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Good morning, Portland! Summer is in full swing, which means longer days, boozy slushies, and sunburns and bug bites for many of you. Expect a warm, sunny day with a high of 88 degrees and a low of 60. 

We've scoured the newsiest headlines so you don't have to!

In Local News: 

  • Governor Tina Kotek lambasted the Oregon Legislature yesterday for failing to pass a sufficient transportation funding package. In a grim media release, the governor warned of “the largest layoff in the history of Oregon state government,” noting the Oregon Department of Transportation has “initiated 483 of an estimated 600 to 700 total layoffs.” Kotek says a second round of layoffs at ODOT is planned for early 2026, unless the Legislature steps to provide some emergency funding.

“Consequences to essential transportation services are imminent across the state,” Kotek warned, noting ODOT will need to cut back on services and essential materials like sand and de-icer, and its response to emergencies could be hampered by the funding cuts. The results certainly aren’t good, but it’s important to remember that ODOT isn’t responsible for every roadway in Oregon. Cities like Portland have their own transportation departments, and even smaller cities usually have some type of road maintenance crew. 

  • Another major move by the governor: a statewide ban on cellphones in classrooms. Oregon schools have until October to implement a system for banning student cellphone use, and the ban goes into effect statewide in January 2026, the Oregon Capital Chronicle reports. Kotek issued the executive order after the Legislature failed to pass a bill that called for the cellphone ban. Some school districts, including Portland, have already adopted a ban on cellphones in schools. The order prohibits cell phone use for the entire school day, the Oregonian notes. That means no phones during lunch or other breaks. Kids are gonna have to learn how to communicate the old fashioned way- by passing notes in class.

 

  • Police arrested a driver last weekend on suspicion of DUI in the early morning hours of Friday, July 4, after he ran a stop sign and drove his car through a crowded section of Old Town, hitting and injuring pedestrians. 

Police were already at the scene responding to reports of a large fight near NW 4th and Couch when a Ford Mustang drove through a crowd. Video from the scene shows people, including police, trying to stop the driver by pounding on his car and window. Police got him out of the car, but not before he struck at least four women, two of which were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. The other two were treated at the scene and transported themselves for further medical care. The driver, Tyler Miller, 32, was booked into Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of DUII, reckless driving, two counts of third-degree assault, 15 counts of recklessly endangering another person. Miller was released on bail Monday. 

  • We are living in the golden age of directors discovered by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight; Mufasa: The Lion King), one of which is Eva Victor. Their debut film Sorry, Baby soft-tackles trauma—offering the viewer a place to walk alongside Agnes as she faces hard times and dark thoughts, against the backdrop of a gorgeous East Coast college town and a conversation-worthy score by Lia Ouyang Rusli. Note: Based on the movie poster, there have been concerns that the “baby” in Sorry, Baby is Agnes’ kitten. The Mercury would like to reassure readers that the cat baby is not THE baby in Sorry, Baby. 

    We are living in the golden age of directors discovered by Barry Jenkins, Eva Victor is one.

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    — Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) July 7, 2025 at 4:58 PM
  • It's here! The Mercury's new 'Do This; Do That' arts and culture event round-up for this week has dropped. Poetry? Check. Comedy? Check. Dramedy? Yeah! Food? Duh. Check it here. 

    “Do the damn thing” season is in full effect!! That means queer hikes, vegan block parties, and bike rides with dogs are on the agenda. For more on your dream summer week, why not consult Do This, Do That?!

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    — Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) July 7, 2025 at 3:57 PM

Please be true. Please be true. 

In National/World News: 

  • Federal agents and California National Guard troops pulled out some bizarre flex Monday by descending on MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. In what was later deemed nothing more than a show of force, more than 100 military and law enforcement officers, including some on horseback, swarmed the park. MacArthur Park sits in a neighborhood with a large Mexican and Central American immigrant population. The initial purpose of the deployment wasn’t clear, but LA Mayor Karen Bass, who showed up at the park during the operation, called it a “political stunt” that “looked like a city under siege, under armed occupation.” Defense officials told the Associated Press that the troops, accompanied by more than a dozen military vehicles, would help protect immigration officers like Border Patrol as they carried out a raid at the park. 

    Trump views his administration as being at war with the public itself. patch.com/california/l...

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    — Jonathan Cohn (@jonathancohn.bsky.social) July 7, 2025 at 12:56 PM

  • Did Trump’s federal budget cuts impact the deadly Texas floods? In the aftermath of flash flooding that has now claimed the lives of more than 100 people, pundits and media outlets have been quick to point the finger at recent cuts to the National Weather Service. The Associated Press reports “the NWS office responsible for that region had five staffers on duty as thunderstorms formed over Texas Thursday evening, the usual number for an overnight shift when severe weather is expected.” Flash flood warnings were issued, but what’s less clear is whether the federal agency had the resources to communicate effectively and coordinate with local officials in Texas the night of the flooding. Six of the 27 positions at the regional NWS office that covers the Austin/San Antonio area are currently vacant, the AP notes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is now demanding an investigation into whether the recent cuts to NWS impacted the emergency response to the flash floods. 

  • Microsoft recently announced 9,000 layoffs within its XBox division. The job cuts will inevitably hurt people's livelihoods, put stress on families, and displace some of them as they move for different jobs. Buzz within the tech world suggests the job cuts are largely fueled by the rise of AI, as Microsoft bets heavily on its ability to replace people with machine learning. To help ease the blow, one XBox employee suggested recently laid off employees consult AI to help them through the emotional weight of job loss. “I’ve been experimenting with ways to use LLM (large language model) Al tools (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to help reduce the emotional and cognitive load that comes with job loss,” Matt Turbull wrote on a since-deleted post on LinkedIn. Turnbull was rightfully roasted by his peers before national and international media outlets picked up on it.

The world is a heavy place. We all need a little summer fun.