PORTLAND DRIZZLE

🐢Happy Friday. Sunny and 60° today — go see those cherry blossoms on the waterfront while you still can. The 9th Circuit lifted the injunctions restricting force at the Portland ICE facility, just in time for this weekend's No Kings rally. PCC faculty are still on strike; classified workers are back. And the city is sitting on $106 million in housing funds it can't agree how to spend.

A federal appeals court handed the Trump administration a win Wednesday, voting 2-1 to lift two injunctions that had restricted federal officers from using crowd-control weapons outside Portland's ICE facility. The three-judge 9th Circuit panel — split along appointment lines — fast-tracked oral arguments for April 7 via Zoom. Until then, federal agents can deploy chemical munitions again, provided they claim a specific, imminent threat. The ruling landed days before Saturday's No Kings rally at Battleship Oregon Memorial, where thousands are expected. The dissenting judge, appointed by Biden, said the government hadn't shown sufficient reason to change the status quo.

Portland Community College's classified employees — about 700 workers — reached a tentative deal Wednesday, ending their piece of a two-week strike. The agreement includes a 5% cost-of-living increase for next year, a roughly $1,400 lump-sum bonus, and enhanced health benefits. Classified staff were told to return by 8 a.m. today. Faculty are a different story. The faculty union is still on the picket line, calling on Gov. Kotek to intervene, and says PCC's latest offer is $7 million below any deal the federation has settled in a decade. Spring term start is now pushed to April 6 for most programs.

Portland is sitting on $106 million in unspent housing funds — and city leaders can't agree on what to do with it. Progressives on Council want to direct money toward social housing. Mayor Wilson is waiting on a report due in August before taking a position — the same month he placed his own housing bureau director on administrative leave. Meanwhile, Multnomah County's unsheltered population climbed 25% in the past year to nearly 9,000 people. A system-development-charge waiver program meant to spur homebuilding has so far coincided with 338 fewer permits issued than the same period last year.

If you get gassed Move upwind and uphill immediately. Don't rub your eyes — it makes it worse. Flush with large amounts of water or saline for at least 10–15 minutes. Milk and Maalox mixed 50/50 is the classic Portland remedy; it helps but isn't magic. Remove and bag contaminated clothing before getting in your car or going home.

If you can't breathe Tear gas can trigger asthma and serious respiratory distress. Get away from the cloud, get low, breathe through a wet cloth if you have one. If symptoms don't pass quickly, get medical attention. Street medics are usually on site at organized protests — look for people in green crosses.

What not to do Don't pick up canisters with bare hands — they're hot and still releasing gas. Don't go into enclosed spaces to escape it; you'll concentrate your exposure.

March 27, 1964: A tsunami triggered by Alaska's Good Friday earthquake — the second-largest ever recorded — slammed the Oregon coast, causing major damage from Seaside to Brookings.

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