by Wm. Steven Humphrey If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can ’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! 👋 If you hate thinking about the weather, I HAVE GOOD NEWS. Because this week, it's going to be "dry and mild" with a high temperature of around 52 degrees every damn day through the weekend! With everything else in the world going "ker-blooey," at least we can count on Portland weather being delightfully boring. And now, let's read some not-so-boring and occasionally "ker-blooey" NEWS. IN LOCAL NEWS: • Just when you thought... "Jeez, maybe not all cops are bastards (better known as NACAB)," this happens: Two Portland Police officers are facing major scrutiny after one was caught on camera repeatedly punching a helpless protester, while yet another was filmed defending the deadly shooting of Renée Nicole Good by ICE agents in Minnesota. (He callously said that “Sometimes criminals get shot... it happens.” 👀😡) Even more embarrassing (at least for the Portland Police Bureau), the actions came at the same time Portland's police chief was encouraging residents to exercise their right to protest and speak out against injustice in the wake of violence by federal agents. The officer who made the remarks on camera has since been pulled from protest policing for now and reassigned, while the other officer (the puncher) will undergo a use of force review. Find out more with this great (and infuriating) story from our Courtney Vaughn! Hundreds of Portlanders gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza this afternoon for a vigil honoring the victims and survivors of ICE and Border Patrol violence.[image or embed] — Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) January 10, 2026 at 7:12 PM ICE needs to be taken apart, brick by brick, and we need to salt the earth. — Councilor Sameer Kanal (@councilorkanal.bsky.social) January 8, 2026 at 4:31 PM • For those catching up, here's what we know so far about last week's shooting of two people in East Portland by a Border Patrol agent: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released more information about the incident (you know... FOR WHAT THAT'S WORTH). The two victims in the shooting have been allegedly identified as Luis David Nino-Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, who the feds are desperately trying to make us believe are dangerous Tren de Aragua gang members—a notion strongly disputed by the couple's attorney. Portland Police Chief Bob Day stated that the two seem to have some "nexus" with the gang, but it's unclear how they might be connected, if at all. The driver, Nino-Moncada, who was shot in the arm, has been booked by the FBI and is expected to make an appearance in federal court today on charges of aggravated assault of a federal officer. Meanwhile, Zambrano-Contreras, who was shot in the chest, remains hospitalized and in stable condition. Because the feds absolutely cannot be trusted to pursue this investigation fairly, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield says his office will open a formal investigation into the shooting. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Portlanders turned out this weekend to protest the federal agents shooting of two Portlanders and the killing of Renée Nicole Good in Minnesota, marching downtown, attending a candlelight vigil at Terry Schrunk Plaza, and making some good noise at the ICE facility, were two protesters were arrested by Portland Police, while the famous Resistance Frogs performed a choreographed dance. Stay tuned to the Mercury for the latest updates.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury) • Trump racked up yet another Pacific Northwest loss on Friday when a federal judge batted down the president's corrupt attempt to end our vote-by-mail laws, by requiring proof of citizenship and ordering that all ballots be received by Election Day. The judge ruled that Trump's executive order exceeded the president’s authority, because as it turns out, those decisions lie in the hands of congress and the states who regulate federal elections. 🏆 • OPB reports that roughly 4,800 Oregonians had their personal information exposed following a cyber attack on the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)—who waited for a whopping nine months to reveal the full scope of the attack, and only after being pressed by reporters. They also refused to say why they chose to hide that information, adding that they have now shored up their defenses to protect the private info of customers. Saddle up, smarty-butt! It’s time for another super fun POP QUIZ PDX. In this week’s entertaining local trivia quiz: realistic fake IDs, questionable New Year’s resolutions, and Donald Trump’s Parade of Ding-Dongs and Door Knobs ! (AKA the parade that never ends) See how well YOU score![image or embed] — Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) January 10, 2026 at 9:07 AM IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS: • And Trump's Retribution Tour™ continues with the president's corrupt DOJ opening a criminal investigation into the chairman of the federal reserve, Jerome Powell. Looking for a scapegoat after tanking the economy, Trump has targeted Powell, who says he is being investigated in order to pressure him into lowering national interest rates... and can I pause just a second to throw my hands in the air, and yell, "WHAT... THE... EVER-LOVING... FUCK?" The announcement of the witch hunt investigation has shaken the stock market, and while this ridiculously impotent move will most likely result in another legal nothing-burger (see the failed prosecutions of Letitia James and James Comey), facts are facts: Trump and Trump alone is responsible for the economic mess we're in. • Roughly 1,000 additional US Customs and Border Protection agents are expected to be deployed to Minnesota following the recent ICE murder of Renée Nicole Good—an action that follows the deployment of 2,000 federal agents last week. Meanwhile, local officials and DHS continue accusing each other of impeding the investigation into Good's death, despite the fact that one cannot believe a single word that pops out of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's pouty mouth, who is now ordering everyone in Minnesota to "grow up" and cooperate with their corrupt investigation. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey countered the government's assertion that his city is overrun with crime, saying, “[Noem's] calling Minneapolis this dystopian hellhole. You know how many shootings we’ve had so far this year? Two, and one of them was ICE.” Israel has demolished more than 2,500 buildings in Gaza since the cease-fire began, according to a New York Times analysis, including in areas still under Hamas control.[image or embed] — The New York Times (@nytimes.com) January 12, 2026 at 8:40 AM • At least 572 Iranians are dead as security forces attempt to squash protests against the government—though the full impact of the officials' actions are unclear after they severed internet access to the country. NBC News was able to verify one video that showed dozens of bodies in black bags on the ground just outside the capital, Tehran, as mourners wailed in the background. Meanwhile, Trump—who had threatened military action against the Islamic Republic if their violence continued—said he had been contacted by the group who supposedly want to negotiate... while at the same time threatening the US if we decide to step in. Besides the growing death count in the country, human rights organizations report that nearly 10,000 Iranians have been detained.  • Hosted by the always hilarious Nikki Glaser, last night's Golden Globes were throwing out awards left and right, with the big winners being One Battle After Another, Netflix's Adolescence, Hamet, Timothée Chalamet for the wildly overrated Marty Supreme, and to the non-surprise of tweens everywhere, KPop Demon Hunters. Nikki Glaser calls out CBS News at the Golden Globes while it’s being broadcast on CBS. “And the award for Most Editing goes to CBS News. Yes, CBS News, America’s newest place to see B.S. News.”[image or embed] — Hoodlum 🇺🇸 (@nothoodlum.bsky.social) January 11, 2026 at 6:23 PM • RIP to Bob Weir—a singer, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of the Grateful Dead—who died this weekend at the age of 78. • And finally... I hope this week is filled with the type of joy this person is experiencing. @keno.basil #luchalibreaaa #mexico🇲🇽 #happiness #sport ♬ origineel geluid - keno.basil ...read more read less