Portland has been designated a anarchistic jurisdiction! ARREST THIS LADY!!
Portland has been designated a "anarchistic jurisdiction"! ARREST THIS LADY!! Ryan J. Lane / Getty Images

Here's your daily roundup of all the latest local and national news. (Like our coverage? Please consider making a recurring contribution to the Mercury to keep it comin'!)

• Lots of progress has been made by Oregon firefighters who continue to beat back the state's spread of wildfires, and who happily reported that the raging Clackamas County fire has been 25 percent contained.

• Speaking of fires (this time of the garbage variety), Trump's blustering Department of Justice officially proclaimed Portland and two other cities as "anarchist jurisdictions” and are threatening to cut our federal funding which is HAHAHAHA A GODDAMN JOKE. Seriously, these federal ass-clowns are laughable in their lazy, weak-minded "proclamations" that are impossible to take seriously and have no real practical use other than riling up Trump's drooling base and giving defense lawyers some easy unconstitutional bullshit to dunk on in court. So yeah, "proclaim" away, Bill Barr! We'll let you know when anybody around here gives a single crap.

• The Oregon Board of Education has officially banned hate symbols such as the Confederate flag, nooses, and swastikas from schools in the state to protect students of color.

• A former mayoral candidate has filed a complaint against current candidate Sarah Iannarone, claiming that her "PhD (ABD)" designation in the voter's pamphlet could confuse voters.

• The Oregon Health Authority reported 201 new positive COVID-19 cases today, and three additional deaths—including a 54-year-old Multnomah County woman who "tested positive on Sept. 16 and died on Sept. 20."

IN NATIONAL NEWS:

• The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg will lie in repose outside the Supreme Court where Americans can pay their respects this Wednesday and Thursday. She's expected to be buried at Arlington National Cemetery next week.

• After hearing RBG's dying wish—that only the winner of the November 3 election should choose her replacement—Trump quickly lied about it, saying it was probably written by "Adam Schiff and Schumer and Pelosi."

• Because he has no respect for a person's dying wish—or anything, really—Trump says he'll reach into his garbage bag filled with deplorables, con men, simpering sycophants, and greasy McDonalds' wrappers and pull out his nominee for Ginsburg's Supreme Court replacement by Friday or Saturday.

• One of Trump's garbage bag picks includes Amy Coney Barrett, who is beloved by the extreme religious right for her love of guns and hatred of abortion.

• Bad news for Trump: Joe Biden has raised $141 million more in campaign money than the president and he's impressively outspending him as well.

• More bad news for Trump: The Manhattan district attorney’s office suggested for the first time today that the president and his businesses could be under investigation for tax fraud.

• Three days ago the CDC issued an advisory that the coronavirus could be spread by tiny, aerosolized droplets that are "produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, talks, or breathes." And today? They've scrubbed that scientifically sound information from their site, and are so far claiming that it was "a mistake" and not politically motivated.

• Need some laughs? Then DO NOT MISS the upcoming Thursday Oct 1 livestream edition of the I, Anonymous Show, featuring a panel of nationally-beloved comedians riffing on the weirdest and wildest submissions from our famous I, Anonymous column and blog! It's HILARIOUS, and you need that.

• Looking for food to go? Well HOLD YOUR HORSES until you read our Suzette Smith's new takeout column, "Takeout Club!"

• The WEATHER REPORT: Expect cloudy skies with a high of 70 tomorrow and a very rainy Wednesday and Thursday!

• And finally, more proof that nature is healing itself.