Good Morning, News: Heat Warnings Continue, Street Racers Outrun Portland Cops, and Trump Threatens Military Occupation of Cities He Hates (👋)

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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋

Expect another day of extreme “hot” with temps expected to hit 95 degrees before “cooling down” (HAHAHAHAHAAAA!) on Tuesday with a high of 92. The rest of the week is predicted to be much more reasonable, with the temps varying between the low-80s and mid-70s, but don’t pack away those thongs just yet! Instead? Let’s pack away some NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Speaking of HEAT: Yesterday Multnomah County extended its heat emergency until noon today—but if the hotness continues, don’t be surprised if they continue the warning tomorrow. (Stick with the Merc for the latest.) Check out this updated story from our Taylor Griggs, which includes the location of cooling centers, and describes the types of people most at risk from this extended bout of heat. For example, Multnomah County officials suspect a 56-year-old man in the Old Town neighborhood may have died from heat-related causes on Saturday, and an investigation is underway.

• In Deschutes and Jefferson counties, the Flat Fire continues to grow and has destroyed four homes, inspiring local authorities to issue a “go now” evacuation order for 1,000 residents. Since starting on Thursday, the fire has grown to more than 21,971 acres and as of Sunday afternoon is zero percent contained. The air quality for Central Oregon is also suffering thanks to the smoke from this growing fire, with the communities of  Redmond, Bend, and La Pine’s air quality monitors registering more than 150—considered unhealthy for all populations. Zero to 50 is considered “good,” while numbers ranging from 300 to 500 are labeled as “hazardous.”

Thankful for the first responders on the ground working around the clock to keep folks safe. Please protect yourself and our firefighters by following evacuation notices if your area has them.

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— Senator Ron Wyden (@wyden.senate.gov) August 24, 2025 at 10:24 AM

• Portland Police tried, but ultimately failed, to stop a street racing takeover event on Saturday night. After reportedly issuing warnings earlier in the weekend that they’d be making arrests, the police claim that their effort was initially successful—until they were pulled away to another call, inspiring at least 100 drivers to stage races in St. Johns and the Lloyd District, and then later near NE Lombard as well as NE Columbia Boulevard. Officers were only able to make one arrest.

• Yet another dangerously stupid Trump plan was at least temporarily foiled on Friday, when US District Judge William Orrick blocked the president’s scheme to cut off federal funding to roughly 30 sanctuary cities including Portland, Seattle, and San Francisco—all of which have refused to cooperate with the Trump-ordered kidnappings of immigrants by ICE. Orrick called the president’s order an unconstitutional “coercive threat,” and it’s a good reminder that Portland’s leaders (everybody wave “hi” to Mayor Wilson 👋) should never immediately roll over for Trump’s often impotent threats.

Hey smarty pants! It’s time for another super fun edition of POP QUIZ PDX. In this week’s trivia quiz: The Beatles in Portland, the Blazers’ new owner, and who would make a better president: Donald Trump or six farts in a paper bag? (See how well YOU score!)

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) August 21, 2025 at 10:02 AM

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Days after being released from custody following a judge’s order, Kilmar Abrego has been once again arrested and detained by ICE agents who are threatening to deport him to Uganda. Abrego, who is undocumented and married to a US citizen, was freed by a federal judge after originally being shipped off to a El Salvadoran megaprison, and yet was arrested again at an ICE field office in Baltimore this weekend where he was doing a required check-in. Abrego’s attorneys are back in court trying to stop the deportation.

Breaking news: President Trump signed executive orders aimed at ending cashless bail across the country and pushing courts to reconsider the legality of burning the American flag.

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— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost.com) August 25, 2025 at 8:12 AM

• The occupied militarization of Washington, DC, continues as National Guard members who have been patrolling the (mostly safe) streets will now be allowed to carry guns and make arrests—even though they were not allowed to before. Over the weekend, Trump also threatened to send troops to Chicago and Baltimore to “deter crime,” despite the rates for violent crimes dropping in both cities. According to a poll, eight out of ten DC residents oppose the Guard policing forced occupation of their city. 

• If Trump ever tries to send the National Guard to Portland (and he probably will), here is the perfect response:

@adamnwhodeywant

 

♬ Fall On – Adamn Killa

• Israeli military forces murdered at least 19 people, including four journalists, in the most recent airstrike against a hospital in Gaza. According to reports, 192 reporters have been killed while doing their jobs in Gaza over the last 22 months.

• More than 180 current and former FEMA officials have signed a petition rebuking the Trump administration for weakening the agency and leaving Americans unprepared for future catastrophic emergencies. The rollback of reforms—which include those made after the Bush administration botched their response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina—is especially dangerous due to the increasing severity of storms brought about by climate change.

My friend just posted this and now I TOTALLY WANT A PROSTHETIC ROBO DINOSAUR TAIL.

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— muirneag.bsky.social (@muirneag.bsky.social) August 24, 2025 at 11:36 AM

• In the most unsurprising headline you’ll read all day: “Tax rate for ultrarich drops dramatically after GOP tax cuts.”

• And finally… which is the “BEST CITY” in the USA? (We all know what it is, but let’s listen to these hilarious cities battle it out.)

@itsdimpey #fyp #trending #foryou ♬ original sound – Dimpey