Grab the rain jacket you were going to grab anyway. Monday brings a high of 45°F with a 70% chance of rain — so basically a coin flip, except the coin is wet and so are you. Dress in layers, keep the umbrella handy, and maybe save the optimism for Thursday, when the forecast actually starts to look human. Here's what you missed while staying warm this weekend.

Oregon declared a measles outbreak (yes, really), over 600 criminal cases just vanished from Multnomah County's docket, and protesters stormed City Hall so dramatically that one councilor reportedly floated the idea of bringing a gun to work. We'll explain all of it.

Measles Is Back. Like, Actually Back.

Oregon health officials officially declared a measles outbreak last week after confirming five cases statewide — and they're quick to note that five is almost certainly the tip of the rash. Four of the five confirmed cases involved unvaccinated individuals, and the vaccination status of the fifth is unknown. The highest concentration of the virus in wastewater? Right here in Multnomah County. State health officials warn that the confirmed cases likely represent only a fraction of actual infections, since not everyone who gets measles seeks medical care. Oregon's non-medical vaccine exemption rate hit an all-time high last year, with nearly 10% of kindergartners receiving an exemption for one or more required vaccines. The state launched a new wastewater surveillance dashboard to track spread by county, updating every two weeks. The message from doctors is blunt: measles isn't just a rash. It's pneumonia, brain inflammation, and in about one in a thousand cases, death. The vaccine has been around since the 1960s. We've done this before. We know how it ends.

Hundreds of Criminal Cases — Gone

District Attorney Nathan Vasquez

In a story that sounds like a law school exam question gone wrong, more than 600 criminal cases in Multnomah County were dismissed last week, the direct result of a landmark Oregon Supreme Court ruling. The court ruled this month that criminal cases must be dismissed if a defendant is not appointed an attorney within 60 days for a misdemeanor or 90 days for a felony, following arraignment. The public defender shortage in Oregon has been a slow-motion crisis for years, and this ruling is the moment the dam broke. The dismissed cases include real-world crimes — assaults, break-ins, felony DUII — and prosecutors say many cannot be refiled because witnesses are no longer available. DA Nathan Vasquez put it plainly to state lawmakers: "That's a massive number." The state's highest court essentially told Oregon that you can't charge someone with a crime and then leave them to face it alone. Legally, morally, constitutionally — they're right. But someone's still got a broken nose.

City Hall Went Sideways

Last Wednesday, Portland City Council got a little more intense than your average budget meeting. A group of protesters, some numbering up to 40 in the council chambers and 10 to 15 blocking the front door, refused to leave after being notified they were trespassing. The demonstration was driven by anti-ICE activists demanding the city revoke a permit for the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Four people were arrested. But the real headline came after: District 1 Councilor Loretta Smith told OPB she drafted a city ordinance to allow councilors to open carry a firearm while conducting city business. Portland: always keeping things interesting, even on a Wednesday.

This Day in History

On February 23, 1877, Oregon's disputed Electoral College controversy was finally resolved — a messy political standoff from the 1876 presidential election that left Oregon's electoral votes contested, turning the state into an unexpected player in one of the closest and most chaotic elections in American history.

Upcoming Events

  • Free Trivia w/ Bridgetown Trivia @ The Pharmacy, NW 21st Ave — Tuesday, 7:30PM, Free

  • Portland Trail Blazers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves @ Moda Center — Tuesday, Feb 24, 7PM

  • Open Mic Night @ The EastBurn Public House — Wednesday, Signups 5:30PM, Free

  • All Them Witches & King Buffalo @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom — Tuesday, Feb 24

  • Patty Griffin @ Revolution Hall — Tuesday, Feb 24

  • Drag Bingo & Lip Sync Smackdown @ The Pharmacy, NW 21st Ave — Wednesday, Feb 25, 6:30PM, Free

  • Ricardo Arjona @ Moda Center — Wednesday, Feb 25, 8PM

  • Free Trivia w/ Bridgetown Trivia @ Smitty's Taphouse, Sellwood — Wednesday, 7PM, Free

  • Kerosene Dream Annual Reunion Show @ Mission Theater — Monday, Feb 23, 8PM

  • Portland Spring Home & Garden Show @ Portland Expo Center — Feb 26–28

  • The Spook Who Sat By The Door (1973) @ Clinton Street Theater — Saturday, Feb 28, 7PM

  • Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous @ Portland Playhouse — Running through Feb 28

  • Monster Jam @ Moda Center — Friday, Feb 27 & Saturday, Feb 28

  • Bunk After Dark Comedy Game Show @ Bunk Bar — Friday, 8PM

  • ShanRock's Triviology @ Dots Cafe — Wednesday, 7PM, Free

Well…

That's your Monday, Portland. Measles in the wastewater, 600 cases gone from the docket, and a city councilor who briefly decided the answer to a protest was a holster. Layers up, umbrella out. And maybe — just maybe — check that your MMR vaccine is current before heading out into this world we're all sharing. See you tomorrow.

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