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by Wm. Steven Humphrey

Here’s your daily roundup of all the latest local and national news. (Like our coverage? Please consider making a recurring contribution to the Mercury to keep it comin’!)

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Sobering news from Gov. Kate Brown’s news conference today: Oregon now leads the nation in COVID-19 infection rates, and hospitalizations have nearly doubled in the past week. However there is some good news to be had as well, as OHSU predicts vaccination efforts will outpace the growth of the contagious variants in the next two to three weeks—which could mean, according to Brown, she’ll be able to “lift restrictions statewide and come to a sense of normality by the end of June.” Our awesome new reporter Isabella Garcia has more on the story.

#BreakingNews @Oregon_GOP Rep. Mike Nearman charged for allowing right-wing demonstrators into the State Capitol building in Salem in December. Charges:
1. Official Misconduct in the First Degree
2. Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree
See thread for video https://t.co/MQGDHs9AJt pic.twitter.com/X9Juv954Bc

— Dan Tilkin (@DanTilkinKOIN6) April 30, 2021

• Black lawmakers and criminal justice advocates are pushing for legislation that will restrict police from stopping people for broken taillights—something the cops have historically used to pull over people of color. It would also prohibit police from enforcing roughly 20 more misdemeanor crimes, which should go a long way in stopping deadly encounters between officers and persons of color.

• Today in “It’s one thing to be stupid… but do you have to be an asshole, too?”: “A COVID-19 vaccine clinic set up inside a Bend, Oregon, high school attracted anti-vaccine protesters who heckled teenagers as they entered the site.”

• For future reference, there will be a spate of demonstrations tomorrow to mark May Day—a day of calling attention to international workers’ rights—including a car caravan/peoples’ march tomorrow starting at 1945 SE Water at 2 pm to show solidarity with migrant workers. Check in with us tomorrow for the latest updates!

Portland pic.twitter.com/QYtZ7GQn3U

— Savvy☭ (@sleepisocialist) April 30, 2021

IN NATIONAL NEWS:

• Starting Tuesday, the US will restrict travel from India, citing the devastating surge of COVID cases that have killed 208,330 people—though that’s probably an undercount.

• In better news, the US has hit another milestone in our battle against COVID-19: 100 million Americans have been fully vaccinated. (As I will be tomorrow! Not that you care. Or maybe you do? If so, thank you for caring!)

Sen. Mitch McConnell led Republicans in protesting a Biden administration proposal to promote teaching on systemic racism and the legacy of slavery, calling it “divisive nonsense” and singling out a reference to The New York Times Magazine’s 1619 Project. https://t.co/K1DKSq3BGK

— The New York Times (@nytimes) April 30, 2021

• The family of Ma’Khia Bryant—a Black 16-year-old fatally shot by a white Ohio cop on April 20 (within an hour of the Derek Chauvin verdict)—mourned her loss at an emotional funeral held today.

• Florida legislators joined butt-hurt Republicans across the nation in passing a measure to make it substantially more difficult for millions—particularly people of color—to vote in the state.

• Speaking of corrupt Floridians: In a confession letter obtained by the Daily Beast, Joel Greenberg—the creepy pal of creepy creep Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz—writes that he and Gaetz paid for sex from multiple women including (you knew it was coming) a minor who was 17 at the time. Check, please!

• Wave bye-bye to Trump’s pet project: The Biden administration has officially cancelled all border wall projects that the former president paid for using $10 billion diverted from the military. (Quick, somebody put together an “In Memoriam” slide show!)

• I admit I didn’t see it coming, but I’m not in the least surprised: “Josh Duggar of TLC’s ’19 Kids and Counting’ indicted on child pornography charges.”

• The FBI reportedly warned Trump ally and pants-tugger Rudy Giuliani that Russia was going to try to use him to thwart the Biden campaign in the 2020 election. Giuliani responded “good to know!” and promptly left the country to meet with “an active Russian agent.”

Success 👏#MarsHelicopter completed its 4th flight, going farther & faster than ever before. It also took more photos as it flew over the Martian surface. We expect those images will come down in a later data downlink, but @NASAPersevere‘s Hazcam caught part of the flight. pic.twitter.com/Fx3UHu4jgv

— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) April 30, 2021

• Need some guaranteed laughs? Then don’t miss the I, Anonymous Show (Livestream edition) featuring nutzo rants and hilarious commentary from comedians Neeraj Srinivasan, Sam Tallent, Steph Tolev, and your host Kate Murphy—coming at ya Wednesday, May 5! (Act now for a FREE ticket option!)

• HUMP! HUMP! HUMP! If you enjoy sexy stuff (and I know you do), get your tickets NOW for HUMP’s Greatest Hits, Volume 3—debuting TONIGHT—and featuring some of the best short sex flicks from 15 years of HUMP! HUMP! HUMP!

• And now… THE WEATHER REPORT: Scattered showers return today with a high of 62.

• And finally, well… that’s one way to foil an attempted carjacking.

How to deal with car jackers… pic.twitter.com/qNHoB7THtw

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) April 30, 2021

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