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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! As the weather begins its slow cool-down as we approach fall (in the mid-70s under partly sunny skies for the next three days), it’s a good time to start stocking up on body fat for the winter months… and what better way than with the Mercury’s WING WEEK starting TODAY and running through this Sunday, September 27! Picture it: a steaming plate of six juicy, delectable, and creatively-sauced chicken wings prepped by more than 100 (!!) of your favorite bars and restaurants around town, and for only $10 a pop! And now let’s chow down on a plate of juicy, delectable NEWS.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• In case you missed it, the most disgusting scandal of last week was the blatant politicization of old-timey tweets by Councilor Mitch Green, who had the AUDACITY to insult the Portland Police back in 2020 for mercilessly beating and gassing protesters who were standing up for racial justice. And why did conservative power brokers—like the police union, Chief Bob Day, Mayor Wilson, D4 councilors Olivia Clark and Eric Zimmerman, and the usual crowd of rich agitators (with an assist from the Oregonian)—decide to trot out and shame Green for these old tweets now? Because there’s a District 4 election coming up in November, and moderate-to-very conservatives are desperately trying to stuff the council with candidates who will carry out their whims, break the occasional 6-6 voting ties, and reclaim the power they had prior to the implementation of charter reform. And, as you might have guessed, Councilor Green is currently the easiest target. The Mercury Editorial Board wrote a damning opinion piece about this, and we encourage you to check it out, get informed about what’s really going on behind the scenes, and show your displeasure for these corrupt shenanigans with your vote in November! (And if you feel like hollerin’ at them, tell them the Mercury sent ya!)
• Very much related (and helps prove our point if you’re one of those people who thinks billionaires and cops are perfect in every way): Part of the coordinated effort to bring down Mitch Green in District 4 and replace him with a voting block of moderate conservatives, is the Portland Metro Chamber (FKA Portland Business Alliance), who donated money to a political action group uncreatively called “Ditch Mitch,” according to Willamette Week. The group has erected a billboard (uncoincidentally at the same spot People for Portland put their infamous “Schmidt Show” billboard before drumming progressive DA Mike Schmidt out of office) disparaging Councilor Green for not paying his taxes—though he says he was unaware of the tax bill and has since paid up. As WW writes, “the website of the [“Ditch Mitch”] PAC says the committee’s biggest funder so far is the United for Portland Action fund, a political action committee that was created and funded by the Portland Metro Chamber.” Still don’t believe there’s an active, coordinated effort to elect conservatives to council? Wake up, smell coffee.
• Police responded to two incidents yesterday when about a dozen attention-seeking, loudmouth anti-trans protesters showed up at the local women-focused sports pub, The Sports Bra, and then (weirdly) a Fred Meyer grocery store. The anti-trans screamers are still bent out of shape about the bar kicking out a couple of customers who wore transphobic clothing in the establishment, and after an altercation a couple of weeks ago, showed up once again to let their ass hang out. A few dozen counterprotesters quickly arrived on the scene, and the two groups began arguing, with one of the transphobes reportedly spraying the crowd with bear mace, also hitting a KOIN reporter. The scrum then reportedly moved to a Fred Meyer parking lot, at NW 24th and Broadway, where a scuffle ensued and a glass door was shattered, according to onlookers. One shopper who saw the incident said, “[The transphobes] only came here to incite trouble… and they were met with community reaction, rightly so.” He then added, “because you shouldn’t come into our community and pull that kind of junk.” Amen, brother.
• Pour one out for Mickey Reyes, the beloved local bar owner and iconic skateboarder, who has died at the age of 59. While Reyes owned three Portland bars (Cat’s Paw Saloon, The End, and Thunderbird), he is also remembered fondly for his influence on the San Francisco skate scene of the ‘90s. Thrasher Magazine described Reyes this way: “Though tough and well respected, behind the brawn he carried a profound heart of red and gold.” He will be missed.
• In other bar news, Dan Casto, the owner of the long-running bar/Vietnamese restaurant, Double Dragon, has revived the Richmond Bar on Division, dubbing it the Richmond Club. Cocktails are anchored in classic cocktails with a fun little twist—consider the old fashioned, which has Calvados and rye but also introduces pear eau de vie, fig leaf, and oolong tea. Reporting for the Mercury, Caitlin Pangares has the delicious deets!
IN NATIONAL AND WORLD NEWS:
• On Friday, the always level-headed (and not vindictive or petty at all) President Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House due to their accurate reporting of his repeated fuck-ups—which he deemed “fake news.” In solidarity, four other networks—ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC—wrote in a joint statement that they would suspend pool television coverage of the president. Meanwhile, the banned outlets announced that they will be filing a lawsuit against the administration, in order “to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.” Trump did respond to the lawsuit on Truth Social, but I refuse to platform what the charlatan said out of solidarity with fellow reporters. (Pssst… but I will say it was just as thoughtless and stupid as you might suspect!)
• On Sunday an ICE officer shot and seriously wounded a Venezuelan man who was delivering food in Austin, Texas. According to an immigration lawyer, Wilber Rafael Garcés Perez was an asylum seeker who was in the U.S. thanks to a parole program. After Perez was rushed to the hospital, his panicked wife and lawyer showed up to get information on his injuries, but were told he wasn’t there and were then thrown off the property by security. DHS later confirmed that Perez is now under ICE custody, but refused to divulge any details about the extent of his injuries. “No one has told me or Wilber’s wife what the treatment was or how he’s doing,” the lawyer for the injured and kidnapped man said, “and I feel very confident he is in a lot of pain right now as we speak.”
• Trump continues his reign of “cuckoo” with his latest plans for the 250-foot-tall “Triumphal Arch” he’s wanting to build near the National Mall in Washington, DC. And not only is the tall monstrosity going to be ass-ugly, he also wants it to be a “Military Complex,” where a large amount of weaponry will be stored and areas for snipers will be added as well. (WHAT.) Multiple lawsuits have been filed to stop Trump from building the arch, though Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced construction is due to start in two weeks, despite the fact that the administration has not received permission from the National Capital Planning Commission or other federal reviews. (Sounds like someone needs to be locked away for their own—and our own—safety.)
• Sneaker company Converse was forced to issue an apology for a recent ad that critics say evoked the Ku Klux Klan and lynching. The Instagram ad, which depicted a K-Pop star wearing a skirt that was lit in such a way that it appeared to evoke a KKK hood with black sneakers dangling at the side, had critics wondering if anyone had vetted the advertisement beforehand, and inspiring Converse to yank it and apologize for the callous error.
• And finally… this is an accurate description of you showing up to work on Monday morning. Agree or disagree?
