OPB’s First Look: Portland’s inflatable era

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Good morning, Northwest.

Portland has a long history as a protest city.

But the latest demonstrations outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility look very different from protests past.

OPB’s Sara Roth and Kristyna Wentz-Graff lead off this morning’s newsletter with a story on how Portland protests have taken a turn for the whimsical — and how they’re inspiring other cities across the country.

Large “No Kings” protests are set for Saturday in the Rose City and across the country. Stay with OPB for coverage throughout the weekend.

Here’s your First Look at Friday’s news.

—Bradley W. Parks

Portland protests enter a new (inflated) era

Portland’s reputation as a city that embraces protesting has spanned decades.

In 1990, staff of former president George H.W. Bush famously nicknamed the city “Little Beirut” amid protests targeting Bush and his vice president, Dan Quayle.

Following the murder of George Floyd, Portland made national news with intense nightly protests that involved clashes with federal officers and local police.

But current demonstrations targeted toward President Donald Trump’s administration and federal immigration enforcement look entirely different from protests of Portland’s past.

A cartoonish menagerie of inflatables has congregated outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.

There’s a frog colony, sharks, squids, ducks and dinosaurs. There are also other whimsical participants and events in what has become the most unique protest scene in America. (Sara Roth and Kristyna Wentz-Graff)

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3 things to know this morning

• Immigration arrests appear to have spiked this week throughout western Oregon. Attorneys representing farmworkers and a free legal clinic yesterday asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order, saying their clients are being transported out of state quicker than they can make contact with counsel. (Troy Brynelson, Holly Bartholomew and Conrad Wilson)
• Many Oregonian wheat farmers are holding onto their grain for now rather than sell at a loss, as they wait to see if President Donald Trump delivers on a $15 billion bailout to commodity farmers hit by the administration’s ongoing trade disputes. But growers say they want reliable markets, not a check from the federal government. (Alejandro Figueroa)
• In a ruling earlier this month, the Oregon Employment Relations Board found that Portland State University had violated state labor law when it withheld certain funds meant for its adjunct faculty and researchers over the summer. (Tiffany Camhi)

Portland’s ICE protest brings frogs, naked cyclists and right-wing streamers

On the latest episode of “OPB Politics Now,” reporters Dirk VanderHart, Alejandro Figueroa and Erik Neumann discuss those competing visions. (Alejandro Figueroa, Erik Neumann, Dirk VanderHart and Andrew Theen)

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Headlines from around the Northwest

• Protesters near Portland’s ICE facility could have been surveilled by fake cell tower, new reporting finds (Rolando Hernandez)
• More than 170 US citizens have been held by immigration agents. They’ve been kicked, dragged and detained for days (Nicole Foy)
• ICE promised doxing cases against Portland ‘anarchists.’ Months later, no charges filed (Shaanth Nanguneri)
• Central Oregon Community College gets $1.3M federal grant for inaugural TRIO program (Kathryn Styer Martínez)
• Oregon, Washington join multi-state lawsuit challenging EPA decision to terminate $7B solar grant (Monica Samayoa)
• Scherzer turns back the clock and Blue Jays beat Mariners 8-2 in Game 4 to even ALCS (Andrew Destin)

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):

• Scientist and Hanford manager on radioactive tank waste, vitrification and cleanup progress

Superabundant recipe: Pumpkin enmoladas (enchiladas in mole sauce) are peak Halloween vibes

Some dishes are a labor of love, requiring dozens of ingredients, many detailed steps and long cooking times.

Maybe this is why grandma-style food rules — it’s not just homey and satisfying, but perhaps more importantly, someone else has done all the hard work.

Mole is another complicated dish that’s worth the trouble. The pre-Hispanic sauce combines an array of dried chiles, fruits, spices, chocolate and various seeds and nuts to make a velvety backdrop to everything from roasted turkey to plain rice.

Here it transforms a humble winter squash and tortillas into a luxurious vegetarian main dish that’s peak autumn. (Heather Arndt Anderson)

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