy snakes in all the mustard jars in the kitchen. Upperdeck all the toilets. Maybe he can't do the fascism if someone puts a bunch of cups of water on the floor in front of the Oval Office door? Operation Kevin McAlister: GO. Cabinet announcements have been rolling out at a steady clip, each one sillier than the last. Elon Musk is very involved in these conversations, and in fact, Trump announced that he will create a new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE, barf) that Musk himself will co-chair with Vivek Ramaswamy. Creating a new department to fix bloated departments is a hilariously bad idea. Could Musk do to the federal government what he did to Twitter, by which I mean make it so toxic and shitty that everyone cool leaves, and those cool people create new places that are way better? Fine by me! I'd love to live in a country like this one but better. (BTW, I finally officially shut down my Twitter; find me on Bluesky: elinorjoneser.) Blah-ttorney General One of the more rascally of his appointment selections is Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz for Attorney General. Gaetz has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee due to allegations of sex trafficking and having sex with a minor. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson doesn't want the report to come out, claiming "This is not the way we do things," which is a very cuck liberal turn of phrase. Like, hey buddy, that OUR ineffectual way of doing nothing. Republicans think suddenly they get to be the norm-heads? Nice try! Also, if there were rumors going around that you committed drug and sex crimes involving a minor, and a report could exonerate you, wouldn't you want that report released? I know I would! It's not a good look for Matt Gaetz, a man who already looks very, very bad just by having the face that he does. The other day when the Wordle was uvula, which was truly a psychotic choice, my brother was telling me how he'd rather have Matt Gaetz stay at his house than attempt to solve that specific wordle ever again. And I was like, "you're not a teen girl, you'd be fine having Matt Gaetz at your house." He conceded this point, but we both agreed that Matt Gaetz would be the kind of guest to bring shitty beer and ask for your special occasion whiskey, and would also fuck up the bathroom. Congrats, future AG, there is absolutely nothing in our current timeline that makes me think this will actually be stopped. Sexy Men People magazine last week announced this year's Sexiest Man Alive, and it's none other than former Office star John Krasinksi. It's not that Krasinski is undeserving, it's more just like - huh? While this would have done it for me when I was in mid mid-20s and any lanky boy with floppy hair and a smirk could undo me, this isn't really where we are right now. Besides, if they are going to revisit early 2000's network TV stars they at least could have given us Seth Cohen/Adam Brody. Several other sexy men rounded out the list, including Selena Gomez's beau, producer Benny Blanco. Benny got dragged a bit online for saying he liked to smell. At least that's what the headlines reduced it to. What he actually said is that he likes to have a distinctive scent, so that when he walks by someone, they know it's him, which I agree is very hot! Be hygienic and clean, of course, and tastefully use scented your products, but also, please give us those pheromones, fellas! We aren't wearing your sweatshirts because we like your shitty college; we want to smell YOU. There's a reason Selena Gomez always looks so gaga for him when they're photographed together and it's because she's in a constant state of being Bugs Bunny floating through the air in a heavenly aroma cloud, straight into bed with Benny Blanco. Back to men on TV: former Family Matters star Jaleel White said that in later seasons of the show he was told to wear looser jeans as Steve Urkel because his mondo hog was too noticeable. Some day you might find yourself in a conversation when Family Matters comes up, and I want you to have this factoid in your pocket. Sports Trash Netflix just streamed a highly-hyped fight between boxing legend Mike Tyson and Four Loko-personified internet goon Jake Paul. You know how non-sports people will always be like, I just hope both teams have fun? This is like that, but opposite. I hope they both had a bad time. And it sound like they did. It's things like this that make me think how much the internet is a mistake. Jake Paul could have lived a happy life as the most coked-out dude at any sports bar challenging strangers to arm-wrestling, but he accidentally got famous on YouTube and now he's all of our problem. Eat the Rich, Locally Sometimes I sort Redfin by price (high-low) just to gawk, and check out this beast in SW Portland for sale for 8.5 million dollars. It's a colorless glass and cement cube that wants to be Tony Stark, but is actually giving high-end bowling alley. What I love most about the listing is how the slideshow shows, like, two dozen giant televisions tuned to Blazers games, but then you get to the master bedroom, and it's a performance of Leann Rimes. So if you need a glass prison in which to enjoy Blazers games mostly but Leann Rimes concerts intimately, and you're rich, check it out. I'm not really into sports, so if you have a party, you'll find me in the soft country room always. This paper has a REAL PRINT ISSUE out now! I put out a best-of-the-year Trash Report, like I do. What's funny about it is that due to print deadlines, the wrap-up stops in late October, and isn't that how we should all look back on 2024, really? Like, November? Never heard of her...
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