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Good morning, Portland. We’re finally getting to a time of the year when talking about the weather is a little more interesting. Things may be very different week to week. Today, we’re looking at temperatures in the mid-70s. Fingers crossed for some rain this weekend, but for now, things are looking dry and temperate. Anyway, onto the news.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Wanna run for office in Portland? It won’t cost you too much—for now. The city of Portland appears to be weighing an increase to the candidate filing fees for those running for mayor and City Council, which are currently quite modest ($100 and $75, respectively). In a survey seeking feedback on Portland’s first ranked choice election, the city floated a potential filing fee increase, which might reduce the number of “non-serious”—the city’s words, not mine!—candidates entering the fray. There were, after all, almost 120 candidates running for City Council or mayor last fall, which was a lot for voters (and reporters!) to sift through. And the city is correct in its analysis of some of the candidates. Not everyone who ran realistically had the experience or drive to mount a successful campaign, and some seemingly threw their name in the ring just to see it on the ballot, without trying very hard to actually win. Would a fee increase help? Maybe, but I think the election in Portland last fall was representative of a unique time, when nobody was an incumbent on the forthcoming 12-person City Council and everyone felt a sense of possibility about their political futures. It’s unlikely so many people will run again, with or without a fee increase. Still, the city is considering a slight increase ($250 for council candidates and $325 for mayor/auditor) and a more significant one ($1,332 for council and $1,655 for mayor and auditor). Would-be candidates who earn under a certain threshold can apply for a fee waiver, and anyone can choose to collect 500 signatures in support of their candidacy, in lieu of paying the filing fee.
• The state transportation package is tearing Oregon apart!!!! At the very least, it’s shaking up the political world. Last week, Rep. Cyrus Javadi—a Republican up until a few days ago—announced he would re-register as a Democrat before running for reelection in 2026. The decision was partially motivated by his feelings on the Democrats’ transportation funding bill, which is currently stalled in the Senate until at least next week. Javadi, who represents Oregon’s northern coast, was the sole Republican to vote in favor of the bill during the House vote last week, with the rest of his former Grand Ol’ Party colleagues unable to get past their indiscriminate hatred for the transportation package due to its proposed tax increases. Javadi has recently become a pariah in the Oregon Republican Party for other reasons, too. For example, he supports access to rural healthcare and is anti-banning books. The horror!
More recently, Democratic Rep. Annessa Hartman—the sole Democrat to vote “no” on the transportation bill—announced she won’t be running for reelection at all. Hartman, who represents Gladstone, Oregon City, and unincorporated Clackamas County in the Oregon House and was the third Indigenous person elected to the body, implied her Democratic colleagues tried to bully her into voting for the bill, apparently warning her that voting against it would end her career. In an interview with OPB, Hartman said “that was the nail in the coffin that I can’t be part of this system anymore.” Her decision illuminates just how chaotic things are in the Oregon Legislature right now, where lawmakers seem to be struggling to read the political landscape. Those who oppose the bill have also said it’s a political death sentence to support it, and lawmakers who have voted in favor have certainly been targeted for online bullying and harassment, too. In such an environment, I suppose Hartman’s decision to leave is understandable. She says she plans to run for the Clackamas County Commission next.
• This story is wild. A Sellwood coffee shop has likely exposed customers to asbestos, either because it fell on them while they were in the cafe or because they took some of the cafe’s asbestos-ridden furniture home after the coffee shop offered it to people for free.
Health officials are asking anyone who picked up the furniture to throw it away or contact the DEQ for disposal.
— The Oregonian (@oregonian.com) September 9, 2025 at 9:00 PM
• Portland man Oscar Burell Jr. became infamous earlier this year for terrorizing city streets from behind the wheel of his pickup truck. Those who didn’t encounter him directly may have seen the dozens of videos he posted on social media, which depicted himself driving extremely recklessly. And honestly, “recklessly” doesn’t really cut it as a descriptor for the way this guy conducted himself. He filmed himself sitting halfway out the car window while going 60 miles per hour on the freeway, weaving in and out of lanes and seemingly not looking at the road at all, among other exploits.
Burell was eventually arrested in April, and this week, a judge found him guilty of two counts of reckless driving and a single charge of reckless endangerment. But he was acquitted on eight other charges, and was sentenced to one and a half years of probation and made to do 80 hours of community service. His fairly mild punishment also includes getting his driver’s license suspended…but only for a mere 90 days, which is shockingly lenient considering just how destructive of a driver Burell has proven himself to be. Given Burell’s prior behavior, it’s a miracle he hasn’t seriously injured or killed a fellow road user or himself. The legal system would be wise to try to ensure it stays that way. But the judge’s decision on this case doesn’t show an understanding of the gravity of destructive driving, and some are alarmed about the precedent the light sentence will set. Contrary to American car culture dogma, the ability to drive a car is not an inalienable human right. It’s a privilege, and one that should be taken much more seriously. I guess we have a long way to go.
• Don’t forget to check out this week’s Mercury Music Picks!
It’s a big week for unusual and captivating live music: Zamrock, club music from NYC, dungeon synth, and more. Oh, and don’t forget the two festivals Lose Yr Mind and PDX Pop Now❗️
Get the scoop and the skinny at the link below 🔗
— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) September 9, 2025 at 12:52 PM
IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• President Trump’s efforts to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook have been stymied, at least for now, by a federal judge in Washington, D.C. The judge’s ruling grants Cook a preliminary injunction and allows her to stay in the job, which is good for Americans who want to see the central bank retain its independence (as we all should if we want a somewhat functioning economy). However, it’s only a temporary order, as the case will continue making its way through the courts. Still, let this be a lesson to my fellow journalists, some of whom wrote headlines declaring that Trump “fired” Cook when he clearly lacked the legal authority to do so. It’s a disgrace to see ostensibly independent media professionals doing free PR for the president, who is an enemy of a free and fair press. You don’t have to give this guy anything.
• More than 2,000 filmmakers and actors have signed an open letter calling for an end to genocide in Gaza and pledging to boycott the Israeli film industry. Signatories include well-known actors such as Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Mark Ruffalo, Javier Bardem, and Tilda Swinton, as well as filmmakers including Ava DuVernay, Adam McKay, and Yorgos Lanthimos. The letter, dubbed the “Film Workers Pledge to End Complicity,” referenced a similar campaign in the 1980s, when many Hollywood filmmakers joined an effort to stand against South African apartheid. Today, the Hollywood pledge is one of the most substantial public demonstrations of support for Gaza since Israel began its near-constant siege on the region almost two years ago, and is particularly notable for its strong language on a subject fraught with so much political and cultural controversy. In the recent past, people who have spoken up for Gaza have risked their careers, as a version of McCarthyism rears its head in Hollywood and politics. The fact that so many renowned celebrities signed this letter may be indicative of the changing tides on this issue, as people from around the world have seen the devastating toll Israel’s war has had for millions of Palestinian civilians.
• Poland and its NATO allies said they shot down Russian drones that apparently violated Polish airspace last night. It’s unclear if Russia intentionally flew drones into Poland, which has made similar allegations in the past, but European Union foreign policy experts say it was no accident. They also say it represents an escalation of Russia’s war on Ukraine, which has been going on for nearly four years and shows no sign of winding down, at least not if Putin has it his way. Good thing the US has such level-headed foreign policy experts at the helm right now. 😒
• So, we all know that the Trump administration wants to ensure the US is hooked on fossil fuels for decades to come, pumping out planet-warming emissions to the grave detriment of the planet we all call home, and forcing us to pay more in energy costs. But our government’s crusade to ruin everyone’s lives is actually even worse than you might know. American officials are currently trying to strong-arm other countries into rolling back their own clean energy policies, too. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is currently in Europe promoting fossil fuels, using FAKE, DEBUNKED MISINFORMATION to promote a disastrous and radical ideology. There’s no way to describe these efforts except as pure evil, representative of a spiritually bankrupt and sick worldview that I pray world leaders will reject. I literally cannot stress it enough: Our leaders have nothing good to offer the American people or the world. Every single thing they say and do comes from a place of greed, nihilism, and misanthropy. They should not be allowed a moment’s peace. It is ethical to hate them and make your hatred known. In fact, it is unethical not to.
• Oh man, I’m mad now. Let’s calm down with this amazing video of opossums eating fruit. Have a good Wednesday, everyone.
@legendaryscapes
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Taylor Griggs
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