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Good Morning, Portland! You like that rain yesterday? YOU’D BETTER because that’s the last we’re seeing of the sun until next Tuesday. [cackles in Portland] Maybe Saturday. Let’s hit the news!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• From where I sit, República closing is a big fucking deal. Portland’s revered Mexican fine-dining restaurant República has announced that it plans to close in February. Considered the flagship of the local mini-empire República & Co., República represents an idea—“Mexico-forward’“cuisine, tasting menus with culinary storytelling—and laid the groundwork for a conversation the food world should have had long ago about the way larger culture thinks of Mexican cuisine. This isn’t your typical restaurant closure, however. Owner Angel Medina doesn’t obviously blame the city; he seems more concerned for the future of this country and the safety of the staff.
• YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT Bi-Mart closing stores. No Bi-Marts are closing! The chain announced that it would close all five of its Cascade Farm and Outdoor locations this spring. Those aren’t Bi-Marts and no Bi-Marts are closing. You may continue to buy ammunition and crockpots at the same store.
• Art Snack is an attempt at streamlining the beautiful chaos of Portland’s arts and culture scene. In this week’s round-up: Portland’s claim on the summer thriller Weapons, WHOA! Renée Watson won the Newberry Medal, and República restaurateur asks for help to tell the story of a Minneapolis chef. (Yes, I didn’t know Medina was also about to announce República would be closing… still would have written about it!)
• Profile Theatre’s Tiger Style is the best bargain in Portland theater, writes Mercury critic John Rudoff. You buy a ticket to a comedy and get—as a free bonus—a dazzling array of vignettes dissecting Asian American life, relationships, and myths. It’s giving a side eye to corporate life, showing how families break up and make up, and offering biting examples of Communist Party of China politics. Such a deal! Rudoff also took some very lovely photos of the show.
• Mercury Music Picks is hard launching a new section: New Music Portland! This week’s MMP includes new music from Portland-area bands and the gig recs you’ve come to know and love. On the agenda: a Meredith Monk documentary, Cate Labubu, Steve Reich’s Counterpoints, and so much more!
• This morning in “reimagined parade experience,” the Rose Festival appears to be shifting its parade to night mode. “In honor of America 250, the Rose Festival will present a single, unified parade experience on the evening of June 6 that brings together the beloved elements of both the Grand Floral and CareOregon Starlight Parades,” reads an announcement from the parade’s organizers.
IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• Alex Pretti was shot at and killed by federal agents on January 24, and [checks notes] FOUR DAYS LATER a DHS spokesperson announced that the two agents who shot at him have been placed on administrative leave. That’s just outstanding, Tricia.
• The chief federal judge in Minnesota lambasted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday for ignoring more judicial directives in January alone than “some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.” Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, attached—with a Wednesday ruling—nearly 100 court orders from 74 different immigration cases that ICE failed to follow since January 1. However, despite the schadenfreude one may feel when a judge condemns ICE and its acting director Todd Lyons, this ruling actually rescinded Schiltz’s previous order, demanding that Lyons appear to explain why he should not be held in contempt for violating so many orders.
• Following Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s early January announcement that he would not seek another term in office, Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced on Thursday morning, January 29, that she would seek the office in this year’s election. “I like my job in the Senate,” Ms. Klobuchar said in her announcement video. “But I love our state more than any job.”
• Today in [checks notes] US armada headed to Iran… nothing says delicate nuclear deal (!) like the President of the United States saying that a “massive armada” is headed to Iran. In a social media post littered with typos and incorrect capitalization Donald Trump noted that this “massive armada” is a larger fleet than was sent to Venezuela. The president continued to write things like “MAKE A DEAL!” while threatening… ostensibly… force.
• In Minnesota, community leaders, faith leaders and labor unions called for a “day of action” to protest federal immigration enforcement overreach across the state, and in response on January 23, thousands of people took to the streets and hundreds of businesses closed. We’re increasingly hearing that call again for January 30, and communities across the nation have announced their intention to join in for a national general strike. This is noticeably gaining traction in Portland, but some businesses like Javelina have posted their reasons for remaining open.
• APROPOS OF NOTHING, Sarah Jeong at The Verge published this round-up of gas mask recommendations, largely drawn from journalists who covered the 2020 protests, which exploded after George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer. The legend of the Mercury reader who bought me a better gas mask lives on.
• Elon Musk’s electronic vehicle company Tesla reports its second year of steep profit decline, which AP describes as “its lowest level since the pandemic.” However, profits and stocks don’t always pay attention to one another—Tesla stock is up 9 percent.
• Nobody, NOBODY (!) cares about the new Wuthering Heights movie, but it you want to look at some dresses, here are photos from the Wednesday premiere.
• I try to edit this out of all our columns, but you know what they say: People in the know gotta vaguepost.
Suzette Smith
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