🪩 Portland’s best dance nights

🍺 Oregon’s Brewing Industry is Crafting a Comeback

Oregon’s craft brewing industry had a rough 2023, a year marred by declining sales and more than 20 breweries closing across the state. It’s part of changing consumer preferences across the country since the COVID-19 pandemic. A newly formed Task Force on Alcohol Pricing and Addiction Services in Oregon is set to address issues like addiction, treatment funding, and the contentious proposal of higher taxes on beer and wine, vehemently opposed by industry representatives. [Willamette Week]

• Next round’s on us: Get to Know These Portland Brewers [City Cast Portland 🎧]

🧑‍⚖️ Boeing Class Action Lawsuit

A Seattle law firm filed a suit against Boeing on behalf of passengers onboard the Alaskan Airlines flight that had to make an emergency return to PDX after losing a door mid-flight. The suit includes firsthand testimony from several passengers detailing a traumatic experience. If successful in their claim, the amount of damages would be decided during trial. [KOIN]

💰 Shelters in Need of Additional Funds

The state’s housing authority is urgently asking lawmakers for $24.6 million to help keep shelters open through 2025. That’s in addition to the $24.1 million that was earmarked for shelter operations in 2023. [KATU]

• ➡️ Gov. Tina Kotek has said she plans to ask lawmakers for $65 million to fund homeless shelters (as part of a new $600 million dollar housing package) during next month’s short legislative session. [Oregon Capital Chronicle]
• Related: The Simple Reason for Portland's Homelessness Crisis [City Cast Portland 🎧]

🪩 Dance the Winter Blues Away

Whether you want to dance to 60s soul music played exclusively on 7-inch records or learn bachata with strangers, Portland’s got you covered. We compiled the best places to go dancing in Portland. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Leafing through comic books at Books with Pictures, we began to wonder: Which comic book villain is the “most Portland?” We posed the question to owner Katie Pride and, after a long hushed silence, she shared her answer.

“There's a little Rolodex making noise, you just can't hear it because it's inside my head. I’m gonna go with Paste Pot Pete, because I do love good paste-up graffiti. I think Portland has some very good paste-up artists. Paste Pot Pete has the goo you need to do your street art. He’s also a very sticky villain, and I feel like Portland these days has some very sticky problems.”

Who is Paste Pot Pete?

Paste Pot Pete is a very early Marvel superhero comics villain, and he is, as you might imagine, a villain with a pot of paste, with which he menaces society, obviously.

A very Portland villain, indeed. Do you disagree? Who’s your pick for the most Portland comic book villain? If you need inspiration, here’s our list of recommended comic book reads.

Portland's Best Dance Nights, from Country Two-Step to Post-Punk Moshing

Portland’s dance scene is a lot like our city — friendly, welcoming, and weird in a good way. Whether you want to dance to 60s soul music played exclusively on 7-inch records or learn bachata with strangers, Portland’s got you covered. Our producer Giulia Fiaoni has spent a lot of time tracking down the best places to dance in town. She’s sharing her top picks and tips on how to make the most out of a night out.