If you appreciate the Mercury‘s interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. Your donation is tax-deductible. You can also subscribe and have our papers delivered!

Good Morning, Portland: It’s looking to be rainy for a few days, but a bit on the warmer side, actually. The wet weather comes just days before the clocks change to daylight savings time, which is a favorite day of the year for many, but the worst day of the year for many others. I, for one, am counting down the days. (It’s five, including today.) Stay dry, let’s get to the news. 📰

IN LOCAL NEWS:  

  • A three-day hearing began Monday to determine whether the federal government violated the First Amendment when it tear gassed protestors at the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility all year last year. The lawsuit, brought by “the Portland Chicken” and the ACLU of Oregon, argue that the crowd control munitions used violated the constitution, particularly because the protestors did not necessarily break any laws. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says its doing great, actually. The ACLU is asking for a temporary injunction after US District Court Judge Michael Simon previously issued a temporary restraining order barring agents from using munitions unless physical harm is imminent. OPB has a deep dive into the lawsuit and the plaintiffs, here. The hearing continues Tuesday. 

    The Oregon House of Representatives in a 31-20 vote Monday passed a bill that would move the date Oregonians can vote on a controversial 2025 transportation law from November to May.

    [image or embed]

    — Oregon Capital Chronicle (@oregoncapitalchronicle.com) March 2, 2026 at 4:44 PM

     

  • Oregon lawmakers on Monday approved a change to a bill in the legislature that will exempt new data centers from receiving tax breaks to businesses that invest money in the state. A bill introduced by Governor Tina Kotek would expand the “Enterprise Zone” program, but some argue that could incentivize the expansion of data centers. The latest move to change the bill could help stave them off, something probably everyone agrees is good if their first thought isn’t “how can I lower taxes for corporations but also not lose my reelection bid?” More here.

  • New Seasons Labor Union announced a layoff fund this weekend after the company laid of some 95 employees, a majority of whom happened to work at unionized stores. 

    •  

    • Longtime Portland meteorologist Rhonda Shelby announced yesterday that she plans to retire in early May. Shelby worked at KATU since the 90s, and worked at KOMO in Seattle prior to that, so she is a fixture in Northwest news. Her coworkers said she is a legend, and I have to agree. You really come to count on local weatherpeople over the years, particularly when the weather gets rough. There are few careers on the local level that put a person in front of an audience as consistently as a newscaster, so you really get used to them being there. Now we must get used to Shelby not being there, so raise a glass for the legend. Read more, including Shelby’s awards and more, here.
    • Portlanders are back in the streets, this time to oppose the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran.

    I’m back on the ground at an antiwar protest in Portland, one of dozens of demonstrations organized nationwide today.

    [image or embed]

    — Tim Dickinson (@timdickinson.bsky.social) March 2, 2026 at 5:04 PM

    IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: 

    • It turns out it may be unwise to trust President Donald Jettatura Trump to keep his promises, as Florida Governor and nation’s least favorite frat brother Ron Desantis is in the process of finding out. Florida taxpayers may be on the hook for some $1.2 million per day in funding for Alligator Alcatraz, the highly branded detention and deportation center that opened last year. That’ll total about $608 million, which could have been helpful in keeping the Sunshine State from melting into the ocean before you try to retire there. The Florida Tributary reported that court documents show the state may not see a reimbursement for state funds that the always dependable Mr. Trump had promised, despite DeSantis’ apparent gloating last year that the funds would be reimbursed. This could, but probably won’t, serve as a warning to states everywhere that participating in atrocities may seem like a good idea at first, but they are not, actually, and not only because you’ll be left holding the bag.

    • A fire broke out at the US Embassy in the Saudi capital after it was hit by two drones yesterday. The strikes came as Iran retaliates against the US and Israel’s unprovoked attacks against Iran, which began last weekend. The US and Israel have killed nearly 800 people, according to reports, and the two countries show no signs of stopping. The strikes have reportedly used AI to help determine which targets to hit while speeding up the process of determining when to launch deadly strikes against real human beings with families and lives and dreams and loves. A (I’m guessing) drunk Pete Hegseth said in a press conference that the war he and others manufactured (definitely not for the oil but to the victor go the spoils, I suppose) will not be endless like so many of the other wars the US has manufactured. He and Trump have also said that more American casualties are likely, and the “conflict” (read: imperialist assault on sovereign nation) appears to be spreading in the region. Six Americans have died thus far. I would like no deaths, please; American or Iranian. But this is a war universe and the robots are on track to beat us all.

    can’t be stated more clearly: “well israel wanted to bomb somewhere so what other choice did we have but to go to war” is the official policy of the us government

    [image or embed]

    — Jack Mirkinson (@jackmirkinson.bsky.social) March 3, 2026 at 8:34 AM

    • A county attorney in Minnesota announced an investigation that could lead to charges against former-Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino and other federal agents for potential misconduct during their siege in Minneapolis. Some of the events that are part of the investigation stem from agents’ use of chemical weapons at schools and against protestors, throwing people to the ground, or breaking car windows. “Make no mistake – we are not afraid of the legal fight, and we are committed to doing this correctly,” the attorney said. Read more here.

    • The New York Times began running an in-house audio advertisement asking listeners to support “any news organization that’s dedicated to original reporting” this week, even if it isn’t the Times. The publisher for the paper said in the ad got a dig in too, saying real human reporters bring facts and context that you’ll never get from AI. This is Good Morning News!, not a call to action, but the Mercury has to say, we agree that local journalism is a good antidote to… oh where to begin?

    • Today in ooooof.
    • Good luck trying to have as cool a week as these guys!

    Jeremiah Hayden reports on housing, homelessness, and other issues affecting Portlanders. He's lived in Oregon nearly all his life, and in Portland since 2001.