A federal judge restores Obamas DACA program. (In your stupid, racist FACE, Trump!)
A federal judge restores Obama's DACA program. (In your stupid, racist FACE, Trump!) Drew Angerer / Getty Images

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'!)

• Gov. Kate Brown announced at a grim press conference today that Oregon added an additional 2,100 new COVID-19 cases since yesterday—a new record for the state, and by a lot. The OHA also reported an additional 30 deaths, marking yet another single-day record—and it could get even worse by Christmas. You can thank Thanksgiving get-togethers—and people who defied state orders like Clackamas Republican Tootie Smith—for all those newly grieving families. Our Blair Stenvick has many more details on the governor's press conference (that also had some positive news) here.

• While the federal Paycheck Protection Program was intended to give COVID relief loans to small businesses, more than 32 percent of Oregon's share went to large companies such as Shari's restaurant who received... a whopping $10 million? Goddamn, that's a lot of pie!

• Portland's Ristretto Roasters—home to sexual assault denier Nancy Rommelmann—is closing permanently. (Cue the tiniest of violins.)

• In other "you hate to see it" news:

• Extreme right-wingers (like Patriot Prayer's resident meathead Joey Gibson) are increasingly showing up in packs at government officials' homes to intimidate them into changing rules that would protect people from dying of COVID, because... they love America?

IN NATIONAL NEWS:

• Let's start with some good news for humanity and BAD news for racists like Trump: A federal judge has restored Obama's DACA program and ordered DHS to begin accepting work permit applications for thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.

• As COVID surges, the US economy is stumbling once again, with only about half as many jobs added in the past month as economists predicted, and cash-strapped families across the nation are starting to fear economic disaster even more than the coronavirus.

• On the upside, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has signaled that the admittedly imperfect bipartisan-created $908 billion COVID relief bill finally has some momentum. On the downside, Sen. Bernie Sanders is against it. But on the upside again, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is open to it! (No one cares what that shithead Mitch McConnell thinks.)

• Trump lost four legal challenges to the election IN ONE HOUR today in Nevada, Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. (Looks like the only way he can win is in the Guinness Book of World Records for LOSING.)

• The White House's purge of the Pentagon continued today when the president fired nine members of a Pentagon business advisory board (via a form letter!) and replaced them with Trump loyalists including David Bossie and (ew!) Corey Lewandowski, the president's former campaign manager.

• According to transportation data, America mostly ignored warnings to travel less over the Thanksgiving holiday and drove only slightly less than a year ago. "I'm sorry, but Uncle Pete's racist, dinner table rants were just too enticing!"

• This weekend: The brand new "HUMP! Greatest Hits, Vol. 2" featuring the sexiest short flicks from the past 15 years of festivals! (Look, you NEED this. GET THOSE TIX NOW!)

• The results are in, and the people have spoken: YOU LOVE GOOD AFTERNOON, NEWS! Never miss a single informative, entertaining post by subscribing HERE.

• THE WEATHER REPORT: A cloudy Saturday with rain later and a high of 50!

• And finally, but... the poll book! THE POLL BOOK. THE... POLL... BOOK.