White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reminded CNN&#8217;s Kaitlan Collins that, as a reporter, it was her job to get to the bottom of things rather than to simply accept whatever party line came from the people in power.
While addressing the ongoing situation in Portland, Oregon — where Antifa rioters have squared off against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers while local police stand down and independent journalists get caught in the crossfire — Collins suggested that President Donald Trump&#8217;s plan to send in the National Guard was unnecessary.
&#8220;I spoke to the police chief of Portland last week. He said that the president&#8217;s claims just don&#8217;t match up with what&#8217;s happening on the ground,&#8221; Collins said, asking Leavitt whether she&#8217;d spoken to anyone who was in favor of a National Guard presence.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> smacks down Fake News <a href="https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kaitlancollins</a> for denying Portland crime: &#8220;I would encourage you, as a reporter, to go on the ground and to take a look for yourself&#8230; You&#8217;re probably talking to partisan Democrat officials who are opposed to everything this President does.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ZVjKMBooVK">pic.twitter.com/ZVjKMBooVK</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1975254876004491792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I would encourage you, as a reporter, to go on the ground and to take a look for yourself, because there&#8217;s been many members of the press — not the press in this room but independent journalists — some of whom we&#8217;ll be inviting to the White House very soon to share their stories,&#8221; Leavitt said. &#8220;Because they have been in the middle of these riots, and they have witnessed the anarchy that is taking place night after night. It&#8217;s on video!&#8221;
&#8220;You should play it on your show — you have a great opportunity in primetime on CNN to show your audience —&#8221; Collins started to interrupt, but Leavitt kept going. &#8220;You&#8217;re probably talking to partisan Democrat officials who are opposed to everything this president does.&#8221;
She also encouraged Collins to speak to the people who live in Portland and ask them how they felt about the chaos that was unfolding on their streets every night.
&#8220;These people are not there to peacefully protest, they are there to cause mayhem and havoc,&#8221; Leavitt said of the protesters.

Media Briefing Held By White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

‘Take A Look For Yourself’: Press Sec Challenges CNN Reporter To Actually Report

Kaitlan Collins

Karoline Leavitt

Media

National Guard

Oregon

Politics

Portland

United States District Judge Karin J. Immergut on Sunday expanded her ruling from the day before, blocking the Trump administration from deploying hundreds of California National Guard troops to Oregon.
Immergut called “an emergency hearing Sunday, then broadened her restraining order to cover ‘the relocation, federalization or deployment of members of the National Guard of any state or the District of Columbia in the state of Oregon,’” The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/us/trump-national-guard-california-oregon-newsom.html">reported</a>. Meanwhile, the Trump administration still plans to send Texas National Guard troops to Chicago to restore order amid a series of anti-ICE <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-arrests-two-after-attack-on-border-patrol-in-chicago?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=FBI+Arrests+Two+After+Attack+On+Border+Patrol+In+Chicago">attacks</a>.
On Saturday, Immergut <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.ord.189270/gov.uscourts.ord.189270.56.0_1.pdf">granted</a> the State of Oregon and the City of Portland’s motion for a temporary restraining order blocking President Donald Trump from federalizing the National Guard and sending them to Portland.
On Sunday, Immergut stated that “the relocation, federalization or deployment of members of the National Guard of any state,” implied that she wants to forbid Trump from sending out-of-state National Guard troops to Oregon to protect federal agents or property.
One social media user <a href="https://x.com/NapoleonBonabot/status/1975061867220611370">commented</a>, “I want you to realize how crazy this is. She is saying the Federal government has no jurisdiction to protect Federal property. The last time someone tried to argue this was Fort Sumter,” referring to the beginning of the Civil War, when the Confederacy argued that the U.S. federal government had no right to maintain or protect Fort Sumter because South Carolina had lawfully seceded from the Union, and therefore, Fort Sumter (located in Charleston Harbor) now belonged to South Carolina, and by extension, the Confederacy.
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Additionally, there is precedent for the National Guard from one state being deployed to a jurisdiction outside its state. For instance, during the civil rights era riots in 1968, National Guard units from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland were <a href="https://www.nga.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/1968NGAAnnualMeeting.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com">sent</a> to Washington, D.C.
On September 27, 2025, President Trump posted a message on his Truth Social account stating that he was directing Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War, to provide troops to protect “War ravaged Portland” from “Antifa, and other domestic terrorists” and authorizing “Full Force, if necessary.” On September 28, Hegseth issued a memorandum authorizing the deployment and federalization of 200 of Oregon National Guard service members, over the objection of Oregon’s Democratic governor, Tina Kotek.
Immergut noted in her decision that three reasons could be adduced to support a president “activating” the National Guard to serve on a mission, adding that the reason in Trump’s case could be derived from Title 10 of the United States Code, where the Guard is considered federal military and under the command of the U.S. President.
“Members of the National Guard generally do not receive training to perform local law enforcement tasks, such as learning de-escalation techniques, the use of non-lethal force, or how to properly conduct criminal investigations,” Immergut opined.
After delineating numerous instances of agitation, including protestors lighting fires to barricade a vehicle gate at an ICE facility, rocks and M80 fireworks hurled at Federal Protective Services officers, an assault of a federal officer with a machete and knife, the shining of high-powered flashlights in the eyes of drivers leaving the ICE facility, as well as ICE employees being “doxed” and having their personal information posted online, Immergut defended the plaintiffs instead, writing they “have adequately shown irreparable harm and that the balance of equities and public interest weigh in their favor” from the National Guard being federalized.
“Here, this Court concludes that the President did not have a ‘colorable basis’ to invoke § 12406(3) to federalize the National Guard because the situation on the ground belied an inability of federal law enforcement officers to execute federal law. The President’s determination was simply untethered to the facts,” she wrote.
“Defendants also argue that the September 28, 2025 federalization order is authorized under subsection two, which permits federalization of the National Guard in response to ‘a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States,’” Immergut stated. “First, a rebellion must not only be violent but also be armed. Second, a rebellion must be organized. Third, a rebellion must be open and avowed. Fourth, a rebellion must be against the government as a whole — often with an aim of overthrowing the government — rather than in opposition to a single law or issue.”
“The President also stated that ‘protests or acts of violence [that] directly inhibit execution of the laws constitute a form of rebellion. These conceptions of rebellion improperly conflate the statutory preconditions,” she contended. She also argued that sending in the National Guard would inflame the situation, asserting, “state and local law enforcement will need to expend additional resources to quell increased civil unrest that is likely to result from the Guard’s mobilization.”
“The issues at stake in this case are important, and the consequences of this Court’s decision are far-reaching. As soon as the federalized National Guard deploys to Portland, the state of Oregon will suffer an injury to its sovereignty,” Immergut argued.
“This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law. Defendants have made a range of arguments that, if accepted, risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power — to the detriment of this nation,” she concluded.

Judge Blocks Trump From Sending Out-Of-State National Guard Troops To Oregon

Antifa

California

Courts

Donald Trump

Multiple people are dead and many more injured after a man opened fire at a Michigan church, President Donald Trump orders troops to Portland, and the FBI admits there were agents in the crowd on J6.
It’s Monday, September 29, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Church Attacked In Michigan</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-977957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Michigan-Church-Attacked-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Michigan-Church-Attacked-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Michigan-Church-Attacked-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Michigan-Church-Attacked-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Michigan-Church-Attacked-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Michigan-Church-Attacked.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Tragedy rocked a small town in Michigan after a man targeted a Mormon church on Sunday, opening fire on the congregants and leaving the building ablaze.
The horrific attack on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc left the church completely engulfed in flames. Grand Blanc is a small community of about 8,000 people and a suburb of Flint, about 50 miles from Detroit.
The shooting occurred around 10:30 a.m. ET, while the church was in service. Hundreds of people were worshiping when the gunman rammed his truck into the building. He then opened fire on congregants, shooting at least 10 people. At some point, the church was set on fire; officials believe the fire was intentionally set by the suspect, perhaps using an accelerant such as gasoline.
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According to police, the gunman was killed in a shootout with authorities. At least four people have been confirmed killed, not including the gunman, and multiple others were wounded. Officials have stated that they fear the casualty count will rise due to the fire.
The gunman: The shooter was a 40-year-old man from Burton, Michigan, just a few miles from the church, according to police.
A pickup truck was used to ram through the church. Reports say that the vehicle had two large American flags in the cab. Other reports have said the suspect is an Iraq War veteran.
Authorities said they have targeted the gunman’s home with search warrants and are going through cell phone records to find out more about the motive.
Step back: This comes a month after the deadly shooting that targeted the Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota.
Washington reacts: President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115283020712432544">issued</a> a statement saying that this “appears to be yet another targeted attack on Christians in the United States of America.” He asked that Americans “PRAY for the victims, and their families,” and added, quote, “THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!”
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel also responded quickly, confirming that federal agents were on the scene to assist local authorities. Patel <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/2025/09/28/fatal-shooting-and-fire-at-michigan-mormon-church-police-say/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">added</a> that “violence in a place of worship is a cowardly and criminal act.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Deploys Troops To Portland</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-977959" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Crime-Crackdown-Expands-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Crime-Crackdown-Expands-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Crime-Crackdown-Expands-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Crime-Crackdown-Expands-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Crime-Crackdown-Expands-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Crime-Crackdown-Expands.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump continues to take his crime crackdown nationwide, announcing plans to deploy troops to Portland to protect ICE facilities. 
President Trump is clearly feeling emboldened to expand his efforts after the successful operation in DC. Now, he is looking for similar results in Portland, Oregon, a city ravaged by crime and violent political riots over the last five years.
Writing on Truth Social on Saturday, the president announced: “At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland … I am authorizing Full Force, if necessary.” 
Why Portland? Trump says the city is the epicenter of activity for &#8220;Antifa,&#8221; the far-left political movement that has been linked to riots and violent demonstrations for years now.
Militants have repeatedly laid siege to ICE processing facilities in the city, attacking agents with rocks, fireworks, and smoke grenades, blocking entrances, setting fires, and even doxxing federal agents, posting their home addresses on message boards and flyers around the city, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In response to that violence in Portland and elsewhere, last week, Trump issued an executive order saying, &#8220;I hereby designate Antifa as a &#8216;domestic terrorist organization.&#8217;” calling it a “militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government” while using a “campaign of violence and terrorism nationwide to accomplish these goals.” 
Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller <a href="https://x.com/Huberton/status/1971953265408725073">said</a> earlier this month: “The Antifa riots, the attacks on ICE officers, the doxxing campaigns, and now the political assassinations. These are not lone, isolated events. This is part of an organized campaign of radical left terrorism. It is structured and sophisticated, well-funded, it is well planned … It is terrorism on our soil.”
Portland pushes back: Flyers were reportedly posted around the city, calling on members to “Squad up. Make travel plans. Bring PPE and your unhinged Portland energy.”
Democratic lawmakers in the city have doubled down on their opposition to Trump — the city’s official website has a permanent banner at the very top that reads “Portland is a sanctuary city.” The site links to an anti-ICE hotline and reassures residents that local law enforcement will not cooperate with federal immigration agents. Over the weekend, Democratic lawmakers from across the city decried Trump’s efforts as authoritarian, saying they had things under control.
Oregon Democratic Governor Tina Kotek <a href="https://x.com/KatieDaviscourt/status/1972054518994190732">said</a> on Saturday: “Portland and the state of Oregon believe in the rule of law, and we can manage our own local public safety needs. There is no insurrection, there is no threat to national security, and there is no need for military troops in our major city. They are not needed here.”
On Sunday, Oregon and Portland filed a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to block the deployment of the state’s National Guard. Their suit claimed in part, “Far from promoting public safety, Defendants’ provocative and arbitrary actions threaten to undermine public safety by inciting a public outcry.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">January 6th Revelations</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-977961" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Agents-In-The-Crowd-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Agents-In-The-Crowd-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Agents-In-The-Crowd-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Agents-In-The-Crowd-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Agents-In-The-Crowd-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Agents-In-The-Crowd.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The FBI placed hundreds of plainclothes agents in the crowd around the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The years-long refusal by the FBI to acknowledge those 274 agents until now has raised many questions about past bureau leadership.
Trump weighs in: President Trump aired some frustration on his <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115277207989888806">Truth Social</a> account on Saturday. He wrote, “This is different from what [former FBI Director Christopher Wray] stated, over and over again!” Trump lumped in Wray with former FBI Director James Comey as two officials who “got caught lying.” The president later told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-weighs-whether-doj-investigate-former-fbi-director-christopher-w-rcna234225">NBC News</a> that he “would certainly imagine” that Wray is being investigated by the Justice Department.
The new sheriff: FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fbis-patel-clarifies-role-hundreds-agents-jan-6-says-wray-lied-congress">clarified</a> that the plainclothes agents were sent in “against FBI standards” after the riot had started for crowd control, and that “[t]his was the failure of a corrupt leadership that lied to Congress and to the American people about what really happened.”
The hot seat: Wray is facing numerous questions, even from rank-and-file FBI agents who were present at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. An after-action report <a href="https://justthenews.com/accountability/fbi-bombshell-274-agents-sent-capitol-j6-many-later-complained-they-were-political">revealed</a> to Congress last week lists a host of issues that agents have had with FBI leadership. Several agents have expressed concerns that politics had deeply influenced the bureau’s mission over the course of Comey and Wray’s tenures.
Another indictment?: Republican Congressman Andy Biggs of Arizona said Wray “will be held accountable” and pointed to an <a href="https://x.com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/status/1679164288546529281">exchange</a> he had with Wray in 2023:
<blockquote>BIGGS: I thought I heard you say you didn&#8217;t know whether there were FBI agents or informants or human sources in the Capitol or in the vicinity on January 6th. Did I misunderstand you? I thought that&#8217;s what you said. 
WRAY: I referred very specifically to undercover agents.
BIGGS: And so are you acknowledging, then, there were undercover agents?
WRAY: As I sit here right now, I do not believe there were undercover agents on scene.</blockquote>
Worth noting: If it comes to an indictment, some have disputed that “plainclothes” is synonymous with “undercover.” Additionally, Wray made it clear that he believed his statements to be true, but stopped short of explicitly stating they were true. This ambiguity underscores that, regardless of the frustration over the FBI, perjury cases are challenging to win convictions in.

MRN 9.29.25 Thumbnail V1

Morning Brief: Tragedy In Michigan, Crackdown In Portland, & FBI’s J6 Role

Andy Biggs

Christopher Wray

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

James Comey

January 6

Michigan

Morning Wire

A new report from The Wall Street Journal explains how the USDA is using movie clips and popular music to keep hungry wolves away from livestock.
One clip of audio is from the 2019 drama “Marriage Story” starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern. The film follows a couple going through a divorce while navigating custody issues over their son. The particular scene being used by the USDA, which has been popular among meme creators for years, shows the couple embattled in a heated argument. 
<a href="https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wolves-drones-livestock-ac-dc-scarlett-johansson-ed12d278">According</a> to WSJ, ranchers are using drones equipped with thermal cameras and spotlights to detect wolves at night, while loudspeakers blast unsettling sounds such as fireworks, gunshots, or even movie clips to keep the deadly predators at bay.
“I need the wolves to respond and know that, hey, humans are bad,” USDA district supervisor Paul Wolf told the outlet.
Playing these clips at high volume is known as “wolf hazing” and acts as a deterrent for wolves looking to turn livestock into a meal. During this hazing, the speakers blast songs such as Five Finger Death Punch’s “Blue on Black” and the AC/DC classic “Thunderstruck” to scare off the would-be predators. 
These drones are being used to protect the gray wolf population in the area, which is still on the endangered species list. But the article noted how the number of gray wolves has expanded since they were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park in 1995.
WSJ noted that fewer calves were killed in southern Oregon after the drones were introduced. Over a period of 20 days, ranchers lost 11 cattle, but after 85 days of using the music and movie clip broadcasting drones, only 2 calves fell victim to the hungry wolves.
Whether &#8220;wolf hazing&#8221; can function as a long-term strategy for the USDA remains to be seen. Ranchers Jim and Mary Rickerts are unsure of its effectiveness if the wolves become used to the drones over time. &#8220;Hopefully they’re gonna be successful, but I’m kinda betting on the wolves, truth be known,” Jim Rickerts told The Wall Street Journal.

Gray wolf

USDA Uses Movie Clip Of Marital Spat To Scare Wolves Away

Drones

Entertainment

Movies

USDA

wildlife

Tsunami waves caused by a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia hit Hawaii, California, and Washington late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
Maui reported waves as high as 5.7 feet, while Crescent City, California, saw waves up to 3.6 feet, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/live-updates-hawaii-tsunami-warning-hours-russia-earthquake-rcna221881">reported</a>. While the strongest tsunami surges appear to be over for Hawaii, Alaska, and much of the West Coast, <a href="https://www.tsunami.gov/">warnings</a> remain in effect for parts of Northern California, including Eureka and Crescent City.
The National Weather Service office in Eureka, California, said early Wednesday morning that &#8220;Tsunami activity is continuing to build this morning as we approach the 4 AM minor high tide.&#8221;
&#8220;Continue to avoid beaches and harbors as tsunami activity will persist,&#8221; the NWS added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tsunami activity is continuing to build this morning as we approach the 4 AM minor high tide. Maximum confirmed heights for our coast so far:
Crescent City: 3.6 Ft Humboldt Bay: 1.2 Ft Arena Cover: 3.0 Ft
Continue to avoid beaches and harbors as tsunami activity will persist. <a href="https://t.co/ellGAUW9C7">pic.twitter.com/ellGAUW9C7</a>
&mdash; NWS Eureka (@NWSEureka) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSEureka/status/1950493912381919733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The NWS issued a strong warning for Crescent City and Humboldt Bay just after midnight local time, saying, &#8220;The first Tsunami waves are beginning to impact the coast with clear waves being recorded at the Crescent City and Humboldt Bay tide gauges. Waves will continue to build in through the night and will become more dangerous as we approach high tide. Stay away from beaches!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The first Tsunami waves are beginning to impact the coast with clear waves being recorded at the Crescent City and Humboldt Bay tide gauges. 
Waves will continue to build in through the night and will become more dangerous as we approach high tide. Stay away from beaches! <a href="https://t.co/EKR5gZukCH">pic.twitter.com/EKR5gZukCH</a>
&mdash; NWS Eureka (@NWSEureka) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSEureka/status/1950463263902204270?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Northern California is especially prone to damage from tsunamis, as waves are often stronger in the area and reach higher in harbors than in other parts of the West Coast, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/07/29/magnitude-8-7-earthquake-russia-tsunami-alert/85432493007/">reported</a>.
No deaths or severe structural damage have been reported in Alaska, Hawaii, or the West Coast as of Wednesday morning. Evacuation orders for Hawaii were <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/07/29/magnitude-8-7-earthquake-russia-tsunami-alert/85432493007/">lifted</a> hours after they were issued as the surge calmed. Emergency officials in the state said that they did not expect any widespread flooding, giving residents the all-clear to return to their homes, but adding that people should &#8220;remain cautious in or near the water. &#8230; Stay away from beaches, shorelines, and out of the ocean.&#8221;
Tsunami waves hit Washington state shortly after midnight local time, but officials said that though &#8220;strong and unusual&#8221; currents were likely, they did not expect any coastal inundation. For Oregon, officials downgraded a tsunami watch to an advisory, but still warned people to stay away from the shore.
While Alaska&#8217;s warning was also downgraded to an advisory, forecasters said that currents at beaches, inlets, and harbors could remain dangerous for days. The coast of British Columbia, Canada, also remains under a tsunami advisory.
The 8.8 magnitude earthquake off of Russia&#8217;s remote east coast was in the top 10 strongest earthquakes in recorded history, and the biggest since 2011. Japan and some Pacific islands also issued tsunami warnings and advisories after the quake. Waves reached the U.S. territory of Guam in the early morning hours, with waves reaching up to a foot high and bringing the potential of minor flooding and strong currents. As tsunami alerts went out, nearly two million people in Japan were told to evacuate. The country later <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c3r4x9yrrg4t">downgraded</a> its warnings to advisories.

Tsunami

Tsunami Waves Crash Into West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii

Alaska

flooding

Hawaii

National Weather Service

Severe Weather

Washington State

Two drag queens performed a flamboyant lip-sync routine on the Oregon House floor on Wednesday as part of a Democratic resolution celebrating &#8220;black drag performers,&#8221; prompting Republican backlash over using the legislative chamber for &#8220;political theater.&#8221;
The <a href="https://x.com/RepYunker/status/1935145970058277064">resolution</a> recognizing &#8220;the artistry of black drag performers&#8221; in Oregon was introduced by Rep. Travis E. Nelson, a Democrat and the state&#8217;s &#8220;first black LGBTQIA+ House member,&#8221; The New York Post reported.
“Your presence, artistry, and courage are a powerful reminder of the joy, resilience and cultural impact of drag in Oregon and beyond,” Nelson told the drag queens. “Thank you for sharing your light with us this morning.”
The resolution <a href="https://x.com/RepYunker/status/1935512965882790212">passed</a> in the state House with a vote of 34-9, with two Republicans voting in favor.
Two drag queens danced wildly around the chamber for nearly five minutes in honor of the resolution, wearing eccentric outfits including a yellow jumpsuit and a rainbow-colored one-piece with a blue wig.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not sure the Founding Fathers envisioned taxpayer-funded legislative chambers being turned into platforms for political theater,&#8221; GOP state Rep. Dwayne Yunker posted on X, along with footage of the performance. &#8220;The House floor is meant for serious debate, lawmaking, and serving all Oregonians, not partisan spectacles designed to push cultural agendas,&#8221; he added.
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This was the Oregon House floor this morning used to celebrate Black Drag Queens.
I’m not sure the Founding Fathers envisioned taxpayer-funded legislative chambers being turned into platforms for political theater. The House floor is meant for serious debate, lawmaking, and… <a href="https://t.co/FrwjaRqPw0">pic.twitter.com/FrwjaRqPw0</a>
— Rep. Dwayne Yunker HD3 (@RepYunker) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepYunker/status/1935411823634956642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Yunker went on to describe the drag show as “outrageous and a complete waste of taxpayer money.”
The drag queens lip-synched to Aretha Franklin&#8217;s &#8220;A Deeper Love.&#8221;
According to Oregon Live, nearly all Republicans were <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2025/06/democratic-oregon-house-members-celebrate-black-drag-performers-as-nearly-all-republicans-boycott.html">absent</a> during the drag show, while two were seated at the back of the chamber.
GOP Rep. Cyrus Javadi was at the front of the chamber, clapping along to the performance with his teenage daughter. Javaldi was one of the two Republicans who voted in favor of the resolution.
Social media erupted with criticism following the display, with many commenters calling it inappropriate for government proceedings.
“I am completely embarrassed of the state I live in. Our tax dollars are being spent on this crap,” one account posted on X.
“The Oregon House of Representatives&#8230;.let that sink in,” another social media user wrote. “Parents are doing all they can to clean their schools and elected representatives are doing this in the house (sic) of the people. No words.”
“I am thankful every day that Trump won the 2024 election,” another posted in response.

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WATCH: Oregon Dems Turn House Floor Into Drag Show Stage

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Federal agents used flash bangs, rubber bullets, and tear gas to disperse masked rioters attacking an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, Oregon, Wednesday night.
The rioters had ignored multiple orders to disperse before Border Patrol Tactical Unit agents forcibly cleared them out, according to video from Turning Point USA&#8217;s Frontlines.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Homeland Security gave Antifa multiple warnings to disperse from the Portland ICE building. Several vehicles needed to exit. When the militants refused, officers moved in and unleashed their full fury. Multiple people have been arrested. <a href="https://twitter.com/choeshow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@choeshow</a>|<a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TPUSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/pX1xqnEC2r">pic.twitter.com/pX1xqnEC2r</a>
&mdash; FRONTLINES (@FrontlinesTPUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FrontlinesTPUSA/status/1935583079801946409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Department for Homeland Security <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1935710938574750147">said</a> five people were arrested for charges including assault on federal law enforcement.
&#8220;We won’t sit idly by and watch these cowards,&#8221; the department said on social media. &#8220;Secretary Noem’s message to the rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law.&#8221;
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Last night, Portland rioters violently targeted federal law enforcement— 250 rioters launched fireworks, shined lasers in officers’ eyes to temporarily blind them, and stormed an ICE field office. Ultimately, five individuals were arrested on various charges including assault on… <a href="https://t.co/bCaMA9yKai">pic.twitter.com/bCaMA9yKai</a>
&mdash; Homeland Security (@DHSgov) <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov/status/1935710938574750147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Hundreds of rioters marched to the building before sunset carrying signs with phrases such as &#8220;No borders&#8221; and &#8220;Nobody is illegal on stolen land,&#8221; video <a href="https://x.com/FrontlinesTPUSA/status/1935532831465431176">shows</a>. They brought helmets and respirators to the planned protest.
The situation escalated after dark, when rioters launched fireworks, shined lasers in the eyes of federal agents, and tried to block the building entrance with a dumpster.
Agents on the roof fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd while agents on the ground moved in to break up and arrest the rioters.
The violence on Wednesday night was the latest in a series of anti-ICE riots that have raged in Portland for a week and a half. The riots began with the &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protest on June 14, which escalated into an attack on the ICE building, the Daily Caller <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2025/06/15/rioters-storm-oregon-ice-building-injure-officers/">reported</a>.
After the initial attack, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson <a href="https://www.portland.gov/mayor/keith-wilson/news/2025/6/15/mayor-wilson-addresses-no-kings-protest-and-ongoing-ice-facility">reaffirmed</a> the city&#8217;s sanctuary status but said the city would not interfere with &#8220;lawful federal enforcement operations.&#8221;
&#8220;We affirm the right to free speech and expression while emphasizing that violence, destruction, and obstruction carry consequences,&#8221; Wilson said. &#8220;Our officers will not be used as agents of ICE, but will intervene when criminal acts occur.&#8221;
Anti-ICE protests have struck multiple cities across the U.S. In Los Angeles, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/national-guard-rolls-into-los-angeles-after-days-of-anti-ice-riots?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=National+Guard+Rolls+Into+Los+Angeles+After+Days+Of+Anti-ICE+Riots">deployed</a> the National Guard and the Marines to protect federal agents and buildings. Riots also broke out in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anti-ice-riots-break-out-in-san-francisco-as-more-troops-deploy-to-l-a">San Francisco</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/masked-protesters-surround-seattle-ice-office-with-agents-and-detained-illegals-inside?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=33&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Masked+Protesters+Surround+Seattle+ICE+Office+With+Agents+And+Detained+Illegals+Inside">Seattle</a>, The Daily Wire reported.

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Masked Rioters ‘Violently’ Target Federal Law Enforcement At Portland ICE Building

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LGBT Judge Lets Child Killer Walk Free In Shocking Court Decision

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“No Kings” protests cause chaos as the Army celebrates its 250th anniversary, a Minnesota manhunt concludes following a political assassination, and President Donald Trump ups the pressure on Iran.
It’s Monday, June 16, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="‘No Kings’ Riots &amp; Minnesota Manhunt" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q71CSlrUAa8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
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<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-kings-riots-minnesota-manhunt-6-16-25/id1576594336?i=1000713066115" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
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<h2>&#8220;Mostly Peaceful&#8221; Protests And A Birthday Parade</h2>
<div id="attachment_934735" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934735" class="size-large wp-image-934735" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297-864x576.jpg" alt="SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JUNE 11: Protestors gather in front of the Henry M. Jackson Federal building during a protest against federal immigration arrests on June 11, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. Protests against ICE raids have spread to cities across the nation after beginning in Los Angeles last weekend. (Photo by Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2219848297.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Rio Giancarlo/Getty Images</div>
Topline: As President Trump presides over the celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary – “No Kings” protests erupt in violence.
Multiple rioters were arrested near Portland’s ICE facility over the weekend after police declared that a planned protest had devolved into a riot. The chaos in Portland, which left several officers injured, was part of a wave of anti-Trump protests across the country and coincided with Trump&#8217;s celebration of the Army’s 250th birthday.
The Portland &#8220;No Kings&#8221; protest included <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/multiple-arrests-near-portland-ice-building-after-police-declare-riot">tens of thousands of people</a>. While city officials touted the event as a &#8220;large-scale free speech gathering,” eventually the focus became on an ICE facility. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/officers-injured-portland-rioters-breach-ice-building-explosives-rocks">told Fox News Digital</a> that the rioters broke glass and forcibly entered the building. During the attack, they threw rocks and launched fireworks and smoke grenades at federal law enforcement. Officials say at least four officers were injured.  Four rioters were initially arrested for what the Portland Police Bureau stressed was “violent activity,” and they said in a press conference early Sunday that more could be rounded up.
We saw yet <a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-trump-philadelphia-los-angeles-immigration-raids-a3b67d23733cd060f8d01aef1e391dbf">more violence</a> in Los Angeles, which has become the epicenter of these protests and riots. Law enforcement used tear gas and other crowd-control munitions to clear out rioters over the weekend. Then there was Salt Lake City, where a “No Kings” protest featured a shooting. Police said Sunday that three people were taken into custody, including the shooting suspect, and that the motive was still being investigated.
These “No Kings” demonstrations were planned nationwide in response to Trump holding that massive celebration of the U.S. Army. The military parade marked the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Army, which came a year before the Declaration of Independence. It also happened to coincide with Trump’s 79th birthday.
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<h2>Assassination Shakes Minnesota</h2>
<div id="attachment_934575" style="width: 840px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934575" class="size-full wp-image-934575" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM.png" alt="" width="830" height="506" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM.png 830w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM-300x183.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-14-at-10.47.41-AM-768x468.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 830px) 100vw, 830px" />MN State Senate//Melissa Horton via Facebook</div>
Topline: The assassin suspected of killing a Minnesota state lawmaker and critically injuring another was captured by authorities late Sunday night after a two-day search.
The nation was rocked over the weekend after a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse were gunned down in an apparent politically motivated assassination. Early Saturday morning, Democratic state Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were left in critical condition after being shot inside their home. Police, fearing the crime was politically motivated, proactively checked the homes of several other lawmakers, including Melissa Hortman, the top Democrat in the State House. When officers arrived, they found what appeared to be a police SUV with flashing blue lights in the driveway, and a man dressed as a cop exiting the house. That man immediately opened fire on police before fleeing the scene on foot. When officers searched the home, they found Hortman and her husband dead. 
Footage from a home security system shows a man dressed as an officer approaching the front door, wearing a life-like rubber mask.
Immediately after the shootings, police issued a shelter-in-place order for a three-mile radius surrounding the home, but the killer was able to flee the area on foot and make it to another car he owned. Authorities quickly identified 57-year-old Vance Boelter as the suspect, a Minnesotan with no past criminal history. While Boelter escaped the crime scene, by Sunday afternoon, police had located his second vehicle 50 miles southwest of Minneapolis in Sibley County. By 10 pm Sunday, he was in custody after being caught hiding out in a patch of woods. 
Police say a manifesto was found in Boelter’s car, but they have not released it to the public, although they’re confident this was a politically motivated attack. Authorities say a list of potential targets was also found in Boelter’s car — it reportedly included a number of prominent Democrats, along with abortion providers in the state. The suspect’s roommate told reporters he believed Boelter voted for Trump, but was unaware of his views on state politics. 
 Boelter also had ties to Democratic Governor Tim Walz, who appointed him to the Governor’s Workforce Development Board back in 2019. Previous Democrat Governor Mark Dayton had appointed Boelter to the same position in 2016.
<h2>Iran vs Israel: Dueling Airstrikes</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-934853" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/blogcover.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></div>
Topline: As Israel and Iran trade blows, President Trump ratchets up the pressure on Tehran.
Things have changed rapidly since Israel launched its attack on Iran on Thursday, and the situation will likely keep changing fast. Since launching Operation Rising Lion, Israelis have carried out more than 700 different strikes against nuclear sites, military, and leaders of the Iranian regime. In retaliation, Iran has fired salvos of drones and missiles at Israeli population centers.
“These missiles have been coming in by the dozen over the last couple of nights,” Jonathan Schanzer, the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who has been sheltering in place in a bomb shelter inside Jerusalem, told The Daily Wire. “Last night there were a couple of direct hits, destroying buildings, destroying a full half of one building or even a half of a city block in one case. I think, you know, what we&#8217;re looking at is a potential war of attrition if things go the way that Iran would like them to go. The regime understands that there&#8217;s a finite number of missile defense interceptors that the Israelis can use. And they have a lot of ballistic missiles… The one kind of wrinkle that I&#8217;m watching right now is that the US is helping to defend the skies over Israel, and it appears that a number of Western countries may also be deploying assets to the region as well.”
American involvement in the broader conflict is uncertain. In the opening hours after the first Israeli airstrikes, officials from the Trump administration denied any American involvement in the operation. However,  they appear to have been given prior warning. 
Many of Israel’s key military platforms – including the F-16 and F-35 fighters, both of which have featured prominently in its air war against Iran – are American-made, and the two countries are close allies.
“I think there&#8217;s also a high degree of intelligence sharing,” Schanzer told The Daily Wire. “The fact that the Israelis attacked on day 61 after Donald Trump&#8217;s 60-day deadline does suggest that there was some degree of coordination here. The big question that I think everyone is asking right now is whether the United States will get involved.”
Some of Iran’s nuclear facilities, including an underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, appear to be hardened against conventional attacks, although larger “bunker buster” bombs in the American inventory could break through their defenses. Israel lacks an equivalent stockpile and has asked America to join its air campaign.
Publicly, President Trump continues to call for negotiations with Iran and has pressured Tehran to abandon its nuclear program in exchange for peace. “Iran and Israel should make a deal and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make,” the president wrote on <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114687664442020232">Truth Social</a> on Saturday. “We will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings [are] now taking place.”

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Morning Brief: Minnesota Gunman Captured & ‘No Kings Riots’

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Two girls who competed at the Oregon track and field state championships refused to stand on the medal podium alongside a biologically male competitor on Saturday night.
Alexa Anderson of Tigard High School and Reese Eckard of Sherwood High School, both seniors, stepped down from the medal podium for long jump in protest of a trans-identifying athlete&#8217;s participation.
“We didn’t refuse to stand on the podium out of hate. We did it because someone has to say this isn’t right. In order to protect the integrity and fairness of girls sports we must stand up for what is right,” said Anderson in a statement to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/girls-track-field-athletes-dont-stand-podium-next-trans-athlete-oregon-state-championship">Fox News</a>.
The male athlete, who now goes by the name Liaa Rose, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/girls-track-field-athletes-dont-stand-podium-next-trans-athlete-oregon-state-championship">competed</a> in the boys’ category in 2023 when he went by the name Zachary and in 2024, by then changing his name to Liaa. In 2023 and 2024, Rose largely competed in junior varsity boys’ competitions.
Rose, now a high school senior, <a href="https://www.osaa.org/activities/btf/results">tied</a> for fifth place in the 6A high school girls’ high jump state championship. Anderson placed third and Eckard placed fourth.
Video of the medal ceremony shows Anderson and Eckard standing off the podium with their backs turned to the ceremony. An official walks up to them and appears to direct them to step away, after which the two girls begin to walk off.
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Oregon girls high jump state championships just finished. 2 of the females refused to step on the podium with the male competitor and an adult official relegated them to the sideline for refusing. THIS MUST END. <a href="https://t.co/dxIzL8Qf95">https://t.co/dxIzL8Qf95</a> <a href="https://t.co/mAVVNBIPhW">pic.twitter.com/mAVVNBIPhW</a>
&mdash; Leigh Ann O&#39;Neill (@LaLONeill) <a href="https://twitter.com/LaLONeill/status/1928961098419450113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Trump administration has turned protecting female sports into a priority for the federal government. In February, President Donald Trump signed an order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.” The administration has since engaged in a high-profile fight with Maine over its handling of issues around trans-dentifying athletes competing in female sports.
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Trump threatened California last week with a similar fight with the federal government over a biologically male competitor who has been at the top of several events in California high school girls’ track and field.
“California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow ‘MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS.’ This week a transitioned Male athlete, at a major event, won ‘everything,’ and is now qualified to compete in the ‘State Finals’ next weekend. As a Male, he was a less than average competitor. As a Female, this transitioned person is practically unbeatable. THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114579949187402607">posted</a> on his Truth Social last week in an apparent reference to AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley, a biological male who is competing in girls track and field in California.
“Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to,” Trump added.
While the Trump administration has fought against men in women’s sports through the levers of government, individual female athletes have made their own protests against male competitors.
Reese Hogan of Crean Lutheran High School <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-boy-beats-her-in-triple-jump-high-school-track-athlete-takes-her-rightful-spot-as-champion">took</a> the place of Hernandez at the top spot of the medal podium after he stepped down following a competition in May. Hogan was the top-finishing girl, though still behind Hernandez, who was given first place.

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Oregon Girls Turn Backs On Medal Ceremony With Trans-Identifying Competitor

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When Oregon&#8217;s Democrat governor announced her state would defy President Donald Trump&#8217;s ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion, she said she was doing it for a good reason: the kids.
“Since the start of the new federal administration, I promised Oregonians that I would not back down from a fight when it comes to safeguarding Oregon values,&#8221; Tina Kotek <a href="https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/GOV/Posts/Post/governor-kotek-issues-statement-in-response-to-trump-administration’s-threat-to-take-away-funds-from-oregon-students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Thursday. &#8220;Making sure every child has the opportunity to meet their future promise with a strong public education is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of government and one of my top priorities as Governor.&#8221;
That&#8217;s ironic. Because, under Kotek&#8217;s leadership, Oregon&#8217;s students are struggling to get by.
Nearly half of Oregon fourth graders scored below &#8220;basic&#8221; levels in reading, meaning they <a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/reading-scores-fall-to-new-low-on-naep-fueled-by-declines-for-struggling-students/2025/01#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20scoring,purpose%20of%20an%20informational%20text." target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack</a> important reading comprehension skills like being able to determine the main idea of a text. In math, about a third of fourth graders scored below basic, <a href="https://www.nagb.gov/news-and-events/news-releases/2025/nations-report-card-decline-in-reading-progress-in-math.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">meaning</a> they likely struggle with simple concepts like odd numbers.
Eighth graders&#8217; scores were just as concerning, with nearly half (45%) <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024219OR8.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring</a> below basic in math, and over a third (35%) <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024220OR8.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scoring</a> below basic in reading.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a bold strategy, Cotton,&#8221; school choice advocate Corey DeAngelis told The Daily Wire. &#8220;Let&#8217;s see if it works out for them.&#8221;
&#8220;Oregon should lose all federal funding if they want to indoctrinate kids with DEI Marxism. Tax dollars shouldn&#8217;t prop up divisive ideologies that pit students against each other and their country,&#8221; DeAngelis told The Daily Wire.
That&#8217;s exactly what the Trump administration says it will do if Oregon doesn&#8217;t comply with its DEI ban. The Department of Education <a href="https://www.ed.gov/media/document/reminder-of-legal-obligations-undertaken-exchange-receiving-federal-financial-assistance-and-request-certification-under-title-vi-and-sffa-v-harvard-april-3">informed</a> states earlier this month that &#8220;The continued use of illegal DEI practices may subject the individual or entity using such practices to serious consequences,&#8221; including &#8220;eliminating federal funding.&#8221;
But despite that threat, Oregon Democrats are, in DeAngelis&#8217;s words, &#8220;doubling down on failure.&#8221; To him, it&#8217;s because they &#8220;see the school system as a tool to control the minds of other people&#8217;s children as opposed to an education initiative.&#8221;
&#8220;Oregon Democrats are all-in on indoctrinating kids with their socialist worldview,&#8221; DeAngelis said. &#8220;Telling kids that they&#8217;re going to be failures based on their immutable characteristics holds them down.&#8221;
&#8220;This latest stunt proves their anti-parent agenda is even more about control than money,&#8221; he added. &#8220;These control freaks need to do their job, stay in their lane, and stick to the basics so kids can get an education.&#8221;
The governor&#8217;s office did not respond to a request for comment.
According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress — called &#8220;the Nation&#8217;s Report Card&#8221; — Oregon fourth graders <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024219OR4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranked</a> second-worst in the country in math, tying with five other states, and third-worst in <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject/publications/stt2024/pdf/2024220OR4.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reading</a>, along with 11 other states.
But as scores plummeted over the last decade, Oregon schools did not drill down on phonics or multiplication tables. Instead, they focused on flashy, progressive wish-list items.
After the coronavirus pandemic, Portland-area parents <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/parents-apoplectic-after-oregon-school-board-goes-virtual-amid-gender-ideology-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">erupted</a> at school board meetings over schools&#8217; embrace of gender ideology, including the availability of alleged “pornographic” books in school libraries, and subpar academic performance.
In Portland, the teachers&#8217; union decided in 2023 that they would take gender identity and race into account before disciplining students, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-teachers-will-take-gender-identity-race-into-account-before-disciplining" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the union&#8217;s collective bargaining agreement. After the pandemic, Portland teachers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/portland-teachers-will-take-gender-identity-race-into-account-before-disciplining" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> they were seeing “more students in crisis” with mental health issues, which can lead to fights.
In 2022, Oregon <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/standards/science/Documents/K-12%20%20Oregon%20Science%20Standards%20with%20Guidance.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">updated</a> its science standards to teach that humans cause climate change.
Defending Education, a group that fights indoctrination in public schools, said Oregon should be focused on improving its dismal test scores.
&#8220;Oregon&#8217;s education leaders should be hanging their heads in shame,&#8221; Sarah Parshall Perry, the group&#8217;s vice president, told The Daily Wire.
&#8220;Instead, they&#8217;ve doubled down on divisive and racially discriminatory DEI programs that have done nothing to boost educational outcomes,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That&#8217;s not only a violation of federal law, it&#8217;s foolhardy and misguided. And the students of Oregon deserve better. They deserve an education focused on the academic fundamentals the state has so clearly failed to deliver.”
Jeanette Schade, a former Oregon teacher who ran for school board in the Portland area in 2021, blamed the state&#8217;s failing school system on a laundry list of problems, including &#8220;dumbed-down&#8221; teacher education programs.
&#8220;Teachers are being indoctrinated in their teacher education programs,&#8221; Schade told The Daily Wire, saying those teachers go on to expose children to DEI, Critical Race Theory, and sex education that includes gender ideology.
Schade also noted that Oregon scrapped its graduation requirements during the pandemic and never went back.
In 2021, Oregon <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oregon-extends-pandemic-pause-on-reading-writing-math-proficiency-high-school-graduation-requirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made</a> the controversial move to stop requiring high schoolers to pass an &#8220;essential skills&#8221; standardized test <a href="https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/essentialskills/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showing</a> basic proficiency in reading, writing, and math in order to receive their diploma.
Advocates for pausing the graduation requirement argued that the test put minority students at a disadvantage. Now, critics simply point to the sinking test scores.
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&#8220;DEI is the exact opposite of what the words mean,&#8221; Schade said. &#8220;Diversity means uniformity. Equity means not equal or helpful. And inclusive means exclude.&#8221;
</div>

Oregon Gubernatorial Candidate Tina Kotek Cast Her Ballot In Portland

As Oregon Defies Trump On DEI In Schools, Its Students Are Falling Through The Cracks

Oregon Is Doubling Down On DEI In The Classroom. It Has Some Of The Country's Worst Schools.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Education

Public Schools

Right now, the U.S. Supreme Court faces a crucial test: deciding whether states can criminalize undercover journalism simply because those in power dislike being recorded. At stake is more than just one organization’s right to expose wrongdoing — it’s about safeguarding free speech and transparency in an era increasingly defined by censorship and institutional distrust.
Project Veritas, known for undercover exposés revealing abuses within powerful institutions, recently petitioned the Supreme Court to challenge Oregon’s restrictive recording law. This statute demands that anyone recording in even the most public of places notify everyone else that they are being recorded. But there’s a rub: the state doles about permission slips making it easier to record some subjects, but not others. In short, Oregon law says you can easily record police abuse but not a school administrator admitting to indoctrinating students.
This arbitrary distinction represents precisely the kind of content-based speech restriction the First Amendment prohibits. It gives state authorities unchecked power to silence investigative efforts those in power dislike while permitting other investigations deemed politically acceptable.
Daily Wire readers should understand these implications clearly. The conservative movement has seen firsthand how selective enforcement of “privacy” laws punishes those uncovering inconvenient truths. Consider the notorious prosecution of David Daleiden and his investigation into Planned Parenthood. Instead of pursuing Planned Parenthood, California authorities, led by then-Attorney General Kamala Harris, targeted Daleiden himself.
Matt Walsh <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/walsh-california-prosecuting-journalists-doing-matt-walsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aptly warned</a> at the time that such prosecutions could “criminalize all forms of undercover journalism.” Walsh was right: when governments can weaponize privacy laws against whistleblowers, corruption thrives unchecked. We’d like to stop that.
Project Veritas’s case underscores this danger. If Oregon’s law stands, it sets a precedent emboldening other states to enact similarly repressive measures. Such laws don’t merely threaten controversial groups like Project Veritas — they imperil every citizen-journalist, whistleblower, and parent aiming to hold those in power accountable.
Imagine parents secretly recording school officials implementing extremist curricula, or a VA hospital employee documenting abuse against veterans. Under Oregon’s model, these citizen-journalists become criminals rather than heroes. Balderdash.
Critics argue undercover journalism invades privacy. Yet, there’s a critical difference between personal privacy and public accountability. Recording private citizens’ truly private conversations — happening, say in someone’s home or a doctor’s office — is rightly protected against. But public officials and newsworthy figures talking about bad deeds or public policy in public must not be shielded from scrutiny.
The hypocrisy here is glaring. Legacy media applauded secret recordings like the Access Hollywood tapes or Greenpeace’s hidden-camera sting of Exxon executives because these aligned politically with their interests. Yet conservative-leaning investigations face condemnation and criminalization. Oregon’s law codifies this double standard into state policy, echoing Orwell’s chilling warning in &#8220;Animal Farm,&#8221; “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” The state now decides whose truths may be exposed and whose must remain hidden, a hallmark of dystopian control.
Today, Americans distrust legacy media precisely because traditional reporting methods often fail to reveal the full truth. In our digital age, audiences demand — and deserve — objective evidence. Hidden cameras have become essential tools for accountability journalism, offering unfiltered glimpses into realities otherwise obscured by spin, stonewalling, and hidden agendas.
If the Supreme Court allows Oregon to criminalize this essential method of truth-gathering, it cripples the First Amendment. Citizen-journalism, which Daily Wire audiences rightly value, becomes vulnerable nationwide. The justices must affirm a core constitutional principle: truth doesn’t need permission from those hiding it. Our American guarantee of free speech supports rigorous, bold investigations capable of exposing hidden abuses. In 2025, undercover journalism isn’t a fringe tactic — it’s a fundamental aspect of free inquiry and transparency.
It’s time the Supreme Court rejects Oregon’s unconstitutional censorship. America needs more citizen-journalism, not less. The freedom to expose wrongdoing must remain protected — even if it makes the powerful uncomfortable.
* * *
Benjamin Barr is a partner at Barr &amp; Klein PLLC where his practice engages in a variety of constitutional litigation nationwide. Along with his law partner, Stephen R. Klein, the firm represents Project Veritas in this matter.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Daily Wire.

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