Good Morning! It’s another one of those perfect days that convince unsuspecting visitors to move to Seattle. Clear skies, high of 69, lows in the high 40s. You can practically hear the soundtrack to Practical Magic.
Trump Is Still Obsessed With Portland: And Chicago. And all of our other Godless, queer, blue-haired cities. On Saturday, a judge temporarily blocked Trump’s attempt to activate the Oregon National Guard to “defend” Portland’s ICE facilities against protesters. So Trump decided he’d try and get around that by summoning 200 of California’s National Guard troops to Portland instead. Some 100 troops arrived in the city on Sunday before a judge blocked that order (which covers deployment in Portland from any state). Then Trump remembered that he has friends in high places in Texas, so he ordered 400 members of the Texas National Guard to deploy for “federal protection missions” in Portland, Chicago, and possibly other cities. The judge’s block protects Portland from Texas’s troops as well, but it doesn’t apply to Chicago or other cities yet.
The @oregonian.com social media team spending the weekend making social card after social card explaining the current state of national guards coming to Oregon
— Nik Streng (@nikstreng.bsky.social) October 5, 2025 at 8:30 PM
And There’s More: One of Stephen Miller’s top deputies, Anthony Salisbury, was chit-chatting on Signal with one of Hegseth’s senior advisers, Patrick Weaver, in public, apparently with his screen “in clear view of others” in Minnesota. The Minnesota Star Tribune saw images of those messages. The two were talking about the Trump administration’s plan to send the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, an elite overseas military unit that specializes in parachute assaults and forcible entry operations, to Portland, an American city. Weaver told Salisbury: “Between you and I, I think Pete just wants the top cover from the boss if anything goes sideways with the troops there,” Weaver said. “82nd is like our top tier [quick reaction force] for abroad. So it will cause a lot of headlines,” he added. “Probably why he wants potus to tell him to do it.”
Awfully Busy for a Government That’s Closed for Business: We’re starting day six without an operating government, and there’s no sign that an end to the shutdown is in sight. Two million federal workers currently aren’t getting paid, and the White House social media account is still posting AI video of Hakeem Jeffries with an ever-larger sombrero while Trump threatens widespread layoffs for federal workers. The Senate is scheduled to vote on the legislation again today, but the current stopgap bill still strips millions of Americans of their healthcare subsidies, so it’s not going anywhere.
Third Country Deportations Are Still Happening: Amid the noise of government shutdowns, National Guard threats, and AI-generated diss-videos, 10 people who were deported from the United States were sent to the African nation of Eswatini on Monday morning. (For anyone rushing to Google Maps, it’s a small kingdom that borders South Africa.) And they’re just the latest. More than 40 people have been sent to Africa since July, after Trump struck secretive agreements with at least five nations there to take migrants under his third-country deportation program. At least two of them are Vietnamese—none of them are from Eswatini. They’re now in a maximum security facility with no known charges.
Peace Progress: This week will mark two years since the genocide in Gaza began, and on Monday, Israel and Hamas are starting indirect peace talks in Egypt. Everyone seems more onboard than usual: Israel has said it supported the new plan that Trump’s administration has drawn up, dictating that Hamas would release the remaining 48 hostages—about 20 believed to be alive—within three days. It also requires that Hamas give up power and disarm. Notably missing from the coverage: Hamas’s take on the deal.
Flotilla Protesters Deported, Detained: Meanwhile, last week, more than 400 activists who were sailing from Barcelona to try to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza on the Global Sumud Flotilla were arrested in international waters by Israeli forces. The protesters included climate activist Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, and our own local protester, Orcas Island resident Jas Ikeda. The protesters were taken to Israel, where they report being held in inhumane conditions “like monkeys.” Today, hundreds of protesters were deported from Israel, but Ikeda is still detained, and is one of 42 protesters on hunger strike in the prison.
Watch for Splinters: Foster Poultry Farms had to recall almost 4 million pounds of chicken corndogs after wood was found in the batter. This is the second corndog recall in as many weeks.
Dr. Brunkow Gets Her Flowers: It’s Nobel Prize season, and Seattle’s Dr. Mary E. Brunkow is one of three researchers who won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for their work on peripheral immune tolerance. What does that mean? It means she helped open an entire new field in immunology that makes it easier for us to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. And how did Dr. Brunkow react? She didn’t answer the phone because she thought it was spam. Nobel-prize-winning doctors, they’re just like us.
The Ms Tie It Up: Okay, that news was a lot, but guess what?? We’re two games into the post-season, and last night, the Mariners won their first post-season game since 2001. They’re now 1-1 against the Detroit Tigers.
the Mariners would probably win the world series if they brought back “Can’t Hold Us” as the seventh inning stretch song
— Nathalie Graham (@gramsofgnats.bsky.social) October 5, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Stranger commenters ranked from smartest to stupidest, if u dont see ur name your automatically at the bottom of the list! 😉
Catalina Velduray
The Kossack
Tensorna
Mr Friendly
Dale Horseman
Hydronerd
Max Solomon
CKathes
Phineas Barnum
Bax
Toe Tag
District 13 Refugee
Andrew Aguecheek
Lissa
Swiftress
Pat L
BK421
North American Jay Bird
Rudeboy
Soy milk in my latte
Nekrasova
Barth
[CUTOFF LINE BETWEEN SMART PEOPLE & STUPID PEOPLE]
Ross
Cressona
The Chicken
Buddhamat
Doug
Notmyopic
Averagebob
Biped
BMLeon
Drewl2
Libretto
Phoebe in Wallingford
Boatgeek
Thirteen12
Mike Blob
Fire Aim Ready
The Tour Guide
Greenwood Bob
Coolidge Dollar
CDizzle
Michael C Clayton
TBass1981
Kristofarian
Auntie Grizelda
Speaking up
Xina
The Mariners won two postseason games in 2022.
Freedom to choose, without restriction is something The Stranger’s commenters allegedly hold dear.
Under Indiana Law, when a celebrity retired NFL player and sportscaster attacked a 69 year old, blue-collar truck driver, with his fists, the driver had the right to respond with deadly force.
The powerful sportscaster was stabbed two to three times, hospitalized, and then arrested and charged for starting the fight. The stabber, not so much. The powerful sportscaster can’t even sue for being stabbed under Indiana Law.
The NYT breaks it down here: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/04/us/mark-sanchez-stabbing.html
For those without a subscription: https://ktrh.iheart.com/content/2025-10-06-mark-sanchez-is-now-facing-a-felony-charge/
Maybe this will make Connor Kelley’s ongoing column, “This Week in Worker Conquests.” Nah. Connor doesn’t mean that kind of worker conquest. He, and other Stranger writers, never apply principle consistently to their writing. Do they have principles at all?
@1: It’s an honor just to be nominated! Although modesty requires that I protest I feel I belong more in the smartASS category 😉
@1…
Considering the source, I will take that as a compliment.
If you had put me above your ‘line’ It would mean I failed at mocking you, and probably let a bunch of people down in the process.
@1 I don’t see your name on the list so… that checks out.
Also… if you think you’re so smart you clearly know that I’m multiple people on that list and only one of me is below the stupid line. 🙂
All this Madness
just to keep whatever
may be remaining in the
Epstein/C.Bonespurs Files
from ANY Public Purview?
remember When
republicans Released
every single page of the
Starr Report* re a blowjob?
Dems
Need to
tell Congress
to Fuck OFF til
THEY RELEASE the
trumpf/Epstein files
the
Downfall
of thedjt’ll
likely Be very
close behind so
we can See Why tF
they wanna Keep it Hid.
*detailing President
“Slick Willy” Clinton’s
CONSENSUAL dalliance
with an Adult M. Lewinski?
@1
Gosh
wormmy
your False
Modesty at
placing your
Self at number
Three — granted,
taking Your Rightful
Place at the Pinnacle
of The Stranger’s Dung
Heap wouldda been Too
Blatantly Fucking Obvious
shows your Desperation
for Separation after your
Incredible Blunder of posting
THE SAME COMMENT FROM You
AND YOUR SIKSOKBOTT Yesterday.
oh
Well
at Least
you’re Amusing!
https://www.thestranger.com/slog-am/2025/10/03/80266748/slog-am-spd-blocks-care-team-uw-class-chases-nazi-saluter-trump-tries-to-broker-hamas-peace-deal-in-most-threating-way-possible/comments/78
https://www.thestranger.com/slog-am/2025/10/03/80266748/slog-am-spd-blocks-care-team-uw-class-chases-nazi-saluter-trump-tries-to-broker-hamas-peace-deal-in-most-threating-way-possible/comments/79
oops!
Re: #1: Kind of insulting that I wasn’t lower on the list.
@6: I said if you don’t see YOUR name on the list, not if you don’t see MY name on the list. Nemo iudex in causa sua. 😆
@9: You’re where you need to be: stupider than Notmyopic, smarter than Phoebe in Wallingford. 😘
Here’s my list of people I care about on here enough to take the time to make a list:
oh
and NO
I don’t for
a Moment be-
lieve Catalina or
even Most of your
‘list of the smartest’ be-
long on your little Dung Heap
tho you
and Cressy
Have shown some
rather Remarkable Overlaps
all
totally
Coincidental I’m
Certain you’ll soon Argue.
@2 they mean their first home playoff win since 2001.
In an odd coincidence, it’s also 2 years since Hamas committed atrocities that include the rape, torture and murder of women and children.
good news everyone can get behind: smoke from the Bear Gulch fire is way down this morning. the Olympics are nice and clear again.
@11: Really? Then how did Xina get to be so much better (i.e., “stupid”, in MAGAt parlance) than the rest of us? What made her stand out of the crowd?
Speaking of lists.. Robert Morris who served on President Donald Trump’s evangelical advisory board has pleaded guilty to five counts of lewd and indecent acts with a child. If only there was another list they could release they had a bunch of child molesters on it.
“I work with the very best people.” -Donald Trump
“I fuck 12 year old kids.” – The people Donald Trump works with.
The Guardian has some great coverage on the Gaza Flotilla. Unlike American Corporate Media, it revealed that not only is Greta still being held, but has been subject to torture (beatings), receives little to eat and drink, and has been paraded around wrapped in an Israeli flag like a trophy.
@19 She arrived in Greece this morning.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7dk52l1jvo
Also from the Guardian today: https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2025/oct/06/our-systems-are-betraying-palestinians-says-greta-thunberg-after-israel-deportation-video
@17
xina
Stands
Out as an
Articulate, no-
Nonsense and Fearless
Advocate for Human Rights
and is therefore a Massive Threat
to Oligarchy, Patriarchy & Reich Wing Rule.
poor olde
Wormtongue/
THUMPF Y O U!
(and maybe Cressy?)’ll
Literally Melt in her fucking Presence
which I Miss,
Severely.
TLDR @3.
His body, his choice in how he defended it.
@21
and then there’s This
from Amy Goodman’s ‘Democracy Now!’
Well, it’s not a peace plan.
It’s many things, but not that.
Look, the most important component is whether this can bring an end to the Israeli assault, ceasefire, the release of Israelis, the release of Palestinians held in Israel,
the Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and the entry of massively needed humanitarian assistance, which Israel has been preventing in its starvation policy, and the entry of that on scale.
Now, on those things, the 20 points are extremely light on detail, hence the need to flesh those out to make sure that there will actually be a withdrawal, that there will actually be massive ramping up of assistance that’s allowed in.
The pressure is on to
simply~and ridiculously~say,
“You know what? Trust America.
All those good things will happen.”
The rest of what’s in those 20 points — and, in fact, more of those 20 points — are devoted to the details of some kind of bizarre throwback to the Dutch East India Company, some kind of colonial administration, non-Palestinian, led by Trump, former prime minister here, Tony Blair, and others.
My assessment is that they would then try and impose such a model in the West Bank, where you currently have nominal, if deeply unrepresentative and co-opted, Palestinian Authority leadership.
And there is nothing, other than a few throwaway words, about what would happen eventually in terms of the decolonization, deoccupation of Palestinian land.
There is no reference
in the whole bloody thing
even to the words “West Bank.”
So, the idea that this is going
to set aside 3,000 years, or whatever
the president wants to call it, is patently absurd.
–Dan Levy
oodles:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/10/6/ceasefire_talks
The scant coverage of detentions and deportations in the main stream media is appalling.
@25
and yet not
Surprising when
one considers “our”
MSM is Owned by hyper-
Wealthy psychopaths, Disinterested in
letting the Populace In On WTF is Actually Happening
if they/
We fucking
KNEW we’d be
up in Arms in an
New York Minute
which’s why
bippie, d13r, wormmy/
thumpfYOU at al’re Here:
to keep us
Ignorant
as Fuck.
@25 presumably part of the intended benefit of trying to invade Portland is pushing the slightly-less-insane things the admin is doing out of the public eye
@1:
Most normal people, when they have a lot of free time on their hands, do normal things: watch television, listen to music, read a book, masturbate – there are any number of activities more mentally and physically productive than sitting for hours ranking the names of people you’ve never met in-person, nor are likely to (ah for the olden days when Slog Happys would actually bring commenters together IRL), just so you can feel good about your own latent sense of mediocrity.
@28: my dude, you have thirteen thousand posts 😂
@29…
Boy, howdy…
Comte’s point just totally whooshed right over your head.
Maybe you should hire better caregivers… oh, wait. They are getting deported. Sucks to be you, I guess.
@29 You’re on track to have 16,000+ posts if you keep up the same pace you’re currently at for the same number of years that COMTE has been here. Just sayin.
Intelligence has lost its meaning in the Trump era.
The fact that I comment enough to even appear on this list is somewhat disturbing to me.
Am I the only one at least somewhat pleasantly surprised that a Trump Administration USDA was able to detect significant food contamination issues and with no associated deaths reported?
Swiftress @33…
Eh, I find it hard to take seriously someone who has to use emojis to make their point.
At least when I see your avatar (great pic, BTW) whether I agree or disagree with you, I know I will read something from someone who can form a coherent sentence, and put forth a cogent argument.
When I see emojis, I start scrolling.
And this is coming from someone who has read (and still do) ALL of Kristo’s posts
@20, thanks for the update.
@32, the GOP base wouldn’t have it any other way. “I like the uneducated”.
@19/21 Here is what the flotilla members said they had to endure according to The Guardian
“The alleged abuses included sleep and medication deprivation, beatings, having automatic rifles pointed at their heads, dogs set upon them, having to sleep on the floor, being subjected to insults and being made to watch footage of the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023.”
First, I saw video of Thunberg arriving in Greece today and you would think Caesar was entering Rome. She looked quite well to me for someone who was beaten and starving (no visible bruises anywhere so those Israelis are pretty good). Second, I find it very ironic that one of the abuse complaints was watching the footage of the Oct 7 attack and massacre. I wonder why they would find that footage so upsetting that it borders on abuse? hmmmm
Thunberg and these people are clout chasers and any claims they make should rightfully be viewed with a degree of skepticism.
@1 thanks, I needed something to pad out my resume a bit
@38: fifth place is the fifth winner 😘
@1 Hey, slightly above halfway! I must not be doing TOO bad…
If someone says you’re dumb and you don’t know what you’re talking about, it doesn’t mean that what you’re saying isn’t true. Slog people who don’t realize that are really dumb.
@35,
Seriously. Love him or hate him (and I know plenty of people are in that latter category) but at the bare minimum, at least Kristo’s posts have an unmistakably unique and distinctive component to them that reflects a particular aesthetic style and flare on the part of their author. I guess the smiley face guy’s do as well, though that particular aesthetic would be that of a Walmart ad exec working on a campaign to appeal to 12 year old suburban girls. He’s absolutely awful and childish, though I’m sure that’s also his intent, so whatever.
Or maybe that’s just sour grapes on my part based on my criminally low rating in @1, ha ha.
Mike @42…
I think of Kristo’s posts as poetry with big chunks of truth in them.
“Smiley Guy”… (can we make that a thing?) I would guess is just a lazy chucklefuck 35y.o. 4channer masturbating over his keyboard because he “owned the libs”.
@40: That’s the spirit! The glass is half full! More than half full! You’re doing great! 😄
@43: “a lazy chucklefuck 35y.o. 4channer masturbating over his keyboard”
Come on now dude, you cant seriously think you would get ranked in the upper half? Look at how you are spraying! 🤣 you did this to yourself! 😄
“Notably missing from the coverage: Hamas’s take on the deal.”
Well, that’s primarily because the group has made no official public statements on the peace deal. They’ve offered to negotiate, and American and Israeli negotiators now have traveled to Egypt to take part.
However, it’s great to see the Stranger rediscovering that Hamas actually exists, and has some bearing on the peace deal. Over the past two years, very long stretches of time have elapsed without a single headline post even containing the word, Hamas, so this sudden re-occurrence comes as a welcome development.
At the very same time, the Stranger’s recent near-obsessive concern about children starving in Gaza seems to have completely disappeared! (What a coincidence, eh?) I mean, if the Stranger was really so very, very concerned about the plight of starving children in Gaza, and Hamas had some say over whether their starvation continued or not, you’d think the Stranger would now join most of the rest of the world, and demand Hamas sign onto the peace deal. This sudden disappearance of this concern from the Stranger certainly has come at the worst possible time for those children!
Smiley Guy @45…
Re-read my post @5.
Oh, wait. Reading comprehension just ain’t your thing. Oh well, carry on…
@47: lol you probably should have left it at that instead of five more posts gradually melting down until you reached “chucklefuck 4chan masturbator” ha ha ha! 🤣
@48 prove me wrong, chucklefuck…