As you know, only true patriots dont pay their taxes.
"As you know, only true patriots don't pay their taxes." Chip Somodevilla / Staff / Getty

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'!)

• Despite much alarm and the Governor appointing state troopers and the Multnomah County Sheriff's Department to police the proceedings, Saturday's appearance of recognized hate group, the Proud Boys, was a mostly peaceful affair. Only a few hundred of the violent, misogynist racists showed up (as opposed to the thousands they predicted), while many, many more of Portland's peaceful protesters who were on the scene refused to engage with the chuds. As a result, the gang of hateful, out-of-town dipshits quickly lost their steam and stomped away in a huff. Check out our live blog of the event to get all the details.

• While the Governor-appointed police force treated the Proud Boys with kid gloves on Saturday, that night they attacked Portland's protesters, reporters, and legal observers in a brutal manner that felt a lot like vengeance. Our Alex Zielinski describes the scene.


• While it's usually good for politicians to have candidates who challenge their way of thinking, it's 2020—which means Sen. Jeff Merkley is facing a conspiracy-loving QAnon supporter in his race for the senate. HEAVY SIGH.

• Living through a pandemic is ROUGH—that's why you should check out the Mercury's Cannabis Guide 2020 for loads of tips and advice for making it through the days of COVID with a little (or a lot of) help from weed.

IN NATIONAL NEWS

• At long last the New York Times has obtained copies of Donald Trump's tax returns, and WHO WOULD EVER BELIEVE IT, but the president avoided paying his taxes for 11 of the past 18 years, and only paid $750 the year he was elected. Cue Fox News and his drooling minions as they frantically try to make up a reason why not paying taxes is patriotic.

• Also not surprising: Trump's former campaign chief Brad Pascale was detained by police and then hospitalized after apparently suffering a mental break down in which he was ranting and threatening to commit suicide. Officers confiscated 10 firearms from his home.

• In yet another attempt to prove to the American public he hasn't made a complete disaster out of his response to COVID-19, Trump and his administration say they're sending millions of (not completely reliable) rapid coronavirus tests to schools this week to prove students are ready to return to classes. Great idea... until you remember these same kids would have to be tested every single day, and even then the school's safety is not a sure thing.

• ICYMI, Trump has nominated Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative judge to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. And as you can probably imagine, Barrett is a religious, anti-abortion train wreck.

• UNNNNGGGGGHHH... Donald Trump and Joe Biden are meeting for their first televised presidential debate tomorrow night. Here's what you can expect, if you've choosing to watch rather than drown yourself in a bucket of edibles and vodka.

• The only officer involved in the Breonna Taylor case to be charged by a Kentucky grand jury is pleading not guilty to endangering the woman's neighbors by allegedly firing wildly into their apartment.

• Need some laughs? Then DO NOT MISS this Thursday's (Oct 1) livestream edition of the I, Anonymous Show, featuring a panel of nationally-beloved comedians riffing on the weirdest and wildest submissions from our famous I, Anonymous column and blog! It's HILARIOUS, and you need that.

• The WEATHER REPORT: A gorgeous, sunny week continues tomorrow with a high of 85.

• And finally, here's hoping you glide through this week like this guy: