🌱 Stink Bug Invasion + Bernie Sanders Coming To Portland

Here we are, on another Wednesday in the fine City of Portland. The middle of the week, the salsa in a 7-layer dip, the color green in a rainbow, the ... oh, you get the idea. If you want excitement, you've come to the right place. We've got:

• Climate change fueling an insect invasion
• The full run of the music video "Thriller"
• The Sith Lord Vader Squadron Timberwolves

That last one will take a bit of explaining.

But first, today's weather:

Early morning rain gives way to cloudy skies and a high of 56.

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Here are the top stories today in Portland:

1. We've all had to deal with them: stink bugs! And we're about to start seeing more of them. "A recent modeling study found that changing weather could increase suitable habitat for the brown marmorated stink bug in the United States by 70%. ... Their population is booming in Oregon and researchers are linking the rise to our changing climate. " (KGW.com)
2. Wow, the Democrats really must be worried about Oregon. We've had visits from Biden and Warren and, tomorrow, we get a visit from Bernie Sanders. He'll be speaking along with Sen. Merkley and Rep. Blumenauer as part of a nationwide "Get Out The Vote" tour. I couldn't agree more; voting in Oregon is so darned easy that you've got no excuse, Portland! (KATU)
3. One of the more controversial measures on November's ballot "would extend the right to vote in county elections to noncitizens." Defying expectations, Tina Kotek says she's not a fan. When asked about the measure, she said that "she hadn't yet read the measure carefully, but it sounded 'really costly and complicated.'" Unsurprisingly, neither Christine Drazan nor Betsy Johnson were fans of the proposal either. Woo, this is going to be one heck of an election! (Willamette Week)
4. "Right now the Portland Value Inn in Northeast Portland is acting as transitional housing" for vulnerable populations, but that's changing in the next month. It will transform into an isolation space for those who test positive for COVID-19. What prompted this change? First, the Jupiter Hotel, that had been an isolation space, has reverted back to private use. Second, over the summer "the homeless community faced several outbreaks of Covid-19." (KATU)
5. With the record number of shootings in Portland, you would think that there would be overwhelming support for the new gun control proposal, Measure 114, but such is not the case. If passed, Measure 114 "would give Oregon one of the strongest gun control laws in the country." While there is opposition to this measure from the usual suspects, such as the NRA and conservative groups, there is also some push back from the left. One big point of contention is much of the gun control with this measure would be in the hands of the police. (Portland Mercury)

Patch deals of the day:

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(Patch may earn a commission on purchases. All deals are as of publication and could change.)

Today in Portland:

• OMSI After Dark presents Spirits! And they don't just mean ghosts and goblins, but also whiskey and gin! Learn how to make slime and ghost bubbles! Sign up for a tasting package! And, most importantly, come in costume. 6:00 - 10:00 PM.
• Hey, East Portland, do you want to hear what plans the candidates have for you? Then sign up to attend tonight's East Portland Action Plan's general meeting. They've invited all Oregon State, Multnomah County, Metro and City of Portland candidates to speak and field questions. It will be at David Douglas High School, but there's also a Zoom meeting link. 6:30 - 8:30 PM.
• Re-Run Theater presents "Thriller And More" at the Hollywood Theater. "Before the tricking and the treating, come celebrate the Greatest Holiday of the Year in style with Portland’s favorite Retro Music Video Museum." And they will be playing the entire Michael Jackson "Thriller" video, so be ready to dance! Showtime is 7:30 PM.
• If you're in the mood to get all educational this afternoon, check out the Pioneer Courthouse Historical Society's presentation, "Criminal Juries in Oregon—Past, Present & Future." "The Pioneer Courthouse Historical Society invites you to a panel discussion of the role of the jury in criminal trials, the history of non-unanimous jury verdicts in Oregon, and the future of such verdicts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent decisions in Ramos v. Louisiana and Edwards v. Vannoy." Registration is free. Please arrive by 3:30 to clear security and register for CLE credit.
• If you want nothing to do with education, or even anything remotely serious, check out Giggles Gone Wild at The Get Down. Tonight, the headliner is Susan Rice, "named Portland’s Funniest Person by Willamette Week in 2015." "The lineup also includes hilarious local comics Drew Grizzly (NW Black Comedy Festival), Sabrena Contreras (Savage Henry’s), Jordan Cerminara (FlipsideXR VR Partner), and Sam Whitely (Upper Left Comedy Festival)!" Doors open at 7:30 PM.

From my notebook:

• Portland Trail Blazers: "Dame & Ant tonight 🔥🔥🔥 Combining for 60 PTS & 11 3PM" (Portland Trail Blazers via Instagram)
• Watch out bike thieves, the Timberwolves are coming for you. Actually, their full name is the Sith Lord Vader Squadron (SLVS) Timberwolves, a group of volunteers who are "not only ferreting out stolen bikes, but... are... also trying to train up a new legion of volunteers to help them scale up operations." (Bike Portland)
• We've got less than two weeks until the election and the race is still incredibly tight. How tight? The most recent poll from KGW News shows Drazan at 43%, Kotek at 42% and Johnson at 12%. I haven't felt this much tension since I bet it all on blackjack in Vegas five years ago. But I digress. I'll let KGW tell you more. (YouTube)
• I haven't gotten around to watching Netflix's new stop-motion animation feature Wendell & Wild yet, but it's on my list. I love animation. I can't wait to hear the talents of Key & Peele, together again. And, best of all, it was made right here in Portland. (Portland Monthly)
• ADX Gallery will be having an epic art show on Halloween. They've collaborated with 150 artists to create paintings in the theme of "Monster Mash." Dark music will be provided by the duo "The Other Place." And, please, come in costume. (Instagram)
• What will I be doing for Halloween? Well, I'll never tell, but I'll tell you what I'm doing on the 30th. Because there's no way I'm going to miss the Buffy Sing-A-Long at the 4th Wall and their showing of the BtVS episode "Once More With Feeling." (The 4th Wall)

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That's your Wednesday, my friends. May it be as zesty as my salsa. Have fun and I'll see you tomorrow with more news of Portland.

— Dominic Anaya

About me: Doctor, educator and now a writer/artist, I'm just chillin' in Portland, OR with my wife, our ferrets, our chickens and our goats.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Portland Daily? Contact me at portland@patch.com