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Abe Asher

Abe Asher covers city news, politics, and soccer for the Portland Mercury. His reporting has appeared in The Nation, VICE News, Sahan Journal, and other outlets.
Posted inNews

Despite New Leadership, Portland Officials Decline to Reconsider Zenith Energy Deal

Climate activists will now turn their attention to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
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When Mayor Ted Wheeler reassigned the Bureau of Development Services (BDS) to Commissioner Carmen Rubio at the beginning of the month, climate activists in Portland had cause for hope.  The city commissioner in charge of BDS is responsible for the city’s decision about whether to grant a land use permit to the oil transport company […]

Posted inGood Afternoon, News!

Good Afternoon, News: New Timbers CEO Praises Paulson, 600 City Workers Plan to Strike, and Memphis Cops Charged with Murder

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good afternoon, Portland! Yes, you’re almost to the weekend. First, however, may we […]

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Portland Thorns Fire Trainer, Assistant Coach Following Yet Another Investigation

Investigators recommended the staff members be placed on leave, but the team opted to fire them.
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The Portland Thorns fired their head athletic trainer and an assistant coach on Tuesday after a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) investigation found that both staff members engaged in inappropriate conduct last year.  Pierre Soubrier, the head athletic trainer, was investigated for providing medication containing codeine to players during the club’s playoff semifinal match against […]

Posted inGood Afternoon, News!

Good Afternoon, News: New Abortion Care Hotline, Housing Prices Drop (But Not Enough), and Investigation Into LA Shooting Continues

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good afternoon, Portland! Monday with a little sunshine? Not so terrible! Now… […]

Posted inTransportation

TriMet’s Operator Shortage Stabilizes As Agency Looks to Expand Service

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TriMet’s historic driver shortage has stabilized, with a spokesperson saying the agency has the number of drivers it needs to maintain its current service level even as ongoing staffing issues have required it to alter its rollout of proposed service expansions in the coming years. “They are improving,” said Fred Casey, Vice President of Amalgamated […]

Posted inGood Afternoon, News!

Good Afternoon, News: More Measure 114 Drama, Transportation Director Escapes City Hall, and a New Special Counsel to Investigate Biden Just Dropped

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD AFTERNOON, PORTLAND! Sam Adams is no longer at City Hall, and […]

Posted inGood Afternoon, News!

Good Afternoon, News: Thorns Hire New Coach, Kotek Sworn In, and Fallout from Brazil Insurrection Attempt

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The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MONDAY AFTERNOON, PORTLAND! Back to the grind, I’m afraid. So let’s […]

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Portland Thorns Announce New Head Coach Amid Leadership Upheaval

Former assistant coach Mike Norris felt like a “no-brainer” choice after the team’s tumultuous season.
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The Portland Thorns announced Monday that the club has hired Mike Norris as its new head coach, elevating the former assistant coach at a time of major upheaval.  Norris, 43, arrived in Portland last year to join the staff of former Thorns manager Rhian Wilkinson after a decade-and-a-half based in British Columbia coaching in Canadian […]

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Merritt Paulson Will Sell Portland Thorns, Keep Timbers

The decision follows a year of mounting pressure to sell after abuse allegations.
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Merritt Paulson announced Thursday morning that he is selling the Portland Thorns, bringing to an end his stewardship of one of the country’s most successful women’s sports franchises in the aftermath of an abuse scandal that rocked the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Paulson’s impending sale of the Thorns, however, will not end his involvement […]

Posted inlabor

Afuri Restaurant Employees Announce Independent Union Drive

Staff at Afuri described working conditions that have been particularly chaotic over the last several months as the company expands in the Portland area.
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Workers at the Afuri Ramen and Dumpling restaurant in downtown Portland filed for union recognition with the National Labor Relations Board on Friday. The unionization push at the acclaimed Japanese restaurant comes in the midst of a wave of organizing efforts by Portland food service workers. Afuri organizers say that more than 80 percent of […]

Posted inNews

Oregon is Poised to Pass the Strongest Gun Law in the US With Measure 114

Not all progressive supporters of gun control are sold on the proposal
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For years, Rev. W. J. Mark Knutson, pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church, held services at his red brick church in Northeast Portland following mass shootings in the US—ringing the church’s bell again and again for lives lost in the country’s gun violence epidemic.  Those services took a toll—and inspired Knuston to make a deeper commitment […]

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Lawsuit Against Feds’ Use of Chemical Weapons on Portlanders in 2020 Heads to Appeals Court

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While protesting for racial justice in downtown Portland in summer 2020, Brenna Bell was regularly exposed to both pepper spray and tear gas fired into crowds of demonstrators by law enforcement officers. But one of her most memorable experiences was getting tear-gassed not by a police officer, but by a tree.  “I was just standing […]

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