🌎 Is Nike nixing its climate goals?

Nike Lays Off Sustainability Staff

Nike pledged to cut its carbon footprint 30% by 2030 but has reduced its emissions only by 1.6%. Now there’s a new obstacle to its green goals. The company cut its sustainability workforce; 20% were laid off and another 10% left or had their jobs reassigned. [Oregonian]

• Noteworthy competition: “Germany-based Puma…has reduced its carbon footprint by almost a third while more than doubling revenues since 2017,” the Oregonian reports.

Former County Commissioner Loretta Smith for City Council

There’s a notable new candidate for Portland City Council: Loretta Smith is the only former Multnomah County commissioner in the running as well as one of just a few former elected officials. Smith is vying to represent District 1, which covers East Portland. [OPB]

I-84 Closed on Sunday Till Noon

A massive graffiti removal project is planned for the nearly five-mile stretch of I-84 between I-205 and I-5. The freeway will close to traffic (in both directions) beginning at 11 p.m. on Saturday night through Sunday morning at noon. Also, northbound traffic on I-5 will be diverted to I-405 for graffiti removal on the Marquam Bridge. [Oregonian]

Heat Killed 14 Oregonians

The mercury is no longer spiking to 100 degrees, but the record-breaking heat wave appears to have proved deadly for at least 14 Oregonians, including six who died in Multnomah County since Friday. [OPB]

Our scavenger hunt segment is back after a holiday recess — and has now officially moved to Fridays. A quick reminder of how this works: I share a photo and ask if you know its location, with unofficial bonus points for the history or personal anecdotes from the location.

Please be sure to reply with 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 a closeup of the sculpture shown here in the background:

The Portland Immigrant Statue stands at the entrance to the Parkrose neighborhood, which at least one reader noticed for the first time on the way to Costco.

“Right by the Parkrose pioneer cemetery, at the junction of Sandy & Killingsworth and the on-ramp to 205 North, it was unveiled in 2011, celebrating Parkrose’s centennial,” reader Kathy Robinson writes.

“It was defaced during the pandemic - someone put paint all over it. It’s back to its original glow,” adds reader Meg.

“I think since he's facing the airport, he must be on his way somewhere,” writes reader Miriana.

A shoutout to them and the other readers who wrote in with the answer: Chris Namon, Karen, Nicolette Bradford, Marilyn Nave, Jack Callahan, Kandi Larson, Yvonne Cipressi, Cynthia Lott, and Paul Diener.

In honor of summer, here’s this week’s photo:

Where’s this beach? Do you know its location? When have you been?

(Note: Our food & drink segment will run on Mondays roughly every other week, but also I’ll be featuring more food news on a regular basis.)

Long Hot Waits for the MAX, a Lloyd Center Music Venue, and a Massive Grocery Merger

On the Friday news round, do you know why you have to wait even longer for a MAX ride when it’s hot out? Plus, there’s a new plan for the Lloyd Center but also a potential merger that might bring big changes to your local grocery store. BikePortland publisher and editor Jonathan Maus joins City Cast Portland host Claudia Meza and executive producer John Notarianni to discuss this week in Portland news.