• The Eugene Emeralds kick off their 70th season April 9 against the Tri-City Dust Devils, with “Wild Weenie Wednesday,” but it’s the April 10 game against that team, “Sportsball Night,” that brings us joy. Because, well, sportsball! KLCC reports that the clock is ticking for the Ems after voters rejected funding a new stadium in Eugene last year. Medford is currently on the list for new locales, the radio station said.

• Also in this week’s edition of, “Here, let EW put it in newsprint for you,” The Register-Guard reports on the three half-million dollar homes in the Moon Mountain neighborhood that are sliding down the hill. In perkier news, KMTR has the story on South Eugene High School grad Simon Longnight who returned to Eugene this week to appear in Hamilton at the Hult Center. And everyone is reporting that the University of Oregon United Academics has tentatively reached an agreement with the UO and the strike was averted pending a ratification vote by the union. 

• “If America hasn’t broken your heart, you don’t love her enough,” said Sen. Cory Booker at the 19-hour mark of his Senate speech against the Trump administration. The New Jersey Democrat took to the Senate floor 7 pm Eastern Monday, March 31, and spoke for a record-breaking 25 hours and 5 minutes. He beat the previous record of 24 hours and 18 minutes that was set by Strom Thurmond with a filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957. “Maybe my ego got too caught up, that maybe, maybe, just maybe I could break this record of the man who tried to stop the rights upon which I stand,” Booker said as he broke Thurmond’s record. “I’m not here, though, because of a speech. I’m here despite his speech.” True story: While mayor of Newark, Booker once carried a woman out of a burning building. 

• The U.S. is no longer sliding toward extremism. We’ve arrived, and Americans now live in a fascist dictatorship run by a mobster wannabe and his puppet masters. One bright light, though, is 26-year-old social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh, who decided to take on a longtime Dem incumbent to represent Illinois’ 9th Congressional District. “What if we didn’t suck?” the rookie politico asked in announcing her candidacy last week, and raised $275,000 in campaign contributions in three days. Kat Abu, as she’s known online, says Democratic lawmakers should have linked arms to block Elon Musk from even entering the Treasury Department in his campaign to destroy social programs that help people. Anyone else out there have a spine?

• South Eugene has enjoyed the benefits of the new Y this year, and now Eugene Family YMCA is looking to bring facilities and programs to the north side of town. The Y announced that on Wednesday, March 12, it “entered into an option agreement with Lane Transit District to explore the purchase of a 4.83-acre property at the corner of River Road and Hunsaker Lane for $4.05 million.” The new Y would be built next to LTD’s Santa Clara Station aligning with “Eugene’s approach to creating spaces with access to climate-friendly mobility options,” LTD says.