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Tag: portland

  • WATCH: Dem senator who ditched Trump’s SOTU caught praising naked bike riders, ‘patriots’ in frog suits

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    Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who skipped President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to attend Democrat counter-programming, hailed a group of frog-clad protesters as “patriots,” crediting them for defeating Trump’s anti-crime efforts in Portland, Oregon.

    “Boy, the frogs are rocking this town,” Wyden said Tuesday night. “I’m with the frogs, and I’m with all of you because political change starts at the grassroots.

    “For weeks, social media was flooded with these wonderful patriots. Videos of unicyclers, naked bike riders, the guy in the chicken suit and a whole lot of frogs.

    Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and protesters wearing inflatable frog costumes standing in a congressional office (Getty Images)

    “When Donald Trump sent his agents to the streets of Portland, we took on authoritarianism, and we won!”

    The frogs, part of an organization called the Portland Frog Brigade, use “inflatable animal costumes to practice the proven art of peaceful, creative dissent, exercising our right to free expression in defense of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law,” according to its website.

    In September, as part of a crackdown on crime, the Trump administration announced it would send National Guard troops to Portland among other urban centers across the country. In Portland, the order sparked social unrest and protests, including backlash from local officials.

    “Portland is an American city, not a military target,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said in a post on social media.

    “President Trump has directed all necessary troops to Portland, Oregon. The number of necessary troops is zero.”

    Almost immediately, the state launched a legal challenge to the deployment in the case of Oregon v. Trump, arguing that the administration lacked the legal authority to use federal troops to combat local crime.

    US JUDGE EXTENDS ORDER BLOCKING TRUMP’S NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN PORTLAND

    Trump in Congress

    President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address included a handful of top moments, including awards to military veterans and Democrats’ outbursts.  (Kenny Holston/Pool/Getty Images)

    As that legal battle raged inside the courtroom, the city’s person-based crime — such as homicides, kidnappings, sexual offenses and vehicular manslaughter — has fallen marginally every month, according to data from Portland’s Police Bureau.

    From October 2025 to January 2026, person-related crimes are down 18%. Total crime, including property and social crimes like drug offenses, is down 8%.

    But in December, Trump began winding down his deployment to Portland as its legal battle began to run into a series of losses.

    As recently as Feb. 17, the Trump administration ended its efforts to overturn a 9th Circuit order halting Trump’s deployment of the guard to Portland.

    “Oregon National Guard members are currently in transit to Fort Bliss, Texas, where they will demobilize, and the demobilization process will take approximately 7 to 14 days to complete,” the court ruled on Jan. 8, 2026.

    OREGON RESIDENTS SUE HOMELAND SECURITY AFTER TEAR GAS USED ON ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS

    National Guard and protesters in Portland, Oregon

    Federal agents clash with anti-ICE protesters at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building Oct. 12, 2025, in Portland, Ore.  (Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images)

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    Wyden celebrated the decision.

    The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Wyden’s framing of the administration’s drawdown of the National Guard from Portland.

    Related Article

    Bare-bottomed bikers roll through rain to shout at feds in blue city's latest anti-ICE stunt

    Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.

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  • Portland Educator Rewriting Rules For Neurodivergent Students During Women’s History Month – KXL

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    Beven Byrnes describes herself as a Portland native, mother to four, educator, artist and community
    activist. Since 2012 Beven has served as the Principal/Executive Director of Bridges
    Middle School in Portland.

    PORTLAND, OR – Beven Byrnes, a Portland native, mother of four, educator, artist, and community activist, is trying to reshape education for students with learning differences. As Executive Director and Principal of Bridges Middle School, described as Oregon’s only middle school specifically designed for neurodivergent learners, Byrnes says she hopes to turn the school into a national model for inclusive, personalized education for students with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and dyslexia.

    Byrnes’ path to education has not been conventional. She was raised in Portland by two mothers who, she says, emphasized creativity, activism, and community service. She says further refined those core values at Portland State University and the Institute for Nonprofit Management.

    “It’s about safety, transformation and seeing students grow into incredible adults,” Byrnes says. She describes her approach at Bridges as combining individualized learning plans, social-emotional support, and executive functioning skills with core academics, all delivered in small classes led by trained staff who understand neurodiversity.

    Bridges Middle School is located in Portland’s Northwest neighborhood and serves students who have struggled in traditional classrooms. Rather than expecting students to adapt to rigid structures, Byrnes says her school adapts to each learner, recognizing differences as strengths to cultivate rather than deficits to fix. Students gain confidence, self-advocacy, and a sense of belonging alongside academic growth.

    This Women’s History Month, Bridges wants to highlight how inclusive education can unlock potential — particularly for girls who might be overlooked in standard classrooms by emphasizing culture as much as curriculum, creating a safe and empowering environment for all learners.

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    Tim Lantz

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  • Affordable Housing Residents Near Portland’s ICE Building Ask Judge To Limit Feds’ Use Of Tear Gas – KXL

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    PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Multiple residents of an affordable housing complex in Portland, Oregon, have bought gas masks to wear in their own homes, to protect themselves from tear gas fired by federal agents outside the immigration building across the street. Others have taped their windows or stuffed wet towels under their doors, while children have sought security by sleeping in closets.

    Some are now telling their stories to a federal judge Friday, as they testify in a lawsuit seeking to limit federal officers’ use of tear gas during protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building following months of repeated exposure.

    The property manager of the apartment building and several tenants filed the suit against the federal government in December, arguing that the use of chemical munitions has violated residents’ rights to life, liberty and property by sickening them, contaminating their apartments and confining them inside. They have asked the court to limit federal agents’ use of such munitions unless needed to respond to an imminent threat.

    “They’re simply trying to live their lives in peace in their homes,” Daniel Jacobson, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said during the hearing. “Yet our federal government is knowingly putting them through hell, and for no good reason at all.”

    The defendants, which include ICE and the Department of Homeland Security and their respective heads, say officers have deployed crowd-control devices in response to violent protests at the building, which has been the site of demonstrations for months.

    ”The conduct at issue, law enforcement’s use of crowd control tactics to disperse unlawful crowds, does not even come close to shocking the conscience,” Samuel Holt, an attorney for the federal government, said during the hearing.

    The case comes amid growing concern over federal officers using aggressive crowd-control tactics, as cities across the country have seen demonstrations against the immigration enforcement surge spearheaded by President Donald Trump’s administration.

    In testimony, tenants of the Gray’s Landing apartment complex described experiencing difficulty breathing, coughing, dizziness and other symptoms following exposure to chemicals from tear gas, smoke grenades and pepper balls.

    “I have a gas mask in my bedroom. I have one in my living room. And I have one in my backpack,” said a plaintiff using a pseudonym due to being a domestic violence survivor. “I’ve slept with it on.”

    She described how the chemical munitions triggered her post-traumatic stress and entered into her apartment. ”I could feel it, I could see it, I could taste it, I could smell it,” she said of the gas.

    Gas canisters have hit apartments and been found in the building’s courtyard and parking garage, according to the complaint.

    Another plaintiff, Susan Dooley, a 72-year-old Air Force veteran with diabetes and high blood pressure, was sent by a doctor to the emergency room, where she was diagnosed with shortness of breath and mild heart failure, the complaint said. Whitfield Taylor, who has placed wet towels around his window air conditioning unit in a bid to block the gas from entering his home, had to take his two daughters, 7 and 9, to urgent care for respiratory symptoms. The girls sometimes sleep in his closet to feel safe, according to the complaint.

    Of the affordable housing complex’s 237 residents, nearly a third are age 63 or older, according to court filings. Twenty percent of units are reserved for low-income veterans and 16% of tenants identify as disabled.

    The plaintiffs filed an updated request for a preliminary injunction limiting federal officers’ use of tear gas late last month, after agents launched gas at a crowd of demonstrators including young children that local officials described as peaceful.

    “As this brief is being filed, tear gas is once again inside the homes of Plaintiffs and other residents of Gray’s Landing,” the filing says, adding that it was launched by officers “despite facing no violence or imminent threats at all.”

    The government said in court filings that federal officers have at times used crowd control devices in response to crowds that are “violent, obstructive or trespassing” or do not comply with dispersal orders.

    It has also pushed back against the claims of tenants’ constitutional rights being violated, saying that under such an argument, “federal and state law enforcement officers would violate the Constitution whenever they deploy airborne crowd-control devices that inadvertently drift into someone’s home or business, even if the use of such devices is otherwise entirely lawful.”

    The hearing comes after a federal judge in a separate Oregon lawsuit temporarily restricted agents’ use of tear gas during protests at the building. The temporary restraining order in that case, filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists, is set to expire next week.

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    Jordan Vawter

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  • Prolonged snow coverage leads to areas of snow mold

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    Winter snowfall is beginning to melt and the artic air that gripped the eastern two-thirds of the country has retreated.

    What You Need To Know

    • Parts of the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic experience prolonged snow coverage this winter

    • This type of fungus thrives in cooler conditions

    • Ways to keep snow mold away include mowing grass short in the late fall


    However, this temperatures shift and rapid thawing has lead to an unwelcome sight across many lawns: snow mold.

    Prolonged snow coverage

    A snow event on Jan. 24 to 26 brought snow and ice to regions of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Following the winter weather, arctic air surged south, keeping much of the region snow- and ice-covered.

    Another system Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 brought snow to the Mid-Atlantic, with areas like Charlotte, N.C. picking up just under a foot of snow. Like its predecessor, this storm was followed by bitter cold, leaving snow-covered ground in areas that don’t see flakes every winter.

    Snow mold

    If you start to notice odd circular patches or web‑like areas on your lawn, with pink or grayish discoloration, you might have snow mold. 

    Snow mold develops on a lawn in St. Charles, Mo. after prolonged snow during the winter. (Spectrum News/Stacy Lynn)

    According to Cardinal Lawn’s Lawn Disease Library, snow mold or snow rot is a type of fungal lawn disease that forms from sustained snow cover or wet leaves. It is most visible in spring after snow melts, but sometimes it is observed in winter after a big snowfall and then a thaw.

    Any grass exposed to cold temperatures and snow cover can be affected, and if left untreated, the lawn may suffer damage. 

    This fungus thrives in cold, damp conditions, damaging individual blades as well as the crown and roots. It often appears as gray circular patches or pink, web‑like growth. The pink type is the more severe fungus and does not need snow cover, as it proliferates when the grass is wet and temperatures are below 45 F.

    While most lawn diseases are associated with warm weather, TruGreen’s lawn care tips note that snow mold only occurs on actively growing winter grass in cooler weather and can persist up to 60°F if air and soil remain moist. Spores can be spread by wind or splashing rain, moving the disease from one part of the lawn to another.

    Prevention

    Although it’s impossible to completely prevent, some fall planning might help keep it at bay. TruGreen recommends mowing your lawn short before the grass goes dormant, 2 to 2.5 inches. Shorter grass is less likely to mat down.

    It’s best to avoid nitrogen fertilizer in late fall and make sure your soil drains properly to prevent excess moisture. Late summer or fall aeration can help break up the plant material that exists between the soil and the grass. 

    During the winter, don’t let the snow pile up. Those large piles that were created from clearing driveways and sidewalks need to be spread out and shortened. Any piles that take long to melt could be potential breeding grounds for the fungus.

    Repair

    Snow mold may happen despite best efforts. Ways to treat it include raking the matted grass, which adds circulation and helps to stimulate new grass growth. If your grass still doesn’t appear healthy, consult a lawn care company.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For 2024 Stabbing In Portland’s Old Town – KXL

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    PORTLAND, Ore. — A 35-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal stabbing of Deante Watts in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood last year.

    Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Christopher Marshall sentenced Jesse James Herold on Tuesday after convicting him of second-degree murder. Under Oregon law, Herold will be eligible for a parole board review after serving 25 years.

    Watts, 32, was killed on the morning of Jan. 12, 2024.

    According to prosecutors, Herold stalked Watts for several blocks after he left Blanchet House, a nonprofit that provides meals and services in Old Town. At approximately 7:45 a.m., Herold attacked Watts under the Steel Bridge on Southwest Naito Parkway, stabbing him multiple times.

    Herold was later arrested in Bellingham, Washington. Six weeks after the killing, a Portland detective interviewed him. During that interview, prosecutors said, Herold admitted to stalking and stabbing Watts and provided details that corroborated the investigation.

    According to court records, Herold told police he changed clothes after the attack, receiving free clothing from someone distributing items from a car. He also said he disposed of his bloody jacket in a portable toilet.

    Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer, who prosecuted the case along with Deputy District Attorney Sam Wilton, said the sentence brings a measure of accountability.

    “Mr. Watts was only 32 years old when he was murdered,” Demer said after the sentencing. “His family worried about him knowing that he was houseless and struggling while living on the streets. I hope the anguish and heartache that this family went through is softened by knowing that Mr. Herold received the maximum possible sentence.”

    The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office credited the Portland Police Bureau’s Homicide Detail for its work on the investigation, specifically Detectives Sean Macomber and Eric McDaniel. The office also recognized its victim advocates for providing support to Watts’ family throughout the case.

    Herold will remain in custody serving his life sentence under the supervision of the Oregon Department of Corrections.

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    Jordan Vawter

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  • Understanding the importance of climate norms

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    January and now February, parts of the country have faced extreme cold, prompting many meteorologists to note, “This air is much colder than average.”

    But how do we define “average,” and have those averages—or normals—changed over time?

    What You Need To Know

    • Climatologists use 30-year periods to establish baselines for “climate normals”

    • Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.

    • FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events


    Climatologists use 30-year periods to smooth out year-to-year variability and establish baselines, or “climate normals,” for comparison. For example, a high of 45 degrees in January in Missouri might be five degrees above the long-term average.

    Why 30 years?

    Jared Rennie, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Centers for Environmental Information, explains that the 30-year standard better reflects the changing climate and its influence on day-to-day weather. 

    He adds that NOAA also explores other base periods to meet user needs. In addition to the 1991–2020 normals released a few years ago, NOAA provides a 15-year baseline (2006–2020).

    These baselines are updated every ten years to capture ongoing changes—so data from 1980 to 2010 will differ from values averaged over 1990–2020.

    Differences in the data

    There are regional differences when comparing the most recent datasets (1980–2010 vs. 1990–2020). Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.

    Temperatures are generally warmer by 0.3 to 1.0°F across most areas, with the north-central U.S. slightly cooler.

    (Courtesy: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information)

    More frequent 100-year events

    It seems like every few weeks we hear, “This is a once in a 100-year event.” Why are we seeing more of these “once in a lifetime events?”

    “Scientifically, this usually refers to the percent chance an event happens in any given year,” he stressed.

    Adding, “With extreme rainfall events, NOAA uses data to identify areas that exceeded the 1% or 0.1% chance of occurring in a given year (known as a 1-in-100-year event and 1-in-1000-year event, respectively).”

    He says that as for the frequency of these types of events, it depends on the specific event. “When it comes to large-scale events like droughts and heat, we have a better understanding of how these are trending over time.”

    “For example, the science tells us that temperatures are increasing, especially at nighttime, which is affecting the number of heat events in the 21st century.”

    Smaller-scale events, such as tornadoes and certain floods, are harder to quantify, and ongoing research aims to improve understanding.

    Weather vulnerability

    How do population densities impact weather vulnerability? “There is lots of research in the socioeconomic space that is attempting to identify not only populations affected by weather and climate extremes, but also their risk.”

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides resources to help communities assess risk from heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes, and tornadoes. More information can be found in the Dec. 2025 National Risk Index for Natural Hazards index.

    FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events, like heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes and tornadoes.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

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  • Understanding the importance of climate norms

    [ad_1]

    January and now February, parts of the country have faced extreme cold, prompting many meteorologists to note, “This air is much colder than average.”

    But how do we define “average,” and have those averages—or normals—changed over time?

    What You Need To Know

    • Climatologists use 30-year periods to establish baselines for “climate normals”

    • Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.

    • FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events


    Climatologists use 30-year periods to smooth out year-to-year variability and establish baselines, or “climate normals,” for comparison. For example, a high of 45 degrees in January in Missouri might be five degrees above the long-term average.

    Why 30 years?

    Jared Rennie, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Centers for Environmental Information, explains that the 30-year standard better reflects the changing climate and its influence on day-to-day weather. 

    He adds that NOAA also explores other base periods to meet user needs. In addition to the 1991–2020 normals released a few years ago, NOAA provides a 15-year baseline (2006–2020).

    These baselines are updated every ten years to capture ongoing changes—so data from 1980 to 2010 will differ from values averaged over 1990–2020.

    Differences in the data

    There are regional differences when comparing the most recent datasets (1980–2010 vs. 1990–2020). Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.

    Temperatures are generally warmer by 0.3 to 1.0°F across most areas, with the north-central U.S. slightly cooler.

    (Courtesy: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information)

    More frequent 100-year events

    It seems like every few weeks we hear, “This is a once in a 100-year event.” Why are we seeing more of these “once in a lifetime events?”

    “Scientifically, this usually refers to the percent chance an event happens in any given year,” he stressed.

    Adding, “With extreme rainfall events, NOAA uses data to identify areas that exceeded the 1% or 0.1% chance of occurring in a given year (known as a 1-in-100-year event and 1-in-1000-year event, respectively).”

    He says that as for the frequency of these types of events, it depends on the specific event. “When it comes to large-scale events like droughts and heat, we have a better understanding of how these are trending over time.”

    “For example, the science tells us that temperatures are increasing, especially at nighttime, which is affecting the number of heat events in the 21st century.”

    Smaller-scale events, such as tornadoes and certain floods, are harder to quantify, and ongoing research aims to improve understanding.

    Weather vulnerability

    How do population densities impact weather vulnerability? “There is lots of research in the socioeconomic space that is attempting to identify not only populations affected by weather and climate extremes, but also their risk.”

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides resources to help communities assess risk from heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes, and tornadoes. More information can be found in the Dec. 2025 National Risk Index for Natural Hazards index.

    FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events, like heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes and tornadoes.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

    Source link

  • Understanding the importance of climate norms

    [ad_1]

    January and now February, parts of the country have faced extreme cold, prompting many meteorologists to note, “This air is much colder than average.”

    But how do we define “average,” and have those averages—or normals—changed over time?

    What You Need To Know

    • Climatologists use 30-year periods to establish baselines for “climate normals”

    • Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.

    • FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events


    Climatologists use 30-year periods to smooth out year-to-year variability and establish baselines, or “climate normals,” for comparison. For example, a high of 45 degrees in January in Missouri might be five degrees above the long-term average.

    Why 30 years?

    Jared Rennie, a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Centers for Environmental Information, explains that the 30-year standard better reflects the changing climate and its influence on day-to-day weather. 

    He adds that NOAA also explores other base periods to meet user needs. In addition to the 1991–2020 normals released a few years ago, NOAA provides a 15-year baseline (2006–2020).

    These baselines are updated every ten years to capture ongoing changes—so data from 1980 to 2010 will differ from values averaged over 1990–2020.

    Differences in the data

    There are regional differences when comparing the most recent datasets (1980–2010 vs. 1990–2020). Annual precipitation has increased 5–10% in the central and eastern U.S. and decreased 5–10% in the Southwest.

    Temperatures are generally warmer by 0.3 to 1.0°F across most areas, with the north-central U.S. slightly cooler.

    (Courtesy: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information)

    More frequent 100-year events

    It seems like every few weeks we hear, “This is a once in a 100-year event.” Why are we seeing more of these “once in a lifetime events?”

    “Scientifically, this usually refers to the percent chance an event happens in any given year,” he stressed.

    Adding, “With extreme rainfall events, NOAA uses data to identify areas that exceeded the 1% or 0.1% chance of occurring in a given year (known as a 1-in-100-year event and 1-in-1000-year event, respectively).”

    He says that as for the frequency of these types of events, it depends on the specific event. “When it comes to large-scale events like droughts and heat, we have a better understanding of how these are trending over time.”

    “For example, the science tells us that temperatures are increasing, especially at nighttime, which is affecting the number of heat events in the 21st century.”

    Smaller-scale events, such as tornadoes and certain floods, are harder to quantify, and ongoing research aims to improve understanding.

    Weather vulnerability

    How do population densities impact weather vulnerability? “There is lots of research in the socioeconomic space that is attempting to identify not only populations affected by weather and climate extremes, but also their risk.”

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides resources to help communities assess risk from heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes, and tornadoes. More information can be found in the Dec. 2025 National Risk Index for Natural Hazards index.

    FEMA is working to provide information for communities most at risk from weather events, like heat waves, cold outbreaks, hurricanes and tornadoes.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Meteorologist Stacy Lynn

    Source link

  • The First African American Astronaut

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    Guion Bluford, the first African American to travel into space, became one of the space community’s most influential figures.

    What You Need To Know

    • Guy Bluford was the first African American to fly in space

    • He started his career as a pilot in the Air Force

    • He became an astronaut for NASA in 1979


    Bluford developed a fascination with flight at a young age, and by high school he knew he wanted to become an aeronautical engineer.

    Early life

    After earning his college degree, Bluford joined the U.S. Air Force and received his pilot wings in Jan. 1966 at the early age of 24.

    He soon became an instructor pilot and later entered the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, where he earned a master’s degree in 1974 and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering in 1978.

    After his 1974 graduation, he served at the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory, initially as a deputy and eventually as branch chief of the Aerodynamics and Airframe Branch.These achievements led to his selection for the NASA astronaut program in 1978.

    It’s safe to say he never lost sight of his childhood dreams.

    Becoming a legend

    The crew of Space Shuttle 8 shown in front of launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida on August 5, 1983, with the tip of the orbiter Challenger showing in the background. Ready for a August 30 launch are left to right: Mission Specialists Dale Gardner, Guion Bluford, Dr. Bill Thornton, pilot Dan Brandenstein and commander Richard Truly. The crew was going through STS-8 countdown test on Thursday, and are wearing blue suits with pilot Brandenstein wearing a red tee shirt underneath. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

    After a year of training, Bluford became an official astronaut in Aug. 1979.

    Four years later, on Aug. 30, 1983, he flew his first mission aboard STS-8. That inaugural flight was brief but notable, pioneering techniques for nighttime operations and deploying the Indian National Satellite.

    After 145 hours in space, the crew returned to Edwards Air Force Base on Sept. 5.

    Over the next 10 years, Bluford became the second, third and fourth African American in space, logging over 688 hours.

    After NASA

    In 1993, Bluford left NASA and retired from the Air Force to become the Vice President and General Manager of the Engineering Services Division of NYMA Inc., in Greenbelt, Maryland.

    After several more high-end jobs, he went on to become the President of Aerospace Technology in Cleveland, Ohio, a job that he still holds today.

    Bluford never stopped learning or pursuing the next level of his career. A brilliant figure in the space and engineering communities, he became a leader and role model for many African Americans.

    Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Meteorologist Shelly Lindblade

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  • $106 Million In Unbudgeted Housing Funds To Be Added To Portland City Budget – KXL

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    PORTLAND, Ore. — Approximately $106 million in previously unbudgeted housing funds will now be reflected in the City of Portland’s budget, City Administrator Raymond C. Lee III said in a memo to the City Council on Friday.

    The funds were identified through an analysis conducted by city finance and housing staff and include money that had accumulated over multiple years but was not incorporated into the city’s formal budget process.

    More than 40% of the unbudgeted total comes from the Housing Investment Fund, which was established in 2016 to track financial activity related to multifamily housing operations. The remaining funds — being publicly reported for the first time — come from other Portland Housing Bureau accounts that are subject to stricter spending restrictions, according to the memo.

    Lee said the disclosure reflects a broader shift in how the city manages its finances under its new form of government.

    “This moment reflects the City’s ongoing shift from bureaus and offices developing budgets independently to the City of Portland managing its finances holistically,” Lee wrote, adding that he is prepared to support the City Council in making informed decisions about how the funds are used.

    City officials noted that it is common practice for municipal governments to allow funds to accumulate over several years before deploying them for major projects or programs. Going forward, Lee said the city will include such contingency and reserve funds in its annual budget process.

    Lee also said the administration will select outside legal counsel to conduct an independent investigation into the housing funds.

    “The administration is committed to providing accurate information to support Council deliberations and decision-making about these funds, the broader budget, and the City’s long-term financial health,” he wrote.

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    Jordan Vawter

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  • Arrests Made After Motel Shooting In Northeast Portland – KXL

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    PORTLAND, Ore- Three people are under arrest after a late-night shooting at a motel in Northeast Portland that left two adults hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

    Officers from the Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct responded at about 10:55 p.m. Thursday to reports of a shooting at a motel on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. Inside a room, officers found an adult man and an adult woman suffering from gunshot wounds.

    Both were taken to a hospital with injuries believed to be non-life-threatening.

    During a search of the surrounding area, officers detained two possible suspects more than 10 blocks away and two additional people near the motel.

    Police ultimately arrested three people and booked them into the Multnomah County Detention Center.

    Aaron T. Gee, 43, of Portland, was arrested on charges of attempted murder in the second degree (two counts), assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm.

    Joseph E. Allen, 35, of Portland, and Morgan S. Bryden, 29, of Portland, were arrested on outstanding warrants, police said.

    The investigation is ongoing.

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    Grant McHill

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  • ICE agents can’t make warrantless arrests in Oregon unless there’s a risk of escape, judge rules

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    Federal immigration agents in Oregon must stop arresting people without warrants unless there’s a likelihood of escape, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

    U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai issued a preliminary injunction in a proposed class-action lawsuit targeting the Department of Homeland Security’s practice of arresting immigrants they happen to come across while conducting ramped-up enforcement operations — which critics have described as “arrest first, justify later.”

    Similar actions have drawn concern from civil rights groups across the country amid President Trump’s mass deportation efforts. The nonprofit law firm Innovation Law Lab brought the lawsuit.

    With Wednesday’s ruling, Oregon now joins Colorado and Washington, D.C., as jurisdictions where the Trump administration is barred from conducting warrantless arrests without first verifying that the arrestee is a flight risk. There is also a pending lawsuit over warrantless arrests in Minnesota. The government is appealing the rulings in Colorado and D.C. 

    In a memo last week, Todd Lyons, the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, noted that agents should not make an arrest without an administrative arrest warrant issued by a supervisor unless they develop probable cause to believe the person is likely to escape from the scene. 

    Lyons also expanded the grounds that ICE agents and officers can cite to conclude that getting an administrative arrest warrant for someone they encounter would give that person an opportunity to flee while the warrant is being sought.

    But in a court hearing Wednesday, the judge heard evidence that agents in Oregon have arrested people in immigration sweeps without such warrants or determining escape was likely.

    That included testimony from one plaintiff, Victor Cruz Gamez, a 56-year-old grandfather who has been in the U.S. since 1999. He told the court he was arrested and held in an immigration detention facility for three weeks despite having a valid work permit and a pending visa application.

    The hearing also featured testimony from a person identified as M.A.M. who described a video she took of two armed immigration agents bursting into a bedroom to look for somebody who did not live there. The video of the October raid circulated widely on social media, and a person in the house spoke with CBS News last year.

    Kasubhai concluded that the plaintiffs were likely to prevail, and said there is “ample evidence in this case that established a pattern of practice of executing warrantless arrests without sufficient evidence.”

    Kasubhai also said the actions of agents in Oregon — including drawing guns on people while detaining them for civil immigration violations — have been “violent and brutal,” and he was concerned about the administration denying due process to those swept up in immigration raids.

    “I’m concerned, as a public servant, and as someone who has to, by virtue of my oath, to uphold the constitution, when I see actions and behavior on behalf of our executive branch that does not observe that same commitment,” the judge said. “Due process calls for those who have great power to exercise great restraint … That is the bedrock of a democratic republic founded on this great constitution. I think we’re losing that.”

    Amanda Arden

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  • Judge restricts federal agents from using tear gas, projectile munitions at Portland immigration protests

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    A judge in Oregon on Tuesday temporarily restricted federal officers from using tear gas at protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, just days after agents launched gas at a crowd of demonstrators, including young children, that local officials described as peaceful.

    U.S. District Judge Michael Simon ordered federal officers to not use chemical or projectile munitions unless the person targeted poses an imminent threat of physical harm. Simon also limited federal officers from firing munitions at the head, neck or torso “unless the officer is legally justified in using deadly force against that person.”

    Simon, whose temporary restraining order is in effect for 14 days, wrote that the nation “is now at a crossroads.”

    “In a well-functioning constitutional democratic republic, free speech, courageous newsgathering, and nonviolent protest are all permitted, respected, and even celebrated,” he wrote. “In helping our nation find its constitutional compass, an impartial and independent judiciary operating under the rule of law has a responsibility that it may not shirk.”

    Federal agents deploys pepper balls, tear gas, and flashbang grenades on protesters outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, on Feb. 01, 2026. 

    Sean Bascom/Anadolu via Getty Images


    The order applies to the use of “kinetic impact projectiles, pepper ball or paintball guns, pepper or oleoresin capsicum spray, tear gas or other chemical irritants, soft nose rounds, 40mm or 37mm launchers, less lethal shotguns, and flashbang, Stinger, or rubber ball grenades.” 

    The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Oregon on behalf of protesters and freelance journalists covering demonstrations at the flashpoint U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.

    The suit names as defendants the Department of Homeland Security and its head Kristi Noem, as well as President Trump. It argues that federal officers’ use of chemical munitions and excessive force is a retaliation against protesters that chills their First Amendment rights.

    The Department of Homeland Security said federal officers have “followed their training and used the minimum amount of force necessary to protect themselves, the public, and federal property.”

    “The First Amendment protects speech and peaceful assembly — not rioting,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an emailed statement in response to the ruling. “DHS is taking appropriate and constitutional measures to uphold the rule of law and protect our officers and the public from dangerous rioters.

    Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said in a statement that the ruling “confirms what we’ve said from the beginning. Federal agents have used unconscionable levels of force against a community exercising their constitutional right to free expression.”

    Judges elsewhere have also considered the issue of federal agents’ use of chemical munitions against protesters, as cities across the country have seen demonstrations against the federal immigration enforcement surge.

    Last month, a federal appeals court suspended a decision that prohibited federal officers from using tear gas or pepper spray against peaceful protesters in Minnesota who aren’t obstructing law enforcement.

    In November, an appeals court also halted a ruling from a federal judge in Chicago that restricted federal agents from using certain riot control weapons, such as tear gas and pepper balls, unless necessary to prevent an immediate threat. A similar lawsuit brought by the state is now before the same judge.

    The Oregon complaint describes instances in which the plaintiffs — including a protester known for wearing a chicken costume, a married couple in their 80s and two freelance journalists — had chemical or “less-lethal” munitions used against them.

    In October, 83-year-old Vietnam War veteran Richard Eckman and his 84-year-old wife Laurie Eckman joined a peaceful march to the ICE building. Federal officers then launched chemical munitions at the crowd, hitting Laurie Eckman in the head with a pepper ball and causing her to bleed, according to the complaint. With bloody clothes and hair, she sought treatment at a hospital, which gave her instructions for caring for a concussion. A munition also hit her husband’s walker, the complaint says.

    Jack Dickinson, who frequently attends protests at the ICE building in a chicken suit, has had munitions aimed at him while posing no threat, according to the complaint. Federal officers have shot munitions at his face respirator and at his back, and launched a tear-gas canister that sparked next to his leg and burned a hole in his costume, the complaint says.

    Freelance journalists Hugo Rios and Mason Lake have similarly been hit with pepper balls and tear gassed while marked as press, the complaint says.

    “Defendants must be enjoined from gassing, shooting, hitting and arresting peaceful Portlanders and journalists willing to document federal abuses as if they are enemy combatants,” the complaint states. “Defendants’ actions have caused and continue to cause Plaintiffs irreparable harm, including physical injury, fear of arrest, and a chilling of their willingness to exercise rights of speech, press, and assembly.”

    Local officials have also spoken out against the use of chemical munitions. Wilson demanded ICE leave the city after federal officers used such munitions Saturday at what he described as a “peaceful daytime protest where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal forces.”

    The protest was one of many similar demonstrations nationwide against the immigration crackdown in cities like Minneapolis, where in recent weeks, federal agents killed two people, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

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  • Portland mayor demands ICE leave city after federal agents use tear gas on protesters ‘Sickening decisions’

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    The mayor of Portland, Oregon, is calling on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave his city after federal agents deployed tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators, including young children, outside an ICE facility over the weekend.

    Mayor Keith Wilson characterized the protests on Saturday as peaceful, as federal agents reportedly used tear gas, pepper balls, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets against the anti-ICE demonstrators.

    Wilson urged ICE agents to resign and for the agency to leave Portland, denouncing their “use of violence” and the “trampling of the Constitution.”

    “Today, federal forces deployed heavy waves of chemical munitions, impacting a peaceful daytime protest where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat, and posed no danger to federal forces,” he said in a statement on Saturday.

    CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON PUTS ICE ‘ON NOTICE’ WITH EXECUTIVE ORDER SEEKING PROSECUTION OF AGENTS

    Mayor Keith Wilson characterized the protests in his city as peaceful, as he called for ICE to leave. (Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)

    “To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave. Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame. To those who continue to make these sickening decisions, go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children. Ask yourselves why you continue to work for an agency responsible for murders on American streets. No one is forcing you to lie to yourself, even as your bosses continue to lie to the American people,” the mayor continued.

    The mayor added that this nation “will never accept a federal presence where agents wield deadly force against the very people they are sworn to serve.”

    “I share the impatience with those who demand we use every legal tool at our disposal to push back against this inexcusable, unconscionable, and unacceptable violence against our community,” Wilson said. “I share the need to act. Actions that can withstand the scrutiny of the justice system take time – and we cannot afford to lose this fight.”

    CBP/BORDER PATROL AGENTS PLACED ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE AFTER DEADLY CONFRONTATION WITH ALEX PRETTI

    Person with "POLICE ICE" sign on their vest

    Federal agents deployed tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators, including young children, outside an ICE facility in Portland. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

    Portland officials are working to operationalize an ordinance, which went into effect last month, that imposes a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents, the mayor said.

    “As we prepare to put that law into action, we are also documenting today’s events and preserving evidence. The federal government must, and will, be held accountable,” he wrote.

    “Portland will continue to stand firmly with our immigrant neighbors, who deserve safety, dignity, and the full protection of the communities they help build,” he continued. “We are also proud of the Portlanders who showed up today in peaceful solidarity, demonstrating the strength and clarity of those shared values in the face of federal overreach.”

    This comes amid national unrest and bipartisan scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics following two killings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents last month in Minneapolis.

    President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at roundtable event

    The Trump administration has faced bipartisan scrutiny over its immigration enforcement tactics following two killings of U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. (Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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    Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis, and Alex Pretti was fatally shot on Jan. 24 by Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez while he was recording immigration enforcement operations in the same city.

    Pretti, an ICU nurse, appeared to be attempting to assist a woman agents had knocked down when he was sprayed with an irritant, pushed to the ground and beaten, according to video and witness accounts. An agent was later seen pulling Pretti’s lawfully owned firearm from his waistband before other agents fired several shots, killing him.

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  • Mayor of Portland, Oregon, demands ICE leave the city after federal agents tear gas protesters

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    The mayor of Portland, Oregon, demanded U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement leave his city after federal agents launched tear gas at a crowd of demonstrators — including young children — outside an ICE facility during a weekend protest that he and others characterized as peaceful.

    Thousands of people attended the “ICE out” protest on Saturday in South Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau. The protest began near Elizabeth Caruthers Park, and demonstrators later moved to an ICE facility a few blocks away, CBS affiliate KOIN reported. That’s where witnesses said agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets.

    Erin Hoover Barnett, a former OregonLive reporter who joined the protest, said she was about 100 yards from the building in Portland’s South Waterfront when “what looked like two guys with rocket launchers” started dousing the crowd with gas.

    “To be among parents frantically trying to tend to little children in strollers, people using motorized carts trying to navigate as the rest of us staggered in retreat, unsure of how to get to safety, was terrifying,” Barnett wrote in an email to OregonLive.

    The use of tear gas continued intermittently through the night as the group of protesters dwindled, KOIN reported.

    The federal government “must, and will, be held accountable,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said Saturday night. “To those who continue to make these sickening decisions, go home, look in a mirror, and ask yourselves why you have gassed children.

    Wilson also said the city would be imposing a fee on detention facilities that use chemical agents.

    The mayor said the daytime demonstration was peaceful, “where the vast majority of those present violated no laws, made no threat and posed no danger” to federal agents.

    “To those who continue to work for ICE: Resign. To those who control this facility: Leave,” Wilson wrote in his statement Saturday night. “Through your use of violence and the trampling of the Constitution, you have lost all legitimacy and replaced it with shame.”

    The Portland Fire Bureau sent paramedics to treat people at the scene, police said. Police officers monitored the crowd but made no arrests on Saturday.

    In a statement posted Sunday to social media, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek condemned the presence of ICE in the state. 

    “Trump’s ICE has no place in Oregon,” Kotek wrote. “The use of tear gas against families, children, and peaceful demonstrators yesterday is a horrific abuse of authority that undermines public safety and violates constitutional rights. Federal agents must stand down and be held accountable.”

    The Portland protest was one of many similar demonstrations nationwide against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in cities like Minneapolis, where in recent weeks federal agents killed two residents, Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

    In downtown Los Angeles, federal officers also deployed tear gas into the crowd on Saturday after local police issued an unlawful assembly order, CBS LA reported. At least eight people were arrested, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

    Federal agents in Eugene, Oregon, deployed tear gas on Friday when protesters tried to get inside the Federal Building near downtown. City police declared a riot and ordered the crowd to disperse.

    President Trump posted Saturday on social media that it was up to local law enforcement agencies to police protests in their cities. However, Mr. Trump said he has instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to have federal agents be vigilant in guarding U.S. government facilities.

    “Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property. There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors,” Mr. Trump wrote. “If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.”

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  • Arrest Made In Connection To Shooting Of Two Portland Police Officers – KXL

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    Portland Police say two officers were shot by a man in NE Portland Monday evening.

    PORTLAND, Ore. – An arrest has been made in the shooting of two Portland Police officers on January 19th.

    A person was taken into custody around 7 in the morning on Monday, January 6th.

    The arrest happened during a tactical operation on Northeast 82nd Avenue.

    More details will be released in the coming hours.

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  • Woman Shot By Border Patrol Officer In Portland Gets Probation For Illegal Entry – KXL

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    Credit: U.S. Department of Homeland Security

    PORTLAND, OR – The woman shot in the chest by a Border Patrol officer during a traffic stop in Portland earlier this month pleaded guilty Thursday to illegally entering the United States and was sentenced to a year of probation.

    Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, 32, appeared by video from an immigration detention center in Tacoma, Washington, for a hearing in federal court in Portland. Under a negotiated agreement, she will remain out of custody in Oregon while on probation.

    Zambrano-Contreras pleaded guilty to improper entry by an alien, a misdemeanor. The case was initially filed in Texas, but she waived her right to appear there for prosecution.

    Her defense attorney, Conor Huseby, said Zambrano-Contreras crossed the border in 2023 while seeking a better life for herself and her child amid long delays at ports of entry. Speaking through a Spanish-language interpreter, Zambrano-Contreras told the judge she had no place to live or work and crossed with a large group of people without inspection.

    Prosecutors said Zambrano-Contreras entered the U.S. from Mexico in September 2023 near the Paso Del Norte port of entry in Texas. She was detained by Border Patrol, then released due to lack of space and ordered to report to immigration authorities in Portland, which she did not do. Her immigration court hearing is scheduled for June 1, 2028.

    U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman ordered Zambrano-Contreras to undergo location monitoring during probation and comply with an initial nightly curfew. She was also barred from areas where prostitution occurs and warned she could be arrested if she violates probation conditions.

    Zambrano-Contreras was wounded Jan. 8 while sitting in the front passenger seat of a red Toyota Tacoma that was stopped by Border Patrol officers in a Southeast Portland medical office parking lot. Authorities say the driver, Luis David Niño-Moncada, rammed a federal vehicle and struck an officer with the truck. An officer then fired two shots into the vehicle, wounding both the driver and Zambrano-Contreras.

    Niño-Moncada, 33, later drove to an apartment complex and called 911. He has pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault of a federal officer and damaging federal property and remains in custody.

    Federal officials have alleged Zambrano-Contreras was the target of the stop and linked to a prostitution ring tied to the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, but she has not been charged in connection with any prostitution activity or prior shooting. She is expected to be a witness in the case against Niño-Moncada.

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    Tim Lantz

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  • Portland Police Seek Public’s Help Identifying Suspect In Armed Robbery – KXL

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    Photo provided by Portland Police

    Portland police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect connected to an armed robbery at a Northeast Portland tavern earlier this month.

    According to the Portland Police Bureau, the robbery occurred on January 12, 2026, at a tavern in the 6000 block of Northeast Lombard Street. Investigators say the suspect was armed with a firearm and should be considered armed and dangerous.

    Police have released two images of the individual in hopes that community members may recognize him or have information that could assist in the ongoing investigation.

    Photo provided by Portland Police

    Authorities encourage anyone with information—no matter how small—to come forward. Tips can be submitted anonymously.

    Anyone with information related to the case is asked to submit tips here, referencing case number 26-10508.

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  • A D.H.S. Shooting Puts Portland Back Under the Microscope

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    Word in Hazelwood spread quickly. When Andrea Valderrama, who represents Outer East Portland in the Oregon State Legislature and lives in the neighborhood, saw her elementary-school-aged daughter an hour later, she was horrified to learn that her child was already aware of an incident. “It was not the standard, ‘How was your day at school?’ conversation,” Valderrama told me. “It was an indication, as a mom, of the impact these ICE enforcement actions are having on our kiddos.”

    The district Valderrama represents is forty-eight per cent nonwhite, and seventeen per cent identify as Hispanic, including Valderrama, whose parents are Peruvian. “East Portland has a significant number of immigrants, refugees, and families of color,” she said, “more so than other parts of the city.” The community had been besieged by D.H.S. raids since Trump retook office. Valderrama described “ICE agents breaking down doors” and “causing property damage, drawing guns regularly.” This has affected the disposition of the neighborhood. “There has been increased fear and concern because there’s been an increased use of excessive force and violence and traumatic separation of families,” she told me.

    Now, just a day after the fatal shooting of Good, in Minneapolis, two people had been shot down the street from Valderrama’s home. That night, she joined Mayor Wilson and other community leaders to address the public. “My family came to this country fleeing really the same type of violent tactics that we’re seeing in my neighborhood and in this city and across this country,” Valderrama said from the podium. The mayor, after questioning D.H.S’s version of events, had a message for the Feds. “We are calling on ICE to halt all operations in Portland,” he said, “until a full and independent investigation can take place.”

    Nearly all the questions at the press conference were for Bob Day, Portland’s chief of police. A ginger-haired former aspiring pastor, Day seemed visibly troubled by the shooting. Did he expect the Feds to involve his department in the investigation? “I’m not exactly sure,” he said. “Frankly, there’s a lot of competing interests, as we know.” Just before the briefing, D.H.S. alleged the two shooting victims had ties to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan transnational organization accused of crimes including kidnapping, human trafficking, and contract killings. Is the gang active in Portland? “I don’t have any information that would link that at this time,” Day said. He didn’t even know the victims’ names yet.

    Throughout the night and into the next morning, the story ran through the maw of cable news and social media, following the same patterns as the story of Good’s killing earlier in the week. Observers were either on the side of the shooting victims, who were recovering in the hospital, or on the side of the federal agents, who had reportedly been assaulted with a vehicle. Except in this case, with no video footage, the online and talk-show combatants had less to draw from.

    On Friday, just before 8 A.M. local time, D.H.S. announced new details on X, writing that Nino-Moncada “is a criminal illegal alien from Venezuela and suspected Tren de Aragua gang member” and was “arrested for D.U.I. and unauthorized use of a vehicle.” The post also accused Zambrano-Contreras of playing “an active role in a Tren de Aragua prostitution ring” and being “involved with a prior shooting in Portland.”

    Hours later, Day held another press conference. Standing at the same podium, he was even more solemn than before. He recapped the events of the prior night, when hundreds of people outside City Hall and outside the ICE facility protested the shootings in Portland and Minneapolis. Six people had been arrested for disorderly conduct. And he announced that, after doing some digging into the department’s backlog of cases, there was “a nexus” between the shooting victims and Tren de Aragua. A shooting in the area, in July, 2025, had ties to one of the victims, he said. But he couldn’t say which victim, Nino-Moncada or Zambrano-Contreras, was connected to the prior shooting, or what exactly those ties were, although he noted that they were not identified as suspects. He could only say that, in the aftermath of the July shooting, a victim in that incident had told police that Tren de Aragua was involved. (An attorney for Nino-Moncada characterized accusations of his connection to Tren de Aragua as “without evidence,” while an attorney for Zambrano-Contreras said that the federal government “has a well-documented history of making false and inflammatory statements about immigrants, Venezuelans in particular.”) Day also said that Zambrano-Contreras had once been arrested for prostitution. (It was unclear if she was charged with a crime, or if Nino-Moncada was charged after his D.U.I. arrest. But earlier this week, Nino-Moncada was charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer, in connection with the Border Patrol shooting. He pleaded not guilty.)

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  • Two Portland Police Officers Injured In Hit-and-Run Crash In Southeast Portland – KXL

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    Photo via Portland Police

    Two Portland police officers were treated for minor injuries early Tuesday after their patrol vehicle was struck by another car that fled the scene in Southeast Portland, authorities said.

    The crash occurred at about 2:40 a.m. on Jan. 13, 2026, near Southeast 148th Avenue and Southeast Stark Street. Officers assigned to the Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct were responding to a call with lights and sirens activated when another vehicle collided with their marked patrol car.

    The impact caused significant damage to the passenger side of the police vehicle and deployed all airbags, police said. One officer was trapped inside the vehicle and could not exit until crews from Portland Fire & Rescue arrived and forced open the passenger-side door.

    Both officers were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and were later released.

    Suspect vehicle, via Portland Police

    Police said the other vehicle involved in the crash fled the scene. Investigators are searching for a dark-colored Chevrolet Suburban believed to have front-end damage, including damage to the front bumper.

    “I am incredibly thankful that both officers are okay and were able to go home,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said in a statement. “This could have been much worse, and we’re grateful for the quick response from our partner agencies.”

    Anyone with information about the crash is asked to contact the Portland Police Bureau at [email protected] and reference case number 26-11604.

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    Jordan Vawter

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