Murmurs: Former Journalist Charged With Bias Crimes

FORMER JOURNALIST CHARGED WITH BIAS CRIMES: A former freelance journalist has been charged with five felonies and five bias crimes after an alleged spree of vandalism against Portland houses of worship. Michael Bivins, 34, allegedly scrawled “Die Juden” on the wall of Congregation Beth Israel on May 2, set fire to the Muslim Community Center of Portland while people were inside the building May 3, and smashed a window of Black-owned restaurant Everybody Eats on May 1, among several other incidents. Bivins allegedly confessed to a Fox 12 reporter May 4 that he had desecrated the Jewish temple and set fire to the mosque, describing his dislike of religion and Jews in particular. From 2017 to 2019, Bivins was a freelance journalist and videographer who covered street protests for news outlets that included WW. A court document says Bivins has been unemployed and homeless for the past six months, sleeping on the streets and at his mother’s home. On May 9, a judge set bail at $45,000 and ordered Bivins to remain at least 150 feet away from three houses of worship. His public defender declined to comment.

CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE STARTS UNION DRIVE AT INTEL: In what could become Oregon’s most significant unionization drive in decades, congressional candidate (and Intel engineer) Matt West plans to announce at a March 11 press conference an effort to create a union for Intel’s semiconductor engineers. West has been working with the Communication Workers of America on the effort. “For far too long, Intel has used and abused its workforce,” West said in a statement. “It’s time to fight back.…We call on President Biden to be true to his word by ensuring that Intel continues to receive federal contracts only if it agrees to this neutrality agreement. Together, we can begin to transform Intel, manufacturing, and American labor relations.” West also called on Intel not to fight the unionization drive. Intel representatives did not respond to requests for comment. West is one of the six leading Democrats seeking to be the party’s nominee for Oregon’s new, 6th Congressional District.

SEX TRADE OPPONENTS EMERGE: On May 5, Aaron Boonshoft, the wealthy Portland investor seeking to decriminalize sex work in Oregon, withdrew his initiative petition, ending his effort to strike prostitution statutes from state law this year. A day later, a national anti-sex trafficking group debuted on the Oregon stage, celebrating the campaign’s demise and pledging to oppose similar ballot measures in future. World Without Exploitation is a New York-based nonprofit that has previously opposed efforts to decriminalize sex work in Rhode Island and Vermont. National director Lauren Hersh tells WW her group coordinated with local advocates and the Portland law firm Harrang Long Gary Rudnick PC to challenge the initiative’s draft ballot title with the Oregon secretary of state. That challenge makes clear the group’s objection: The initiative would have legalized the purchase of sex, as well as third-party facilitation. “We never want to see criminal penalties for people sold in the sex trade,” Hersh says. “But we want to see pimps, brothel owners and sex buyers held responsible for the devastating harm they cause.” Amy Ruiz, a political strategist assisting the Initiative Petition 51 campaign, says it ran out of time to gather signatures. “While this measure has been withdrawn for 2022,” Ruiz adds, “Mr. Boonshoft remains fully committed to the sex worker-led decriminalization movement.”

COVID SURGES IN PORTLAND REGION: Multnomah County again leads the state in highest number of COVID-19 cases per capita as the state faces an increase in infections. The county saw 297.5 cases per 100,000 people in the week of May 1-7, according to Oregon Health Authority data. That’s the highest rate since the Omicron wave began to abate in early February. In the state’s outbreak report last week, 16 Oregon workplaces had ongoing outbreaks of five or more cases; 12 were in Multnomah County, including four Amazon sites, six New Seasons, North Portland’s Ecliptic Brewing, and Legacy Good Samaritan in Northwest. “We are seeing cases and hospitalizations starting to increase, and that was expected,” said Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA, in a May 4 statement. “COVID-19 continues to be transmitted at high levels in Oregon. If you’re in large groups, sooner or later you’ll be exposed.”