The post Conceptualizing bias in EHR data: A case study in performance disparities by demographic subgroups for a pediatric obesity incidence classifier was curated by information for practice.

Accurate reporting of outcomes is crucial for interpreting the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). However, selectively reporting outcomes in publications to achieve researchers’ anticipated result… Read the full article ›

The post Impact of selective reporting bias on stroke trials: potential compromise in evidence synthesis – A cross-sectional study was curated by information for practice.

Reintegration and adjustment to civilian life after military service is crucial for veterans’ mental and physical health. However, there is a lack of evidence-based interventions in Australia that specifically… Read the full article ›

The post Feasibility, acceptability, and initial outcomes of a psychological adjustment and reintegration program for transitioned military veterans was curated by information for practice.

The Dutch Euthanasia law permits euthanasia in patients with advanced dementia lacking decisional capacity based on advance euthanasia directives. Nevertheless, physicians encounter difficulties assessing the … Read the full article ›

The post A qualitative focus group study on legal experts’ views regarding euthanasia requests based on an advance euthanasia directive was curated by information for practice.

The post Feeling close to others? Social cognitive mechanisms of intimacy in personality disorders was curated by information for practice.

The fixed effects model is a useful alternative to the mixed effects model for analyzing stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials (SW-CRTs). It controls for all time-invariant cluster-level confounders and has … Read the full article ›

The post Inclusion of unexposed clusters improves the precision of fixed effects analysis of stepped-wedge cluster randomized trials with binary and count outcomes was curated by information for practice.

Sustained financing for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) has been a concern for the Cameroon government. Household contributions have been considered as a financing mechanism, but this raises concerns on the wi… Read the full article ›

The post Factors associated with household willingness to pay for Universal Health Coverage in Cameroon: a nationwide cross-sectional analysis was curated by information for practice.

Introduction

Arm architects the pervasive intelligence that is transforming our daily experience. Arm-based chips and device architectures orchestrate the performance of the technology that makes modern life possible.Arm designs the technology which is at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. Arm improves people’s lives by enabling the intelligence in affordable, easy-to-use electronic products that transform the way we live and work. We work in partnership with a global network of leading technology companies which are using our smart low-power technology. Together we are shaping the future of a better world.

Today, We are well recognized as the market leader in the CPU and System IP industry and this has been achieved by consistently delivering reliable and high-quality IP products. The cost of design and manufacturing and that warrants “right first time” approach for all IP and System products by our partners. Time-to-market is critical for our partners to deal with fierce competition in the marketplace, being first would enable them to get premium value from the end products. In this context, Design Verification of CPU IPs is a big challenge requiring an engineering skillset that is both broad and deep.

The post Qualitative Study About Psychedelics Using in Psychiatric Disorders (PSYCHEQUALI) was curated by information for practice.

The post Telehealth to Reduce Suicidality and Improve HIV Care Engagement in Tanzania was curated by information for practice.

The post Cognitive Remediation and Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Severe Mental Illness (SMI) (HEADDSET+) was curated by information for practice.

The post The Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in Older Lonely Individuals was curated by information for practice.

The post Testing a Nature-based Social Intevention on Loneliness: the RECETAS-PRG Trial was curated by information for practice.

Tyler Deeb, founder of Misc. Goods Co., joins us for Friday Five to talk about how he relaxes, what city makes him feel most alive, a favorite way to hang + more!

Architects Antonia Frey-Vorhammer and Simon Vorhammer, of SIAN, design jewelry that mirrors their highly intricate + geometric projects.

Culture &Psychology, Ahead of Print. This study sought to understand the process of construction of the vocational identity of university students. Assuming cultural psychology as a theoretical reference, a qualitative methodology was adopted, with a narrative perspective. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 participants, male and female engineering, and psychology students from two universities in […]

The post Narrative construction of vocational identity in university students: The role of influential experiences and significant others in the framework of cultural psychology was curated by information for practice.

Criminal Justice and Behavior, Ahead of Print. Community corrections agencies across the United States are adopting racial equity as a priority in their polices, practices, and staff training, though how racial equity can be translated into the routine practices of probation and parole officers has not been widely discussed. This study examines the associations of […]

The post Associations of Racial Equity Training, Policies, and Practices With Routine Supervision Strategies in Community Corrections was curated by information for practice.

Current Directions in Psychological Science, Ahead of Print. How do humans build and navigate their complex social world? Standard theoretical frameworks often attribute this success to a foundational capacity to analyze other people’s appearance and behavior to make inferences about their unobservable mental states. Here we argue that this picture is incomplete. Human behavior leaves […]

The post Traces of Our Past: The Social Representation of the Physical World was curated by information for practice.

Applied Psychological Measurement, Ahead of Print. Test-retest reliability is often estimated using naturally occurring data from test repeaters. In settings such as admissions testing, test takers choose if and when to retake an assessment. This self-selection can bias estimates of test-retest reliability because individuals who choose to retest are typically unrepresentative of the broader testing […]

The post Estimating Test-Retest Reliability in the Presence of Self-Selection Bias and Learning/Practice Effects was curated by information for practice.

Volume 29, Issue 8, September 2024, Page 1047-1067. Read the full article ›

The post Military Widows’ Experiences of Social Isolation, Loneliness and Unmet Social Needs was curated by information for practice.

Volume 36, Issue 5, September-October 2024, Page 410-426. Read the full article ›

The post “A little love is enough for me to live my life…”: Precarity and resilience among older sex workers in India was curated by information for practice.

Volume 17, Issue 1, April 2024, Page 21-34. Read the full article ›

The post Measurement invariance of the short form CES-D among old adults living alone in China was curated by information for practice.

Culture &Psychology, Ahead of Print. In secular Western societies, individuals often embark on an autonomous quest for meaning in life, which, however, can lead to frustration. In contrast, many East Asian ethical leaders draw on age-old teachings to find fulfillment—an underexplored topic that merits further investigation. By analyzing ancient Confucian tenets and the discourses of […]

The post Ethical leaders’ search for meaning: Ancient Confucian wisdom in Modern East Asia was curated by information for practice.

Abstract Objectives Higher education students experience elevated levels of suicidal ideation, but often face barriers in accessing support. The Mental Imagery for Suicidality in Students Trial (MISST; ISRCTN13621293; NCT05296538) tested the feasibility and acceptability of a six-session imagery-based approach called Broad-Minded Affective Coping (BMAC). This qualitative evaluation explored the experiences of MISST participants and staff. […]

The post A qualitative study exploring participants experiences of the Mental Imagery for Suicidality in Students Trial was curated by information for practice.

Publication date: January 2025 Source: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Volume 119 Author(s): W.C. Su, S. Srinivasan, A.N. Bhat Read the full article ›

The post Effects of creative movement, general movement, or seated play interventions on motor performance in children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial was curated by information for practice.

Abstract Background Taken together, prior publications on the association between symptoms of depression and anxiety and contact with the criminal justice system (CJS) suggest a bi-directional relationship, but all the studies only focus on one direction in this relationship. Aims To examine, in longitudinally collected data, period-specific within-individual change in anxiety and depression measures preceding […]

The post Examining the reciprocal associations between symptoms of depression and anxiety and contact with the criminal justice system was curated by information for practice.

ABSTRACT Introduction Individuals with schizophrenia present anomalies in the extension and plasticity of the peripersonal space (PPS), the section of space surrounding the body, shaped through motor experiences. A weak multisensory integration in PPS would contribute to an impairment of self-embodiment processing, a core feature of the disorder linked to specific subjective experiences. In this […]

The post Peripersonal Space Plasticity in Relation to Psychopathology and Anomalous Subjective Experiences in Individuals With Early‐Onset and Adult‐Onset Schizophrenia was curated by information for practice.

The post CfP: Book and media reviews for Families, Systems, & Health was curated by information for practice.

The post Youth activism in schools: transforming education for social change (Abstract due by 30 Nov) was curated by information for practice.

The post CfP: Artificial Intelligence in Health Economics and Outcomes Research was curated by information for practice.

The post Youth activism in schools: transforming education for social change (Deadline Nov 30) was curated by information for practice.

Amy Pigliacampo revamps a Colorado home with a vibrant aesthetic, reusing key elements while infusing modern touches throughout the space.

Step inside Marianna Tomlenovich’s dream home, where Italian influences and modern design combine to create a grand yet calming retreat.

922 S. Morton Street
Wednesday, December 18, 2024, 6:30 – 8pm

Free event!! Trivia Wednesdays at Cardinal Spirits, with the biggest prizes in Bloomington!

Every Wednesday night at the distillery, join us for:

🤯 fun + original trivia hosted by Josh Johnson of Bloomington Pub Quiz, the longest-running local trivia
🥃 delicious Cardinal cocktails and food
🏆 the biggest prizes in Bloomington

PRIZES: gift cards to Cardinal Spirits (to be used on a future visit)
1st: $100
2nd: $60
3rd: $30

No cover
Reservations are welcome
21+

Presenter: Cardinal Spirits
Contact: hello@cardinalspirits.com or 812-202-6789
Age Range: Adults
Cost: Free
Ticket Phone: 812-202-6789
More info: www.cardinalspirits.com…

922 S. Morton Street
Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 6:30 – 8pm

Free event!! Trivia Wednesdays at Cardinal Spirits, with the biggest prizes in Bloomington!

Every Wednesday night at the distillery, join us for:

🤯 fun + original trivia hosted by Josh Johnson of Bloomington Pub Quiz, the longest-running local trivia
🥃 delicious Cardinal cocktails and food
🏆 the biggest prizes in Bloomington

PRIZES: gift cards to Cardinal Spirits (to be used on a future visit)
1st: $100
2nd: $60
3rd: $30

No cover
Reservations are welcome
21+

Presenter: Cardinal Spirits
Contact: hello@cardinalspirits.com or 812-202-6789
Age Range: Adults
Cost: Free
Ticket Phone: 812-202-6789
More info: www.cardinalspirits.com…

Indiana Memorial Union Alumni Hall
Sunday, December 8, 2024, 12 – 2pm

Sugarcoat your holiday season with a Gingerbread House Workshop! Assemble the sweetest house of your dreams in IMU Alumni Hall on Sunday, December 8 and Saturday, December 14.

Spaces are limited so be sure to make a reservation.

Presenter: Indiana University Office of Student Life/ IMU Sugar & Spice
Age Range: All Ages
More info: api.getspoonfed.com…

Unitarian Universalist Church
2120 N. Fee Lane
Bloomington, IN
Friday, December 6, 9am – Saturday, December 7, 2024, 3pm

Unitarian Universalist Church Holiday Bazaar and Art Fair
Friday December 6th 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (Art Fair starts at 11 a.m.)
Saturday December 7th Bazaar and Art Fair 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Unitarian Universalist Church
2120 N. Fee Lane
Bloomington IN

Bazaar includes
Art Fair: A juried art show featuring professional arts and crafts from local artisans.
Cookie Cruise: Fill your box with your own selection of homemade cookies.
Gourmet Galaxy: Assortment of homemade breads, candies, jellies, pickles and other delicacies.
White Elephants: Used items from the precious to the useful to the intriguing.
Used Book Sale: For your enjoyment.
Uunique Cafe: Homemade soups, and sandwiches and desserts to sustain you as you shop.Fund Raising Booths: Homemade and imported items, proceeds of which support some of our charitable work.
Join us for the holiday spirit and opportunity to find the perfect holiday gift.

Contact: Ruellen Fessenbecker
Age Range: All Ages
Cost: Free
Communities: Bedford, Bloomington, Brown County, Columbus, Franklin, French Lick/West Baden, Greencastle, Greene County, Greensburg, Greenwood, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Martinsville, Seymour, Spencer, Statewide, Terre Haute
More info: www.uubloomington.org

Indiana Memorial Union
Thursday, December 5, 2024, 7 – 9pm

Light Up the Night

Celebrate the holiday season with the annual lighting of the IMU candles! Join us for a joyful night featuring a winter market, ice skating rink, and lots of ceremonious cheer. An evening filled with festivities awaits!

IMU Circle Drive & Parking Lot

Presenter: Indiana Memorial Union
Age Range: All Ages

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 8 – 10pm

Violinist James Ehnes is professor of practice in violin at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. A Grammy Award winner, Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after musicians on the international stage as a concert soloist, recitalist and chamber musician.

One of the most sought-after soloists and chamber music collaborators of his generation, Orion Weiss is widely regarded as a “brilliant pianist” (The New York Times) with “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (The Washington Post). He has dazzled audiences with his passionate, lush sound and performed with dozens of orchestras in North America including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic.

More info: events.iu.edu…

922 S. Morton Street
Wednesday, December 4, 2024, 6:30 – 8pm

Free event!! Trivia Wednesdays at Cardinal Spirits, with the biggest prizes in Bloomington!

Every Wednesday night at the distillery, join us for:

🤯 fun + original trivia hosted by Josh Johnson of Bloomington Pub Quiz, the longest-running local trivia
🥃 delicious Cardinal cocktails and food
🏆 the biggest prizes in Bloomington

PRIZES: gift cards to Cardinal Spirits (to be used on a future visit)
1st: $100
2nd: $60
3rd: $30

No cover
Reservations are welcome
21+

Presenter: Cardinal Spirits
Contact: hello@cardinalspirits.com or 812-202-6789
Age Range: Adults
Cost: Free
Ticket Phone: 812-202-6789
More info: www.cardinalspirits.com…

922 S. Morton Street
Wednesday, November 27, 2024, 6:30 – 8pm

Free event!! Trivia Wednesdays at Cardinal Spirits, with the biggest prizes in Bloomington!

Every Wednesday night at the distillery, join us for:

🤯 fun + original trivia hosted by Josh Johnson of Bloomington Pub Quiz, the longest-running local trivia
🥃 delicious Cardinal cocktails and food
🏆 the biggest prizes in Bloomington

PRIZES: gift cards to Cardinal Spirits (to be used on a future visit)
1st: $100
2nd: $60
3rd: $30

No cover
Reservations are welcome
21+

Presenter: Cardinal Spirits
Contact: hello@cardinalspirits.com or 812-202-6789
Age Range: Adults
Cost: Free
Ticket Phone: 812-202-6789
More info: www.cardinalspirits.com…

922 S. Morton Street
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 6:30 – 8pm

Free event!! Trivia Wednesdays at Cardinal Spirits, with the biggest prizes in Bloomington!

Every Wednesday night at the distillery, join us for:

🤯 fun + original trivia hosted by Josh Johnson of Bloomington Pub Quiz, the longest-running local trivia
🥃 delicious Cardinal cocktails and food
🏆 the biggest prizes in Bloomington

PRIZES: gift cards to Cardinal Spirits (to be used on a future visit)
1st: $100
2nd: $60
3rd: $30

No cover
Reservations are welcome
21+

Presenter: Cardinal Spirits
Contact: hello@cardinalspirits.com or 812-202-6789
Age Range: Adults
Cost: Free
Ticket Phone: 812-202-6789
More info: www.cardinalspirits.com…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 8 – 10pm

Pianist Paul Lewis is internationally regarded as one of the leading musicians of his generation. His cycles of core piano works by Beethoven and Schubert have received unanimous critical and public acclaim worldwide and consolidated his reputation as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of the central European classical repertoire.

More info: events.iu.edu…

922 S. Morton Street
Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 6:30 – 8pm

Free event!! Trivia Wednesdays at Cardinal Spirits, with the biggest prizes in Bloomington!

Every Wednesday night at the distillery, join us for:

🤯 fun + original trivia hosted by Josh Johnson of Bloomington Pub Quiz, the longest-running local trivia
🥃 delicious Cardinal cocktails and food
🏆 the biggest prizes in Bloomington

PRIZES: gift cards to Cardinal Spirits (to be used on a future visit)
1st: $100
2nd: $60
3rd: $30

No cover
Reservations are welcome
21+

Presenter: Cardinal Spirits
Contact: hello@cardinalspirits.com or 812-202-6789
Age Range: Adults
Cost: Free
Ticket Phone: 812-202-6789
More info: www.cardinalspirits.com…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Auer Hall, Simon Music Center
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

Ford-Crawford Hall, Simon Music Center
Monday, November 11, 2024, 5 – 6pm

More info: events.iu.edu…

by Courtney Vaughn

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good morning and happy election day, Portland! Obviously, drop off that ballot if you haven't yet. If you need a replacement, the county elections office can help you. If you're not sure who to vote for, here's our handy dandy election guide, which even includes a cheat sheet for you to refer to when filling out your ballot. If you’re monitoring results, let us keep you company on our live election night blog, and if you need to commiserate with others, or share a joke and a drink to ease the stress, join us in person at Mississippi Studios tonight for our free election night party!

In Local News: 

• Speaking of the election, voter turnout so far in Multnomah County is a little low. The number of ballots returned by Monday hovered below 46 percent. In the last presidential election, more than 73 percent of Multnomah County ballots were returned the day before the election. Some have speculated that Portland’s new ranked choice voting system and the sheer number of City Council candidates is slowing voters down, or dissuading them from filling out their ballot. BUT, people were a lot less busy in 2020, and if RCV is the culprit, why is Clackamas County–which isn’t using ranked voting– also seeing just 50 percent turnout by Monday? Similarly, Washington County’s elections office reports only 47 percent of ballots were returned by Monday. Maybe voters procrastinated, or maybe they’re just waiting to drop off their ballots in broad daylight, when there’s less likelihood of a ballot box getting blown up by some nut job. 

Turnout in Multnomah County as of November 4, 1 days before the election.

Current: 46% of accepted ballots (50% with returned ballots)
2020: 73%
2004-2020 average: 65%
2004-2016 average: 63% pic.twitter.com/xVyPxKjebo

— John Horvick (@horvick) November 5, 2024

• In other local election news, a few buildings downtown have boarded up their windows in preparation for potential election night protests. Portland police have been hyping up the potential for election-related violence for months now, creating a bit of hysteria that’s got some major companies spooked. At least one online flier inviting anarchist protest has circulated, but it’s unrelated to any particular candidate or party and more directed at general disdain for the state of the country.

Both local and national law enforcement teams are on standby in Portland ahead of Election Day, but many businesses are taking matters into their own hands… boarding up their windows and doors. @fox12oregon pic.twitter.com/0kmbAWAIvb

— Mckenzie Richmond (@kenziestuvland) November 4, 2024

• Portland City Council seems primed to overturn the city’s agreement with Multnomah County on managing homelessness. As we reported a few weeks ago, City Commissioners Rene Gonzalez, Mingus Mapps and Dan Ryan have all signaled support for dissolving the intergovernmental agreement that lays out which functions each government agency handles, in an effort to collaborate and tag-team the region’s most critical issue. The three stooges allege Multnomah County hasn’t kept up its end of the bargain, and they’ve got professional shit stirrer and County Commissioner Sharon Meieran egging them on. This week, Portland City Council will vote on whether to end the agreement. Jessica Vega Pederson, chair of the county’s Board of Commissioners, has called out the plan to kill the agreement as short-sighted, misinformed, chickenshit, and harmful to unhoused Portlanders who need a bevy of resources and services.

Regional executive leaders are united supporting a collaborative approach to addressing homelessness, and pushing back on this political stunt that includes no plan.

“The three commissioners did not provide any alternative plan”https://t.co/KFIkThGrNo

— Jessica Vega Pederson (@jvegapederson) October 18, 2024

• Here’s a bright spot: Portland’s own Rose City Rollers took home a fifth world championship title over the weekend. The league’s all-star roller derby team, Wheels of Justice, overtook St. Louis’ Arch Rival Roller Derby in the final game of a three-day tournament at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Due to the international repercussions of the pandemic, this year’s Women’s Flat Track Derby Association Global Championships were the first since 2019. Keep your eyes peeled for more of our coverage. Rose City Rollers all-star team Wheels of Justice celebrates after a championship 
  win Sunday, Nov. 3.  courtney vaughn Gov. Tina Kotek (center) rallies the crowd Saturday, Nov. 2 at the 2024 Women's Flat
  Track Derby Association Global Championships. To the left, Kim "Rocket Mean" Stegeman (left) holds the championship Hydra trophy.   courtney vaughn

In National/World News:

• Attorneys for Elon Musk basically admitted that Musk’s election lottery scheme was more of a plot to boost the Republican party. When faced with charges of running an illegal election lottery, where he promised to pick a daily winner at random for a $1 million prize in an effort to get people registered to vote, attorneys said Musk never intended to use a lottery system to choose a winner. He instead planned to vet and select the right person to essentially be a cheerleader for Trump and the Republican party. Huh. Money can buy rocket ships and high-dollar attorneys, but it can’t buy intellect.

@lizzza

I’ll be with B

♬ original sound - Liza Koshy

• Quincy Jones, the musician and producer behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller who also worked with Frank Sinatra and was awarded 27 Grammys during his lifetime, died at 91. Jones died at home with family in Los Angeles. He was set to receive an honorary Academy Award later this month.

RIP to Quincy Jones. Do yourselves a solid and watch the documentary “Quincy” by his daughter, Rashida Jones. https://t.co/6nIE8VzPoz https://t.co/lOzgNCmFyZ

— GullahMuseumSC (@GullahSc) November 4, 2024

• Your black plastic spatula is slowly poisoning you. Recent reporting in The Atlantic reveals that many black plastic kitchen utensils are likely being made from recycled electronic waste, and leaching toxic chemicals into your food. The discovery was noted by a biochemist in 2018, who asserted that the high amount of flame retardants in black plastic products like spatulas signals the items were probably manufactured with recycled electronic parts used in computers and TVs. Because plastic is prone to leaching chemicals when it’s heated, researchers theorize it’s likely that black plastic cookware is releasing harmful compounds into cooking oil and hot foods. Might also be time to rethink all the plastic carryout containers used to store and reheat hot foods. ☣️????

• One last bit of election-related news, promise! ICYMI: Donald Trump pretended to blow a microphone during a campaign stop last week. Trump was pissed about the mic malfunctioning and his instinct was to mime a raunchy, suggestive movement with his hand and mouth. Keep this man away from children (and the White House). Hawk tuah!

@sbsnews_au

Donald Trump motions over an empty microphone stand after battling technical issues at a campaign rally.

♬ original sound - SBS News

by Suzette Smith

The Mercury provides its readers with interesting and useful news & culture reporting every single day. If you appreciate that, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. If you read something you like, something you don't like but are glad to know about, and/or something you can't find anywhere else consider a one-time tip. It all goes in the same pot and it all goes to the editorial team. Thanks for your support!

Good Morning, Portland! We're still "turning and turning in the widening gyre" over here, and we may be for quite some time.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Last night's round of election results arrived without any notable changes in the Portland City Council races. News editor Courtney Vaughn writes: "With Keith Wilson securing the mayor’s seat the day prior, results in City Council districts largely held firm."

• While the national election results have been [understatement incoming] pretty distressing, local races are lined with silver. The Columbian reports Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez has maintained her lead over far-right, perennial challenger Joe Kent. The Oregonian has a good breakdown of the race and history of Gluesenkamp Perez's hard-fought win.

• PCC Automotive Service Technology Program instructor Jay Kuykendall has been named this year's Educator of the Year by the North American Council of Automotive Teachers, Portland Tribune reports. "Kuykendall oversees the auto shop lab and teaches engine performance classes, along with elective courses like Subaru U, electrified vehicles and light-duty diesel."

• Beloved local coffee chain Jim and Patty's Coffee announced earlier this week that it will close its remaining two locations, in Beaverton and in Portland, on November 11. "Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your support..." owner Patty Roberts wrote. "Now I will need to find a job. If anyone has any ideas for an old lady who has been off the job market for over 40 years, let me know!" ???? For more backstory, check out this Mercury piece about the struggling coffee shops from October.

• There was once a time in Portland when one could easily—well, depending on connection issues—rent a cheery little blue and white hybrid car to drive. The little smart cars were great for unforgiving rain showers and surprisingly solid in the snow. Car2Go merged with Reachnow in 2018, then tanked in 2019. In 2021, Free2Move announced it would drop a "fleet of 200 Jeep Renegades" for Portland consumers to rent, but the cumbersome cars departed once more in 2023. This week MSN reposted that story from 2023, so some people have been letting us know about it. Sorry about MSN, and this all happened last year. Still fun to revisit this tweet:

so let me get this straight

car2go joins sharenow, while reachnow becomes reachnow pic.twitter.com/gJi7R6YZ8e

— Cabel Sasser (@cabel) March 4, 2019

• Politicians are politicians, but I find Sen. Jeff Merkley's vibe calming:

          View this post on Instagram                      

A post shared by Senator Jeff Merkley (@senjeffmerkley)

• Every week, the Mercury gives out free tickets to local shows and this week we've got sweet tix for Reverend Horton Heat, Des Demonas, Karina Rykman and moooore—check'm out and win with our Free Ticket Thursday giveaway!

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• I can't immediately find who said this, but I think it's a valid concern: As we watch the transition back to a Trump administration presidency, the cabinet appointments are probably going to feel like being repeatedly punched in the face. President-elect Donald Trump named Florida strategist Susie Wiles as his White House chief of staff on Thursday. Wiles has run his political operation for nearly four years, making her one of the few people to survive at his side for any length of time. What's Wiles deal? Nepo baby. Ronald Reagan campaign staffer. Wiles has been credited with putting Rick Scott in Florida's governor’s office. Associated Press has a nice, long profile on her this morning. Is she going to tear the tampon machine out of the White House bathroom again? We're watching.

• A Biden administration initiative known as “Keeping Families Together” was struck down by a Texas-based US District judge yesterday; Judge J. Campbell Barker argued that the Biden administration had overstepped its authority with its attempt to lessen barriers to citizenship for undocumented immigrants married to US citizens.

• Soccer fans did violence again, but this time it might be motivated by cultural and political friction. NPR reports that "leading political figures in the Netherlands have condemned the violence that followed a match between a Dutch team Ajax and Tel Aviv's Maccabi. According to NPR, "Dutch police said 62 people have been arrested following several clashes." Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema described local men seeking out Israeli fans on scooters. Dutch police chief Peter Holla said fans of Tel Aviv Maccabi had "set a Palestinian flag on fire in the city and attacked a taxi." Dutch authorities have banned demonstrations through the weekend.

• Happy Martian New Year... soon! In Scientific American Phil Plait writes: "Why would anyone pick November 12 as New Year’s Day for Mars? And why does our official reckoning of Martian time set the eons-old Red Planet only in its 38th year? The answer involves a combination of natural cycles and the human need to impose order via somewhat arbitrary timekeeping—pretty much like on Earth."

• And now we part—wishing a fine weekend to my naysayers and hatchet men in the fight against violence.

Citing ethical issues and potential conflicts of interest, advocates want the city to halt a no-bid contract renewal that would funnel millions to the Portland Metro Chamber. by Courtney Vaughn

For years, Portland has collected fees from property owners in enhanced service districts to pay for added cleaning and security services in designated areas. The districts are typically concentrated around businesses, offering private security, extra policing, janitorial services, and more recently, removal of homeless camps. 

Some stakeholders say the city has yet to confront the unique and outsized role of Portland’s most powerful business lobbying group at one enhanced service district (ESD) in particular—Downtown Portland Clean & Safe.

This week, Portland City Council is scheduled to vote on a 116-acre expansion of the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe district, as well as a fee hike and a five-year management contract renewal for the district. 

Ahead of Wednesday’s vote, more than 100 Portlanders and over a dozen community groups are urging City Council to postpone the contract renewal that would funnel a hefty portion of a $58 million, no-bid contract to the Portland Metro Chamber.

An open letter to city commissioners outlines a number of transparency and ethics issues surrounding the Clean & Safe contract, asking the Council vote to be tabled until a new Council is sworn in this January.

Currently, the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe district is overseen by an organization of the same name, whose management has significant overlap with the executive leadership of the Portland Metro Chamber (formerly the Portland Business Alliance).

A large chunk of funding for the Metro Chamber’s leadership staff comes from a lucrative contract to oversee the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe ESD.

That means a private group that lobbies the city on behalf of private business interests is being paid millions in public money to oversee a service district that includes a large swath of its own dues-paying members. The downtown district also includes several government agencies and properties that pay into the ESD—including Portland City Hall. Moreover, community groups say the contract and service delivery model are convoluted at best, with next to no oversight from the city.

The letter’s signatories say the petition for district expansion, and the accompanying contract renewal “raises serious concerns related to affordability, efficient use of public resources, accountability, and transparency.”

“The City contracts with Clean & Safe, which subcontracts with other organizations to carry out cleaning and safety services. Yet the executive director of Clean & Safe is simultaneously an employee of the Portland Business Alliance, which is also a subcontractor of Clean & Safe,” the open letter to Council states. “Unclear lines of oversight make it difficult for ratepayers or the public to hold anyone accountable. Even more concerning, the contract allocates significant overhead to the Portland Business Alliance, the city’s most active lobbying organization.”

It's a contract that mystifies everyone from accountants, to ratepayers, and even auditors. 

A 2020 city audit of Portland's ESDs found "little oversight" of the privately funded public service districts and noted "complicated governance and management systems" that obfuscate public access to basic information such as budgets and subcontracts.

Not long after the city audit, a local business executive spoke out about the questionable business arrangement baked into the Clean & Safe contract. When she did, she was allegedly threatened with a lawsuit from the Portland Business Alliance.

Since then, other local government watchdogs have taken note, but gotten little traction with city leadership.

“I think this council has an ethical responsibility to answer all these questions for the voters, or wait,” Diane Goodwin, a member of local political advocacy group Portland For All, says.

It's unclear what Clean & Safe's latest budget includes. A 2021 budget calculated total expenses at around $5 million, including about $858,000 in salaries. Exactly what portion of staff is covered in those salary expenses is murky. Both the Metro Chamber and Downtown Clean & Safe share staff. In fact, the Chamber's CEO and president, Andrew Hoan, is also the CEO and president of Downtown Clean & Safe. The 2021 budget shows $243,000 in "shared administration" salary costs. 

Tax documents from 2022 show Hoan drew a $333,000 salary from the Chamber that year. The two organizations also share an executive assistant and an advocacy coordinator. Clean & Safe's operations director and executive director are also listed as part of the Chamber's staff. The Clean & Safe executive director drew a $154,000 salary from the Chamber that same year.

Businesses and commercial property owners in the district overwhelmingly support the expansion, saying the frequent cleaning and beefed up security have improved downtown Portland and made it safer for workers and visitors.

“We want our associates to feel safe coming into work,” Kelly Mullen, president of Portland’s Safeway and Albertsons division, told the Council on October 31 during its initial consideration of the contract and ESD expansion. Mullen said recently, the Safeway location at 10th and Jefferson has had to reduce store hours and close off an entrance, to improve safety at the grocery store.

“We want to be part of the solution and really make our community thrive,” Mullen said.

The council also heard from the principal of a private school advocating for the district expansion so her students and staff could receive extra security and clean-up around the campus.

One element of Downtown Clean & Safe that’s lauded by nearly every district member, even critics, is the Clean Start program, run by Central City Concern. The program offers janitorial jobs cleaning city streets to people transitioning out of homelessness. For many, it offers a fresh start and a path toward self-sufficiency. 

City staff and Clean & Safe reps say the expanded district and new proposed rate structures will offer more transparency, reasonable fee calculations, inflation adjustments, and a cap on rates for condo owners. Several residential ratepayers say the whole Clean & Safe arrangement leaves them with more questions than services received. 

John Pumphrey owns a condominium in the downtown district. He and other condo owners say the services they pay for are often duplicative of private security and janitorial services they already pay for through their homeowners association. They also say the services serve mainly to benefit businesses, not residents.

“I’m a condo owner in downtown Portland and our building pays $24,000 a year to Clean & Safe and for this, [we] receive next to nothing,” Pumphrey told the Council, asking them to vote against the contract renewal. “What’s really irritating to some of us about Clean & Safe is that 50 percent of what we contribute … is skimmed off the top by the Portland Metro Chamber.”

Pumphrey isn’t the only one critical of the unusually high compensation provided to Portland Metro Chamber staff from the Downtown Clean & Safe contract.

The open letter to City Council also makes mention of the compensation arrangement, asserting the Clean & Safe contract “pays nearly 50 percent of Business Alliance executive salaries in addition to up to 30% in administrative overhead.”

“Many of these executives appear in City lobbying records and in state filings for PACs that advocate for private business interests, often directly in conflict with the will of the voting public,” the letter reads. “It is inappropriate to use public resources to offset the cost of business lobbying.”

Devin Reynolds, the city's ESD coordinator, said the arrangement between the Metro Chamber and Dowtown Clean & Safe isn't an anomaly.

“Having an ESD contract with a third party to fulfill some, or all their service areas is indeed common across business improvement districts, business improvement areas, and enhanced services districts,” Reynolds told the Mercury earlier this year.

Commonplace or not, some downtown ESD ratepayers say they’ve been cut off from any meaningful participation in their district’s oversight or decisions.

Anita Davidson, a condo owner in the downtown district, told the Mercury that for years, condo owners have had no representation in district leadership, and there is little to no transparency around operational decisions.

“As residential people, we don’t feel we belong there. We don't have a vote in who runs Clean & Safe,” she said. “We can’t even join Portland Metro Chamber, because it's for businesses. I’d like to see Clean & Safe become a public nonprofit. That would solve a lot of things. I still have to make a public records request [just] to see their budget.”

In an effort to appease homeowners, the new contract includes a fee cap on residential units. It’s a nice accommodation, but homeowners in the industry-dominated district say what they really want is a way to opt out.

There currently is no mechanism to do that, and the process for annexing additional property into an ESD doesn’t require a vote from affected property owners. It’s left up to City Council to approve. Current standards only require the city to notify affected property owners by mail and hold public hearings where they can chime in. 

“Unfortunately for ratepayers, the city has not yet, after 30 years, adopted standards for formation, renewal, or expansion of the ESDs,” Davidson told Council. “At some point, we hope and expect that this will happen, although listening tonight, it sounds like it's an all-in-one thing.”

Other district members say they disagree with their tax revenue being used to initiate homeless sweeps, and pay for increased police presence.

That’s especially true in the case of Sisters of the Road, a homeless services nonprofit and member of the Downtown Portland Clean & Safe district.

“From 2016-2020, unhoused residents accounted for over half of arrests made in Portland. Their charges were primarily nonviolent, survival crimes. That same data showed that people are 20 times more likely to experience criminalization in Downtown Clean & Safe versus other areas of the city,” Lauren Armony, program director at Sisters of the Road, told the city in written testimony earlier this year. “Hyper-surveillance has not made our neighborhood any healthier or safer, but further entrenched vulnerable individuals in the cycle of incarceration and poverty.”

Organizations like Sisters of the Road say they're irked that the ESD funnels its members’ taxes into the Metro Chamber, which has powerful influence over city politics and often advocates against the city’s vulnerable, unhoused residents–the same population Sisters of the Road is trying to help. 

The Clean & Safe contract and district expansion are currently scheduled for a second reading and vote by Portland City Council on Wednesday.