Ive just come up with the biggest, most beautiful idea ever... FACE MASKS.
"I've just come up with the biggest, most beautiful idea ever... FACE MASKS." Courtesy Trump's stupid fucking Twitter account

Here's your daily roundup of all the latest local and national news. (Like our coverage? Please consider making a recurring contribution to the Mercury to keep it comin'!)

• It was a BIG weekend for local and federal police (working together after saying they wouldn't) to abuse mostly peaceful protesters in Portland, which resulted in sending a lot of Portlanders to the hospital with "swollen eyes, shattered bones, burning flesh, broken ribs, and a lifetime of trauma for showing up to defend Black lives from police violence." Some of the injured included local reporters such as Donovan Farley and the Mercury's own Blair Stenvick. Find out what happened along with updates on how our local city officials are reacting, and interesting new additions such as "the wall of moms" in our Alex Zielinski's must-read report.

• According to records obtained by the Oregonian, federal officers have been surveilling protesters, sharing information with the Portland Police that have led to arrests, and using info gained from social media videos to identify their targets—you know, tactics used by authoritarian regimes.

• A Southwest Portland man and Navy veteran has become nationally famous after standing up (and getting severely beaten) by federal officers on Saturday night.

• Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who runs the city's fire bureau, is refusing to allow Portland Police or Federal Officers to use local fire stations as staging areas during protests.

• Saaaaay... are you concerned that you might get kidnapped by a mad despot's rogue army (AKA Trump's federal officers) while in Portland? Matt Baume has advice on what to do if that happens... based on the federal government's own suggestions!

• In the best film review you'll read this year, our Blair Stenvick breaks down the Portland Police's latest poorly made propaganda piece called "Support from the Community." Spoiler alert: The video is simultaneously hilarious, gross, and TERRIBLE. In other words, don't miss it.

• In coronavirus news, the Oregon Health Authority reported 277 new cases on Monday (with a total of 1056 over the weekend) and two new deaths. That's a slight drop, but testing remains critical to tracking down and eliminating the virus—which is pretty hard when the rest of the nation is using so many.

IN NATIONAL NEWS:

• The biggest teachers' union in Florida has filed a lawsuit against the state to stop their Republican governor's stupid plan to fully reopen all their schools this fall amid a huge surge in COVID cases.

• Meanwhile the new coronavirus bill from the GOP wants to add a payroll tax cut and promised funding to schools... IF they promise to dangerously reopen America's classrooms.

• Oh, okay! Trump is suddenly encouraging people to wear masks—a brilliant idea he just came up with right now! (Tell that to the thousands of people he killed from months of inaction and obstruction.)

• In an effort to a) misinform the public, and b) boost his anemic polls, President Trump is planning on bringing back his daily coronavirus press briefings—which really, really DO NOT need to be covered in any way.

• A new anti-COVID vaccine developed by the University of Oxford has been deemed safe and effective in early trials, but scientists are warning against getting too excited too soon.

• After a "successful" run in Portland, Trump plans on sending his federal thugs to Chicago, New York, and other cities run by "the radical left" (AKA Democrats).

• Hello, fascism!

• A self-proclaimed anti-feminist lawyer who is the prime suspect in the brutal murder of the son of a US federal judge is now dead, according to police.

• You hate to see it: "White couple who pointed guns at St Louis protesters face criminal charges." Bye Karen and Ken!

• Dr. Anthony Fauci has been invited to throw the first ceremonial pitch of the season for the Washington Nationals. (Don't forget to sanitize the ball, dude!)

• Looking for something fun (and safe!) to do this week? Check out our curated list of "Best Things to Do!"

• WEATHER REPORT: A somewhat less hot day tomorrow with a high of 88 and a general cooling trend through the week.

• And finally... Hawaii? Or a visual metaphor for the coming days before the national election?