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Good afternoon, Portland! Here are the latest local news, national news and a little bit of fun.

• The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced today that Oregonians no longer need to wear masks in crowded outdoor environments. OHA Director Patrick Allen said at a press conference: "This decision takes effect immediately and reflects the overall progress we have seen on the COVID-19 front in Oregon."

• New census data shows that Portland’s black population has increased in the past 10 years-but the place where Portland blacks live is changing. Although the historical black communities of Northeast and North Portland have become whiter, more and more black people are moving to the fringes of towns, such as East Portland and Washington County.

• In case you missed yesterday’s important report:

The city announced the new location of its third "safe rest village": https://t.co/Lc6a6hUpwJ — Portland Mercury🗞 (@portlandmercury) November 23, 2021

The city announced the new location of its third "safe rest village": https://t.co/Lc6a6hUpwJ

• Randy Severe, a saddle maker in Eastern Oregon and former chairman of the Pendleton Round Up board, died of COVID-19 complications on Sunday morning. Severe contracted COVID after participating in the review in September this year. This is a super spreader incident.

• Darrell Brooks, who drove through a Wisconsin Christmas parade over the weekend and killed 6 people, has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder. Brooks’ sixth victim, a child, died today, and the sixth charge may soon increase.

• A federal judge ruled today that the three major pharmacy retail chains—Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart—are jointly responsible for the opioid addiction crisis, which means that these companies will have to pay to help solve the problem . Although pharmaceutical companies such as Purdue and Johnson & Johnson have faced similar charges, this is the first time any chain pharmacy has been held accountable for facilitating people's opioid addiction.

• Other news about bad actors being held accountable:

A federal jury in Charlottesville, Virginia found the organizers of the 2017 “Unity Right” white nationalist rally responsible for the harm caused by the counter-protesters and awarded approximately $26 million in damages https://t .co/zaROEfnwuj https:// t.co/zaROEfnwuj — Reuters (@Reuters) November 23, 2021

A federal jury in Charlottesville, Virginia found the organizers of the 2017 “Unity Right” white nationalist rally responsible for the harm caused by the counter-protesters and awarded approximately $26 million in damages https://t .co/zaROEfnwuj https:// t.co/zaROEfnwuj

• Kyle Rittenhouse, self-defense killer murderer, sat down with Fox propagandist Tucker Carlson for a disgusting interview that aired last night. Rather than give Fox News more eyeballs, it's better to read Vox's live analysis of the interview.

• If you are the guest of an upcoming autumn festival dinner—whether it’s Thanksgiving, Friendship Day, Native American National Day mourning, or a general harvest feast—you may be wondering what you can bring to the celebration. Fortunately, no host will resent you for bringing extra drinks. In the fertile Pacific Northwest, there are many options for fall.

• Finally: The Grammy nominations were announced this morning, and Oregon’s own Japanese breakfast was nominated for the best newcomer category! To celebrate, listen to her star album Jubilee, Mercury is a big fan of it.

Blair Stenvick is the arts and culture editor of the Portland Mercury News.

Blair Stenvick is the arts and culture editor of the Portland Mercury News.

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All content © Index Newspapers LLC PO Box 86208, Portland, OR 97286

Contact| Privacy Policy| Terms of Use| Delisting Policy