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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋

Hope you enjoyed yesterday's sunny respite, because this week is going to be RAINY AF with showers kicking off this afternoon, and continuing long after you and your grandchildren are dead. Or Friday... whichever comes first. And now let's do a post-mortem on some NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• It feels a little like Groundhog Day, I know, but Judge Immergut—the US District judge who approved two restraining orders to keep the National Guard out of Portland—has once again blocked Trump's wishes to militarize the city until she can consider all the evidence and issue a final decision this coming Friday. And even then things are not looking good for the feds: Judge Immergut noted that so far the government has not been able to prove there's a Portland "rebellion" (because there isn't) or that federal officers are unable to control the situation at the city's ICE facility (because they clearly are, and in an excessively violent way). Trump's lawyers have been caught over-inflating the numbers of officers needed to police the facility, and may ultimately be found in contempt of court for sending a small number of National Guard troops to Portland while the judge's TRO was in effect. Our Courtney Vaughn has all these juicy details and more in her interesting report. 

US District Judge Karin Immergut said she is still reviewing all the exhibits and evidence presented during a three-day trial that wrapped up Friday. She issued a preliminary injunction blocking National Guard deployment until a final ruling is issued November 7.

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) November 2, 2025 at 8:28 PM

• Even though the courts shot down Trump and the Republicans' cruel attempt to deny SNAP benefits because of their government shutdown, payments to hungry and struggling Oregonians will most likely be delayed. And already Oregon and Portland-area food banks are seeing an uptick in folks who need their services. Here's a good list of local businesses and groups who are offering assistance along with necessary resources!

• An independent investigation is being suggested in the case of a man who was beaten to death in a Clackamas County jail by a cellmate who... (rubs eyes, checks notes)... had attacked and beaten another prisoner in his cell just a few days before. To make matters worse, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office did not disclose the man's death publicly for six days and still have not released critical details—such as how long it took guards to reach the dying man, and other inmates are saying they were perhaps intentionally slow to respond. While an independent investigation is obviously warranted, the cops are (for now) choosing to... investigate themselves. 😒

• REMINDER! Tomorrow, November 4, is an election day—and for many of us, there's only one issue that needs your vote, and that's the parks levy. In short, yes, it will raise property taxes, but unless we want to witness Portland's parks—which are already facing a backlog of repairs—get significantly worse, the levy deserves marking "yes" on your ballot. If you need more convincing, check out our Mercury endorsement.

• Is it possible to thrive in a post-automobile world? That's the case the authors of Life After Cars are positing, who say that our car-centric culture ruins childhoods, destroys wildlife, perpetuate societal injustices, and—of course—kill people... and yet we as a society often turn a blind eye. However, the book also offers a vision of hope, which our Taylor Griggs explains in her excellent review. 

Puritan Themes, the second of two 2025 albums by Portland's Holy Sons drops today. The perfect accompaniment for the spookiest, grooviest night of the year 🌚 🌝

Head to the link below for Jonathan Ludwig's review of the psych meisterwerk 🔗

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) October 31, 2025 at 1:16 PM

• Congrats to our Portland Thorns who beat the Houston Dash 2-0 on Sunday at Providence Park, pushing them from sixth to third place in the NWSL postseason, and clinching a spot in the playoffs! They'll be taking on San Diego this coming Sunday in the quarterfinals. 

Let's go, trivia lovers! It's time for an extra CREEEPY edition of POP QUIZ PDX. This week's questions include: a trip through haunted Portland, celebrity axe murderers, and the ICE facility of the damned! 👻 See how well YOU score!

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) October 30, 2025 at 11:11 AM

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• A federal judge has given King Fool's administration until noon today to say whether or not the Department of Agriculture will comply with the court's decision and fund SNAP benefits for tens of millions of food insecure Americans. Thanks to the GOP and Trump's federal shutdown, SNAP benefits were originally not going to be delivered on November 1, until a court put a stop to that—however, the foolhardy and cruel decision still means that the benefits will be arriving late at best. The administration had been refusing to use emergency contingency money to help fund the missing SNAP benefits, and will now be forced to do so... but if that's the case, how will Trump pay for the ever-growing Epstein Ballroom, his Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party, and that very fancy and marble and gold-embossed Lincoln bathroom? 

The USDA sent an email to grocery stores telling them they are prohibited from offering special discounts to customers affected by the SNAP funding lapse. 
I'm aware of at least 2 stores that had offered struggling customers a discount, then withdrew it after receiving this email

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— Catherine Rampell (@crampell.bsky.social) November 2, 2025 at 11:01 AM

• In an interview with 60 Minutes on CBS (now practically a state-run media company), Trump said that his mass kidnappings of immigrants by ICE agents "haven't gone far enough"—even though the masked gang has been separating families from their children and have also swept up US citizens, including one who was shot in the back by ICE. The racist-in-chief attempted to explain his reasoning for the kidnappings by falsely saying that many immigrants are "criminals" and "murderers," even though records clearly show that only 6 percent of the people who were swept up were convicted of homicide.

• As previously mentioned, Americans are heading to the ballot box tomorrow, and while there is general dissatisfaction with both parties, according to the latest polls, things are NOT looking good for the GOP who are being rightly blamed for the continuing government shutdown, while also blaming Trump for the shitty state of the economy and country. Trump's approval polls continue to slide—dropping to a new low of 37 percent job approval—and Republicans are rightly beginning to shart their pants over the possible election of New York mayoral candidate (and Democratic Socialist) Zohran Mamdani. Popcorn? Start poppin'! 🍿

A majority of Americans do not believe President Trump is committed to protecting freedom of speech, ensuring a fair criminal justice system or preserving free and fair elections, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll.

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— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) November 3, 2025 at 8:00 AM

• In more news that will do NOTHING to improve his embarrassing standing with US citizens, the 79-year-old Trump spent Sunday night firing off deranged social media posts threatening his hand-picked Supreme Court. The Supremes are scheduled to hear a case this Wednesday that questions his authority to institute tariffs—which is supposed to be decided by Congress—that are endangering our economy and could give future presidents nearly unchecked power for decades. Trump screechingly warned that if the Supremes do not rule in his favor, we could expect the "ruination of our Nation"—to which everyone else responded, "Oh calm down, Sally, and go rub your bloated cankles." 

• And finally... if you're not saying this to yourself in the mirror every morning... why aren't you?

@amz0238 Good morning. I love this positive attitude. Have a great Saturday. #Meme #MemeCut ♬ original sound - Pitbulls_and_Spicy_Books 📚