PORTLAND DRIZZLE

🧋Good Wednesday to you all. High of 63 with a 45% chance of rain today- let’s go! Portland's ICE protest cases have mostly fizzled out in federal court. A Corvette hit 100 mph fleeing a street racing bust. And Florence + The Machine plays Moda Center tonight at 7:30. Did you see a familiar name on the ballot? I’m running for precinct committeeperson! Michael E Simpson.

One week before Oregon's May 19 primary, a new survey has some uncomfortable numbers for Gov. Tina Kotek. Commissioned by the Oregonian and conducted by DHM Research, the poll of 600 registered voters in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties found 59% hold a negative view of Kotek, while just a third view her favorably. Two groups that backed her last time — the Oregon Education Association and the Working Families Party — declined to endorse a candidate this cycle. Republican Christine Drazan remains the frontrunner for the GOP nomination, potentially setting up a 2022 rematch. Kotek faces no primary challenger, so the real test is November. But polling this sour at home, this early, is not a great sign. Axios

Em-Maculate is a local boutique cleaning service founded by Emmy — a one-woman operation turned heart-led team. Recurring cleanings, deep cleans, move-in/move-out, commercial spaces. New clients start with a thorough deep clean so every visit after stays consistent. First-time customers get $25 off. Emmy has been cleaning my house for a few weeks now and literally she is the best. She’s punctual, she’s easy to work with, and it’s the little things with her, like things I wouldn’t even think to clean. Five stars from me! Book online at emmaculatecleaningpdx.com.

📞(503) 752-1886

Federal prosecutors charged dozens of people following clashes outside Portland's ICE building in 2025 — months of arrests, federal indictments, and Justice Department press releases promising serious consequences. A new KGW investigation found that of 37 federal cases stemming from those protests, only one resulted in a prison sentence. Most defendants avoided any time behind bars. The quiet resolution lands as protests at the South Waterfront facility have continued into 2026 — including fresh May Day arrests just last week — and as the 9th Circuit recently lifted court-imposed limits on federal officers' use of tear gas and crowd control munitions at the site. The contrast is hard to miss: the enforcement posture escalated. The criminal consequences largely didn't. KGW

Saturday night, Portland police broke up a street takeover involving roughly 100 racers that kept moving around North Portland to stay ahead of officers. Things started around 11:40 p.m. near NE 158th and Airport Way, then shifted to MLK and Columbia before settling in a parking lot on North Columbia, where police moved in with air support. A red Corvette took off when officers approached, hitting speeds near 100 mph before crossing into Washington state. A second driver, in a BMW, abandoned the car on Hayden Island and fled on foot. Officers found him hiding in a nearby parking lot. Spencer Rhoden, 29, was arrested and booked on charges of eluding police by vehicle, eluding on foot, and reckless driving. KGW

Lone Fir Cemetery in SE Portland has been burying people since 1855 and offers two guided tours each month — a Historical Tour and a Stories in Stone Tour. Both are free to explore on your own with a self-guided smartphone map. Private group tours available for six or more. It's open daily and genuinely one of the stranger, better hours you can spend in this city. WEBSITE

May 13, 1854: Charity Lamb killed her husband with an axe, after years of abuse, near the Columbia River and became the first woman tried for murder in Oregon. Guilty. Sentenced to life. Today she is buried in an unmarked grave at- can you guess? Lone Fir Cemetery!

Sorry I didn’t write one yesterday, I just needed a day off.

by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]