Michaela Bourgeois
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Michaela Bourgeois
@michaelabourgeois.bsky.social
KOIN 6 News Digital Reporter. Sco Ducks.
You can dance. You can jive. Having the time of your life ✨
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I spoke with a friend of Jackie Merlos, a Portland woman who was detained by ICE and recently released.

This is how a secret note in a coloring book and tenacity from her community helped her while she was in custody.

Story here:
"It became painfully clear, without our tenacity and connections, Jackie and her family would have disappeared without a trace," a family friend told KOIN 6 News.
https://www.koin.com/news/portland/coloring-book-and-tenacity-helped-jackie-merlos-in-ice-custody-11022025/?cid=bluesky_ 
A bipartisan group of Oregon lawmakers advanced a bill on Wednesday that they say will strengthen election integrity by replacing faithless electors.

#orpol #politics #voting
Oregon lawmakers advance bipartisan bill to replace faithless electors — KOIN Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A bipartisan group of Oregon lawmakers advanced a bill on Wednesday that they say will strengthen election integrity in the state.
apple.news
February 12, 2026 at 10:31 PM
Gabbard Whistleblower Complaint Based on Intercepted Conversation About Jared Kushner - The Wall Street Journal
Gabbard Whistleblower Complaint Based on Intercepted Conversation About Jared Kushner — The Wall Street Journal
Substance of the conversation, which covered in part issues related to Iran, isn’t known
apple.news
February 12, 2026 at 9:32 PM
A bill in the Oregon legislature is aiming to guide renovations for the oldest unrenovated NBA arena in the U.S. — the Moda Center — with plans to turn the facility into a “world-class hub” for sports and entertainment.

#orpol
'Bigger than basketball': Oregon bill aims to turn Moda Center into 'world-class hub' — KOIN Portland
A new bill in the Oregon legislature is aiming to guide renovations for the oldest unrenovated NBA area in the United States -- the Moda Center -- with plans to turn the facility into a
apple.news
February 10, 2026 at 12:59 AM
Justice Department seeks to wipe out Steve Bannon's conviction for defying Jan. 6 committee - POLITICO
Justice Department seeks to wipe out Bannon conviction for defying Jan. 6 committee — POLITICO
Bannon already served a four-month prison sentence in 2024 for his conviction on the charges.
apple.news
February 9, 2026 at 9:33 PM
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and 31 Oregon mayors are demanding ICE to halt operations in the state until recent use of force investigations are complete.

#orpol #ICE

Story here:
February 5, 2026 at 9:49 PM
Reposted by Michaela Bourgeois
👀 A cryptic new letter from Senator Ron Wyden to the CIA director.
February 4, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Reposted by Michaela Bourgeois
Breaking Reuters:

A team working for Tulsi Gabbard last spring led an investigation into Puerto Rico's voting machines.

The goal was to work with the FBI to investigate claims that Venezuela had hacked voting machines in Puerto Rico.

The probe did not produce any clear evidence of interference.
Exclusive: US spy chief's office investigated voting machines in Puerto Rico
A team working for President Donald Trump's spy chief, Tulsi Gabbard, last spring led an investigation into Puerto Rico's voting machines, said Gabbard's office and three sources familiar with the pre...
www.reuters.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:55 AM
Reposted by Michaela Bourgeois
Steve Bannon says the federal government is planning to send ICE officers to patrol polling stations during the midterms.

"We're going to have ICE surround the polls come November."

"We're not going to sit here and allow you to steal the country again." www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Steve Bannon says ICE will ‘surround the polls’ as Trump doubles down on taking over elections
Trump doubled down on his comments to nationalize voting Tuesday during an Oval Office press conference. “If you think about it, a state is an agent for the federal government in elections,” Trump sai...
www.democracydocket.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Michaela Bourgeois
Oregon bill would restrict ‘Orwellian’ masked law enforcement in the state
Oregon bill would limit 'Orwellian' masked law enforcement
Oregon lawmakers introduced a bill on Monday that would restrict members of law enforcement from wearing masks and aims to limit the state’s cooperation with “unconstitutional federal actions…
www.koin.com
February 4, 2026 at 1:57 AM
AI-altered photos and videos of Minneapolis shootings blur reality - NBC News
AI-altered photos and videos of Minneapolis shootings blur reality — NBC News
Social media users are trying to use AI to get clearer images and videos of the Minneapolis shootings but are instead misleading millions.
apple.news
February 4, 2026 at 3:05 AM
Project Netflix: MAGA’s Plan To Sandbag Warner Bros Deal; Streamer Called “Biggest Political & Ideology Messaging Machine In Human History”
Project Netflix: MAGA’s Plan To Sandbag Warner Bros Deal; Streamer Called “Biggest Political & Ideology Messaging Machine In Human History”
Ted Sarandos' testimony tomorrow in front of the Senate could see MAGA forces try to blow up the streamer's plan to buy Warner Bros
deadline.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Trump wants to “nationalize the voting,” seeking to grab states’ power - The Washington Post
Trump wants to ‘nationalize the voting,’ seeking to grab states’ power — The Washington Post
Trump, who continues to falsely claim that he won the 2020 election, has baselessly alleged widespread fraud.
apple.news
February 3, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Judge orders 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his dad released from ICE detention - The Associated Press
Judge orders 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his dad released from ICE detention — The Associated Press
A judge has ordered the U.S. to release a father and 5-year-old son who were taken into custody during the immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
apple.news
February 1, 2026 at 1:01 AM
“To be a dissident in this moment means moving beyond scoring points and underscoring differences, and on to recognizing what we are all losing—and blowing a whistle in order to prevent that loss.”
There Is a Word for What Is Happening in Minneapolis — The Atlantic
Those who oppose ICE in Minnesota are battling not for a political agenda but for the goal of dissidents throughout history: a normal life.
apple.news
January 30, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Minnesota activist releases video of arrest after manipulated White House version - The Associated Press
Minnesota activist releases video of arrest after manipulated White House version — The Associated Press
A Minnesota activist who was charged for her role in an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a church has released her own video of her arrest, after the White House posted a manipulated image onli...
apple.news
January 30, 2026 at 9:04 PM
“Dissent is Democratic. Dissent is American. It’s the cornerstone of our democracy.”
Protesters call for nationwide strike against Trump's immigration policies — The Associated Press
Protesters across the U.S. are calling for a nationwide strike on Friday to oppose the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
apple.news
January 30, 2026 at 9:00 PM
“Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said he was confident the ballots were ‘safe and secure’ in the facility. Now he’s worried about what happens next under federal custody.”
FBI raids Fulton County election office seeking ballots from Trump’s 2020 loss — The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A FBI spokesman confirmed ‘court-ordered activity’ at the county’s elections operation center in south Fulton.
apple.news
January 29, 2026 at 2:33 AM
Denouncing ICE agents in Minnesota, Washington plans for its own ICE ‘incursion’

Story below:
January 28, 2026 at 5:09 PM
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Justice Department to access sensitive data on Oregon voters.

#orpol
January 28, 2026 at 12:18 AM
US immigration agents detain two-year-old Minnesota girl: ‘depravity beyond words’ - The Guardian
US immigration agents detain two-year-old Minnesota girl: ‘depravity beyond words’ — Guardian US
DHS detain a toddler and her father on Thursday and fly them to Texas before returning child on judge’s order
apple.news
January 27, 2026 at 1:51 AM
White House posts digitally altered image of woman arrested after ICE protest - The Guardian
White House posts digitally altered image of woman arrested after ICE protest — Guardian US
Guardian analysis shows images are the same, with Nekima Levy Armstrong looking composed in original but sobbing after alteration
apple.news
January 23, 2026 at 8:38 PM
House Republicans are investigating Jan. 6. NPR fact-checked the first hearing.
House Republicans are investigating Jan. 6. NPR fact-checked the first hearing — NPR
A Republican-led congressional subcommittee is leading a new investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Do their claims add up?
apple.news
January 22, 2026 at 2:33 AM
Two Republicans added their names in the race to become Oregon’s next governor.

This includes a state rep. who petitioned Gov. Kotek’s transportation bill and a political commentator pardoned by Trump for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

#orpol

Story here:
2 more Republicans join race to become Oregon governor
Two more Republicans have added their names in the race to become Oregon’s governor in 2026 — including a state representative who led a petition against Governor Tina Kotek’s tra…
www.koin.com
January 22, 2026 at 2:24 AM
DOGE employees may have improperly accessed social security data, DOJ says

“At least two DOGE employees, the filing reveals, were in touch with a political advocacy group that asked them to analyze data from state voter rolls as part of its effort to overturn election results.”
DOGE employees may have improperly accessed social security data, DOJ says — Axios
Members of Elon Musk's DOGE team may have accessed Social Security information that was off-limits under a court ruling and shared agency data on third-party servers, the Department of Justice said in...
apple.news
January 20, 2026 at 10:12 PM