I'm continuing to write up short summary articles on the economics of stadiums. My latest contribution presents trends in stadium construction costs and public subsidies.
How Much Do Sports Stadiums Cost? US Stadium Construction Costs and Public Subsidies
Current estimates of the construction costs and public subsidies associated with US professional sports stadiums, including historical trends, public financing, and inflation-adjusted totals.
jcbradbury.com
At least 4 journalists are being dragged to court in Newark, NJ, TOMORROW following their arrests while covering protests at Delaney Hall. YOU CAN HELP: Use this form to tell prosecutors they must drop all charges. It takes 1 minute. Supporting democracy has never been this quick, free and easy...
📣 Take Action: Drop criminal charges against journalists in Newark
Make an impact with guided actions from Freedom of The Press Foundation.
freedom.press
"Do you think the US is providing (X) amount of military aid to Israel?" Too Much: 52% The Right Amount: 32% Not Enough: 16% Marquette / July 29, 2026
Appealing to our better angels just isn't enough, apparently.
kanchan@kayehm.bsky.social · 2h agoA UK study found that telling potential SUV buyers that those vehicles directly result in higher fatalities for pedestrians, cyclists and children had zero effect on their decision to buy them. What does work? Financial penalties: Increased fees, taxes, parking. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
For uneducated Americans only (because almost everyone else in the world knows this already): "Inshallah" is not a Muslim phrase. Inshallah is an Arabic phrase. Christians that speak Arabic, say inshallah. "Allah" is how you say God in Arabic. "Inshallah" is how you say "God willing" in Arabic.
NEW: Police in Wisconsin used Flock to determine that a man “travels to Michigan frequently,” where marijuana is legal, then back to Wisconsin, where it is illegal. They then used his travel across state lines as tracked by Flock as part of the probable cause justification to search his car.
Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines to Create Pretext to Search His Car for Weed
"The vehicle travels to Michigan frequently which is a known source state for marijuana as it is legal there," a probable cause justification reads.
404media.co
Serial harasser and racist Brian Owendoff speaking in favor of the Blazers billionaire bailout and harming the cause of the Blazers by publicly showing his alignment lol
A 26-year-old man is suing the police department and the two officers involved in his 2025 arrest, alleging excessive force was used that left him with injuries. He is seeking more than $1 million in damages.
Man sues Eugene Police Department, officers for excessive force after being punched, tased in 2025 arrest
The plaintiff is accusing the officers of battery, negligence and excessive force. He claims he suffered bruising, electrical burns and a traumatic brain injury from the incident.
opb.org
Did some modeling at the dais to show you what would happens if we pass my amendment: we’d generate free cash flow from the current encumbrances of Moda fees net of debt service on a $120MM bond issuance. No PCEF $, no general fund obligation and reduced public contribution by 2/3rds
Mitch Green@councilorgreen.bsky.social · 4h agoWe’re hearing testimony on the Moda term sheet today. I have filed an amendment that seeks to do two broad things: 1. empower the Joint Authority to limit expenditure public funds in the public interest with transparency and accountability 2. Reduce City’s commitment from $400M -> $120MM
We need to give land away so private developers can build affordable housing near Moda! Or, just hear me out, we could build permanently affordable, rent-controlled social housing on public land without having to grease palms along the way.
the testimony about how we need public money to go into private hands so then the private sector can give to philanthropic organizations / non-profits was actually the clearest explanation of the rot of neoliberalism I've ever heard. The government should just fund public services & employ people.
I don’t buy that excuse from them. They got this deal done during the short session which was a full year after the new council was set. Keith Wilson was beaming as he walked through the building working on this deal, all the while keeping his colleagues in the dark.
The beginning of this entire Moda Center city council meeting has been back-to-back corporate and institutional voices who were invited to speak first before the public. Seems like an embarrassing way to conduct a “democratic” process.
Kevin Foster@kevinhfoster.bsky.social · 3h agoI find it troubling that in what’s supposed to be a democratic process, we’ve “invited” the perspectives of institutions supporting using taxpayer dollars for a renovation, allowing them to frame the entire conversation from the beginning while the public has to wait their turn.
If Portland rolls over for Dundon, it's bad for every stadium negotiation for every city in this country. Can't believe we are even having conversations about taking on the entire cost of this renovation in our city
“Four Oregon Democratic lawmakers, and two hopefuls, are calling for a three-year moratorium on new data centers in the state in response to growing public concern over energy and water demand, farmland loss, tax fairness and community benefits[.]” Reporting from @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social
Democratic lawmakers propose three-year moratorium on new large data centers in Oregon • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon would join 15 other states that have proposed data center pauses in the last year.
oregoncapitalchronicle.com
Waking up with a bloody nose because of the smoke yaaaasss!!! Love climate change!!!!! Let’s use PCEF for a billionaire’s whims!!!!!
Recent history suggests the team could pay upwards of $850 million, or more, to leave Portland, though the league could reduce the fee. https://mrf.lu/2ZKlq
Kate Lieber telling people that the legislature didn't even consider the need for private investment is the clearest tell that the fix was in
Nick@ecosozialismus.bsky.social · 3h agothe sports Oregon guy saying this is a "process none of us asked for" is pretty cynical. Actually, the corporate insiders absolutely wanted this process. They coordinated it during "Project Mt. Hood". They just thought it was going to get the hundreds of millions out without friction.
Today we are holding a public hearing on the Moda Center Term Sheet. This is an opportunity for Portlanders to express that any public investment must be met with transparency, accountability, and a clear explanation of community benefits. www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD8e...
Portland City Council AM Session 08/05/26
YouTube video by eGov PDX
youtube.com
Remember folks, it’s always possible to actually stop and verify what you’re asserting before you post! It could save you from looking lazy and misleading.
Fact-checking El-Sayed’s 2024 ‘uncommitted’ stance in MI
A Super PAC ad said Abdul El-Sayed’s support for the 2024 uncommitted movement helped elect Donald Trump. That overstates the movement’s impact on the race and omits that El-Sayed endorsed Kamala Harr...
politifact.com
Delta Nupe@itsnotuitsme1911.bsky.social · 13h agoEl-Sayed won. I’m urging Black Detroiters to STAY HOME and be “uncommitted’ like El-Sayed was for Kamala Harris during the general election. Dearborn voted for TRUMP instead of the Black Lady. I’m encouraging Black Detroit to vote for Jill Stein or Trump , like the Arabs in Dearborn did in 24!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbYfrG910JM&t=19s Blazers conversation starts at 00:00:19. Video link timestamped.
Leaked Trail Blazers Email Report
YouTube video by Rip City Radio
youtube.com
2/3rds of Oregonians support a statewide data center moratorium that a bunch of our electeds and candidates called for yesterday. www.oregonlive.com/silicon-fore...
Haley Stevens had the backing of the Party establishment, AIPAC, and $60 million. She outspent Abdul El-Sayed 9 to 1. Dr El-Sayed overcame all that and host of conservative boomer Dems to become the nominee. And #Michigan hasn’t elected a Republican US Senator since 1994.
"Platner’s first deployment, in early 2005, began at the Abu Ghraib prison complex, part of which the military had rechristened Camp Redemption." missed that detail the first time around!
Rick Perlstein@rickperlstein.bsky.social · 5d agoA watershed piece. America will have have a very hard time becoming less imperialist as long as combat service is sentimentalized and fetishized, when it actually tends to turn men into broken, hateful people, and helps make things like like Trumpism happen. www.newyorker.com/news/the-pol...
the DCCC lost its mind trying to stop progressive Will Lawrence in MI-07. he is close to a majority in Eaton, which should not be his best county
Nationalize oil firms, then run them into oblivion as we transfer to 100% renewables. www.theguardian.com/business/ng-...
Revealed: major oil firms make $93bn profits amid war and climate crisis
Iran conflict windfall over three months reignites calls for companies ‘cashing in on human misery’ to pay for environmental damage
theguardian.com
A ballot initiative that sought to direct 25 percent of Portland’s Clean Energy Fund toward hiring additional police officers failed to gather enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Enhanced Community Safety Initiative Won't Qualify For November Ballot - Portland Mercury
A ballot initiative that sought to direct 25 percent of Portland’s Clean Energy Fund toward hiring additional police officers failed to gather enough valid signatures to qualify for the November ballo...
portlandmercury.com
Republican power grabs in Kansas and Missouri are going down in flames with 18-25% of votes reported so far. Missouri's Amendment 4 aimed to make citizen-initiated constitutional amendments practically impossible. Kansas' Amendment 1 was designed to flip the state Supreme Court to ban abortion
