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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋

While not as objectively glorious as yesterday, you can still expect a mostly sunny morning  with a partly cloudy afternoon and the high reaching a chilly 61 degrees. (Which is chilly to me, and I don't appreciate you negating my experience.) Now let's look at some partly sunny (and occasionally chilly) NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• While we wait... and wait... and wait for the Ninth Circuit Court panel of judges to finally figure out whether they'll allow Portland's temporary restraining order (TRO) against the National Guard deploying into the city to stand or fall, US District Judge Karin Immergut was like, "fuck that, I'm going to extend it anyway." And that's exactly what she did yesterday, extending the TRO for another two weeks, while also setting a trial date of October 29 to further hear arguments from the state and city about why Trump's plan to... well, let's just say the words... give martial law a test run in Portland is not so great for democracy. Check out the update and backstory from our Courtney Vaughn.

US District Judge Karin Immergut ruled Wednesday that a restraining order blocking deployment of any National Guard troops to Oregon will be extended by two weeks. The original restraining order was set to expire this weekend.

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) October 15, 2025 at 1:09 PM

• Despite the almost completely peaceful protests going down at Portland's ICE facility every night—complete with an ever-growing gang of inflatable-costumed demonstrators—the federal agents there are growing increasingly desperate and violent. Kevin Foster documents the most violent night in months, with the feds unleashing a volley of weapons and chemical agents on anti-ICE protesters and journalists last Saturday night. Protesters were slammed to the ground, violently arrested, and even medics trying to maintain safety at the scene were shot with pepper balls—all without any clear provocation. And since the feds were filming it all, it should be assumed that they're using the footage to prove Trump's wildly inaccurate lies that Portland is "a war zone." Read the whole thing here.

• Portland City Council is pulling out all the stops in their attempts to push back against the Trump administration’s authoritarian power grab. Last night, the Council approved two resolutions that codify the city’s sanctuary status and add extra layers of protection and resources for immigrants, while also directing the city’s mayor and legal team to use all available tools to denounce and fight back against federal overreach and the deployment of any military forces to Portland. “There’s nothing honorable about what’s going on right now in the federal government,” Councilor Eric Zimmerman, a longtime Oregon National Guard member, said before casting his votes of approval. Councilors say they plan to introduce more legislation aimed at combatting ICE in the near future. GO GET 'EM.

 

We passed both of these *unanimously* tonight. Thanks to everyone who turned up tonight to join in denouncing this administration and supporting the case for codifying our commitment to protecting our immigrant neighbors.

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— Mitch Green (@councilorgreen.bsky.social) October 16, 2025 at 12:03 AM

 

• Reminder that another banger of a No Kings March is happening this Saturday, October 18, from noon to 4 pm at Waterfront Park at the Battleship Memorial. Come for the speakers, stay for the hilariously snarky signs and inflatable frogs (or unicorns, raccoons, sharks, and maybe even a guy sitting on an inflatable toilet?).

 

Republicans are terrified of the upcoming No Kings protests, and they are showing it, according to former Tea Party lawmaker Joe Walsh.

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— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) October 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM

 

• An armed man is in custody after a standoff with police yesterday in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood in SE Portland, in which the suspect—who had a warrant for his arrest—reportedly barricaded himself in a garage with a gun. After police alerted the neighborhood to shelter in place, they fired tear gas into the garage, and at some point the suspect allegedly fired his weapon and injured himself before before being taken into custody. Portland Police were quick to report that the arrest “did not involve immigration enforcement."

Charlie Roxburgh and Matt Farley have released such micro-budget classics as off-kilter thriller 'Heard She Got Married,' and the even more off-kilter sequel 'Heard She Got Murdered.' Portlanders have a chance to see Motern Media's latest 'Evil Puddle' at Clinton Street Theater this weekend.

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) October 15, 2025 at 2:22 PM

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• This just in: Young Republican males can be racist, little shits. Politico obtained months of months of text chain messages between members of the Young Republican National Federation, which revealed incredibly racist and cruel language that included the promotion of rape, antisemitism, violence, Black slurs, and expressing love for Hitler. But! Instead of taking action to punish or even chastise these individuals, Vice President JD Vance brushed off the report, essentially saying, "boys will be boys."

• In other "boys will be boys" news, there's this headline: "Capitol Police called to investigate US flag with swastika in GOP congressional office."

•  Another stick in the eye for Trump: Yesterday a federal judge temporarily blocked King Fool's attempts to fire government employees during the shutdown after labor leaders said, "ummmm, excuse me? That shit is ILLEGAL." The judge's order not only stops Trump from firing employees under the current circumstances, but in the future as well. But don't expect this to slow down the administration for long, because White House budget director Russell T. Vought announced in an interview following the court order that they intend to keep the terminations coming, with an eye on firing 10,000 government workers. 👀

 

A judge in Illinois said she has “serious concerns” over whether federal law enforcement agents are following her order to avoid violent encounters with protesters and journalists in Chicago. https://cnn.it/4heGYlP

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— CNN (@cnn.com) October 16, 2025 at 7:38 AM

 

• In yet another glaring, shocking example of authoritarianism, King Fool confirmed that he authorized the CIA to carry out covert lethal action in Venezuela, targeting drug cartels... and perhaps planning an assassination of the country's president? When asked in a press conference if he would do such a thing, Trump gave this worrying, unconvincing response: “Oh, I don’t want to answer a question like that. That’s a ridiculous question for me to be given. Not really a ridiculous question, but wouldn’t it be a ridiculous question for me to answer?” Soooo... is that a yes?

 

Exclusive: The U.S. military’s elite Special Operations aviation unit appears to have flown in Caribbean waters less than 90 miles from the coast of Venezuela in recent days, according to a visual analysis by The Post.

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— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) October 16, 2025 at 7:15 AM

 

• Nearly every single journalist covering the Pentagon turned in their press badges yesterday and walked out of the building after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth tried to force them to sign an agreement which would severely limit their ability to hold the Trump administration accountable for their actions. In a failed attempt to stop the onslaught of embarrassing leaks of Pentagon information, Hegseth attempted to keep journalists from reporting on any information they receive unless they get permission from the department first, to which nearly every journalist (except the fake ones) replied, "HAHAHAHAHAAAAA! Oh, HELL nah."

• And finally... I just knew that dog was the father.

@ken.anderson39

 

♬ original sound - Kenny Anderson