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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’!)

• The president of Portland’s Postal Union says there are several recent changes that have raised alarm bells among local United States Postal Service employees, including that Trump’s appointed postmaster general has been deliberately slowing down the mail service ahead of the November presidential election. Our Blair Stenvick has the details.

More national context to my local story about mail processing machines being removed from a Portland USPS building: https://t.co/XdnHvKQ47C https://t.co/j4lhhqFYxG

— Blair Stenvick (@BlairStenvick) August 14, 2020

• Oregon State Troopers are pulling out of Portland where they’ve been assisting local and federal police in their attempts to corral Black Lives Matter protesters. Apparently their two week, previously agreed upon assignment is up—however spokesman Capt. Timothy R. Fox chose to add an unsubtle and rather snide comment about how our new MultCo DA refuses to prosecute non-violent protesters, saying “We’re in a county that’s not going to prosecute this criminal behavior.” We’re looking into defunding State Troopers too, right?

“I didn’t feel safe,” she said, after “three hours of men [police] hiding in the bushes with weapons who would not identify themselves.”👇

‘It has shaken me to my core’: Neighbors call police an unsettling presence during #PortlandProtests
https://t.co/v2nRQpwEb6

— Beth Nakamura (@bethnakamura) August 14, 2020

• A new Oregon study has discovered coronavirus antibodies in 1 percent of people tested, indicating to doctors that there are a LOT more undiagnosed cases out there. Today the OHA reported 323 new presumptive cases along with two additional deaths.

• According to prison officials at Oregon’s Snake River Correctional Institution, a prisoner has died after contracting COVID-19, making this person the second inmate to perish from coronavirus in the state.

• Meanwhile Malheur County, which borders Idaho, is getting sent back down to Phase 1 by Gov. Kate Brown, after the county was unable to control its coronavirus spread.

• Looking for all the week’s biggest local food news? Check out Suzette Smith’s weekly FOOD NEWS ROUNDUP—with a special guest appearance by Detroit-style pizza yummmmmmmm.

• Hey. Are you curious about what the Mercury has been doing with the money you’ve been generously contributing to keep us afloat? I have some answers for you in my latest “Note from the Mercury‘s Editor” and it involves not purchasing any more vintage High School Musical swag. READ IT.

IN NATIONAL NEWS:

• The US Postal Service is warning a whopping 46 states that due to slow-downs (caused by Trump’s corrupt shenanigans) voters in those states may not be able to return their mail-in ballots in time for election day.

File this under “YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS SHIT UP”: Donald and Melania Trump both requested mail-in ballots for Florida’s primary election on Tuesday, despite Trump’s frequent attacks on voting by mail. https://t.co/N9foGRH8Q5

— Jon Cooper 🇺🇸 (@joncoopertweets) August 14, 2020

New: After Elizabeth Warren’s request, the Postal Service independent watchdog is investigating Trump megadonor Louis DeJoy policy changes and potential ethics conflicts https://t.co/l4ebKc71KB

— Saloni Sharma (@sloansharma) August 14, 2020

• Related and unsurprising: “Major US postal workers union endorses Biden for president.”

• Also not surprising in the least: Trump is helping spread blatantly untrue (and racist!) “birtherism” conspiracy theories about Kamala Harris.

• A government watchdog has announced that the leaders of the Department of Homeland Security, Chad “CHAD!” Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli, are not qualified to do their jobs.

A nonpartisan congressional watchdog says the two top officials in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security were improperly appointed. The report does not carry the force of law, but could be a factor in lawsuits.The department rejects the finding. https://t.co/2NT0QD0vom

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 14, 2020

• Think getting COVID-19 once protects you forever? THAT’S APPARENTLY A BIG “NOPE”: “CDC suggests recovered COVID-19 patients have protection for 3 months.”

• Want to support the Mercury AND look like a million bucks? Buy our newest “RESIST” T-shirt created by local artist Sloane Leong that comes in black, white, yellow, and teal and is perfect for anyone who wants to protest in style!

• THE WEATHER REPORT: Get out your thongs, folks! We’ll be hitting triple digits this weekend with two 100 degree days in a row!

• And finally, another reason to vote BIDEN/HARRIS in November: They’ll cut your meat.

“Well I’ve got some red meat for ya…”

Can’t make it up… pic.twitter.com/MeNnZmEsCx

— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) August 14, 2020

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