Good Morning, News: Info On Ice In Oregon, Bovino Backlash (and Other Chaos), And Tiktok Is Even Worse Now 

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Good morning, Portland. The rain returns this week. Maybe not today, though. More likely tomorrow. But also, who knows? Weather forecasters can only do so much. At some point, you just gotta live your life. 

An important reminder: It's Wiener Week. There are lots of really yummy dawgs available to those willing to venture out and find 'em. I'm a fan of chili dogs, partially because they have beans and are therefore good for you. (Same goes for Chicago dogs, which come with a bunch of veggies.) If you agree with me, you might be interested in what's on offer at Take Two, 10 Barrel Brewing, Hopworks, and Sammich. If you want to check out those doing unique variations on the hot dog form, you may enjoy the wieners at Breakside Brewery (Slabtown), Boke Bowl, and 503 Distilling, just to name a few options. All the wieners are winners. ????

IN LOCAL NEWS: 

• Oregon’s ICE detention rate between May and October of 2025 was the 10th-lowest in the country, largely because of the agency's logistical hurdles. For now, Oregon remains one of the few states where ICE doesn't operate a detention center—the Portland ICE facility technically doesn't allow detainees to be held for an extended period of time, and the agency also can't legally hold detainees at local jails due to sanctuary laws. But the feds are considering building Oregon's first immigrant detention center in the coastal city of Newport, igniting major backlash and fear. Read more about it here. 

• After roughly a week of searching, Portland police have found the person they believe is responsible for last week's shooting near the Lloyd Center, which injured two officers. The person arrested is a 41-year-old named Eric Oelkers. The Portland Police Bureau hasn't released very much more information about the shooting. 

• A new contender has entered the GOP primary in the Oregon governor's race: Chris Dudley, the former Portland Trail Blazer. Dudley came close to beating former Governor John Kitzhaber (a Democrat) in the state's 2010 gubernatorial race, and he's decided now is the right time to enter the ring. At this stage in the 2026 election cycle, the GOP primary already has a frontrunner in state lawmaker Christine Drazan, who has galvanized conservatives in the state legislature in recent years. Could Dudley manage a (relatively) last-minute  upset? I guess we'll just have to see. That's #ORPOL for you.   

• Another week, another list of stuff to do, beautifully curated by Mercury staff. On the roster this week: OMSI After Dark featuring scary creatures of the deep sea (Wednesday), a night of Nordic music at the Oregon Symphony (Thursday), a showing of Mississippi Masala at the Clinton Street Theater (Saturday), and the Oregon 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration at the Keller (also Saturday). Find out more in this week's Do This, Do That, linked for ya right HERE. 

• Pickathon is back in 2026, announcing their initial music lineup today! The genres represented, as per usual, feature an expansive lineup of international heaters and regional heavyweights, and heavyweights in training. Have a look at the Mercury's thoughts on the initial lineup, which includes groups like Portland's The Cosmic Tunes Research Trio, Australia’s Folk Bitch Trio, The Womack Sisters, Acid King, and many more. 

IN NATIONAL NEWS: 

• Greg Bovino, the scary short guy who has been helping terrorize the nation as the commander in charge of US Border Patrol, appears to have been removed from his top post. The move comes after Border Patrol agents shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, a horrific act of violence that prompted nationwide backlash. Bovino's reassignment seems to indicate the Trump administration is weakening and knows it, but nobody should feel like the decision is enough. The latest trend among Democratic lawmakers seems to be calling for Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem—AKA "ICE Barbie"—to be ousted, and some reports indicate that could be in the works, too. If and when "puppy killer Noem" gets kicked out of her position, Stephen Miller should be next. 

The state of play on the Hill: Republicans are hoping to satiate Democrats with actions like Trump executive orders, outside of the legislative process, so they can pass the six-bill appropriations package and avoid a shutdown. Dems are saying no go and believe they are negotiating from strength.

— David Dayen (@ddayen.bsky.social) January 27, 2026 at 6:33 AM

• TikTok recently finalized a sale that handed American investors—including tech company Oracle, run by Trump ally Larry Ellison—major control of the business. Since the sale went through, users have reported seeing changes in the app, which some say appears to be censoring progressive and anti-Trump content. One...interesting...change users have reported is an inability to send direct messages containing the word "Epstein." TikTok officials have acknowledged the issue, which they say is not a result of any policy changes on their part. Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced an inquiry into potential censorship. One thing that's definitely true: The new TikTok is going to collect even more data from you. My tip: If you delete the app, you have a better chance of rewiring your brain to focus on things for more than 30 seconds at a time. (I know, the heart yearns to scroll.) 

• AI data centers are raising people's electricity bills and increasing fossil fuel output, and it's pissing people off. Recently, protesters in red and blue states alike have shut down potential new data center sites, with the issue seeming to be somewhat unifying in an era rife with political division. (It's us versus the billionaires who want to build data centers.) Expect this to be a hot button political issue for the foreseeable future. But remember, unless politicians are promising to take swift action to clean up the energy grid, they're lying when they promise to lower electricity costs. Don't fall prey to the fossil fuel psyop!  

• Here's a good thing: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is encouraging people to enjoy gay hockey romance fiction AND utilize their local library. During a recent press conference addressing the major snowstorm that hit the East Coast over the weekend, Mamdani told viewers that the New York Public Library would be offering free access to the Heated Rivalry e-book to those with library cards, hoping folks would opt to stay home and read instead of venturing out on unsafe, snowy streets. (Books are always free at the library, but you sometimes have to wait to check out popular ones. In this case, "free" means without any time on the hold list.) In case you live under a rock, the Heated Rivalry story—which depicts a romance between two hockey stars who play for opposing teams—has swept the world following the release of a very spicy HBO series based on the book. According to the New York Public Library, more than 5,000 New Yorkers downloaded the book since Mamdani gave his recommendation. 

• Finally, your soothing video of the day. Happy Tuesday. XOXO

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