After more than a dozen rounds of deadlocked votes spanning the past week, the Portland City Council elected progressive Jamie Dunphy as its president yesterday.

Why it matters: The ideological split on the council — between the six-member progressive caucus, known as Peacock, and everyone else — had arguably never been more stark than during the electoral impasse.

• The division could be a harbinger for how the body decides on larger issues this year.

The latest: Dunphy was reluctantly nominated by Councilor Sameer Kanal, the preferred nominee of the progressive wing, after the stalemate appeared to be unbreakable.

• Kanal then took his name out of contention to clear the way for Dunphy to assume the presidency with nine votes.

What they're saying: "This is not something I've been seeking or that I am excited about," Dunphy said after he was nominated, noting he would step back from the progressive caucus and would not seek a second term when the next president is chosen in 2027.

• "I will use this role to distribute power, not collect it. I don't want this to be a yearly ritual of battle lines," he said. "We agree far more than we disagree."

Catch up quick: At their Jan. 7 meeting, Kanal and Elana Pirtle-Guiney, the incumbent, each garnered six votes through nine rounds of voting.

• The body was unable to break the deadlock and recessed after more than six hours of debate, which turned contentious and personal in the final hour.

The council reconvened the following day, but the meeting was abruptly adjourned after councilors received news that two people had been shot by federal immigration agents in East Portland.

• Several more rounds of voting produced no clear consensus on Wednesday — with several councilors describing the situation as a "crisis" — before Kanal nominated Dunphy.

Zoom in: As president, Dunphy said he'd like to see the number of committees cut and for the vice president to take a strong leadership role.

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Portland Public Schools board members approved a resolution this week to overhaul high school attendance boundaries in North and Northeast Portland, a major shift set to begin in fall 2027.

Why it matters: The policy effectively ends a 15-year "dual assignment" option that let many families decide whether to send their kids to Jefferson, Grant, Roosevelt or McDaniel high schools based on address.

• Officials have previously said the option led to steep enrollment drops at Jefferson, a historically Black high school in Albina. Meanwhile, getting rid of dual enrollment has drawn skepticism and pushback from parents who argue Jefferson may not be able to offer a wide range of academic programming.

The latest: Now, nearly all students from Harriet Tubman and Ockley Green middle schools, plus Vernon K-8 and Faubion PK-8, will be assigned to Jefferson.

• The shift will also funnel students from several nearby elementary schools — Beach, Chief Joseph, Boise-Eliot/Humboldt, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Sabin and Woodlawn schools — into Jefferson's attendance zone.
• Yes, but: Those attending Peninsula Elementary or Beach's Spanish dual-language immersion cohort will go to Roosevelt while those who attend Irvington Elementary will go to Grant.

Between the lines: Jefferson is slated to undergo a $465 million retrofit starting this spring, with a new building — featuring seismic upgrades, a new theater and improvements to the school's track and athletic field — expected to be completed in 2029.

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🕵🏼‍♀️ Lori Chavez-DeRemer — U.S. Labor Secretary and former congressional representative from Oregon's 5th District — is under investigation for alleged misconduct, per multiple media reports.

• The New York Post reported last week that Chavez-DeRemer allegedly had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate, spent taxpayer money on personal travel and drank alcohol during work hours. A White House spokesperson called the accusations baseless. (The Oregonian)

👀 Gov. Tina Kotek hired former state Sen. Tim Knopp — a Republican from Bend who led his caucus through the longest legislative walkout in state history — as her new chief prosperity officer. (Oregon Capital Chronicle)

🏈 Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore will return to Eugene for one more year with the team, rather than declaring for the NFL draft. (KGW)

🌭 Edelweiss Sausage & Delicatessen, tucked off Southeast Powell Boulevard near Southeast 12th Avenue, was named as one of the best German restaurants in the country by Tasting Table. (KOIN)

You may have to wait a bit if you're looking to borrow a copy of "Heated Rivalry" from the library.

Why it matters: The "gay hockey smut" book-turned-HBO-streaming-hit has exploded into a mega pop culture sensation, sending reader demand soaring.

Catch up quick: Rachel Reid's novel, which follows two professional male hockey players as they fall in love, came out in 2019.

• But the "Heated Rivalry" fandom has grown and gone nuts since the Crave and HBO drama dropped late last year.
• Now Reid's book — and the entire "Game Changers" queer, hockey romance series it's a part of — are in high demand.

By the numbers: As of yesterday, there were nearly 590 holds on 70 e-book copies of "Heated Rivalry" (estimated wait time: 17 weeks) and 110 holds on 33 physical copies that are on order, Multnomah County Library spokesperson Shawn Cunningham told Axios.

• Library card holders who prefer to listen to the audiobook, however, can enjoy it now thanks to the county's "always available" license agreement.
• There've been nearly 2,000 checkouts for the audiobook since December, Cunningham said, making it "the most checked out book in our digital collection by a wide margin ever since."

The bottom line: If you prefer to read your hockey smut on loan from the library, it might be awhile.

• Luckily, that's plenty of time to rewatch Season 1. Again.