🍔 Portland’s best fast food, according to ‘Simpsons’ writer Bill Oakley

New Poll Favors Camping Bans

As local leaders continue to wrestle with how to address homelessness, a new Oregonian poll found that 78% of metro area residents think the issue is still a “very serious problem.” 63% of respondents said local governments should “be allowed to ban people from camping in public spaces and fine or arrest anyone who refuses to leave.” Portland City Council is scheduled to vote on a revised camping ban later this week. [Oregonian]

• Related: A recent PSU report outlined the types of homeless shelters most effective at moving people into permanent housing [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Names of PSU Protest Arrestees Released

On Friday, Portland police released the names of 30 people arrested for occupying the library at Portland State University last week. They range from 18 to 60 years old; most were charged with Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree. Authorities said they were still looking for at least 18 additional protesters, who had fled the library over the course of the occupation. [KOIN]

Longer Wait Times for Unemployment Benefits

According to new federal data, Oregon’s employment department is still struggling to pay jobless claims in a timely fashion. This means that a third of Oregonians are having to wait three weeks or more to get their benefits. The most recent delays began last year, intensifying as the department implemented new software to process claims. While the department says they will be adding 200 hours of overtime a week to help speed things up, they won’t be able to hire more staff until August. [Oregonian]

• Related: Why even scammers don’t want to deal with Oregon’s unemployment benefits [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Breaking News: Portland Is Cloudy

I know this one might come as a shock to you: Portland ranked among the cloudiest cities in the country, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Woods. By averaging cities’ annual amount of solar radiation from 1991 to 2020, he found Portland ranked #7. The cloudiest city, by this ranking? Our neighbor to the north, Seattle, came in at #1. [KOIN]

• Related: How to cope with Portland’s gloomy winters [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Ranking Portland’s Best Burgers With Legendary ‘Simpsons’ Writer Bill Oakley

Television writer Bill Oakley is best known for his work on “The Simpsons,” but more recently, he’s made a name for himself locally too; in fact, you might even call him our resident fast food expert. With National Hamburger Day coming up on May 28, we reached out to Oakley to get his takes on Portland’s fast food scene — from vegan junk food to the best burgers — as well as his expert opinion on where Homer Simpson would dine in town.