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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Two wonderful things happened last weekend: The Barbie movie was released in theaters, breaking box office records, and Taylor Swift graced the Pacific Northwest. If you didn’t snag tix to T Swift, our sister publication, The Stranger, is here to recap the show for you. If you haven’t seen Barbie yet (no spoilers!) Portland showings are selling out, but our city has a gaggle of awesome theaters, so keep trying!

Ok, on to important things. 

In Local News:

• Police identified the hospital security guard shot and killed Saturday by a gunman at Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital as Bobby Smallwood, 44. Smallwood was killed by a suspect who then fled the scene. Police initially searched for him at a Fred Meyer store, then found him in Gresham, where they shot and killed him. The Oregonian reported the suspect was PoniaX Kane Calles, a 33-year-old who had recently threatened hospital staff and previously threatened violence against the woman giving birth to his child. 

Gunman in hospital shooting who was later killed by police identified as 33-year-old Portland man https://t.co/MmvXOaeqog

— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) July 24, 2023

• The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has downgraded its danger assessment of the levels of asbestos in last week’s fire at a former Kmart building. The state agency issued warnings, after debris and ash from Wednesday’s fire tested positive for asbestos. Now, the DEQ says some of the material tested doesn’t contain asbestos, which is a good sign. Still, as reported by Taylor Griggs, residents say they feel uneasy and uninformed about the risk levels. They count the fire as just the latest example of a string of incidents at that property that have caused harm to the community. 

A Wednesday fire at an old Kmart site at 122nd Ave and Sandy Blvd rained ash containing asbestos on NE Portland residents, amplifying existing health concerns for people who live in one of the most polluted parts of the city. https://t.co/yXJ6d3nMtW

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) July 21, 2023

• Speaking of fire, there are currently six of them burning in Oregon wilderness, with varying degrees of containment. Of note, the Flat Fire, burning more than 22,000 acres with only 3 percent containment in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and the Golden Fire, burning in Southern Oregon, which is also threatening about 100 homes.
• During the same week Portland City Commissioners Dan Ryan and Rene Gonzalez held a work session to explore an overhaul of several charter reform elements, Commissioner Ryan announced the city will end its contract with the Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) and instead operate its own arts office that contracts with nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. The city’s decision could tank RACC’s budget. The organization gets more than 80% of its funding from the city of Portland. 

In National/World news:

• The Department of Justice is suing Texas over Gov. Greg Abbott’s new floating barrier erected to keep migrants from crossing the Rio Grande. Biden administration lawyers say the buoys pose environmental and humanitarian concerns. 

BREAKING: The Biden administration is suing Texas Gov. Greg Abbott over the state’s floating border barrier in the Rio Grande that’s meant to stop migrants. https://t.co/8LtxGnJRZB

— The Associated Press (@AP) July 24, 2023

• Elon Musk’s attempt to rebrand Twitter as ‘X’ and remove the site’s blue bird logo–the only charming thing about the hellscape social space–might have been premature. Turns out, Meta and Microsoft already have rights to the use of that name. Do you think Elon called up his attorneys and asked them to look into his rights to use the name, and out of spite, they just said, “Yeah, sure dude. Go for it!”

Meta already appears to hold the rights to ‘X.’ It could make Twitter’s rebrand complicated. https://t.co/9iJbSSSZ9Z

— Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) July 25, 2023

• North Korea fired two missiles into the sea, in what appears to be a response to the arrival of a U.S. nuclear submarine in South Korea. The United States and South Korea are reportedly bolstering their militaries and weapons programs, in response to North Korea.
• And finally, everyone’s favorite pro wrestler turned actor, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, just donated an undisclosed amount to SAG-AFTRA, a nonprofit associated with the Screen Actors Guild union, said to be the largest single donation ever received by the organization. Johnson, the dream boat with a heart of gold, and probably a bank account worth even more gold, said he wanted to step up to help actors who need financial assistance during an ongoing strike. Johnson is among the union’s 2,700 highest-earning members.

@doreencohanim LET’S ‘TWIST AGAIN PROPERLY PERFORMED.  #LET‘STWISTAGAIN #PROPERLY #PERFORMED #doglovers #dogsoftiktok ♬ original sound – Doreen Cohanim