Texas Pacific Group's plot for electrical dominion is one step closer to reality. No one stepped forward to challenge the Lone Star State investment outfit's bid to take over Portland General Electric before last week's deadline. And when the time comes to defend the sale against the City of Portland's expected attacks, TPG can count on Ater Wynne--the very law firm that until recently represented the city in the same matter. Muah hah hah....

The Children's Receiving Center, a county facility that temporarily houses imperiled kids, received a badly needed $250,000 grant from the feds last week. Opened last year, the facility was built without a source of funds; the new grant will pay for about six months of operations.

Pro-choice advocates celebrated when a Portland appeals-court judge upheld $108.5 million in damages against a website that targeted abortion providers online with Old West-style "wanted" posters.

LOSERS

G-men at Portland International Airport turned red Saturday after detaining several suspicious Arabic-speakers. Turns out the men were actually members of the Moroccan parliament, on an educational tour of the United States. The Moroccans, who also speak French, needed no translation for "faux pas."

The Oregon Republican Party is bracing for a bleak November, at least where statewide races are concerned. Despite formidable strength in the Legislature, the state GOP is scrambling to unearth viable candidates for this fall's prime-time contests. (Apparently Karl Rove lost the key to the Secret Crypt.)

Randy Ray Richardson, who made his name both as a talented Multnomah County prosecutor and a highflying defense attorney, continues his tour of the legal system: On trial for tampering with evidence and witnesses in a gang-shooting case, Richardson watched his former co-defendant strike a deal this week to cooperate with prosecutors.

The deal that keeps on giving provided Mayor Vera Katz with another headache last week. Big Game Capital, the Ohio company that had agreed to take over operations of PGE Park, walked away from the deal with little explanation. That leaves the city just a few months to sort out the beleaguered downtown ballpark before the resident baseball and soccer teams are supposed to open '04 play.