PORTLAND DRIZZLE

⛵Temps top out around 51°F today with a 45% chance of showers — classic March, classic us. Big overnight news: Elephants Delicatessen on NW 22nd caught fire at 1 a.m. Investigators say it was human-caused. The beloved institution is temporarily closed, but the other six locations are open.

One of Northwest Portland's most beloved institutions took a brutal hit early Tuesday. A two-alarm fire tore through the flagship Elephants Delicatessen at 115 NW 22nd Avenue shortly after 1 a.m., burning through the front of the building, collapsing part of the roof, and gutting the bakery and deli sections. Eleven fire trucks responded. Portland Fire & Rescue investigators confirmed the blaze was human-caused — whether intentionally set remains under investigation, and surveillance video of a suspect has been released. CEO Martin Macclanan told reporters he arrived while the building was still burning. "I'm just thinking about our employees and customers," he said. "All the generations and memories created in a place like this." Macclanan vowed not to abandon the location or its employees. No injuries were reported. The other six Elephants locations remain open.

A federal judge handed the Department of Homeland Security its second court loss in less than a week. U.S. District Judge Michael Simon granted a preliminary injunction Monday barring federal agents at Portland's South Portland ICE facility from deploying tear gas, pepper balls, and other crowd control munitions on protesters unless there is an imminent threat to life. In his 34-page ruling, Simon found that DHS officers had an unwritten policy of using excessive force against nonviolent demonstrators — a pattern he called "erratic, indiscriminate, and unpredictable" — and that the conduct was designed to chill First Amendment rights. Plaintiffs included an elderly couple in their 80s, freelance journalists, and a man who shows up in a chicken costume. The ruling follows a separate injunction last Friday protecting residents of the adjacent Gray's Landing affordable housing complex, whose tenants had been breathing tear gas in their own homes. DHS pushed back, insisting it only deploys munitions against "rioters." The ruling is widely expected to be appealed.

Oregon lawmakers closed a $297 million budget gap at the Department of Transportation this week, averting mass layoffs and widespread service cuts that had loomed over the agency since last summer. The fix: redirect $218 million from existing transportation funds — including programs like Safe Routes to School and Connect Oregon — and cut $80 million more through vacancies. ODOT currently has roughly 700 unfilled positions statewide, nearly 15% of its workforce, with more than 350 of those workers having simply quit during months of funding uncertainty. Interim Director Lisa Sumption called the fix "important short-term stability" while acknowledging it is not a long-term solution. The underlying funding crisis remains unresolved, with voters set to weigh in on a gas tax increase at a May 19 primary — itself now the subject of a lawsuit from Republican lawmakers who argue Democrats unconstitutionally moved it from November's higher-turnout general election.

L'Échelle | SE Division The most bittersweet opening in recent Portland memory. This French(ish) bistro from the collaborators of the late Naomi Pomeroy honors her legacy with steak au poivre, French onion soup, and lush cocktails in the former Woodsman Tavern space. Melancholy and magnificent. Website

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Greg Priest, on Google: “We were excited to dine here and we're thoroughly pleased with the evening. On our reservation we noted dietary restrictions, so lovely that our menus were customized with the items in regards to allergies.. ❤️ it just made the evening so much more special. A little touch to know someone cares. We started out the evening with bubbles and amazing oysters. Every dish was executed extremely well. We were all thrilled to see the success of this restaurant and on a Wednesday night they were busy. Thank you! Keep up the great work! Know, it is greatly appreciated 💯❗”

On March 11, 1844, Oregon formed its first militia — the Oregon Rangers — tasked with protecting settlers along the trail. Armed and organized on this date 182 years ago. Portland was barely a clearing in the woods.

Fifty-one degrees with a chance of showers — basically a warm hug by Portland standards. Layer up, grab an umbrella you'll forget at the coffee shop, and maybe swing by one of the six Elephants locations that are still standing. They could use the love today.

by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]