The A and B Loop is a streetcar circle route of the Portland Streetcar system in Portland, Oregon, United States. Operated by Portland Streetcar, Inc. and TriMet, it consists of two services within the Central City that travel a loop between the east and west sides of the Willamette River by crossing the Broadway Bridge (pictured) in the north and Tilikum Crossing in the south. The services connect Portland's downtown, Pearl District, Lloyd District, Central Eastside, and South Waterfront. Portland city officials considered an eastside streetcar extension upon authorizing the Central City Streetcar project in 1997. After several years of planning, the Portland Streetcar Loop Project was approved and held its groundbreaking in 2009. It opened between the Broadway Bridge and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry on September 22, 2012. The opening of Tilikum Crossing in 2015 further extended its tracks from the museum to the South Waterfront and completed the loop.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_and_B_Loop

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1869:

Das Rheingold, the first of four operas in Der Ring des Nibelungen by the German composer Richard Wagner, was first performed in Munich. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Rheingold

1934:

One of Britain's worst mining accidents took place when an explosion at Gresford Colliery in Wales killed 266 men. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gresford_disaster

1979:

An American Vela satellite detected an unidentified flash of light near the Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, thought to be a nuclear weapons test. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vela_incident

1994:

The Nordhordland Bridge, crossing Salhusfjorden between Klauvaneset and Flatøy in Vestland, and Norway's second-longest bridge, officially opened. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordhordland_Bridge

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

alexipharmic: 1. (pharmacology, chiefly archaic or historical) Synonym of alexipharmac (“of or pertaining to an alexipharmac; also, acting as an alexipharmac by protecting against or warding off the ill effects of a harmful substance, especially a poison or venom”) 2. (pharmacology, chiefly archaic or historical, also figuratively) Synonym of alexipharmac (“a medical remedy for protecting the body, or an antidote, against harmful substances, especially a poison or venom (specifically, that of a snake)”); an antidote. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/alexipharmic

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Let us speak plainly. A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council invaded its neighbor, attempted to erase a sovereign state from the map. Russia has shamelessly violated the core tenets of the United Nations Charter … the clear prohibition against countries taking the territory of their neighbor by force. Again, just today, President Putin has made overt nuclear threats against Europe and a reckless disregard for the responsibilities of the non-proliferation regime. Now Russia is … calling up more soldiers to join the fight. And the Kremlin is organizing a sham referenda to try to annex parts of Ukraine, an extremely significant violation of the U.N. Charter. This world should see these outrageous acts for what they are. Putin claims he had to act because Russia was threatened. But no one threatened Russia, and no one other than Russia sought conflict. … Putin’s own words make his true purpose unmistakable. Just before he invaded, Putin asserted — and I quote — Ukraine was "created by Russia" and never had, quote, "real statehood." … This war is about extinguishing Ukraine’s right to exist as a state, plain and simple, and Ukraine’s right to exist as a people. Whoever you are, wherever you live, whatever you believe … that should make your blood run cold. That’s why 141 nations in the General Assembly came together to unequivocally condemn Russia’s war against Ukraine. … We chose principles to which every party to the United Nations Charter is beholding. We stood with Ukraine.   --Joe Biden https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Joe_Biden