Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.
Good morning, Northwest.
President Trump’s planned deployment of National Guard troops to Portland has sparked mixed reactions across the state.
OPB reporters fanned out across Oregon to hear perspectives on the president’s decision. We start this morning’s newsletter with what they heard.
Also this morning, we have details on text exchanges between the president and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, and the latest on when and how many troops will be on the ground.
The state Legislature also passed a transportation bill yesterday after a special session to do so was twice delayed, but the fight may not be over yet.
Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.
—Bradley W. Parks
Protesters hold signs reading "End Deportations, Abolish ICE" while confronting with Department of Homeland Security agents near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Ore., on Sept. 28, 2025.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Portland troop deployment sparks mixed reactions across Oregon
The Trump administration’s plan to deploy 200 members of the National Guard to Portland fanned protests at the city’s federal immigration building over the weekend, and it fueled a broader debate among Oregonians outside of the metro area.
Notable Oregon GOP leaders have backed President Trump’s depiction of the state’s largest city as a lawless, violent place in need of military intervention.
That’s happening as federal data show a dramatic decline in Portland’s violent crime since 2022, and market research indicates visitor volume and tourism-related spending have risen since 2021.
And beyond city limits, Republicans’ portrayal of Portland as a “war zone” resonated with some would-be visitors, while frustrating others. (Emily Cureton Cook)
Kotek and Trump trade testy texts over Portland plans
The messages quickly escalated as Oregon received notice that the president planned to mobilize the National Guard outside of the governor’s control. (Lauren Dake)
At least 166 Oregon National Guard members have volunteered for Trump deployment
It could be next week before there are actual boots on the ground. (Tony Schick, Conrad Wilson and Troy Brynelson)
From left, Ann Cape, Betty Schallhorn and Marjorie Taray leave a social event at the Senior Community Center in Monmouth, Ore. on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. The number of Oregonians over 65 outnumber the number of children in the state.
Saskia Hatvany / OPB
3 things to know this morning
- Exactly one month after they convened, Oregon Democrats passed Gov. Tina Kotek’s transportation bill yesterday. The passage offers a lifeline to hundreds of employees at the state department of transportation threatened with layoffs, but the bill may still have hurdles ahead. (Dirk VanderHart)
- More than one in four homeless people in Oregon is over the age of 55. Homelessness among Oregonians over the age of 65 increased 12% in 2024. The trend could have major implications for Oregon’s already strained social safety network and those who rely on it. (Bryce Dole)
- An Army veteran on Portland City Council is calling on current and former members of the U.S. military to speak out against President Donald Trump’s planned deployment of the National Guard in Portland. (Alex Zielinski)
This undated image is listed as students from the Umatilla Indian Boarding School.
Courtesy of the University of Oregon Library and Archive
Headlines from around the Northwest
- Orange Shirt Day marks legacy of Indigenous boarding schools (Kami Horton)
- New sales tax on services in Washington takes effect tomorrow (Jake Goldstein-Street)
- Washington Discover Pass price going up $15 tomorrow (Emily Fitzgerald)
Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation
“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):
- Portland police chief on deployment of National Guard to Portland
- Portland law professor says Trump’s deployment of National Guard likely will not pass legal muster
- Scientist and Hanford manager on radioactive tank waste, vitrification and cleanup
Holly Andres photographs narrative scenes with a sense of mystery
Portland photographer Holly Andres creates narrative-driven images that evoke the feeling of a scene from a movie or a nearly forgotten memory.
Her carefully constructed tableaus often depict children on the threshold of adulthood, propelled by their curiosity and sense of discovery. (Ian McCluskey)
Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.
