The Pacific Northwest has been home to some of history’s most prolific serial killers, but police in Portland, Oregon, are trying to shut down “online rumors” that the recent deaths of several women are connected.
Six women have been found dead within 100 miles of each other between February 19 and May 7, sparking fear that a serial killer may be on the loose. In <a href="https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=492922&amp;ec=1&amp;ch=twitter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a press release</a> issued on Monday, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) said that those rumors have led to “anxiety and fear&#8221; in the community, but that “the speculation is not supported by the facts available at this point.”
“While any premature death is concerning, and we will diligently investigate deaths that happen in our jurisdiction in collaboration with the Multnomah County and Oregon State Medical Examiner’s offices, PPB has no reason to believe these 6 cases are connected,” the statement continued.
The police noted that the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22, and Ashley Real, 22, are still being investigated, and a cause of death has not been determined in either case. In a third case, the body of an unidentified woman believed to be between the age of 25 and 40 and possibly of Native American or Native Alaskan descent was found in a tent. Police said there is no indication of foul play, but a medical examiner is still determining the cause of death.
The PPB said it is not actively participating in the investigations of the other three deaths but has spoken to the agencies working on them.
“We ask that our community be aware of the facts about these cases before sharing speculation,” the statement said. “PPB is assuring our community that if we learn of an articulable danger, we will notify the public about it. PPB will continue to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies to ensure we are doing all we can to pursue justice for any and all crime victims.”
Smith was the first woman found. She had been reported missing on December 22, 2022, and her remains were found in Multnomah County, Oregon, in February. More than a month later, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/after-6-women-found-dead-portland-officials-warn/story?id=99838337" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, Clark County police found the body of Joanna Speaks, 32, on an abandoned property. Of the six women recently found dead, Speaks is the only one who has been determined to be a homicide so far.
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On April 24, Multnomah County authorities found the body of Charity Lynn Perry, 24, in a culvert. Police are investigating the case as a suspicious death. That same day, law enforcement found the body of an unidentified woman in a tent.
A week later, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office found the body of Bridget Leann Webster, which authorities are investigating as a suspicious death.
Finally, Real’s remains were found on May 7 in a wooded area in Clackamas County. She had been last seen in March.

Crime Scene

Portland Police Downplay Serial Killer Suspicions After Deaths Of 6 Women

Death

Murder

Oregon

Portland

U.S.

Some <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland</a> residents say recording artist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Mellencamp</a> captured the essence of the city with his new song, “The Eyes of Portland.”
The 71-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">singer-songwriter</a> made the song to comment on the current <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/homelessness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homelessness</a> and drug crisis raging in the city. 
“As I saw through the eyes of Portland one day/ There were so many homeless, they’d all gone astray/ They slept on the corners during the day/ As not to be harmed when the sun went away,” the opening lines say.
The chorus is equally bleak: “All of these homeless, where do they come from?/ In this land of plenty where nothing gets done/ To help those who are empty and unable to run/ Your tears and prayers won’t help the homeless.”
Though mainstream outlets have been critical of the song, at least one Portland resident says Mellencamp’s song is spot on.
&#8220;It is pretty bad, isn&#8217;t it? The city of Portland and the state of Oregon are really in crisis at this time. And John Mellencamp has nailed it with a couple of these lines in the song. I think my favorite is one of the ones you just said, &#8216;The land of the plenty where nothing gets done,&#8221; Bridget Barton, a local, said on  &#8220;Fox &amp; Friends First&#8221; Tuesday, the outlet <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/john-mellencamp-nailed-song-portland-residents-land-plenty-nothing-gets-done" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
&#8220;In Oregon, we only have 4 million plus people. In the last six or seven years, we&#8217;ve committed $4 billion to this crisis. And yet Portland&#8217;s mayor freely admits that the problem is 50% worse, not better. It&#8217;s 50% worse. That&#8217;s a sad commentary on his leadership and on the state&#8217;s leadership,&#8221; she continued.
&#8220;We do have serious problems with the houseless and especially with the drugs in Portland,&#8221; Tom Karwaki, another resident, said during the segment. 
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&#8220;One of the problems we have here is the government wants to administer to the homeless and they&#8217;ve created a homeless industrial society, in my opinion, that doesn&#8217;t really get to helping or to alleviating what the real issues are,&#8221; resident Stue Peterson said.
The publication noted that there are around 700 homeless encampments currently in the city. Democratic Mayor Tom Wheeler is working on creating a city-run camp which would cut down on street camping, but it will only accommodate 150 of the estimated 3,000 individuals currently living on the streets.
Meanwhile, Portland introduced the Democrat-backed House Bill 3501, also known as “Right to Rest Act,” which would allow &#8220;persons experiencing homelessness&#8221; to &#8220;use public spaces in the same manner as any other person without discrimination based on their housing status&#8221; with an &#8220;expectation of privacy.&#8221;

John Mellencamp

Portland Resident Says John Mellencamp ‘Nailed It’ With New Song About Homelessness Crisis: ‘Land Of Plenty Where Nothing Gets Done’

Portland Resident Says John Mellencamp 'Nailed It' With New Song About Homelessness Crisis: 'Land Of Plenty Where Nothing Gets Done'

Celebrities

Homelessness

Music

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">university</a> is offering its pro-LGBT students cotton candy, coloring pages, and temporary tattoos to soothe their anxiety.
Portland State University <a href="https://thepostmillennial.com/portland-state-creates-cotton-candy-filled-safe-space-to-protect-students-from-gender-critical-activists?utm_campaign=64470">will offer</a> students the freebies to celebrate trans-identifying students amid mounting “anti-trans bills in legislatures across the country,” <a href="https://www.thecollegefix.com/university-offers-pro-lgbtq-students-cotton-candy-coloring-to-ease-their-anxieties/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a memo from President Stephen Percy.
At least 10 states <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-states-with-restrictions-on-medical-child-sex-changes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">now have</a> laws limiting gender surgeries for children, and most of those states also limit cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for children.
&#8220;Many loud voices have made no secret of their desire to target trans, non-binary and gender diverse people,&#8221; Percy wrote.
The university pledges to provide a “safe space for all members of the LGBTQAI+ community,” the memo said.
&#8220;We recognize the toll this campaign, and the media that surrounds it, has on the queer and trans members of our community along with their family and friends,&#8221; the university president wrote.
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Portland State University President Stephen Percy indicates there will be no criticism of trans ideology allowed on campus.
Instead, &quot;cotton candy, temporary tattoos, and coloring will be available&quot; and expanded &quot;Trans Days of Resistance&quot; scheduled. <a href="https://t.co/EmTGIWWbF3">pic.twitter.com/EmTGIWWbF3</a>
&mdash; Michael Weingrad (@weingradmichael) <a href="https://twitter.com/weingradmichael/status/1652366666645356554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The treats will be available at the school&#8217;s Queer Resource Center when it hosts a &#8220;Trans and Gender Expansive Celebration and Community Hour&#8221; every weekday from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. for a week.
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The Queer Resource Center also hosts a &#8220;trans social space&#8221; called &#8220;T-time&#8221; every Friday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The university&#8217;s efforts to comfort pro-LGBT students came just as Peter Boghossian, a former Portland State University philosophy professor, was visiting campus to discuss with students whether children can consent to puberty blockers.
Back in 2021, Boghossian <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/my-university-sacrificed-ideas-for">resigned</a> from the university after teaching there for a decade, saying the school has made &#8220;intellectual exploration impossible.&#8221;
When he resigned, Boghossian said Portland State University has “transformed a bastion of free inquiry into a Social Justice factory whose only inputs were race, gender, and victimhood and whose only outputs were grievance and division.”
On Thursday, Boghossian tweeted that student activists attempted to disrupt his conversations with other students, adding that he is &#8220;embarrassed&#8221; for them.
He also tweeted a meme mocking the university offering cotton candy, temporary tattoos, and coloring pages to students.
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Student activists at <a href="https://twitter.com/Portland_State?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Portland_State</a> attempted to disrupt our public conversations today. I am genuinely embarrassed for the activists and disappointed that they prevented students with sincere objections from engaging us. <a href="https://t.co/QZHxIMiudj">https://t.co/QZHxIMiudj</a>
&mdash; Peter Boghossian (@peterboghossian) <a href="https://twitter.com/peterboghossian/status/1653989099349622786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/7rdbLFWTey">pic.twitter.com/7rdbLFWTey</a>
&mdash; Peter Boghossian (@peterboghossian) <a href="https://twitter.com/peterboghossian/status/1653230870839566336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The school&#8217;s Queer Resource Center also sent out a memo warning about the &#8220;provocateurs&#8221; coming to campus and advising students to &#8220;ignore and disengage.&#8221;
&#8220;The intention of provocateurs is not to invite productive dialogue,&#8221; the Queer Resource Center&#8217;s memo warned. &#8220;Their tactic is to provoke students, faculty and staff &#8211; record it and turn our community into clickbait material to be consumed by other folks with anti-Trans stances.&#8221;
&#8220;Legally, we cannot stop them,&#8221; the memo added.
The memo encouraged people to come to the Queer Resource Center to enjoy the treats and make crafts. The message also encouraged people to &#8220;wear masks as an act of community care when not eating or drinking.&#8221;
In one clip from Boghossian&#8217;s visit, a man yells at him and tells him to go &#8220;play in the freeway.&#8221;
&#8220;The world is better off with you pieces of s*** out of it,&#8221; the man says.
Asked to give an argument in favor of gender surgeries for children, the man responds, &#8220;No, shut the f*** up. I don&#8217;t want to argue with you.&#8221;
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Unhinged trans activist at Portland State completely LOSES it on <a href="https://twitter.com/BillboardChris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillboardChris</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/peterboghossian?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@peterboghossian</a>, and me.
He doesn’t want to explain why mutilating kids genitals is okay, he just wants his way, okay? <a href="https://t.co/ZZJOuF1CBA">pic.twitter.com/ZZJOuF1CBA</a>
&mdash; James Klüg (@realJamesKlug) <a href="https://twitter.com/realJamesKlug/status/1654150425224916993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Last year, about 300,000 American teens 13 to 17 <a href="https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Trans-Pop-Update-Jun-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">identified</a> as transgender, a sharp increase over the previous few years.
From 2017 to 2021, gender dysphoria diagnoses in children nearly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-transyouth-data/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tripled</a>. Over the same period, gender hormone treatments and surgeries have become trendy despite alarm from parents and medical professionals. Young people who previously identified as transgender have also spoken out about regretting getting medical intervention.

Weird Fair Food

University Offers Pro-LGBT Students Cotton Candy, Coloring For Anxiety

College

Education

Wokeness

A new study indicates that fluid that acts like a lubricant on a fault off the northwestern coast of the United is leaking, and the resulting stress on the fault could cause a gigantic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/natural-disaster" target="_blank" rel="noopener">megathrust earthquake</a> that could target Seattle and Portland.
A team from the University of Washington aboard the RV Thomas G. Thompson found warm fluid erupting from the seafloor roughly 50 miles out to sea from Newport, Oregon. That fluid apparently lubricates the Cascadia Subduction Zone — the 600-mile long offshore fault stretching from Vancouver Island to Northern California — that could erupt in a massive magnitude-9 earthquake.
“They explored in that direction and what they saw was not just methane bubbles, but water coming out of the seafloor like a firehose. That’s something that I’ve never seen, and to my knowledge has not been observed before,” co-author and UW associate professor of oceanography Evan Solomon <a href="https://www.washington.edu/news/2023/04/10/warm-liquid-spewing-from-oregon-seafloor-comes-from-cascadia-fault-could-offer-clues-to-earthquake-hazards/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>.
“The seep fluid chemistry is unique for Cascadia and includes extreme enrichment of boron and lithium and depletion of chloride, potassium, and magnesium,” the study <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.add6688" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>.
The leaks of fluid, according to Solomon, are found near vertical faults where the oceanic and continental plates meet. The resultant lack of fluid rachets up the friction between the plates.
“The megathrust fault zone is like an air hockey table,” Solomon said. “If the fluid pressure is high, it’s like the air is turned on, meaning there’s less friction and the two plates can slip. If the fluid pressure is lower, the two plates will lock – that’s when stress can build up.”
The Cascadia Subduction Zone separates the Juan de Fuca and North America plates. The Juan de Fuca plate is pushed under the North American plate. Up to depths of 19 feet, the Cascadia zone is locked while stress builds up until the fault&#8217;s frictional strength is exceeded and a huge earthquake occurs.
A megathrust earthquake of magnitude 9.0 would release 1,000 times more energy than a magnitude 7.0 and 1 million times more energy than a magnitude 5.0.
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The last major magnitude earthquake from the Cascadia Subduction Zone occurred on January 26, 1700.
“The amount of devastation is going to be unbelievable,” Rob Witter, coastal geologist with the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, has <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2009/04/big_earthquake_coming_sooner_t.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> of a megathrust earthquake. “People aren&#8217;t going to be ready for this. Even if they are prepared, they are going to be surprised by the level of devastation.”

Like Many U.S. Cities, Seattle Struggles With Crime And Homelessness During Pandemic Era

Monster Earthquake Targeting Portland, Seattle May Come From Fluid Leak In Ocean

earthquake

Environment

Seattle

In the spring of 2022, the city of Portland, Maine, wrote that its financial budget was in a &#8220;dire situation&#8221; due to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maines-largest-city-in-dire-situation-due-to-unprecedented-volume-of-migrants-arriving-from-southern-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">influx of individuals arriving</a> from the southern border, warning that social services were being strained.
Now, Portland is asking for <a href="https://www.portlandmaine.gov/856/Support-Asylum-Seekers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax-deductible donations</a> to help provide housing to hundreds, if not thousands, of illegal aliens. Last week, city officials announced that the Portland Expo Center will be turned into overnight housing for these &#8220;asylum seekers&#8221; who have entered the U.S. beginning on Monday night.
&#8220;The intent is to open [the expo] and offer complete and total wrap-around services that are targeted to the population that will be staying here,&#8221;  Kristen Dow, Portland&#8217;s Director of the Department of Health and Human Services, <a href="https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/housing/portland-expo-to-open-monday-as-emergency-shelter-for-asylum-seekers-community/97-f18d0660-4ebe-4867-8379-4181dda44c80" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement.
The &#8220;targeted population&#8221; includes many individuals who first enter the country illegally and then declare asylum once on U.S. soil as is technically allowed. They then are given a court hearing date sometime in the distant future to determine whether or not they actually qualify for asylum. After doing that, they often hitch a ride all the way up to Maine, where a litany of free services awaits them.
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By Dow&#8217;s estimates, 270 individuals will arrive for their first night&#8217;s stay on Monday. That is not an all-encompassing number to describe the circumstances in Portland. Since January 1 of 2023 alone, 1,000 individuals from the southern border have arrived in the city which has less than <a href="https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C5GCEM_enUS998US998&amp;q=portland,+maine+population&amp;stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOPgUeLQz9U3SDbJLtMyTEm20s9JTU9MrrTKyU9OLMnMz4svLgHSxSWZyYk58UWp6SChgvyC0hywbBejLRdcvxAF-kuKjAso0Z-cFp9Hhv5FrFIF-UUlOYl5KToKuYmZeakKCEkALo0MAxwBAAA&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj-noiaj6D-AhWgkokEHUwhBSgQth96BAgbEAI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">70,000 year-round residents</a>.
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&#8220;This is a very dire situation, and the opening of the expo is the last overnight overflow space that we as city staff have available to open and operate,&#8221; Interim City Manager Danielle West also told Newscenter Maine last week. &#8220;We are truly beyond our capacity to be able to continue to provide compassionate care for those seeking shelter.&#8221;
The ExpoCenter will be open from now until August, specifically for illegal aliens who want to reap the rewards.
Portland still can&#8217;t afford to pay for this care, so instead, its government is asking for charity.
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&#8220;The City will use any monetary donations received to provide shelter/housing assistance and basic human necessities,&#8221; a notice from the city <a href="https://www.portlandmaine.gov/856/Support-Asylum-Seekers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> online.
Of course, one can reasonably suspect that as the freebies continue, so will the illegal aliens. Offering food, shelter, and more for free only incentives illegal aliens to travel to the city. New York City is <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=new+york+city+free+for+all+dailywire&amp;rlz=1C5GCEM_enUS998US998&amp;ei=PGw0ZOe9JNGPwbkP7KS30Aw&amp;ved=0ahUKEwjny77EjqD-AhXRRzABHWzSDcoQ4dUDCBA&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=new+york+city+free+for+all+dailywire&amp;gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzIHCCEQoAEQCjIHCCEQoAEQCjIHCCEQoAEQCjIHCCEQoAEQCjoKCAAQRxDWBBCwAzoFCCEQoAE6BQghEKsCOggIIRAWEB4QHToKCCEQFhAeEA8QHUoECEEYAFChAliUDmDLDmgCcAF4AYABlAOIAdcRkgEJMC40LjUuMC4xmAEAoAEByAEIwAEB&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">experiencing a similar problem</a>.
Ultimately, Portland — and the rest of the U.S. for that matter — will find itself a non-stop &#8220;dire situation&#8221; so long as President Joe Biden&#8217;s border policies are in place, which are really driving this historic illegal immigration crisis.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Maine Flag

Swamped With Illegal Aliens, Maine City Asks For Donations

Biden Administration

Charity

Illegal Immigration

Maine

Poverty

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland</a> rioter who was previously given probation for assaulting a federal contract worker was given 12.5 years in jail for killing his 3-month-old infant child.
Dakota Kurtis Means, 23, was given the sentence after pleading guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter and one count of first-degree criminal mistreatment, <a href="https://www.mcda.us/index.php/news/da-mike-schmidt-announces-12-5-year-sentence-for-dakota-means-on-manslaughter-criminal-mistreatment-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt.
Means, who had <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2021/01/portland-man-who-threatened-federal-contract-worker-with-paintball-gun-sentenced-to-time-served-year-of-supervision.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=theoregonian_sf&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;fbclid=IwAR3gpA46-QlwQl3BNDrblyS0E8MFp9GnzQjrHlOwGdo6DO8AmTw5cMuPYR8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously been sentenced</a> to time served and given probation after pleading guilty to threatening a federal officer, was found responsible for the death of Hunter Means, his young child, in April 2021, just months after he was released in January 2021 for his other crime.
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Man Who Pleaded Guilty to Threatening Federal Employee Amid George Floyd Protests Has Been Denied Bond in Infant Son’s Alleged Murder <a href="https://t.co/D8x7YFm2BB">https://t.co/D8x7YFm2BB</a>
&mdash; Law &amp; Crime (@lawcrimenews) <a href="https://twitter.com/lawcrimenews/status/1508164696712654862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Means had <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2022/03/fit-of-rage-spurred-portland-man-to-fatally-shake-infant-son-prosecutor-says-judge-denies-bail.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously faced</a> second-degree murder charges, but was only convicted of manslaughter. Prosecutors said that Means violently shook his son, resulting in the young child hitting his skull on something causing brain trauma.
“The brain injuries were not reversible,” said Dr. Adebimpe Adewusi, who gave medical care to Hunter. “My concern is he subjected the child to acceleration, deceleration forces.” The injuries were likely not caused by Hunter accidentally falling, Adewusi said.
During the investigation, Hunter’s mother said that Means treated her “like an animal” and had been “really physically violent” to her. Hunter and his brother also appeared to be recovering from rib damage, though no connection with Means was definitively linked.
In a text presented during his trial, the mother texted Means before he was about to be arrested, telling him not to run away. 

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“You running away make it look like you did something,” she allegedly texted him. “Whatever feelings you have for law enforcement, put them aside for our children.” Means will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections from Multnomah County.
Means intimidated a federal contractor with a paintball gun outside the Mark O. Hatfield United State Courthouse in Portland in August 2020 and spent 60 days behind bars before being sentenced and let out on probation.
During the incident he brandished a paintball gun, cursing at the contractor and saying that it was “going to be an AR&#8221; next time.
“I regret my decision that day,” Means said at the time. “I take full responsibility for what I have done. &#8230; I know it’s not going to happen again.”
Portland was one of the many cities across the U.S. that saw violent rioting in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Demonstration in Portland

Portland Rioter Previously Given Probation For Assaulting Federal Worker Sentenced In Killing Of Infant Son

Crime

Riots

A middle school near Portland allowed students to skip class to watch a TV show about a transgender child.
Students at Twality Middle School in the Tigard-Tualatin School District skipped class to watch &#8220;First Day,&#8221; a TV series about a 12-year-old boy who identifies as a girl.
The TV-watching session happened during the middle school&#8217;s &#8220;Transgender Awareness Week&#8221; held from November 13 to 19. Students skipped their last two class periods that Friday to watch the show&#8217;s first two episodes.
The school will eventually play the entire series, Twality said in one of several PowerPoint presentations shown to students, according to a public records request viewed by The Daily Wire.
<div id="attachment_489456" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-489456" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-489456 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/image-copy-3-1024x562.png" alt="" width="1024" height="562" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-3-1024x562.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-3-300x165.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-3-768x422.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-3-1536x843.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-3-2048x1124.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Presentation shown to students (public records request)</div>
&#8220;Transgender Awareness Week&#8221; involves &#8220;educating the public&#8221; and &#8220;standing up for and with Trans people at Twality,&#8221; the presentation said.
The week of gender-focused events and activities had a significant activism component, encouraging students to organize events, recruit volunteers, and create visual displays.
In the mornings, the middle schoolers learned about transgender history, pronouns, and what it means to be an &#8220;ally.&#8221; During lunch, they could opt in to other activities including a pizza party for making posters to be displayed in the school hallways to &#8220;show our support for trans people everywhere.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-489458 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/image-copy-4-1024x574.png" alt="" width="1024" height="574" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-4-1024x574.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-4-300x168.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-4-768x430.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-4-1536x860.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-4-2048x1147.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
<div id="attachment_489459" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-489459" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-489459 size-large" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/image-copy-2-1024x561.png" alt="" width="1024" height="561" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-2-1024x561.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-2-300x164.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-2-768x421.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-2-1536x842.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/01/image-copy-2-2048x1123.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Presentation shown to students (public records request)</div>
Parents were alerted about &#8220;Transgender Awareness Week&#8221; beforehand and given instructions on how to opt out their children, which some parents did, Traci Rose, director of community relations for Tigard-Tualatin School District, told The Daily Wire.
Asked why the presentation to students only mentions a permission slip signed by a teacher, Rose said that in order to watch &#8220;First Day,&#8221; students were required to show both a permission slip signed by their parents and a slip signed by their teacher saying they had finished their class work.
Twality Middle School Principal Susan Kosmala wrote in a message to parents that &#8220;The purpose of this week is to celebrate transgender students in our communities and schools, as well as educate our community about how to be an ally to transgender communities.&#8221;
&#8220;Medieval Europe had a LOT more pronouns than we typically use now!&#8221; reads another message to families.
The middle schoolers were taught to &#8220;educate don&#8217;t hate&#8221; and to use people&#8217;s preferred pronouns and apologize when they &#8220;misgender&#8221; someone, according to one of the presentations to students.
&#8220;Don’t ever joke about your pronouns if you aren’t sincere about it,&#8221; reads one presentation.
Students were also taught that children as young as 5 &#8220;have feelings about their gender identity&#8221; and that &#8220;respecting someone else’s gender identity does nothing to take away from who you are.&#8221;
&#8220;There are actually over 78 gender identities that have been around forever!&#8221; reads one presentation.
Suicide was a recurring theme in the school&#8217;s presentations to students. The middle schoolers were taught that accepting and supporting a trans-identifying person&#8217;s identity makes them less likely to die by suicide.
Students were warned that they would be sent away if they do or say things that are &#8220;harmful to the community.&#8221;
&#8220;You will be asked to leave the room and head to the office to do the Morning Meeting work with an adult,&#8221; one of the presentations reads.
A district source who requested anonymity told The Daily Wire that several Twality staff members were frustrated that the &#8220;First Day&#8221; viewing cut into class time.
&#8220;The teachers are working hard to try to get their students back on track from COVID &#8230; and then they&#8217;re losing class time for not research-based material, stuff that&#8217;s contradictory. It&#8217;s from a biased viewpoint,&#8221; the source said.
The source added that like many school districts, Tigard-Tualatin has seen an increase in trans-identifying students over the last few years. Teachers at Twality are sometimes &#8220;coached&#8221; not to inform parents about their 11 or 12-year-old&#8217;s new gender identity, the district source said.
The Oregon Department of Education&#8217;s <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/equity/civilrights/Documents/ODE-Supporting-Gender-Expansive-Students.pdf">guidelines</a> state that school staff should &#8220;to the extent possible&#8221; refrain from disclosing a student&#8217;s gender identity to their parents without the student&#8217;s permission.
Tigard-Tualatin has also <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/tigard/2013/07/tigard-tualatin_school_distric_31.html">allowed</a> trans-identifying students to use whichever bathroom they prefer since at least 2013.

Progress And Transgender Pride Flag In London

Oregon Middle Schoolers Allowed To Skip Class To Watch Transgender Show

Gender

Public Schools

Social Issues

Transgender

A historic, 117-year-old church in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oregon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oregon</a>, is being demolished after being irreparably damaged by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/arson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fire</a> this week. 
Police have arrested 27-year-old Cameron David Storer, a man who also claims to go by Nicolette Fait, for allegedly setting fire to the church. The office of Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt <a href="https://www.mcda.us/index.php/news/da-mike-schmidt-announces-cameron-storer-25-arraigned-for-arson-other-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referred</a> to Storer using “they” pronouns in a press release detailing the charges. 
Storer was charged with two counts of first-degree arson, one count of second-degree arson, and two counts of second-degree burglary. 
Demolition of the 3,000-square-foot Old Portland Korean Church, which <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-arson-suspect-charged-historic-church-fire-leaving-1905-house-worship-marked-demolition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened</a> in 1905, began Friday after the three-alarm fire on Tuesday. The decision to demo the church came after Portland Fire and Rescue determined from drone footage that the building had sustained too much structural damage to be saved. 
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Out of control! <a href="https://t.co/jz2UeIEQfw">pic.twitter.com/jz2UeIEQfw</a>
&mdash; R Renk (@RRenk3) <a href="https://twitter.com/RRenk3/status/1610479991032250369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Workers toppled the 100-year-old steeple of the church as local preservationists stood by hoping to spare portions of the church. “They’re not very confident that those will be salvageable once the building gets knocked over,” Val Ballestrem, of the local Architectural Heritage Center, <a href="https://www.kptv.com/2023/01/07/demolition-begins-fire-ravaged-portland-church/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> KPTV. “Having a piece from the building really enforces our ability to tell that story.”
The preservationists hope to save stained glass windows, and the church’s cornerstone, and the weathervane. 
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The steeple of a historic Portland church came crashing down Friday afternoon. The building was more than a century old when an arsonist set a three-alarm fire that tore through the building Tuesday evening. <a href="https://t.co/2YE5NtaOQK">pic.twitter.com/2YE5NtaOQK</a>
&mdash; FOX 12 Oregon (@fox12oregon) <a href="https://twitter.com/fox12oregon/status/1611509155042414596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“What was really interesting was how the main tower flexed. They pushed it pretty hard and it’s a pretty big machine and so it flexed before it fell, they really had to work hard. Whoever is operating that crane really has an unbelievable skill set to see how he will maneuver get stuff to where he needed and then push in the right direction. It’s a horrible thing to have happen but to see them take it down is pretty impressive,” local Hank Schottland said. 
Before the fire, the church had not been actively used in 10 years, according to local authorities. Authorities also said that Storer wanted to “take credit” and claimed to use a Bic lighter to start the fire. 
Storer, who reportedly has a history of schizophrenia, told police that voices in his head promised to “mutilate” him if he did not burn the church, according to the district attorney’s office. 
Police said Storer also claimed to take 10 oxycodone per day from another injury.

3D fire and Burning embers glowing. Fire Glowing Particles on Black Background

Historic 117-Year-Old Portland Church To Be Demolished After Arson Attack

Arson

Church

A portion of a 78-year-old man’s skull was exposed after a suspect allegedly chewed off the elderly victim’s ear and part of his face during a fight early Tuesday morning on a light-rail train platform in the area of Portland, Oregon.
Local media <a href="https://www.koin.com/news/crime/police-elderly-mans-ear-bitten-off-during-attack-on-max-platform/">reported</a> authorities identified the suspect as 25-year-old Koryn Kraemer, who initially called himself “El Baker” as police booked him in Multnomah County Jail on the charge of second-degree assault. Kraemer had recently moved to the Portland area from Georgia, authorities said.
The alleged attacker “had chewed off the victim’s ear and part of his face,” police <a href="https://www.kptv.com/2023/01/03/elderly-man-injured-after-being-attacked-max-platform-gresham/">said</a>. “The injury was so severe that responders could see the victim’s skull.”
The attack happened on a MAX platform at the Cleveland Station stop in Gresham, Oregon, shortly after 2 a.m. Tuesday, authorities said.
Police reportedly received a call from witnesses who said they saw a large amount of blood on the ground. When officers arrived, they found Kraemer allegedly mounted on the victim and pulled the suspect off of the man.
Police said they investigated if the suspect had used drugs before the assault. Sources told local media that Kraemer had allegedly admitted to consuming alcohol, fentanyl, and marijuana before attacking the man.
The attack has only increased safety concerns for train riders.
Jayden Adach, a local train passenger, told <a href="https://www.koin.com/news/crime/police-elderly-mans-ear-bitten-off-during-attack-on-max-platform/">local media</a> that security measures could improve “to make sure things like that don’t happen.”
“They should have patrol at least once an hour,” Adach said. “It’s very rare to see that.”
Another rider, Richard Landers, said the trains need a “few” more transit police to patrol the cars and tell “people to behave.”
“That’s all they have to do is behave,” Landers said.
The incident comes less than a week after a 32-year-old homeless woman allegedly shoved a 3-year-old child from behind on the platform face-first onto the metal rail and rocks before witnesses quickly rescued the toddler from the train tracks.
Local officials asked what they could do to make the platforms safer after the incident.
“It’s upsetting to learn that someone was hurt by another person at the Cleveland Ave MAX Station early this morning,” a representative for TriMet, the state’s mass transit authority, said in a statement. “What happens in the community will, at times, happen on or near the transit system.”
The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office called both incidents &#8220;disturbing&#8221; and have discussed how they can ensure local public transit users feel safe.
“The two recent, isolated crimes are extremely disturbing,&#8221; a spokesperson said, adding authorities would add two full-time deputies and increase hours of operations to perform public safety missions at TriMet Transit Centers and platforms where the volume of calls for service are higher in order to deter and disrupt criminal activity.

Oregon Governor Hits Pause On Reopenings As Coronavirus Cases Rise

78-Year-Old Man’s Skull Exposed After Suspect Allegedly Chewed Off Ear, Portion Of Face At Train Station In Oregon

Assault

In Portland, Oregon, where the homeless problem has apparently mushroomed during the stewardship of Mayor Ted Wheeler, a 32-year-old homeless woman allegedly shoved an innocent 3-year-old child from behind on the platform, hurling her to the railway track below.
The incident occurred on the evening of December 28 at the Gateway Transit Center MAX platform in Northeast Portland, where a mother and her 3-year-old child, who was wearing a pink coat, were waiting for a MAX train.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Woman accused of pushing 3-year-old onto MAX train tracks" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MkrJyyvWfZs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“Brianna Lace Workman, 32, was arraigned on Attempted Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Third Degree, Interfering with Public Transportation, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree and Recklessly Endangering Another Person,” the Multnomah County District Attorney <a href="https://www.mcda.us/index.php/news/da-mike-schmidt-announces-brianna-workman-32-arraigned-for-pushing-child-onto-max-train-tracks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a>.
“The child landed face-first onto the metal rail and rocks before being quickly rescued from the train tracks,” the District Attorney’s office reported. “The child reported a severe headache and had a small red mark on their forehead after the incident.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office requested Workman remain in custody and be held without bail. But Workman’s attorney stated, “At Ms. Workman&#8217;s request, I am not requesting her release at this time, but I am objecting to the state&#8217;s motion of preventative detention,” the Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11590747/Terrifying-moment-homeless-woman-shoves-girl-3-Oregon-train-tracks-without-provocation.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Last May, Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) noted data <a href="https://www.portlandmercury.com/Housing/2022/05/04/41902801/multnomah-countys-homeless-population-up-30-percent-from-2019-data-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showing</a> homelessness had risen 30% since 2019. “The extent of homelessness in the community isn’t static, and the number of people experiencing homelessness who need services over the course of a year is much larger than any one-night number,” the county stated.
Last January, a 70-year-old nurse was hit in the face at a Los Angeles bus stop by a homeless person, officials said. Nurse Sandra Shells was hit in the face by a homeless man while at a downtown L.A. bus stop and fell to the ground, where she suffered a fractured skull, before dying at a hospital.
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Today, LAPD Central Area delivered a floral arrangement to LAUSCMC Staff in memory of ER Nurse Sandra Shells, who was violently punched, knocked to the ground and passed away, a senseless VIOLENT crime. RIP.<a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDChiefMoore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LAPDChiefMoore</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDGirmala?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LAPDGirmala</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LabradaAl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LabradaAl</a> <a href="https://t.co/TWYWPFS3qR">pic.twitter.com/TWYWPFS3qR</a>
&mdash; LAPD CAPT E. MORALES (@LAPDCaptMorales) <a href="https://twitter.com/LAPDCaptMorales/status/1483212547310321666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Two days later, a homeless man pushed a 40-year-old woman onto the New York City subway tracks, where she was struck by an oncoming train. She was <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/woman-killed-pushed-nyc-subway-tracks-unprovoked-attack/story?id=82285898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pronounced dead</a> at the scene. The suspect, whom the police believed to be homeless, was later apprehended.
In mid-October, a homeless man was <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/this-is-how-california-could-better-approach-the-homelessness-crisis-homeless-advocate-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in Long Beach, California, after allegedly stabbing four people and murdering one; four days prior to that incident, a homeless man in the Los Angeles area was seen stabbing a woman’s head with a pair of gardening shears.

Railway tunnel

Video: Homeless Portland Woman Shoves 3-Year-Old Girl From Behind, Hurls Her Down To Railway Track

Homeless Portland Woman Shoves 3-Year-Old Girl From Behind, Hurls Her Down To Subway Track

Children

Homeless

Oregon parents are outraged after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/education">school</a> board took their meetings virtual during ongoing discussions about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gender">gender</a> ideology and below-par academic performance.
The North Clackamas School District in the Portland area decided to move its school board meetings online indefinitely after parents erupted at a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0Xk9RDE79I">meeting</a> last month.
During the October 27 meeting, parents ripped into school board members over &#8220;gender-affirming care&#8221; content and alleged &#8220;pornographic&#8221; books in school libraries.
&#8220;This district and the way it runs is a complete dumpster fire,&#8221; one father who attended the meeting <a href="https://katv.com/news/nation-world/oregon-school-board-goes-virtual-after-outraged-parents-flood-board-meeting-complete-dumpster-fire-north-clackamas-school-district-october">said</a>. &#8220;Stop gaslighting us in your little newsletters saying everything is okay.&#8221;
&#8220;You guys are too blind to see it, but school choice and privatization of education is coming,&#8221; another father said.
The tipping point came when a mom held up a placard with explicit pictures from the LGBT graphic novel &#8220;Gender Queer.&#8221;
The board&#8217;s vice chairperson, Jena Benologa, abruptly shut down the meeting.
&#8220;Okay, I think we&#8217;re gonna have to shut this down and go back online,&#8221; Benologa said as she and other board members stood up and walked out as parents in the room erupted.
The frustrated parents shouted after them, &#8220;You&#8217;re just afraid! You&#8217;re afraid to face what you do!&#8221; and &#8220;You have disrespected us!&#8221; along with shouts of &#8220;Cowards!&#8221;
Parents continued to read their statements even after the school board members had left the room.
&#8220;We value public input during our board meetings, which is why we invite community members to sign up and address the board with their comments and concerns,&#8221; the North Clackamas district <a href="https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/oregon-school-board-goes-virtual-after-outraged-parents-flood-board-meeting-complete-dumpster-fire-north-clackamas-school-district-october">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;The main responsibility of board members during that designated time on the agenda is to listen. It is not a venue for discussion, so they do not provide immediate feedback. This can be frustrating to speakers and may contribute to the perception that they are not being heard.&#8221;
On the controversial library books, the district <a href="https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/oregon-school-board-goes-virtual-after-outraged-parents-flood-board-meeting-complete-dumpster-fire-north-clackamas-school-district-october">said</a> that &#8220;representation in instructional and library materials is a very important part of engaging and supporting all students, including those in the LGBTQ+ community, who are especially vulnerable.&#8221;
Meanwhile, a district-by-district <a href="https://www.ode.state.or.us/data/reportcard/reports.aspx">report</a> released last month by Oregon&#8217;s education department shows students are suffering academically.
In the North Clackamas district, which serves nearly 16,300 students, a dismal 24% meet state grade-level math expectations, lower than Oregon&#8217;s 27% average. Only 43% meet grade-level expectations in English language arts, slightly higher than Oregon&#8217;s 40% average.
As students returned to in-person learning last school year following the pandemic, Oregon&#8217;s regular attendee rate sank nearly 15.7% compared to the 2018-19 school year.
North Clackamas is not the first Oregon school district to shut down in-person school board meetings over parent backlash.
In September, the Salem-Keizer School District, the second largest in Oregon, said it would no longer hold in-person school board meetings <a href="https://salkeiz.k12.or.us/news/letter-school-board-meetings/">due to</a> “threats and potential safety issues&#8221; from &#8220;adults all along the political and ideological spectrum.”
Over the last few years and especially since the pandemic, school board meetings have become a battleground for a litany of issues, including sexual curriculum content, gender ideology, school safety, and learning loss.

A girl waving a LGBT flag when thousands of activists from

Parents Apoplectic After Oregon School Board Goes Virtual Amid Gender Ideology Concerns

Gender Identity

The owners of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/portland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland, Oregon</a>, clothing store have closed the shop, blaming “unrelenting criminal behavior” in a note left on the door that also warned the far-left city is “in peril.”
Rains PDX has been burglarized 15 times in the last year and a half, its owner, Marcy Landolfo, <a href="https://katu.com/news/local/portland-business-permanently-closes-citing-concerns-with-crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told KATU.com</a>. Damages from the break-ins, looted inventory, and the lawless environment of what may be America’s most liberal city prompted them to give up. Her insurance policy won’t even cover losses at this point, she said.
“Our city is in peril,” Landolfo wrote in a note affixed to the locked door. “Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business, in our city&#8217;s current state. We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We have sustained 15 break-ins … we have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd.”
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The owner at Rains tells me after five break-ins in about three weeks, she made the sudden decision to permanently close. Staff here are putting pressure on the city to look after small businesses dealing with ongoing challenges with crime. <a href="https://t.co/XyP2p6PR6W">pic.twitter.com/XyP2p6PR6W</a>
&mdash; Megan Allison (@mallisonKATU) <a href="https://twitter.com/mallisonKATU/status/1596602817942548480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Portland has seen a huge crime spike over the last few years and its downtown has not recovered since city officials allowed protesters to run amok in the summer of 2020. In addition to criminals, homeless people and drug addicts camp out on sidewalks and in other public spaces.
Landolfo told <a href="https://katu.com/news/local/portland-business-permanently-closes-citing-concerns-with-crime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KATU.com</a> merchants can’t survive the city’s lawless climate.
&#8220;It’s just too much with the losses that are not covered by insurance, the damages, everything. It’s just not sustainable,&#8221; Landolfo said. &#8220;The products that are being targeted are the very expensive winter products and I just felt like the minute I get those in the store they’re going to get stolen.”
Last month, beleaguered Mayor Ted Wheeler pledged to offer Business Repair Grants to help business owners fix damage from break-ins. But Landolfo said the offer was too little, and too late.
“Paying for glass that&#8217;s great, but that is so surface and does nothing for the root cause of the problem, so it&#8217;s never going to change,” she said.
Last week, acclaimed Salt &amp; Straw ice cream shop said it was considering bailing on the city, citing rampant crime, drug use and homelessness.
“We would consider all options,” co-founder Kim Malek told <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2022/11/salt-straw-co-founder-says-i-cant-stay-here-if-portland-hq-employees-arent-safe.html">Oregon Live.</a> &#8216;We don&#8217;t have concrete plans. But our intention is to be at the table working with the city and county to find a solution and not move. Portland is part of the soul of our company. We love this city. This is about having a safe place for our team to work.”

Black Lives Matter rallies in Portland, Oregon

READ IT: ‘Our City Is In Peril’: Portland Clothing Store Closes, Leaving Epic Note On Doors

'Our City Is In Peril': Portland Clothing Store Closes, Leaving Epic Note On Doors

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