Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and others continue citing “$600M” in annual economic activity from the Moda Center. Nearly half of that is player salaries, i.e. far less relevant. In reality, the Rose Quarter generates ~$18M in tax revenue each year, some of which is put back into the stadiums.

City of Portland probably bouta spend $20K to cover this graffiti with white paint to appease the people of the West Hills. But not before sweeping the unhoused person to the right of this photo trying to find reasonable shelter.

AP posted this image about Cubans using solar-powered three-wheelers for transportation because of the fuel shortage. Nowhere in the post do they mention that the fuel shortage is because of an illegal US embargo.

The Oregon Legislature is cursed, I need some witches to put a spell on it so we can get reasonable healthcare like the rest of the world.

DHS, I fixed it for you.

Dystopian scenes from downtown Portland

I am not at the protest happening downtown, but it appears a police riot car is heading that way. Will try to update if I hear or see anything.

In May, Bill Oram of The Oregonian made a video calling city councilors stupid for their concerns/decisions on the Moda Center. Now he’s half walking it back, saying Dundon needs to show up, yet he still can’t admit the councilors or community members (who he calls “bad-faith actors”) were right.

A recent city report about Portland Police staffing and recruitment states that ICE targeted a “similar candidate profile” to PPB in its hiring campaigns in the past year. While undoubtedly true, it still feels like one of those things you’re not necessarily supposed to say out loud.

Journalism looks different than it did just a few years ago. Independence has advantages, but it also means many people and institutions won’t take you seriously, especially if you question their power.

KATU News recently posted a video about cuts to Portland Police and response times. I do think it’s important to point out concerning data from Portland for All showing a massive slowdown in police response times vs. fire (182% vs 11%), despite staffing for both remaining stable since 2022.

Take note of how corporate media covers violent race riots in Northern Ireland. They're quick to use the word "riot" when people respond to growing violence against immigrants in the US. But I think we can acknowledge burning someone's home because they're Black is pretty different than a Waymo.

PSU Professor Bruce Gilley reportedly sent out a letter INTL majors/minors about starting a "PSU Conservatives" club. In the letter, Gilley mocks preferred pronouns and land acknowledgments, including through a pro-colonialist message at the bottom that falsely depicts indigenous American history.

A funny little compilation of people calling the PDX foie gras ban fascist.

The votes for the foie gras ban

The Struggle Against Data Centers in Oregon | Part Five: “Elections”

A friendly reminder that even if they were smuggling drugs, they are still civilians and it’s illegal to summarily execute them, no matter if the Trump administration tries to claim fentanyl is a WMD—which also generally isn’t coming from South America, but from US citizens crossing from Mexico.

The Struggle Against Data Centers in Oregon | Part Four: “Buzzwords”

The Struggle Against Data Centers in Oregon | Part Three: “The Cost” A five-part series on the data center battle happening in Hillsboro, Oregon. To support my work, please subscribe to my Substack, Last Week in Hell. Everything is free to read/watch (for now at least).

Don’t forget indie journos also have to be a social media manager, a video producer (in my case), a fundraiser, essentially a mini news director and business manager and probably a life coach too because of how insane this is. And then cope with the fact that you’re lucky if you make enough to live.

The Struggle Against Data Centers in Oregon | Part Two: “Tax Heaven”

DSA-backed and anti-data center candidates in Oregon’s local elections are pulling further ahead of their opponents.

The Oregonian publishing some funny headlines (that are still up?) about elections. DSA-supported candidates Myrna Muñoz and Tammy Carpenter have each pulled ahead in their races. Still too close to call, but a big overtake for progressives.

Have you ever wanted high speed rail, but slower, less comfortable, less efficient, with less capacity, more points of failure, a higher risk of accident, and a costly deteriorating freeway expansion on top of it? Yes?? Well Caltrans has a plan for you! Bullet buses! Where logic goes to die!

The Struggle Against Data Centers in Oregon | Part One: “Surrounded” Here is the first part in a series on data centers in Hillsboro, Oregon and the community fighting back against data center tax breaks and expansion.

wtf are we doing?

Here’s pretty much everything you need to know about the current data center situation in Hillsboro. Please feel free to comment if I missed anything.

Organizers at Portland’s May Day Community Fair gathered signatures for a wealth tax to go on the ballot. The proposed measure would impose a 2% wealth tax on those with $30 million or more.

PPB riot cops out after bike cops surrounded and held a protester for more than 30 minutes before making a clear arrest, allegedly for graffiti. They left after about five minutes. A few protesters threw water bottles at the bike cops as they fled.

At Portland May Day rally. Watched community members carry an aggressive counter protester out of the crowd over to police. Police then watched her go back to the crowd a few minutes later and just stood around. The Dialogue Liaison Officers stood on the other corner in full view and did nothing.