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Good morning, news: PDX gets a new face, violent crime drops sharply and Tim Walz debates with Sofa Enthusiast

Good morning, news: PDX gets a new face, violent crime drops sharply and Tim Walz debates with Sofa Enthusiast
Posted on | Posted on Theodore

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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! 👋

Get ready, Portland: As you soak in today’s pleasant temperatures (partly cloudy with a high of 76), I encourage you to take advantage of the mercury‘s BURGER WEEK, which starts next Monday and runs through Sunday, August 25th! Imagine all 88 (!!) of these delicious burgers from the best restaurants in town pouring into your mouth like a meat (and vegan/vegetarian too!) waterfall. And they only cost $8 a piece (whoop whoop)! Now let that NEWS to flow into your hungry brain.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Bad news for those candidates who pursue FEAR-based politics: According to a survey by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, violent crimes are down year-over-year across the country in the first half of 2024—and yes, that includes Portland. Citywide shootings fell from 116 per month last summer to 76, and the murder rate among Black people (who are disproportionately affected) fell 38% last year. While that’s still not great, of course, it’s a significant, hopeful improvement.

• Travelers were very pleased indeed with Portland International Airport’s renovated main terminal, unveiled yesterday. A feat four years in the making…and there’s more to come. Highlights include a beautiful (see today’s main photo) 36,000-square-foot wood roof, oak floors, trees and gardens indoors, and an expansion of the area to allow travelers to move more efficiently. The next big unveiling is scheduled for this December.

• If you have read the previous two paragraphs, then I would say you are well on your way to winning big in this week’s super fun POP QUIZ PDX! This week you’ll also answer cheeky questions about stolen Olympic medals, strange Portland carpets, and (our subjective question) where you think Trump should be banished forever! 😈 See how well YOU do!

• On the thorny issue of what to do with the earthquake-prone Keller Auditorium downtown event center, Portland City Council is putting the issue on hold and asking the two groups with competing plans (PSU and Halprin Landscape Conservancy) to put their heads together and come up with a joint plan by October. Mayor Wheeler says if the two groups can’t reach an agreement, he will encourage the council to choose just one of the plans.

• Fans of indie folk band Blind Pilot rejoice! For eight long years, frontman Israel Nebeker suffered from terrible writer’s block before finally returning and creating the band’s latest album. In the shadow of the Holy Mountainwhich comes out this Friday. How did he overcome his lyrical block? Ben Salmon explains in this interesting profile/preview!

• Today in the Florida Man news (with local relevance!): “Florida man rescued from Devils Churn on Oregon coast; one of few ‘to ever get out alive.’”

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Vice presidential candidates Tim “Ballz to the” Walz and JD “Sofa Enthusiast” Vance have agreed to a debate on October 1 on the CBS network. Earlier this week, Vance initially expressed doubts about whether he would accept the challenge, oddly telling Fox News, “We’re not going to get into a debate about fake news media garbage. We’re going to have a real debate.” OK, nutcases.

• Disgraced former president (and 34-felon criminal) Donald Trump is asking the New York judge overseeing his case to delay sentencing until after the election. (This is, of course, a blatant attempt to get into office and then pardon himself so he doesn’t have to pay for his numerous crimes. Oh, what a president he’ll be!)

• According to the Israeli Health Ministry, more than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza by the Israeli military, although experts agree that this figure is probably an underestimate. They also agree that the majority of the dead are women and children. Is this a good time to remind you that yesterday the US agreed to sell $20 billion worth of weapons and military aircraft to Israel?

• At least one person has been arrested in connection with the death of actor Matthew Perry, who was the victim of an accidental ketamine overdose, and prosecutors say more arrests are pending.

• RIP to the great Gina Rowlands, brilliant star of A woman under the influence as well as The notebookwho died at the age of 94.

• And finally… okay. I’m sorry, but this baby is an asshole.

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