by Wm. Steven Humphrey 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!👋 Oh, hello! Would you like your personal love note to run in the print version of the Portland Mercury (available at 500 spots around town) for Valentine's Day? Then listen up, love bugs! Today (Wednesday, January 15) is your LAST CHANCE to submit your FREE Mercury Reader Valentine for your schmoopy-woopy (AKA sex pal)! But don't fret—we'll still accept and print your valentines online (AKA the internet) through February 15. And now? Here's your daily dose of bullshit (AKA NEWS). IN LOCAL NEWS: • After furiously backpedaling last month on his plan to require all city employees to stop remote work and return to their downtown offices at least four days per week, Mayor Keith Wilson is reviving his failed (and wrong-headed) scheme—but this time he's ordering 700 NON-union workers (who can't refuse his demands) to return to the office. Here's your reminder that the city seemingly cares more about the health of downtown businesses and "foot traffic" than employees who prioritize increased productivity, taking care of their children, and not sitting in their cars during impossibly long commutes that they don't get paid for. Anyhoo, our Courtney Vaughn has the details! • And speaking of labor matters: It took four days of striking for Providence healthcare management to decide to resume negotiating with the roughly 5,000 doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers who walked off the job on Friday. Management hasn't negotiated with union reps since they called for the strike on December 30. Striking workers are asking for higher pay, better working conditions, and more sane nurse-to-patient ratios. Open the overnight warming shelters asap.[image or embed] — Kat Mahoney (@kmahoneylaw.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 11:41 PM • In a case where management should NOT be protecting workers, the Portland Police Bureau will not fire Sgt. Jeffrey McDaniel, even though he was caught lying about including a right-wing meme in a training slide presentation following the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests. In their December report, the Police Review Board suggested that McDaniel should be terminated after he lied to to investigators about putting the slide—which depicted cops ruthlessly beating "dirty hippies"—in the presentation, but then-Mayor Wheeler and Police Chief Bob Day refused to fire him... because of course they did. • Portland's new City Council is meeting tonight to discuss their first thorny topic of the new administration: whether to ask the city for more money for council assistants. Currently each councilor is only budgeted for one staff member (commissioners previously had seven staff members each) and are largely feeling that they can't effectively serve the public without more help. At the same time, Portland is facing down a potential budget crisis, so where is the money going to come from? Needless to say, the councilors each have their own opinion about that, which will be discussed tonight. • Good news for music fans: The Portland Folk Festival is returning to the Crystal Ballroom this weekend, featuring lots of heartfelt acoustic numbers—but according to music writer Robert Ham, the fest is expanding their offerings to "include everything from the psych-pop sounds of Presidio to singer Arietta Ward’s blistering funk and R&B." Check out our profile and all the hot deets! The Blazers current season is... umm... not going well. Can this team be saved? Corbin Smith weighs in on the season thus far![image or embed] — Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 1:40 PM IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: • The confirmation hearings for Trump's clown car (or Cabinet picks, if you prefer) continues today after yesterday's fiery roasting of wildly unqualified Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, who's vying for the Defense Secretary position (milk shoots out of my nose). Hegseth, who has been accused of multiple affairs, alcohol abuse, financial mismanagement, and sexual abuse, must get practically every Republican vote in order to secure the job. Meanwhile, today's confirmation hearings will include six candidates, including sniveling loyalist and former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi (for US attorney general) and bumbling dipshit Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump's ill-advised pick for Secretary of State. TikTok plans on shutting down its app for American users on Sunday, Jan. 19, the same day a law banning the app in the United States goes into effect, according to multiple reports.[image or embed] — Yahoo News (@yahoonews.com) January 15, 2025 at 7:49 AM • Millions in southern California are bracing for yet another day of dangerous fires boosted by high winds, as firefighters are warning of a "particularly dangerous situation" in the area near the Palisades area where wildfires have killed at least 25 people and destroyed thousands of structures. Evacuation orders have been issued to 88,000 residents in the Los Angeles area. • According to officials, Israel and Hamas are getting very close to finishing a deal for a cease-fire, with only a few outstanding demands left to get ironed out. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says that Hamas had yet to respond to their latest version of the deal, which means that until their differences are resolved Israel will continue bombing the shit out of Gaza which has led to the deaths of 46,000 people—most of whom were civilians and children. The Securities and Exchange Commission sued Elon Musk on Tuesday, alleging the world’s richest person failed to publicly disclose his acquisition of Twitter shares on time in early 2022.[image or embed] — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) January 15, 2025 at 7:04 AM • The Food and Drug Administration has FINALLY called for a ban on the substance known as "red dye No. 3," which is found in such products as bubble gum and cough syrup, and was discovered over 35 YEARS AGO (!!) to cause cancer in laboratory rats. Manufacturers will have until 2027 to stop using the dye in its products. • And finally... here's your daily dose of INSPIRATION. @brianneworth Gentle reminder ✨ #hopelesscore #hopecore ♬ original sound - Brianne Worth