Lots of news popping off this Thursday morning, Portland. Tie a linen around your neck, and let's dig in.
First, read about how Mayor Charlie Hales has asked the city's Independent Police Review to poke into cops' response to a November 21 protest, in which three organizers were arrested. Hales announced his decision shortly after video began circulating of officers manipulating activist Kathryn Steven's head, in what they call a mandibular angle pressure point." Cops, in a series of police reports the bureau voluntarily released (which is weird), said Stevens had been getting ready to spit on them. Here's the video:
Speaking of the protests, bad news for the man police say was responsible for much of the property damage at a November 10 "riot." After hearing evidence Wednesday that Mateen Shaheed was more motivated by anger issues than anti-Trump sentiment, a county judge refused to release him from jail.
We broke news yesterday about the latest round of companies itching to buy Terminal 1, after the city decided not to turn the property into a homeless shelter. Each of the seven offers is in the $10 million range—but Oregon-based Lithia Motors is also making a play for the city to throw the Portlandia statue in with the deal.
Speaking of stuff you should read: Here's our story about calls for the city to stop investing in Wells Fargo Bank, partly on the basis that it helps finance controversial private prisons. Council will decide December 15 whether it will cease putting millions into Wells Fargo (and other companies).
Gov. Kate Brown is slated to unveil her next budget proposal this morning, and since you guys said no to Measure 97 (not you, Multnomah County, but pretty much everyone else), she's got to plug a $1.4 billion budget hole! Spoiler: It's not going to be fun.
You probably already sensed this, but I guess let's make it official? Portlanders are historically dissatisfied with living in Portland—at least according to survey results the Portland Auditor's Office dropped yesterday.
As predicted, the state's strict new testing laws for pot products have caused supply issues in the industry, with companies up and down the supply chain saying they're fast becoming destitute by expensive lab prices and overwhelming standards. The O has a meaty piece.
The Trib follows Mercury reporter Doug Brown's story on a dicey Portland cop who was caught snooping (possibly illegally) on her former stepdaughter. The paper points out that the case is a good test of how strict Police Chief Mike Marshman will be about disciplining errant employees.
IMPORTANT: We've all heard about Donald Trump's excessive conflicts of interest, but it's complicated. The NYT is here for you, with some helpful diagrams.
I missed this fake-news story, amid all the other fake-news stories circulating after the election, but this yarn about how NPR tracked down the proprietor of dozens of fake sites, then convinced him to talk candidly, is interesting (along with the requisite dose of depressing). Money quote: "We've tried to do similar things to liberals. It just has never worked, it never takes off. You'll get debunked within the first two comments and then the whole thing just kind of fizzles out."
Merriam-Webster wants people to stop looking up "fascism," but I'm just happy people are attempting to learn something.
Are you following North Carolina's governor's race? Incumbent Pat McCrory, supportive of a controversial law that allows discrimination of LGBTQ people, appears to be losing. He won't concede.
