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Good morning, Portland! Happy Monday. We’ve got some fog going on this morning, and it’s supposed to be cooler out today than yesterday, with temps set to be in the mid-70s and sunny. They’re expected to remain pretty high throughout the week.

(BTW, I feel I have a responsibility to say that while this isn’t the first time Portland has been unseasonably warm in October, the Pacific Northwest—like the rest of the world—is getting hotter as a result of humans pumping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Climate change doesn’t always CAUSE specific extreme weather events, but it certainly makes them much more likely.)

Anyway, things are expected to get cooler starting Friday. Let’s get to the news.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• A 15-year-old Benson Polytechnic High School student who allegedly released toxic chemicals in the school last month may be tried as an adult in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The teen is facing 19 charges total, including two counts of domestic terrorism, 10 counts of attempted aggravated murder, unlawful manufacturing a destructive device, and more. District Attorney Nathan Vasquez’s office argues the teenager brought chemicals into the school to create the toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, apparently seeking to hurt himself and other students. The child’s alleged actions did harm many at Benson, particularly psychologically. The student himself was also hospitalized from the impacts of the concoction. But trying him as an adult could keep him stuck in the criminal justice system for years, instead of allowing him to move on from his (alleged) reckless actions. The student’s attorneys denied the allegations and argued for keeping the case in the juvenile court system. A hearing to determine where the case will play out is set for tomorrow.

• On the “news about the news” beat: KGW-TV’s parent company TEGNA is investigating the news channel’s decision to publish old, offensive tweets from sports broadcaster Braiden Bell. Some backstory: The Portland Trail Blazers announced Bell as their newest play-by-play broadcaster late last week. Later that day, the Blazers fired Bell (or rescinded his job offer) after KGW reporters dug up a handful of racist and sexist Twitter posts he’d made in 2012, when he was a young teenager. KGW clearly connected their investigation to the Blazers’ abrupt decision to fire Bell, which apparently made some people mad at the news channel. Sources at KGW told an outside journalist that reporters at the station were very eager to publish their investigation about Bell before anyone else. If they weren’t in such a hurry to break the story, the reporters might have been able to think a bit more about the decision to publish 14-year-old tweets from someone who was a minor at the time of posting. For the record, Bell’s posts were bad, and there might be merit in sharing them with the world. But it’s always worth taking a beat to consider.

Also, this whole story hit way harder because everyone is so mad at the new Blazers owner Tom Dundon, who oozes contempt for the team and the city of Portland. Cost-cutting Dundon reportedly lowballed longtime and beloved Blazers broadcaster Kevin Calabro on the terms of his contract extension, leading him to quit. Under its stingy new ownership, the team seemed cosmically destined to make a major blunder, like hiring and quickly firing a replacement broadcaster after discovering racist posts.

• What if horror, but weird and beautiful? That’s the theme of this month’s Second Run Portland, outlining all the repertory films you should go see in October. Masahiro Shinoda’s eco-fable Demon Pond and Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr make the list. Check it out here!

• The state is attempting to save northern spotted owls in Oregon’s Elliot State Forest by shooting invasive barred owls, which have been outcompeting the smaller, endangered native birds for food and nesting spots. While some groups have fought against the plan, other conservation advocates support it, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Northern spotted owls are approaching extinction levels in the Pacific Northwest, and advocates are willing to try almost anything to save them.

• Listen to the Oregon Zoo:

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Brazilians went to the polls over the weekend to vote in their presidential election, and the results are concerning for anyone who cares about democracy, human rights, and the fate of the planet. President Luiz Inacio ‌Lula da Silva, the left-wing Brazilian leader known as “Lula,” underperformed in yesterday’s first-round votes, and will face far-right Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro (yes, that Bolsonaro) a runoff later this month. Flavio Bolsonaro is the son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who is unable to run for president again because he’s serving a 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup after he lost the 2022 election. If Brazil elects Flavio to office, it would be like if Americans re-elected Donald Trump after he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election! (Oh…)

• The US Supreme Court has stayed in the news all summer, but it’s officially starting its new term today. The first case on the docket is Suncor v. Boulder, which could determine whether or not local jurisdictions are able to sue fossil fuel companies for the damage their emissions have caused on their communities. The case could impact Multnomah County’s ongoing lawsuit against more than a dozen big oil companies, as well as many similar cases taking place across the country. The fossil fuel companies, supported by the Trump administration, say the local lawsuits preempt federal law. The local governments (Boulder County, Colorado in this case) say fossil fuel companies need to pay for the harm they’ve caused.

• In other “big oil” news:

• The Trump administration has appointed national intelligence director Jay Clayton to the new role of White House AI czar. To be more specific, Clayton will now serve as the leader of the White House’s “Super Intelligence Force,” which Trump says is suppose to ensure the US “continues to lead the World in Super Intelligence.” This statement should indicate the unserious manner of the administration’s work on this subject. Surprisingly, Clayton appears to be one of the more qualified members of the Trump administration, with a resume that includes a stint as a US Attorney in the Southern District of New York and as chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You’d think Trump would want his AI czar to be a 22-year-old crypto enthusiast with a history of posting incel content on Twitter, but I guess the entry-level job market is too tough to break into these days. Regardless, I don’t trust Clayton or the administration to do anything “super intelligent” here. In fact, I’m sure they’ll figure out the dumbest possible way to approach the topic, potentially speeding up the AI Armageddon all the tech bros are talking about. Awesome!

• Republicans are doing so poorly in national polls ahead of the midterms, Trump has been forced to encourage members of his party to vote by mail, despite calling the practice “inherently corrupt” and seeking to ban it.

• I’ll leave you for now with this. Have a great week, everyone!

Taylor Griggs is a news reporter for the Portland Mercury. She is interested in all of your ideas, comments and concerns, particularly those related to transportation, climate, labor, and Portland city... More by Taylor Griggs