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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋
A mostly cloudy day with a high of 65 gives way to an atmospheric river of moistness on Friday and Saturday, so get out your rubbers (or the birth control device of your choosing). And now, an atmospheric river of NEWS!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has been arrested in a federal government investigation into sports betting, along with Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and 30 more suspects. Currently the exact charges being filed against Billups are unknown, however the feds are saying the scheme involves wire fraud, money laundering, extortion, and illegal gambling, and according to multiple news organizations, the Mafia is also involved. 👀 Victims of the scheme were reportedly cheated out of $7 million. As of now, no one in the NBA or the Blazers organization is commenting on the report, so we'll have to just wait and see—but as we consider these new charges, let's reflect on that time when Blazer management promised that hiring Billups was nothing to worry about, despite the coach's past rape allegations.
• In the meantime, the Blazers lost their season opener last night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 118-114, but by most accounts they made a very good showing which could bode well for the remainder of this season... that is, if they still have a coach. 😬
Four major US crime families, as well as current and former NBA stars, are tied to an alleged gambling and sports rigging scheme, FBI says. Follow live updates. https://cnn.it/4oAfRnM
— CNN (@cnn.com) October 23, 2025 at 8:18 AM
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• National Guard update: The decision to cancel or keep the second (and remaining) temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by Judge Immergut—the one keeping the National Guard from other states from entering Portland—is expected to be decided by Friday. Meanwhile, Oregon's "en banc"—a French legal term in which the full Ninth Circuit appeals court is being asked to vote on rehearing the bullshit decision from two Trumpy judges—is still pending, so we're awaiting a decision on that as well. So once again, it's fingernail biting time, because as Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said earlier this week, “[the Trumpy judges'] ruling, if allowed to stand, would give the president unilateral power to put Oregon soldiers on our streets with almost no justification,” adding, “We are on a dangerous path in America.”
• There's big trouble potentially ahead for hundreds of thousands of Oregonians who use SNAP benefits to avoid food insecurity. Thanks to Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and the ongoing Republican government shutdown, Oregon's Department of Human Services are telling the 757,000 Oregonians enrolled in the SNAP program they may not receive their November benefits following a Trump administration directive to halt benefit distribution to states. But even when the government shutdown is resolved, the tragedy probably won't end there... according to our Abe Asher in this chilling, eye-opening report, “at least” 313,000 SNAP recipients could be impacted by mandated changes to the program. Get ready to look out for our neighbors, because you know Trump won't.
• Mayor Wilson's campaign-promised plan of adding 1,500 overnight shelter beds by December 1 continues to inch along and is now about two-thirds of the way there, thanks to the upcoming addition of 280 new “recovery-oriented” beds at two Portland shelters. According to Multnomah County data, about 7,444 area neighbors are currently living outside, far more than the city is able to house at shelters, and the beds that we do have are not being used to capacity. That said, Mayor Wilson noted that with winter and frigid weather on the way, the city will need as many places to sleep and stay warm as possible.
Mayors Wilson’s overnight shelters have a remarkable vacancy rate — some up to 80% empty on average night.
He says that’s a positive.
“I’ve told my team I need hundreds of empty beds every night.”
That’s because it will allow him to start enforcing the city’s public camping ban next month.
— Alex Zielinski (@alexzee.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 7:01 AM
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• Hey, if you're a person that is in need of a) love, b) friendship, or c) sexy hookups 👀, then don't miss this fun Mercury story from Ben Coleman about two local singles nights that are NOT your grandma's speed dating events. (Oh, and say hi to your grandma for me.)
• The always interesting and innovative Shaking the Tree Theatre is back with their latest jam, called Dancing on the Sabbath, a fascinating take on a classic Grimm fairy tale which travels from room to room and casts you—the audience—as the investigator and villain. (I always knew you had it in you.) Our Lindsay Costello delivers the smarty-pants review!
At Cinema 21, from October 24-26, Portland's QDoc Film Festival offers a full-on smorgasbord of cool/cute messes, heartwarming triumphs, and a rare chance to learn more about the origins of house music.
— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) October 22, 2025 at 1:33 PM
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IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• Fans of historic architecture are rightfully freaking out over Trump's demolition of the east wing of the White House, which is far more extensive than most expected, and is being done without any oversight. The east wing is being knocked down to make way for a gaudy, 90,000-square-foot (!) ballroom, which is almost twice as big as the main section of the White House, and will cost $300 million—far more than his initial claim of $200 million. Weirdly, that seems to go directly against what Trump said on July 31 about the construction, in which he lied that “It won’t interfere with the current building. It’ll be near it, but not touching it, and pays total respect to the existing building, which I’m the biggest fan of.” 😑
The self-described salesman extraordinaire is struggling to sell the idea of his White House renovations to the American public.
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) October 23, 2025 at 7:08 AM
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• Well surprise, surprise: After agreeing to a truce with Hamas (and after committing genocide against the Palestinian people), the Israeli parliament has passed their first vote in favor of annexing the already occupied West Bank—as was obviously their plan the entire time. Hilariously, gullible U.S. officials (like J.D. Vance) were blindsided by the move, and are FAH-URIOUS with the decision to ignore Trump's wishes to avoid annexation, and put the current, and very shaky, truce in danger. Vance called the power play "an insult" adding that it's just plain "weird," because he is way out of his depth and doesn't have the vocabulary to intelligently comment on the situation.
• More bad news for Trump as his approval rating for his work on the American economy continues to go down the shitter. According to a new Quinnipac poll, only 38 percent of respondents said they approve of the president’s handling of the economy, with a 57 percent disapproval rate. And while he's hit similar lows four times since his first reign in 2017, today's numbers are the lowest it has ever dipped. (It's almost like people are starting to realize that he's terrible at his job and doesn't know what he's doing.)
• Meanwhile as grocery prices continue to soar, the U.S. government’s gross national debt has grown to more than $38 trillion as of today—so what does this mean for you? According to the Government Accountability Office, the blowback for American consumers include "higher borrowing costs for things like mortgages and cars, lower wages from businesses having less money available to invest, and more expensive goods and services." On the upside... wait... sorry, this just in: There is no "upside."
• And finally... somebody come get me, I'm dancing like an otter.
@joshua011z ♬ original sound - Joshua011z_memes🤣🤣🤣
