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Good morning, Portland! Weather report: Chilly (high 40s) but maybe with some sun? Enjoy it while it lasts.
Ok, intro over. News time.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Federal immigration officials say ICE and Border Patrol agents made more than 560 arrests in Portland in October. It's a huge, horrifying number, and it's much larger than the roughly 300 arrests the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC) estimated took place last month. PIRC gets its numbers from volunteers in the community, so it's understandable they aren't able to track every single arrest ICE makes in Portland. But the major discrepancy reveals ICE is quietly making hundreds more arrests than most people knew. In a Twitter post announcing the number, US Border Patrol chief Michael W. Banks bragged about a "PORTLAND SWEEP" and promised "we're not done yet!" These people's depravity knows no bounds. Based on previous trends, it's likely the majority of those arrested have no criminal convictions, despite what the feds say. They're people's parents, siblings, neighbors, friends. It's more important now than ever to stay alert and check in on people in your community. Follow PIRC on social media for information on ICE watch trainings and other valuable resources.
• Despite many people's best efforts to help, a young humpback whale who got stranded on the Oregon Coast was euthanized yesterday afternoon 😢. The whale appeared to have gotten caught in a fishing net over the weekend, and people found it stranded on a beach north of Yachats on Saturday. Volunteers, some of whom stayed with the whale all night Saturday, attempted to move the whale back into the water, but their efforts proved unsuccessful. Marine mammal researchers from Oregon State University will perform a necropsy on the whale to determine the cause of death, which scientists say will be very valuable. Still, it's really sad. Whales are incredible creatures, among the earth's most miraculous, and we should all wish for them to be healthy and happy. The people who tried to help are also miraculous mammals whose efforts shouldn't go unnoticed. <3
• Need stuff to do in Portland this week? We've got you. Tonight, there's the Chrysanthemum Festival at Lan Su Chinese Garden, which sounds beautiful and lovely. Thursday, the Portland Art Museum is hosting a grand opening soiree for its brand-new Rothko Pavilion. There's also a release party for the Unipiper's new whiskey. On Friday, you might be interested in the Rebound Kiki Ball. And if none of those ideas sound any good, don't worry, because our wonderful writers have compiled many more events for you to peruse.
Sigur Rós and Wordless Music Orchestra seemed to not so much begin as to drift into hearing from across a grand expanse.
— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) November 17, 2025 at 4:43 PM
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• Former Alaska Airlines pilot Joseph Emerson, who attempted to cut the engines of a plane while flying off-duty in October 2023, was granted lenience by a federal judge in Portland during a hearing yesterday. The former pilot was determined to have developed psychosis after taking psilocybin mushrooms, which apparently motivated him to attempt to crash a plane he was riding in as a passenger. The plane made an emergency landing in Portland, and everyone on board was safe, if rattled by the experience. The judge determined Emerson has suffered enough for his actions: Emerson served some time in prison while awaiting the judge's ruling. He also lost his job, his pilot's license, his retirement savings, and more. More prison time wasn't going to help him or anyone else.
• Well...this story was more applicable before the Blazers started losing, but it's still a good read for those of us (me) who don't know anything technical about basketball but like the vibes of watching the game. What does defense mean, exactly? Find out here:
Blazers defense is annoying... finally! The full court press defense the Blazers have been utilizing has proven to be little sibling level disruptive, affecting the ball on both ends of the court. Feels good to be annoying, don't it?
Link below for @cam_inaction's ode to our annoying Blazers 🏀
— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) November 17, 2025 at 5:34 PM
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IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:
• The House is expected to vote today on legislation to force the US Department of Justice to release the Epstein files. After months of trying to prevent such a vote, Trump changed his tune over the weekend, encouraging Republicans to vote in favor of releasing the files. Kind of weird. So it'll probably pass the House, but then the Senate could refuse to take it up, or they could vote in favor and Trump could veto the bill and the files would remain hidden. But that would be a really bad look for him! TBH, I don't know what these "files" could say that we haven't already known for a long time—Trump is a weirdo creep with dozens of sexual assault allegations, and he was definitely hanging out with Jeffrey Epstein way too much. His supporters, like the completely deranged Megyn Kelly, will excuse any of it. Do not expect these folks to suddenly develop moral character and a backbone. But ok, release the files.
• Also:
I’m not going to pretend it’s easy to say something in the moment when you witness the president do this and you’re aboard Air Force One with all the uniformed officers and secret service and fancy wood accents, but this is really an instance where you should. people.com/donald-trump...
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw.bsky.social) November 17, 2025 at 9:42 PM
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• When the Trump administration went after late night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, it proved to be an extremely unpopular move that garnered major backlash from people across the political spectrum. But Trump and his cronies are thoughtful people who learn from their mistakes. That's why the president and FCC Chair Brendan Carr are now targeting yet another popular late night host, Seth Meyers. In a Truth Social post over the weekend, Trump said Meyers is "suffering from an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS)" and called on his network, NBC, to fire him "IMMEDIATELY!" Carr reposted the message on X shortly after, indicating yet again that he is happy to use his position at the FCC to threaten political enemies and stifle free speech. As bad as all of this is, it's hard not to see the Trump administration's actions as increasingly pathetic and ridiculous. It's reminiscent of a half-dead goldfish swirling the drain. Unfortunately, the toilet isn't flushing very well, so the goldfish isn't actually going anywhere until we can get a plumber involved, and that might take a while. For now, it's just gonna float.
• Turkey prices have jumped a full 40 percent over the last year, mainly due to outbreaks of bird flu. But high demand has made other meat options, including beef, more expensive, too. Trump makes Thanksgiving dinner more expensive! (Well, this may not all be his fault, but it's fine to pin the blame on him anyway—particularly because one of the big reasons people voted for him in 2024 was because they thought grocery prices were too high.)
• There's more important news out there. Still, I feel like you guys should hear about the Australian man, currently serving a life sentence in prison for murder, who is suing his government over a rule that prohibits inmates from eating Vegemite. The prisoner, Andre McKechnie, says the Vegemite ban goes against his right to "enjoy his culture as an Australian." The beloved Australian Vegemite is banned from prisons in the state of Victoria, apparently because the yeasty smell (the spread is a byproduct of beer) may distract narcotic detection dogs and allow people to sneak drugs into prisons. The government is also concerned that people in prison will reverse-engineer the Vegemite to make beer. But the product does not appear to be banned in prisons across Australia, just in Victoria, so...what gives? IMO, give the man his Vegemite. I certainly don't want it.
• The world can be beautiful. Look at these pigs if you don't believe me. And have a good day, everyone. <3
