There's something about being in an outpost like Portland, Oregon, that makes one almost immune to both fame and scandal. Maybe that's what explains why the Acela Corridor crowd has largely ignored the bizarre stories coming out of Oregon this week about Mitt Romney-endorsed Senate candidate Dr. Monica Wehby.

Where to begin? Let's start with the fact that a medical child-abuse case involving Dr. Wehby is set to begin on May 19 — the day before her primary. In the case, a woman is being accused of "harming her children with unnecessary medical procedures, several of which were performed by pediatric neurosurgeon and U.S. Senate candidate Monica Wehby." Putting aside questions of innocence or guilt, one can only suppose this is — at best — a major distraction.

Then there's the fact that Democrats are filing a complaint over a super PAC running ads attacking Wehby's GOP opponent. The problem? Wehby is reportedly romantically linked to a major funder of the group — raising questions about coordination.

Another large contributor to that same super PAC is a man named Loren Parks, who was recently profiled in a Mother Jones post titled, "Meet the Sex Hypnotherapist Helping the GOP Retake the Senate." (Need I say more?)

Now, it wouldn't be surprising for Wehby's GOP opponent to be pushing all these storylines. But it seems unlikely this is coming from him. It's probably more a combination of tough timing and Democrats trying to take out the candidate they fear most before November.

Regardless, I'm stunned that these stories haven't gained more national attention. This might all be much ado about nothing, but it's all still weird. Wehby is just lucky she doesn't live in New York. Matt K. Lewis

The Colorado attorney general's office on Tuesday announced it has launched a civil rights investigation into the Aurora Police Department's "patterns and practices," following several high-profile cases of alleged excessive force and misconduct.

This review began several weeks ago, a spokesperson said, and is separate from an investigation into the 2019 death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain, an unarmed Black man who died after officers used a chokehold on him. Earlier Tuesday, McClain's family filed a lawsuit against the Aurora Police Department and paramedics, who injected him with ketamine.

Last week, a video went viral showing Aurora officers holding a Black family at gunpoint, after they mistakenly thought the family was in a stolen car. As they all lie face down on the pavement, one of the children is heard sobbing and screaming, "I want my mother!" The department later apologized, and interim Chief of Police Vanessa Wilson said there will be a review of how officers are trained to conduct high-risk stops. Catherine Garcia

President Trump hasn't gotten over the way Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) grilled Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh during his 2018 Senate confirmation hearing, saying on Tuesday that she was "nasty to a level that was just horrible."

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden announced on Tuesday afternoon that he has selected Harris as his running mate, and Trump was asked about this during his evening coronavirus briefing. By picking Harris, Trump said, Biden is "handing over the reins to Kamala while they jointly embrace the radical left," and criticized her for supporting the expansion of Medicare.

Trump then brought up Harris' pointed questioning of Kavanaugh during his confirmation hearing. "She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing, the way she was, the way she treated now-Justice Kavanaugh," he said. "And I won't forget that soon." When asked if he thinks Harris will boost Biden's appeal to voters, Trump responded, "Well, I like Vice President Mike Pence much better, he is solid as a rock. I will take him over Kamala and the horrible way she again treated Justice Kavanaugh. That was a horrible event. I thought it was terrible for her. I thought it was terrible for our nation. I thought she was the meanest, the most horrible, the most disrespectful of anybody in the U.S. Senate." Catherine Garcia

President Trump's campaign may be calling her "Phony Kamala" now, but Trump once liked Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) enough to twice donate to her re-election campaign for California attorney general.

The Sacramento Bee first reported the donations in 2019, but they are receiving renewed interest now that former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has chosen Harris to be his running mate.

Before she became a senator, Harris was attorney general of California; she was first elected in 2010, and was re-elected four years later. Trump made two donations to Harris' re-election campaign — $5,000 in 2011 and $1,000 in 2013. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, also gave Harris $2,000 in 2014.

A spokesperson for Harris' campaign previously told McClatchy that in 2015, Harris donated the $6,000 she received from Trump to a nonprofit organization that advocates for civil and human rights for Central Americans. Catherine Garcia

History has its eyes on Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) — in more ways than one.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced Harris as his pick to hold the position he once held under former president Barack Obama on Tuesday.

The former California attorney general is rightly being recognized as the first Black woman to sit on a major political party's national ticket, but the historic nature of Harris' position contains multitudes.

To start, Harris is the first person with Indian heritage to run on a national presidential ticket. Her late mother was born in India, and Harris has credited her maternal grandfather, a former Indian diplomat, with helping her to appreciate the "importance of democracy and a government that represents the people — all the people,” Politico reports.

Harris's nomination also marks the first time a major nominee has graduated from an HBCU, a.k.a Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986, receiving her B.A. after studying political science and economics.

Howard University president Wayne A.I. Frederick released a statement saying the senator's nomination "represents a milestone opportunity for our democracy to acknowledge the leadership Black women have always exhibited, but has too often been ignored.”

Harris went on to attend the University of California, Hastings where she received her J.D., making her the first person to sit on the Democratic ticket in over 35 years who did not attend an Ivy League school.

If Harris and Biden succeed in ousting President Trump from office, Harris will also hold the honor of being the first female and the first Asian American to be elected to national office, but we'll save that conversation for another day. Marianne Dodson

The old boss approves.

Former President Barack Obama on Tuesday said his old right hand man and the presumptive Democratic nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, "nailed" his running mate selection. Earlier in the day, Biden tapped Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) as his running mate in the race against President Trump, and Obama said he "couldn't be more thrilled," describing Harris as "an ideal partner" for Biden.

Not only has Obama known Harris for many years, he's been an active supporter of her political career for a while. Back in 2010, when Harris was running for California attorney general, she was the only down-ballot Democrat the then-president raised funds for, Politico reported at the time. Tim O'Donnell

There's a long way to go before California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has to seriously contemplate filling Sen. Kamala Harris' (D-Calif.) seat in the upper chamber. After all, the presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee, who was selected Tuesday as former Vice President Joe Biden's running mate, will need to be part of a victory in November's general election before her Senate seat actually opens. But that hasn't stopped some speculation about who could replace her.

One of the candidates people are talking about is Harris' fellow vice presidential contender, Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.), who has also been touted as a potential replacement for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) one day. Bass appears to have been seriously considered for the Biden ticket, but it seems unlikely that was her last chance to move into an even more prominent role.

A few other names have been floated as possible Harris replacements, including Bass' colleagues in the House, Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Katie Porter (D-Calif.). Tim O'Donnell