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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Whoooo-wheeee... it's gonna get hot with temps reaching 85 today and 91 (!) tomorrow! SO. Who needs a drink? Why you do, which is why I'm pleased to remind you about the Mercury's HIGHBALL WEEK! That's correct, all the way through Sunday, June 9, you'll be able to sip delicious one-of-a-kind co*cktails made by 29 (!) of the city's best bartenders... and for only $8 each! Check out hot pics of all the co*cktail p*rn here, and now let's heat up some NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• First things first: Congratulations to the Mercury's news editor Courtney Vaughn for winning first place in this year's SPJ "Excellence in Journalism" Awards under the category of "LGBTQ+ Equity Reporting" for her fantastic story in last year's Queer Issue called, "A Mother's Fight for Her Gay Son's Military Honors." Awesome work, Courtney! 👏👏👏
• Cruel mayoral wannabe Commissioner Rene Gonzalez is at it again: After famously denying houseless people tents in the dead of winter, and repeatedly throwing sand in the gears of city government, Gonzalez is now meddling in county government affairs as well, telling Chair Jessica Vega Pederson that Multnomah County should not be spending money on life-saving supplies for the houseless, including tents, tarps, and syringes. He went further in his continued efforts to demonize the homeless by accusing them of causing "unsanitary conditions and environmental damage, violence and other crimes." In other words, hewing to his very faulty theory that if the poverty-stricken are simply out of sight (preferably in jail), the problem itself will disappear. (Spoiler alert: It won't.)
• In case you missed yesterday's anniversary:
— NBA Cobwebs (@NBACobwebs) June 5, 2024June 5, 1977: The Portland Trail Blazers win the NBA Championship, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, 109-107.
Finals MVP Bill Walton had 20 PTS/23 REB/8 BLK/7 AST and Bob Gross scored 24 PTS for Portland. Julius Erving had 40 PTS/8 AST for the 76ers. pic.twitter.com/gQPz0vBUnl
• Speaking of electing the right people, yesterday was the first day for candidates to file for Portland's general election in November, and they turned out in droves with more than two dozen individuals filing to run—and rest assured, more are on the way. If you're interested, the deadline to file is August 27... and maybe consider running for mayor?
Hey, Sailor. Portland Fleet Week has begun. pic.twitter.com/DeoFQrsmLt
— roller (@rollnwthehomies) June 5, 2024
• Not great news: More than 15 elderly tenants (most of them Black) who live in the Allen Fremont Plaza Apartments in Northeast Portland are getting slapped with eviction notices by the building's management company, Reach Community Development Corporation. While the company is claiming these people are past due on rent, tenants say Reach is guilty of shoddy accounting, mismanagement, double-billing tenants, and losing checks.
The weather is heating up... and so is the Mercury's HIGHBALL WEEK, featuring one-of-a-kind, inventive co*cktails from Portland's best bartenders... and only $8 each! But hurry, the fun ends this Sunday! 🍸️😍https://t.co/D7wJOiEBlb
— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) June 5, 2024
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• The Israeli military launched another deadly airstrike on the Palestinian people, this time hitting a UN school complex in central Gaza (which they say included Hamas militants) that killed dozens of civilians, including women and children. Sooooo, President Biden... does this cross "the red line" you're always talking about?
• In a speech commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Biden drew comparisons to those who fought to defeat the Nazis and the fighters of Ukraine battling against the tyranny of Vladimir Putin. (One could also make that comparison about the people of Gaza who are fighting for their lives against Israel, who have killed at least 35,000 Palestinians so far... but that comparison probably won't be drawn by Biden.)
Russian warships headed to Caribbean for drills as tensions rise over Ukraine, US officials say https://t.co/EYOO8qMEQZ
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 6, 2024
• Senate Republicans—who reeeeeallly want to control a woman's autonomy—blocked Democrat-led legislation that would have protected the right to access contraception on a federal level, while also protecting the health care workers who are offering it. The GOP called it "a political stunt"—but even if that were true, everyone knows they still wouldn't have voted for it. (See "wanting to control a woman's autonomy" for more details.)
• Today in SPAAAAAACE: Another big victory for SpaceX's Starship mega rocket which successfully completed a test flight into orbit and back, landing safely, and checking off another box in humankind's dreams of returning to the moon, and eventually going to Mars.
• In naughty giraffe news: "Giraffe lifts toddler out of a pickup truck at Texas wildlife center."
• And finally... here's one for my haters!
— SillyCats (@catshouldnt) June 5, 2024
