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Good Afternoon, Portland! Yesterday I spent twelve hours answering emails. Today I read the news.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• In a surprising upset, a Multnomah County judge acquitted Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson and one of his right-wing group’s members Russell Shultz of their single, respective riot charges. Judge Benjamin Souede determined the two were not guilty, though a third member, MacKenzie Lewis, will continue to stand trial.

• If you are just catching up on this Patriot Prayer member trial, Mercury News Editor Alex Zielinski wrote a refresher on the events that led to the charge and what happened on the trial’s first day.

• Today in maps that do not look promising to heat-sensitive culture editors, get a load of this angry-looking PNW:

Keeping an eye on what could potentially become a pretty significant heatwave across the Pacific Northwest in late July (strong ensemble signal at the moment). This one would affecting northern and interior CA, though probably not the immediate coast. #CAwx #ORwx #WAwx #CAfire pic.twitter.com/Fo30sWHotY

— Daniel Swain (@Weather_West) July 19, 2022

• Okay, so next week is going to be HOT. That means we should live it up this week and drink frosty alcoholic slushies, thanks to the Mercury‘s Summer of Slushies, which—hold up—lasts through through August 14?! Well, that’s convenient! I raise this childish-looking glass to yee and wish thee godspeed on thine journey to freeze both inhibitions and brain.

• IDK if you like free things, but Tuesday is the day the Mercury offers up free tickets to some of the city’s hottest shows. This week, you’ve got a chance to win two tickets to Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls—hitting the Roseland this Sunday July 24, with openers Face to Face and The Bronx.

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

• This afternoon, Capitol Police arrested 36 people at an abortion rights protest in front of the Supreme Court. The group, which was swiftly arrested after blocking traffic, consisted of grassroots advocates and members of Congress—including five of the six congressional Squad members.

Multiple members of Congress, including @AOC, being arrested by Capitol Police for blocking traffic outside the Supreme Court in abortion rights demonstration: pic.twitter.com/fysQN1oBAw

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) July 19, 2022

• As Maryland completes its primary election process today—a group of eight prominent Republican Party leaders have released a report, going over the 2020 presidential elections in six battleground states, like Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan. In an attempt to restore voter confidence, the 72-page report outlined Trump’s defeat, attributing it to factors like the coronavirus pandemic and split Republican tickets.

• In the meantime, everyone’s favorite Portlandia stars, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, impart some tips for commonly overlooked signs that white people may become violent:

@fullfrontalsamb

We brought in some experts all the way from Portland, OR to teach us how to spot a white supremacist in the wild.

♬ original sound – fullfrontalsamb