Has Portland moved the needle on fentanyl?

Dark Money Group Spends Big in Portland

Outside money is pouring into the 3rd Congressional District’s Democratic primary: A political action committee, which has yet to disclose its donors, has spent $1 million opposing former Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal. At the same time, the nonprofit news outlet The Intercept reported allegations that another outside group was acting on behalf of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (commonly known as AIPAC) in spending $1.7 million to support state Rep. Maxine Dexter. (Jayapal has called for a ceasefire in Gaza. Dexter has not.) [Oregonian]

Police Car Arson Earns Notable Rebuke

A group calling themselves “Rachel Corrie’s Ghost Brigade” claimed responsibility for burning 17 Portland police cars last week. The group took the name of an American activist from Olympia, Wash., who was killed in 2003 while protesting in Gaza. But her father said his daughter would never have supported them: “It’s just wrong. They’ve co-opted Rachel’s name.” [KOIN]

Nearly a Third of Households Are Just One Person

In all, 29% of Oregon households consist of people living alone. That’s more than half a million Oregonians and is in line with a national trend. Solo living is most common among people aged 75 and over. [Oregonian 🔒]

Calling for Help — but Not From Police

As part of his City Cast Portland podcast appearance, Blanchet House executive director Scott Kerman explains the value of Portland Street Response, the city team that responds to mental health crises on the streets. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

A reminder of how this scavenger hunt segment works: I share a photo on Wednesdays and ask if you know its location, with unofficial bonus points for the history or personal anecdotes at the location.

Please be sure to email in your name if you’d like to be included in the shoutout next week of the first 10 readers to respond with the correct answer.

The last scavenger hunt featured this photo:

Believe it or not! Tiny Digs Hotel, on Northeast Glisan Street, is not the only tiny home hotel Portland has ever had. (The TV show, “Portlandia” filmed a skit on location at Caravan, which has since closed.) Tiny Digs remains open and has a dozen different tiny homes, each with its own unique design.

A shoutout to the readers who identified the Tiny Digs hotel: Phil Hochstetler, Jim Heffernan, Nanci Courtney, Vanessa Mario, Veronica, and Ellen Lentz Waldstein.

For this week, here’s a classic mural:

Where oh where is this cute little toga-wearing hippo — and the big old close-up of the mammal’s face? Do you know? Email me your answer.

Is Life Getting Better on Portland’s Roughest Streets?

In the last year, Portland’s had alternative shelters spring up, a 90-day fentanyl emergency declared, Measure 110 rolled back, and a ton of money funneled into new affordable housing. But are any of these things changing the day-to-day on city streets? Blanchet House executive director Scott Kerman offers his ground-level perspective on the state of homelessness, addiction, and behavioral health.