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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋

It's Turkey Week, y'all! And for those who are traveling, get ready for a couple of days of scattered showers, a day of "dry," and predicted rainy-rain-rain on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. (With temps in the upper 40s & high 50s.) I was just imagining what it would be like if it rained gravy on Thanksgiving. I would fill up a pickup truck full of mashed potatoes and just lie there. Anyway, here's a gravy boat full of NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• On Friday, the ACLU launched a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing King Fool and his minions of violating protesters' First Amendment rights by ordering federal agents to violently attack and gas demonstrators outside the ICE facility in South Portland. Besides being gassed for little to no reason, multiple videos show (and Portland Police have testified) that agents have been using disproportionate force, including hitting and shoving, against protesters. Among the lawsuit's plaintiffs are two freelance journalists, a Portland couple in their 80s, and local hero Jack Dickinson (the guy in the chicken suit with the American flag).

• The local chapter of local activist group 50501 (AKA No Kings Portland) held a rally on Saturday to protest the recent surge in ICE kidnappings across the metro area, which included speakers such as Atziri Cruz, whose father was recently (and wrongly) detained by immigration agents. (Not so fun fact: A recent report shows that as of September, 71 percent of the people detained by ICE have NO criminal record.) Reminder that 50501 will be holding a week of events starting on November 29 that include "creative gifting" and other ways to push back against corporations that support the Trump administration. More on that here.

 

LIVE: Rally against ICE activity held at Portland’s Waterfront Park


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— FOX 12 Oregon (@fox12oregon.bsky.social) November 22, 2025 at 12:28 PM

 

• Meanwhile, the people of Newport, Oregon, are in a righteous uproar after the Trump administration took away the area's Coast Guard rescue helicopter without telling anyone. Roughly 500 people packed a town hall led by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden this weekend who were absolutely furious about the hijacking, as well as being left in the dark surrounding rumors of a planned ICE detention center in the area. Residents say the helicopter is critical to the safety of fisherman, tourists, and others—though when pressed even the Coast Guard's commander refused to provide an answer about why the chopper was taken. 🤔 

• Today in "incompetence or shenanigans?": The O reported Friday that the Portland Housing Bureau has been "sitting on $21 million in unspent funds" that could have been used for "emergency rent assistance, eviction defense, or other housing aid." The languishing funds—which come from a tax on landlords and have been accumulating for several years—was discovered a few months ago by Deputy City Administrator Donnie Oliveira who alerted City Council to the bureau's screw-up this past week. This is NOT good, as we are in a particularly fraught time for the city's houseless population, with evictions continuing to be on the rise. While the city's politicos are being presently tight-lipped about what occurred (and the resulting sequence of events), don't be surprised if we see a lot of folks being tossed under the bus this week as more info is revealed.

• Former Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was arraigned today in a Brooklyn federal court, and has pled "not guilty" to charges of money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy charges. Prosecutors are contending Billups profited from rigged poker games set up by Mafia members, which included at least one other former NBA player. While Billups is denying the charges, victims are said to have lost $7 million from the scheme since 2019.

 

The five-time All Star, who won a championship with the Detroit Pistons, was arraigned in a federal court in New York City on money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy charges, both of which carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.

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— OPB (@opb.org) November 24, 2025 at 8:15 AM

 

• Guys, as survivors of capitalism, let's all agree the holidays are a got-damned bummer for our bank accounts. Looking how to save some of that dough-re-mi? The hilarious (and "Portland's Funniest Person" recipient) Ben Harkins hopped into the Mercury's Winter Guide to share some solid* advice on how to survive entertaining guests, buying gifts, and more!

*Fine. It's not solid. It's completely preposterous advice. But at least you'll laugh your ass off... and that's something, right?

We're here to report that seasonal affective disorder is REAL—so are you ready? @courtenayhameister.bsky.social rides to the rescue with this sweet, funny—and most of all—informative primer on how to deal with the SADZ. (Appropriately, it's part of our Winter Guide on the streets now!)

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) November 21, 2025 at 1:51 PM

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Trump's plan to steal all of Venezuela's oil and natural resources supposedly combat Venezuelan drug trafficking by taking military action in the country took another step forward today after he labeled the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. For the record, this organization reportedly isn't a drug cartel in the usual sense—while originally a front for the country's oligarchs to cash in on drugs, it's currently trafficking more in fuel and illegal mining. That has not stopped the Trump administration from killing 80 people from the country in unsubstantiated drug boat strikes.

 

hey don't be so hard on yourselves; it delivered oceans of sensitive government and citizen data to billionaires

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— Karl Bode (@karlbode.com) November 24, 2025 at 6:16 AM

 

• Surprise, surprise... many are calling the current Ukraine/Russia "peace" plan that's supposedly being written and brokered by Trump is too "Putin friendly"—and is, in essence, simply "the wish list of the Russians.” This wish list includes putting the regions of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk under “de facto” Russian control, and denying Ukraine's entrance into NATO, without asking for any major concessions from Putin, who started the unlawful attack and annexation in the first place.

• Yet another reason (if you needed any) to stay off Elon Musk's toxic social media platform, X: Over the weekend the platform launched a new locations feature, which reveals the country or region where the account is based. Despite legit privacy concerns, the feature is blowing back in MAGA's face, as it has revealed what many of us already suspected—many high profile extreme Trump supporters are actually based in other countries, such as Eastern Europe, Thailand, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. Folks were especially alarmed on Friday, when posts began popping up that claimed that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security account was based in Tel Aviv, Israel—which while wrong... is it really that wrong?

Donald Glover, the actor and five-time Grammy winner who performs as Childish Gambino, said during a concert on Saturday in Los Angeles that he had suffered a stroke and other health challenges last year that prompted him to cancel his world tour.

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— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) November 23, 2025 at 1:33 PM

• RIP to reggae icon Jimmy Cliff—famous for starring in the 1972 flick The Harder They Come, and writing the titular song as well as the classic "Many Rivers to Cross"—who has died of pneumonia at the age of 81.

• And finally... if you live with a dog, then here's EXACTLY what it would be like if they were a human. (WHY DO WE LIVE WITH THESE MONSTERS??)

@whiskbone The whole time they’re just hootin and hollerin  #fypシ #funny #dog #reactions #fyp ♬ original sound - whiskbone