SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — As the Oregon Senate continues to debate the funding package for the Oregon Department of Transportation, drivers who spoke with KOIN 6 News seem as divided as the legislature.
The transportation bill, passed by the House on Monday in a special session, aims to avoid layoffs and service cuts by raising a number of taxes — including hiking the gas tax by 6-cents per gallon.
The Oregon Senate is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday for a final vote. But Senate sources told KOIN 6 News it’s not clear if they will have enough votes to push the package through because of the health of one of the senators who may not be at the State Capitol for the vote.
The bottom line: Nothing is certain about the outcome of the transportation funding bills in this special session called by Gov. Tina Kotek.
What drivers think
Salem resident Eric Mason supports the bills to fund ODOT.
“Any chance that you could save jobs and also improve our roads — an extra 6 cents, an extra 10, an extra 25 cents is not going to hit me,” Mason said.
But another Salem resident, David Lopez, is against the plan and thinks Oregonians already pay too much in tax.
Salem resident Eric Mason, September 2, 2025 (KOIN)Salem resident David Lopez, September 2, 2025 (KOIN)
“They’re not fixing the roads (now),” Lopez said. “To fix the roads, that would be different.”
Republican legislators against the bill argue the ODOT funding gap can be filled by reallocating existing funds. Hikes, they say, are not in the best interest for the taxpayers.
State Sen. Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) said he has a stack of public testimony opposing the plan.
“We’re up to thousands of pieces of testimony, individual pieces of testimony,” Bonham said. “Some simply say I oppose this bill, and others articulate very clear reasons why their opposition.”
Some Democrats, like State Sen. Lew Frederick of Portland, said they would rather not raise taxes and fees but that this is the only way to keep jobs and people safe on the roads.
“Those are higher registration fees. They trouble me,” Frederick said. “But frankly, we need to have some situation where we’re going to be able to provide the resources that we need in order to make sure that we have the roads that are safe.”
If the bill doesn’t pass, pink slips will be going out to ODOT employees in less than two weeks.
Eric Mason said he thinks the legislature needs to pass this.
“Let’s improve the roads. Let’s make sure that folks at ODOT all keep their jobs,” he said. “It’s time. With everything going on, we need security. Absolutely.”
David Lopez had a much different message for lawmakers.
“I would tell them don’t do it. Please don’t do it,” Lopez said.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday publicly posted the files it has received from the Justice Department on the sex trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
The folders contained hundreds of image files of years-old court filings related to Epstein and Maxwell. They also contained video files appearing to be body cam footage from police searches, as well as law enforcement interviews with victims with their faces obscured.
The Justice Department released the files to the committee in response to a subpoena, but the files mostly contain information that was already publicly known.
Still, pressure is growing in Congress for lawmakers to act to force greater disclosure in the case. House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to quell an effort by Democrats and some Republicans to force a vote on a bill that would require the Justice Department to release all the information in the so-called Epstein files, with the exception of the victims’ personal information of the victims.
Acting quickly, lawmakers pressing for the full release of the so-called Epstein files launched a campaign for the House to take up their bill. Meanwhile, Johnson and a bipartisan group of lawmakers met with survivors of abuse by Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
“The objective here is not just to uncover, investigate the Epstein evils, but also to ensure that this never happens again and ultimately to find out why justice has been delayed for these ladies for so very long,” said Johnson, R-La., after he emerged from a two-hour meeting with six of the survivors.
“It is inexcusable. And it will stop now because the Congress is dialed in on this,” he added.
But there are still intense disagreements on how lawmakers should proceed. Johnson is pressing for the inquiry to be handled by the House Oversight Committee and putting forward a resolution that directs the committee to publicly release its findings.
The files released Tuesday included audio of an Epstein employee describing to a law enforcement official how “there were a lot of girls that were very, very young” visiting the home but couldn’t say for sure if they were minors.
Over the course of Epstein’s visits to the home, the man said more than a dozen girls might visit, and that he was charged with cleaning the room where Epstein had massages, twice daily.
Some of the interviews with officers from the Palm Beach Police Department date to 2005, according to timestamps read out by officials at the beginning of the files.
Most, if not all, of the text documents posted Tuesday had already been public. Notably, the probable cause affidavit and other records from the 2005 investigation into Epstein contained a notation indicating that they’d been previously released in a 2017 public records request. An internet search showed those files were posted to the website of the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office in July 2017.
If the purpose of the release was to provide answers to a public still curious over the long-concluded cases, the raw mechanics of the clunky rollout made that a challenge.
Lawmakers at 6 p.m. released thousands of pages and videos via a cumbersome Google Drive, leaving it to readers and viewers to decipher new and interesting tidbits on their own. The disclosure also left open the question of why the Justice Department did not release the material directly to the public instead of operating through Capitol Hill.
Meanwhile, Democrats and some Republicans are trying to maneuver around Johnson’s control of the House floor to hold a vote on a separate bill that would require the Justice Department to publicly release the files, with the exception of names and personal information of the victims.
The clash suggests little has changed in Congress since late July, when Johnson sent lawmakers home early in hopes of cooling the political battle over the Epstein case. Members of both parties remain dissatisfied and are demanding more details on the years-old investigation into Epstein, the wealthy and well-connected financier whose 2019 death in a New York jail cell while he faced sex trafficking charges has sparked wide-ranging conspiracy theories and speculation.
CHICAGO, IL – The governor of Illinois says President Trump is planning to send National Guard troops to Chicago.
“We have reason to believe that Trump administration is already staging the Texas National Guard for deployment in Illinois,” said Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Governor Pritzker told reporters he also believes other federal officers from various agencies will also soon enter the city. He made his comments just moments after President Trump said he plans to deploy the Guard to the Windy City to help fight crime.
Pritzker once again said he does not want troops on the streets of Chicago, and takes offense when Trump calls the city a “hell-hole.” He vows to fight troop deployments in court.
There’s a new player in the local cider scene. Alchemy Cider has opened in the Buckman neighborhood, bringing a dark magic, metal-inspired aesthetic to the former Brewery 26 space. The taproom, which seats up to 50, is dark and moody, decorated with pointed arches, vintage church pews, sconces, and hooded figures—though for sunny days, there’s also a patio.
“I’ve been playing in heavy metal bands and punk bands since I was 15, so certainly musically and artistically, I’ve always leaned into darker undertones,” says Alchemy owner Kirk Evans. “A lot of cider brands tend to have a bubbly personality—and this is definitely the opposite end of that spectrum.”
Alchemy Cider currently offers a lineup of five flagship ciders, including a strawberry hibiscus yuzu number, a blackberry lemon verbena brew, a tropical pineapple-passionfruit-key lime cider, and dry and semi-dry offerings. A peach and green cardamom cider is set to be launched soon.
The bar offers around 30 taps, including small-batch Alchemy ciders that might feature a single variety of heirloom apples, or utilize unusual techniques like spontaneous fermentation. There are also guest ciders from the likes of Portland-based Stray Cider, Bauman’s Cider, and Sauvie Island’s Peak Light. There are currently seven beers on offer from the likes of Pfriem, Grand Fir, and Living Haus, and wine from a couple local wineries including Maloof and Timothy Malone. Canned cocktails from Portland’s Straightaway Cocktails are also on offer, though a few local distiller collaborations are in the works.
Alchemy is the latest addition to a thriving cider scene in Portland which has seen the opening of other cider taprooms in the past few years, including fellow Portland-based cidery Bauman’s on Oak, Seattle-based Schilling Cider on SE Division, and Salem-based La Familia Cider on SE Hawthorne.
Devin White
Bobby Naughton, a former lead cidermaker at Seattle Cider Company, is the main man behind the apple alchemy. He met Evans while the two worked at Bauman’s Cider—Naughton as production manager and Evans in marketing—in nearby Southeast Portland. Evans has worked in many aspects of the beverage industry, including brewing, branding, and cidermaking at 19 Acres in Sherwood.
Alchemy’s space spans 2,800 square feet, with the capacity to produce up to 490 barrels per month. Evans hopes to launch Alchemy’s flagship ciders in cans in local stores like Market of Choice and New Seasons by the beginning of 2026. For now, his attention is on his newly opened cidery, which currently offers freshly grilled sausages from Southeast Portland’s Edelweiss with plans to host a to-be-announced food cart. Down the line, Evans also hopes to host events like comedy nights and live music.
Alchemy Cider, 818 SE Ankeny, instagram.com/alchemycider
You’ve probably seen Rupert Kinnard’s smile if you’ve passed the downtown Portland mural on NW Couch at Broadway. A wheelchair user since a car accident in 1996, Kinnard sits between Kathleen Saadat and Lynn Nakamoto, two other icons of Portland’s queer history. Look closer, to the bottom of the mural, and you’ll see two smaller figures who look like they might’ve just beamed in from Saturn—the Brown Bomber and Diva Touché Flambé, the two stars of Kinnard’s Cathartic Comics.
Gay, Black, and proud of it, the Brown Bomber and the Diva helmed Kinnard’s comic that ran for about a decade in the pages of alt weeklies and queer newspapers in the ’80s and ’90s. Like the protagonists of contemporary comics Doonesbury and Dykes to Watch Out For (and later The Boondocks), the Brown Bomber and the Diva called out Republican hypocrites, celebrity foibles, and yuppies, but Cathartic Comics came from a uniquely Black, gay, and intersectional perspective.
Rupert Kinnard, courtesy of Stacked Deck Press
Kinnard grew up in Chicago, drawing constantly and reading superhero comics. Eventually, he started questioning why comic book characters were all white, so he started drawing his own, including one styled after Muhammad Ali. Black, powerful, and not afraid to call himself pretty—Ali was a real-life superhero to Kinnard.
One of the characters he created he dubbed “the Brown Bomber” (after another boxing icon, Joe Louis). Kinnard never expected the Brown Bomber to appear anywhere other than his sketchbook until the editor of his college newspaper asked him to contribute comics weekly. Kinnard used the Brown Bomber to editorialize on student issues du jour (or just poke fun at freshmen). The school paper was where he began to craft his social commentary cartooning. In his senior year, Kinnard staged a three-week series that culminated with the Bomber coming out as gay.
After college, Kinnard moved to Portland—bigger than his Iowa college town, but not as overwhelming as Chicago. But it wasn’t just the size that convinced him to stay. “Arriving in Portland in the late ’70s, there was just something about the energy of the communities here—the African American community, the queer movement, the formation of the first Pride Parade—that just attracted me. I wanted to be a part of as much as I could,” he says from his home in Northeast.
A graphic designer, he helped start Just Out, and within a year, the Brown Bomber made his Portland debut in its pages. This time, he had a sidekick—Diva Touché Flambé. Like the Brown Bomber, she was unapologetically Black and gay. But where the Brown Bomber was wide-eyed and naive, she was wizened to the world and wore a look of “perpetual nonchalance.”
Together, Cathartic Comics’ two outspoken queer protagonists didn’t just offer wry commentary on the latest gay trend (referring to oneself as “straight-acting” in dating ads), they commented on local scuttlebutt, exorbitant AIDS drug costs, and Spike Lee Oscar snubs alike. They pilloried straight-people shenanigans and racism in the gay community alike. But the comic still came from a place of love; the creator deeply cared about his characters (including Vanilla Cremepuff, the gay white male proxy), and the strip carried an ever-present sense of playfulness.
Rupert Kinnard, courtesy of Stacked Deck Press
If any of this sounds familiar, you might have seen Kinnard in the 2021 documentary No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics, which featured Kinnard alongside his peers Alison Bechdel, Howard Cruse, and Jennifer Camper. Cathartic Comics was also displayed at the Portland Art Museum’s Black Artists of Oregon 2023 exhibit, which featured his original drawings and the 1992 collection B.B. and the Diva under glass.
For decades, this slim volume—long out of print—was the only collection of Cathartic Comics. Unlike the work of other local comics legends, readers couldn’t check Kinnard’s work out from the library or find it easily at Powell’s.
Now, almost half a century since the Brown Bomber debuted in Kinnard’s college paper, a hefty new book from Stacked Deck Press is changing that. Ooops … I Catharted: Fifty Years of Cathartic Comics isn’t just a sizable collection of strips, but an archive of Kinnard’s journey as an activist and artist.
“It’s dense, you know. It’s not just a simple collection of comic strips,” says Kinnard. “[But I’m thrilled] to have the opportunity to present not only all of those comics, but the story of the comics. The reaction to the book has been incredibly rewarding. I think they delight in the history, almost folklore, of the comics.”
In addition to a robust collection of Cathartic strips, the book contains photos, early drawings, and the story of Kinnard’s journey from Midwest to West Coast, with annotated strips, character lore, and small bits of trivia. For example, a 25-year-old Colman Domingo played the Brown Bomber in a 1994 San Francisco stage play called Out of the Inkwell.
“The book is more than an archival collection of comics, which would’ve been impressive on its own,” says Jason Levian of Floating World Comics, where Kinnard will be hosting a reading Saturday, June 21. “It includes a complete biography, with photos and artifacts, that tells Rupert’s life story and places his impressive career into a historical context.”
Ooops… I Just Catharted! also reprints the forward from the ’92 book, written by filmmaker Marlon Riggs, who died tragically young from AIDS in 1996. Like Kinnard, Riggs was unapologetically himself and used art to share what it meant to be a Black gay man living in the Reagan era. Through Kinnard, he found a kindred spirit and friend, and in Cathartic Comics he found “a comic strip I could identify with and laugh about—a rare, affirming laughter.”
It’s also a book of Portland lore. Besides Just Out, Kinnard worked as a graphic designer at The Skanner and Willamette Week, a freelancer for other progressive and grassroots organizations, and a board member of the Portland Town Council, the city’s first gay rights coalition.
Kinnard and Cathartic Comics spent seven years in the Bay Area before moving back to Portland in the mid-’90s, where he resumed his graphic design and community work. He helped found and run Brother to Brother Portland, a kinship group for African American gay and bi men, and was a plaintiff with his partner, Scott, in Basic Rights Oregon’s challenge to Measure 36, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman.
Some of Kinnard’s current inspirations are other young cartoonists of color, who are thrilled to learn about the Brown Bomber and Diva Touché Flambé but also feel robbed that they are learning about Kinnard’s creations so late. Ooops… I Just Catharted! finally offers a way for readers in and outside of Portland to make up for lost time.
We ran this piece in June 2025, but are sharing it again because Rupert Kinnard will be signing books at the Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts booth at Rose City Comic Con in the Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK, Sat Sept 6, 4 pm, admission $16-155, all ages.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Level 2 “Be Set” evacuations levels for the Flat Fire burning in central Oregon were dropped Tuesday morning, according to the state fire marshal.
The wildfire, currently 23,346 acres and 67% contained, has devastated parts of Jefferson and Deschutes counties for 12 days.
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All evacuations in both counties have been downgraded to Level 1 “Be Ready.” The latest information on evacuation zones can be found on the following Facebook pages:
Due to improving conditions, the Red Flag Warning that was in place over the weekend is no longer in effect.
“Today, crews will continue patrolling the fire perimeter to identify and extinguish any remaining heat and smoke. Suppression repair efforts to support recovery are also underway,” officials said. “Resources assigned to the Flat Fire remain ready to support the local district with initial attack response if new fires emerge. Firefighters are making consistent progress toward full containment.”
Firefighters battling the Flat Fire near Sisters, August 30, 2025 (Flat Fire official Facebook page)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
The Flat Fire in central Oregon, August 23, 2025 (Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities are also asking everyone to remain cautious in the area as crews continue to work and to allow space for firefighters to do their work.
The fire, which started on Aug. 21, has destroyed five homes and 11 other structures, while damaging two other homes and two other structures. It has threatened more than 1,457 homes as it burns four miles northeast of Sisters, fueled by tall and short grass along with brush.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined as the investigation into the Flat Fire continues. Investigators previously stated the fire sparked on private land.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the U.S. has carried out a strike in the southern Caribbean against a drug-carrying vessel that departed from Venezuela.
The president offered scant details on the operation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday on X that the vessel was being operated by a “designated narco-terrorist organization.”
Visiting cities that don’t have as robust music scenes is so helpful in appreciating what we’ve got going on in Portland right now. I had a family wedding in San Diego over Labor Day weekend and the only things that sounded interesting were a DJ set by someone I can’t even remember, and a rooftop screening of When Harry Met Sally… woof. I couldn’t find a single Three One G or hip-hop show. None of the record store buds I talked to knew of anything either. What??
Meanwhile, tons of shows were popping off in Portland over the weekend. Good news for us, there’s more where that came from, and I know for a fact that most people working in Portland record stores can rattle off a dozen shows they’re excited about at the drop of a hat. #blessed
Tuesday, September 2
Earth / Stebmo
For fans of Om, Neurosis, Sunn O)))
One could spout off about how the legendary Seattle rockers Earth helped shape grunge alongside their friends in Nirvana and Melvins, or how they’ve continued crafting traditions forged deep in the minds of Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi. Pontification aside, the duo of Dylan Carlson and Adrienne Davies has seen and done a lot since forming Earth in the late-’80s, and have a massive discography of sludgy doom-anthems to show for it. We haven’t received a new Earth studio album since their sprawling Full Upon Her Burning Lips release in 2019—Dylan, Adrienne, if you’re reading this: We’re ready for a new LP! Smooth operator Stebmo opens. (Mississippi Studios, 8 pm, more info here, 21+)
Wednesday, September 3
Crush On Everyone presents Slint’s Breadcrumb Trail Documentary
For fans of Shellac, Unwound, The Microphones
Yes, their 1989 debut album Tweez was recorded by Steve Albini, and yes, the image of their 1991 sophomore album Spiderland was taken by Will “Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy” Oldham. But what about the rest of the lore? Why did the band not use Albini for the second record? What’s signing to Chicago’s incomparable Touch and Go Records like? All these questions and more stand to be answered during this rare screening of Breadcrumb Trail, the 2014 Slint documentary. Screening to be proceeded by an all-vinyl DJ set featuring Slint and Slint-adject sounds. Big shouts to the Crush on Everyone crew making space for that real Midwest emo shit right here in Portland… FOR FREE. (Turn! Turn! Turn!, 7:30 pm, more info here, FREE, 21+)
Friday, September 5
Soriah / Solara Obscura
For fans of Arrington de Dionyso, Anohni, Om
Portland has a plethora of movie houses employing programmers with expansive understandings of what their stages can/should be used for. One of the best doing it right now are Aaron Colter & Co. at Clinton Street Theater. They’re hosting Soriah, perhaps Portland’s best known traditional throat singer, in a tidy example of what they have going on at the corner of SE Clinton & 26th. When Soriah opened for Bauhaus at the Schnitz in 2022, he proved the depth and breadth of his artistry with every note, every gesture. Seeing him in the intimate setting of Clinton Street Theater is a delicious treat not often on offer. Sci-fi darkwavers Solara Obscura tone-set the evening. (Clinton Street Theater, 8 pm, more info here, all ages)
Nasalrod / Help / Zookraught
For fans of Rabbits, These Arms Are Snakes, Flesh Produce
Did you see Chairman tearing it the fuck up during Nasalrod’s festival-opening slot at Project Pabst back in July? Unhinged as always, there were flying karate kicks, stage-rattling stomps, and spinning jumps not dissimilar to that of multi-Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles. If you thought that was the end of this show’s good news, you’re sorely mistaken—the night is being co-headlined by real-deal noise rockers, fresh back from their EU/UK tour with Whores, Help. Seattle’s dance-punk floor-fillers Zookraught pull up to get the crowd moving. (Polaris Hall, 8 pm, more info here, 21+)
Saturday, September 6
Jivebomb / Xiao / Dry Socket / Elephant Walk
For fans of Move, Cerce, Hirs
Okay, so if you haven’t noticed, Portland’s punk and hardcore scenes are exploding right now. New venues have been opening, so many bands are making the tuffest music, and there’s an incredible amount of crossover happening in both booking and sound. Earlier this year, Blackwater Bar moved from their longtime home on Broadway to their new, expanded digs on NE Sandy. It’s a massive come-up for the scene. Baltimore’s Jivebomb put out one of 2025’s loudest hardcore albums, as did Stockholm, Sweden’s Xiao. Two of Portland’s hardest hitting hardcore outfits—Dry Socket and Elephant Walk—open the pit (and our eyes) in the opening spots. (Blackwater, 8 pm, more info here, all ages)
Bleary Eyed / Thin Veil / Icecaps
For fans of Glixen, Urika’s Bedroom, Dream 99
Trends in fashion and music are inextricably linked, tending to pop up cyclically every 20 to 30 years, harking back to previous decades with a modern twist. JNCO’s are back in a big way, reboots control film and television at the moment, and shoegaze is making real moves again. One of the bands leaning into the ’90s subgenre is Philly’s Bleary Eyed—the tracks on their new album Easy could have easily been made by Kevin Shields or Rachel Goswell. Early indicators are showing that Easy is about to be one of the best albums of 2025. Olympia’s Thin Veil heads down to fill the middle spot, with Portland’s own Icecaps doing us the honor of opening. (Swan Dive, 8 pm, more info here, 21+)
Jamoke / Grumble and His Ghost / Strange & the Familiars at Shanghai Tunnel – Sept. 6, more info here
Mark Grusane / C. Powers at Le Garage – Sept. 6, more info here
Portland Music News:
Champions of experimental composition and classical music, Third Angle New Music has announced their 40th season! Commissions, world premieres, Steve Reich’s 90th birthday, cults, youth choirs, and intimate sessions abound in 3A’s 25/26 season, more info here.
Portland’s Patricia Wolf is currently in Iceland with Oregonian filmmaker Edward Pack Davee screening Hrafnamynd—a film shot by Davee and scored by Wolf in Iceland—at Extreme Chill Festival. Ableton has now made a pack of Wolf’s field recordings and samples used on the soundtrack available to download for free. Download the pack here, read our interview with the film’s creators here.
1. How do I ensure an HSV-2-positive new partner is taking their meds to reduce transmission risk?
In a high-trust relationship, you trust your partner to take their meds. In a low-trust relationship, you insist your partner take their meds in front of you or send you a video of them taking their meds.
2. I’m a gay malein San Francisco. I’m a bit of a show-off and need some advice on easy and appropriate ways to share my content. OnlyFans feels too elaborate and “Close Friends” on Instagram comes with content restrictions and consent questions. What’s the best way to share my spicy pics/vids with an interested audience?
I keep reading that BlueSky is dying or dead — or that’s what I keep reading on Twitter — but BlueSky seems to be the “showing off” app of choice for gay men who are sick of Mark Zuckerberg’s puritanical bullshit and don’t wanna be associated with Elon Musk’s fascistic bullshit.
3. Why do gay women love watching porn with gay men? I do. I’m not alone either. Why?
Straight men who hung out with gay men — and seemed a little faggy themselves — used to be called “fruit flies.” But “fag hags” and “fruit flies” were considered derogatory, and they’ve been phased out in favor of the less interesting but more inclusive (and gender-neutral) “sparkle straight.”
5. My spouse has short hair, which I love. I am the one straight man who likes short hair. The issue is that I love to pull her hair during doggy style intercourse. She also loves to have her hair pulled in this position. The issue is that it’s hard to get a grip on her short hair. Are any clamp-on hair extensions that will stay securely in place while I’m giving them a strong tug?
If your spouse doesn’t wanna grow her hair out — and liking to have your hair pulled in your favorite sex position seems like a huge incentive to me — she could get a weave. But weaves, as we’ve all seen on our favorite reality TV programs, can be yanked off someone’s head pretty easily. So, maybe you should go with a nice head harness instead?
6. How do I make more precum?
Keep your bulbourethral glands well-hydrated, take supplements that promise to increase the amount of precum for their benefits and/or their placebo effects (which, when they occur, are actually beneficial), and hope for the best.
7. My male partner has an outie butthole. He doesn’t like to talk about it but wants to engage in butt play. I let him know I haven’t seen one like his before and could use some guidance on what to do or not to do, but he doesn’t know either. Any suggestions?
“When people say, ‘outie butthole,’ they’re usually describing hemorrhoids that prolapse — come in and out — or extra skin stretched from chronic hemorrhoids,” said Dr. Evan Goldstein, a proctologist, anal sex and health expert, and the founder and CEO of Bespoke Surgical. “The most important thing is whether it causes symptoms — pain, bleeding, or problems with bowel movements. If it doesn’t, there’s no reason to avoid anal play. Use plenty of lube (preferably silicone), start slow, and consider using quality anal dilators to help the body adjust comfortably. If irritation or swelling becomes an issue, it’s worth seeing a sexual health specialist for treatment options. My practice is always available for telemedicine sessions, and in-person evaluations and management. Honestly, many people start by sending me ‘outie hole’ pics to figure out the best next steps via Instagram.”
You can follow Dr. Goldstein on Instagram — and send him your outie pics — @drevangoldstein.
8. How do I know if I’m ready for a threesome?
Picture your partner fucking the shit out of someone else — right in front of you — the same way they fucked the shit out of you when you first met. Picture your partner desperately swallowing another person’s tongue, picture your partner eating some other person out like they haven’t had a meal in weeks. If those pictures turn you on, you’re ready. If those pictures do nothing for you, you’re not ready. If those pictures enrage you, you’ll never be ready.
9. Sex life with new partner is completely unsatisfactory. How do I tell them?
You’ve hesitated to tell your new partner the sex is bad because you’re worried about derailing the relationship. But you’re not going to wanna stay in this relationship — you’re not going to wanna fuck this person for the rest of your life — if the sex doesn’t improve. So, you have nothing to lose by telling your new partner that the sex isn’t working for you. Right now, your partner is guessing at what you want and they’re guessing wrong. If you tell them what you need and what you want, they won’t have to guess and you might actually get what you need and want.
10. How do I get over my partner talking to other women while being okay with trying ENM?
If the thought of your partner talking with other women is upsetting — if you can’t picture your partner talking with other women without getting upset — you’re definitely not ready for ENM.
READ THE REST OF THIS WEEK’S COLUMN HERE! And this week on the Lovecast: A gay man in his 20s looks very young. He worries that the men who are attracted to him may be skeezy because he looks more like a boy than a man. His friends tell him to work it. But how can he safely enjoy New York City’s gay dating scene?
On the Magnum, a concerned mom wonders how to steer her teenaged kids toward ethical porn. We couldn’t think of a better guest to bring on than Erika Lust—she’s been making beautifully shot, thoughtful, sexy porn for 20 years. She and Dan talked about dealing with porn as a parent, how much porn is too much porn, and how adult content should NOT be in the hands of tech bros. Listen here!
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! We’re back after taking the holiday off yesterday. Despite the fact that Halloween decorations and pumpkin spice lattes that have made their annual return, Today is here to remind us that it’s still summer. We’re in for a high of 92, so plan accordingly.
Let’s be real. Many of us are really not in a mental state to return to work after a three-day weekend but we’re doin’ it anyway, so let’s catch up on current events!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Oregonians again flooded the streets of downtown Portland on Monday, for a Workers Over Billionaires march. Monday’s Labor Day march was part of a nation-wide pro-worker rally that specifically targets Donald Trump and other billionaires with heavy influence over the president and the American economy. Locally, 50501 PDX was among the groups who helped mobilize and organize Portlanders to hit the streets in protest. The group says it’s forming a No Kings Collective “committed to channeling the energy of protest into focused political action.” The Oregonianwas among those who covered Monday’s march.
• You might remember that the Oregon Legislature adjourned its regular 2025 session without figuring out how to adequately fund the state’s transportation systems. So then Governor Tina Kotek had to drag their asses back to work for a special session (rude!) to figure out how to funnel money into a system that seems chronically underfunded. Today, the Oregon State Senate is scheduled to consider a transportation package that was approved by the House yesterday (yes, they convened on a holiday.) Taylor Griggs has a helpful breakdown of what’s in the bill and how it could impact Oregonians.
Tensions over tax increases and accountability at the Oregon Department of Transportation are bubbling over as legislators make another attempt at a transportation funding package.
• Oregon’s pride for its state universities is undeniable, but the budget for one of those schools has faculty on pins and needles. The University of Oregon is expected to enact a new round of layoffs after cutting more than 40 staffers in June. UO leaders say the school’s out-of-state enrollment is down, along with unstable federal funding and other costs, creating a massive budget deficit. While the university says no decisions have been made, faculty told the Mercury they expect the university’s humanities programs will again be targeted for cuts, despite a recent $25 million endowment from the Schnitzers. The cuts could impact many recent high school grads or soon-to-be grads applying to UO, who may now find themselves with less options and degree pathways.
Despite a recent $25M gift from the Schnitzer family, Oregon’s flagship university warns of a funding shortage and a second round of layoffs. Earlier this summer, UO slashed more than 40 jobs in its College of Arts and Sciences.
• A bicyclist died Sunday while riding in Washington Park. Portland Police Bureau says an adult man was riding a BMX-style bike downhill alongside other cyclists in Washington Park around 6:30 pm, when he “crashed trying to ride between two boulders.” Police say the man wasn’t wearing a helmet when he died at the scene. His identity has not yet been reported by police.
• Time for some newt news! The Oregon Zoo says it’s partnering with the National Park Service and High Desert Museum to try to save Oregon’s rare Mazama newt from extinction. The conservation agencies recently brought 19 of the Mazama newts from Crater Lake to the Oregon Zoo, where they are now living in the zoo’s conservation lab. According to the zoo, the newts are a type of salamander found only in Crater Lake. They have a distinct mottled coloring on their bellies and were previously among the top predators in Crater Lake until the invasive signal crayfish (which shall henceforth be known as “lake lobsters”) took over their habitat. The Mazama newts were found at just two sites surveyed in the lake this year, compared with half the sites surveyed in 2008. Last year, a multitude of conservation teams from several agencies worked to bring a group of the newts from Crater Lake to the High Desert Museum. The plan now is to try to eradicate the crayfish.
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• President Trump is planning some kind of announcement at the White House this afternoon, and boooyyy howdy, the internet is alive with speculation. The White House reported an unspecified announcement would come from the president at 2 pm Tuesday. While it’s likely going to be some dumb trade deal or tariff negotiation he wants to spout off about, other chatter suggests people are convinced he’s going to acknowledge he’s a bumbling old fart in deteriorating health, and step down from the presidency. In other bizarre Trump news, here’s some embarrassing, corny video montage the White House put out over the weekend, because our government continues to treat and portray this crusty, stale Cheeto as a king.
• A federal judge over the weekend blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to deport dozens of unaccompanied children to Guatemala. The last-minute weekend judicial order halted a deportation flight that had dozens of children sitting on a plane waiting for takeoff. The AP reportsthe children were de-boarded and taken via shuttle back to shelters overseen by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Attorneys who filed the lawsuit on behalf of the children argued the US government was breaking its own laws and sending the children into danger.
• Afghanistan is recovering from a deadly 6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Sunday night. At least 800 people have been reported dead and thousands were injured as buildings collapsed. The Taliban-led government in Afghanistan is pleading for international help. The terrain where the earthquake hit (near the border with Pakistan) is so rough that rescue helicopters had trouble landing. The US recently cut nearly all its aid to Afghanistan, destabilizing the region which is now heavily impacted by drought and hunger.
• In weird, but horrific news, Tech Crunch reports sheriff’s offices in Nevada are investigating a possible homicide that occurred over the weekend at the annual Burning Man festival. A man was found lying in a pool of blood Saturday night, just before the namesake “burn” of the wooden sculpture. Burning Man, the counter-culture festival that combines art, music, and an attempt to build community through self-exploration, has attracted thousands to the remote Nevada desert for nearly 40 years. The investigation has unique challenges, as forensics teams try to collect evidence in an area covered with sand and dust, occupied by an estimated 70,000 attendees. Other bizarre events have taken place at Burning Man in recent years, including the birth of a child at the festival last week, who was born prematurely to parents who didn’t know they were expecting.
A man was found dead “lying in a pool of blood” at Burning Man festival on Saturday night, which is being investigated as a homicide, authorities said Sunday. More: www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult…
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — September is known for comfortable temperatures, sunny skies, and the start of Oregon and Washington’s fall foliage.
It’s a toasty start to the ninth month of the year here in Portland, but a cooling trend is expected over the next four weeks. Despite the 90-degree heat expected early this week, Portland typically sees the 90-degree heat fade by the first week of the month. On average, the final 90-degree high seen during the summer season is September 6. However, it’s gone as late as October 5 in 1980.
Portland typically loses almost 10-degrees of warmth, increases the rain accumulation to 1.52 inches and loses 89 minutes of daylight. All of this combines together to give Portland a new monthly average of high of 77-degrees.
The Climate Prediction Center is hinting at a near normal temperature trend with average highs and lows with a slightly greater chance of moisture during the month of September for the Pacific Northwest.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Summer heat returns to the Pacific Northwest as Portland area temperatures climb into the 90s once again.
The calendar might read September, but Portland will continue to feel the heat Tuesday. Mostly sunny skies return as highs warm into the low 90s along the Willamette Valley Tuesday afternoon and evening. No records are expected to be broken, but highs will remain warmer than average through the middle of the week.
Extreme heat warnings and heat advisories go into place for much of eastern Washington, the Columbia River Gorge, and north-central Oregon Tuesday. The extreme heat is expected to last through the middle of the week.
Isolated thunderstorms, warm temperatures, and gusty winds will keep the wildfire threat elevated through the central and southern Cascades Tuesday.
Relief from the hot and dry weather comes as early as Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning as clouds return into the area. A brief and isolated rain shower or two is possible moving into the early morning hours Wednesday. No real rain accumulation is expected.
The increase in clouds and moisture will keep Wednesday morning lows close to 70-degrees. The added moisture in the air will help keep Wednesday’s highs in the upper 80s to low 90s with a muggy feel.
Seasonal temperatures are expected to arrive by the end of the week. A stronger lower pressure system will help pull temperatures down into the upper 70s and low 80s by the weekend. The low just off shore will also help increase Oregon and Washington’s cloud coverage.
KOIN 6 Chief Meteorologist Josh Cozart shares Portland’s gradual cooling trend for the first week of September 2025
Temperatures are expected to remain close to average through the start of next week. Oregon and Washington’s monthly outlook keep temperatures near average with a slight increase the rain potential.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Eric Stearns, the former choir teacher at St. Helens High School, will be in court Monday for the start of his trial on sexual abuse charges.
Stearns was arrested in November 2024 along with former teacher Mark Collins on allegations that the two men had abused their students.
A 100-page report released August 29 found the St. Helens School District’s HR director failed to put Stearns on leave even after police alerted them to the charges in October 2024.
The investigation also found a total of eight instances between 2016 and 2024 where school administrators had the opportunity to intervene and potentially stop the alleged sexual conduct and suspected abuse attributed to Stearns, but failed to do so.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Dozens of union members at Legacy Good Samaritan in Portland chose Labor Day to share their frustration of the ongoing back-and-forth with Legacy Health management as they seek a fair contract.
More than 200 hospitalists represented by Northwest Medicine United across the Legacy Health system have been bargaining for 18 months without a contract. Organizers said this Labor Day rally highlighted how short staffing and rising workloads threaten connections between doctors and their patients.
To be clear, this rally with picket signs was not a strike. It was a group of unionized Legacy workers who wanted to share their frustration and the support of their hospital co-workers.
Dr. Mikeanne Minter, who’s been at Legacy for 25 years, said that in her time as a hospitalist — that is, a doctor who provides care for patients at a hospital — many things have changed, including patient needs and requests from higher-ups.
“I think one of the things that has become more evident than ever before is that the patients we see in the hospital now are extremely complex,” Minter told KOIN 6 News.
That complexity and the endless demands of the job make things more complicated, she said.
Unionized hospitalists held a Labor Day rally outside Legacy Good Samaritan in Portland, September 1, 2025 (KOIN)
Unionized hospitalists held a Labor Day rally outside Legacy Good Samaritan in Portland, September 1, 2025 (KOIN)
Unionized hospitalists held a Labor Day rally outside Legacy Good Samaritan in Portland, September 1, 2025 (KOIN)
Unionized hospitalists held a Labor Day rally outside Legacy Good Samaritan in Portland, September 1, 2025 (KOIN)
“I end up thinking of us as being in a bubble, and we are taking care of patients inside this bubble and outside the bubble,” Minter told KOIN 6 News. “Insurance companies, large medical institutions are just compressing us and applying more and more pressure to try to get us to see more patients, to spend more time working.”
It’s been two months since Legacy had a bargaining session with this union. At this time, no bargaining session is on the calendar, union leaders said.
In a statement, Legacy Health said, in part: “We continue to bargain in good faith with our Northwest Medicine United-represented staff members and respect the right of all Legacy employees to participate in union activities, including informational pickets. We do not expect any disruptions to patient care, and ensuring the wellbeing of our patients and employees will remain central to everything we do.”
White Salmon Sch. Dist. – Early release. Due to the extreme heat forecasted all White Salmon Schools will release early Tuesday, September 2nd. Whitson Elementary – 1:30 p.m., WPSIS / Henkle Middle School / Columbia High School – 1:45 p.m. (For Tue Sep 2nd)
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Sunrises are getting later and sunsets earlier across the Pacific Northwest and that trend continues during the month of September.
Portland will lose a total of 89 minutes of daylight during the month of September. This decreasing light is what helps cool Portland area temperatures. The shorter days will also help start the color changing process in the trees of Oregon and Washington.
October is the month that loses the greatest amount of daylight with a decrease in 91 minutes of sunshine.
The amount of daylight seen around 8 p.m. will start looking a lot darker over the next two weeks as Portland area sunsets keep getting earlier.
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon lawmakers resumed their special session Sunday and moved forward with HB 3991, a transportation funding package that passed out of committee.
The bill would raise taxes on vehicles and roads, phase in a per-mile road usage charge, and require audits of ODOT’s performance.
Supporters say it provides a needed foundation for road and bridge maintenance, while opponents argue it places too heavy a burden on residents.
Lawmakers failed to pass a similar bill last session, which led to canceled contracts and hundreds of ODOT layoffs delayed until after this session.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A bicyclist died after crashing in Washington Park Sunday evening, Portland police said in a release.
The cyclist, whose name was not released, with riding a BMX-style bike going downhill with other cyclists around 6:30 p.m. He crashed as he tried to ride between two boulders.
Authorities said he was not wearing a helmet at the time.
No other information is available and “no further information will be released at this time,” officials said.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Across the Interstate Bridge, the sound of traditional native drumming led a march for hope Monday.
The song serenaded hundreds of residents in Oregon and Southwest Washington who met above the Columbia for the 24th annual Hands Across the Bridge.
Started in 2001 by Patty Katz and Louise Wedge, the event invites people impacted by substance use disorders a stigma-free place to come together.
At the helm of the trek, Jayden Esquiro, a singer from Warm Springs, Oregon, told KOIN 6 News he is using his gifts to help uplift others following his own battle with substances.
“I’m here to sing and pray for those still struggling in addiction,” he said.
Esquiro is not alone. Before the march, those in recovery shared their stories both outside the Jantzen Beach Holiday Inn in Oregon and at Esther Short Park in Vancouver.
“I come from a household of alcoholic parents,” said Laura Tellez. “Growing up that’s what I got taught — you go through something bad, you numb it.”
Three years clean off fentanyl, Tellez said she is now mentoring others about the importance of prevention. Still, she said the road to recovery hasn’t been easy.
“I have been going through some hardships in my life right now; getting back into the work force, getting my household back, my kids back. And it’s hard but I’m here to show that it’s possible,” she said. “I’m here to show it does work. It’s so easy to look at a pamphlet or read something but this is my life. This is me, the real me, raw me. ”
One by one others told KOIN 6 News their reasons for getting clean:
“I had a child,” and Sean Tapio with Volunteers of America. “If I just keep going down the road I’m going, it’s not just me who will be disappointed. There will be a disappointed little girl.”
According to organizers, the Labor Day event is also meant to help kick off National Recovery Month.
“We are fighting that stigma and allowing people to know that we’re here, recovery is possible, that prevention works, and that treatment is effective,” said Tabitha Stokes, Board Chair of Hands Across the Bridge. “We’re saying that recovery is everyone. Every person, every family, every community, because we’re all impacted.”
Following festivities on both sides of the river including speeches, free food, and connection to resources, the two camps marched across the bridge to form a human chain.
Hundreds of people took part in the 24th annual Hands Across the (Interstate) Bridge, September 1, 2025 (KOIN)Hundreds of people took part in the 24th annual Hands Across the (Interstate) Bridge, September 1, 2025 (KOIN)
Bonded by the impact of addiction, but marching together, the groups joined hands at the sound of the honk of a tugboat.
“There is hope,” said Erica Gregerson with Hands Across the Bridge. “You just have to reach out and really want it. It is life or death and that’s what recovery is really about.”
Hand-in-hand, participants said the movement also serves as a metaphor for the thousands still struggling with addiction.
“You’re not alone,” Tapio said. “When you’re ready to reach out, just reach out and somebody will be there to hold your hand.”
VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — As the strike by classified staff at the Evergreen Public Schools continued Monday, some of the strikers joined local Labor Day rallies to underscore their points seeking better pay among other issues.
Their just-expired contract does allow them to continue working under the current deal, but union officials said they won’t do that.
“We started negotiations in March and have worked diligently thoughout the process trying to get this done before school,” said Evergreen Schools Employee Union President Mindy Troffer-Cooper. “Last contract we worked until December before we finally came to a deal, and we decided that that wasn’t the way we wanted to go this year.”
The district spokesperson told KOIN 6 News they were waiting for the weekend to resume bargaining. But the union declined to bargain unless the district agreed to certain conditions — which they did not.
Teachers are not on strike but are supporting the classified staff by not crossing the picket lines, which will be visible again on Tuesday.
However, both sides will be back at the bargaining table on Tuesday, this time with a mediator.
A Labor Day rally included striking staff from Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, September 1, 2025 (KOIN)
Evergreen Schools Employee Union President Mindy Troffer-Cooper said they were.
The district said it will update families each day at 4 p.m. whether there is an agreement and classes scheduled.
But there is no school on Tuesday — the second delay to the 2025-26 school year in the Evergreen Public Schools.
