JC Ritchie of South Africa plays during the LIV Golf Invitational in England. Matthew Lewis / Getty Images Estimates are that the government of Saudi Arabia has already spent in excess of $3 billion launching LIV Golf—a new golf tour designed to compete with the long-established PGA Tour and, according to experts, help bolster the […]
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
Good Afternoon, News: More New Seasons Workers Unionizing, One Year Anniversary of Heat Dome, Lawsuits to Stop Trigger Laws
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! Protests over abortion rights continue in front of the White House. Nathan […]
Posted inCannabis
In Unionizing Effort, Gresham Cannabis Workers Face Roadblocks Familiar to Ag Industry
Getty Images / FatCamera On May 2, the staff at the CBN Holdings cannabis grow facility in Gresham walked off the job. They’ve been on strike since. Their concerns are serious: Workers have said that CBN Holdings, which markets its products under the brand Cannabis Nation, has been consistently dismissive of their concerns about fire […]
Posted inNews
Four Portland-Area Starbucks Stores Vote to Unionize
Getty Images / Joe Raedle Workers at four Starbucks stores in Portland have voted overwhelmingly to unionize, becoming the first stores in the Portland metro area to join the Starbucks Workers United union. A number of Starbucks workers and their allies gathered in a meeting room at the Oregon AFL-CIO headquarters in Southeast Portland to […]
Posted inNews
Group Urges Oregon Treasury to Divest Billions of State Dollars From Fossil Fuels
Chevron and other fossil fuel companies operate fuel tanks along the Willamette River that are vulnerable to spilling during a disaster. AARON LEE A coalition of nearly 90 organizations from across the state is pushing the Oregon State Treasury to divest from fossil fuels. Earlier this week, the coalition Divest Oregon launched a new report […]
Posted inSports
Madison Shanley Announces She Will No Longer Sing National Anthem For Timbers or Thorns
Madison Shanley sings the national anthem before the Portland Timbers’ match against the LA Galaxy on April 3 at Providence Park. Kayla Marie Plummer When longtime Portland Timbers and Thorns national anthem singer Madison Shanley drove downtown to meet club front office officials on Wednesday, she did so in an attempt to rejuvenate her faith […]
Posted inNews
Portland-area Starbucks Workers Confident About Looming Unionization Vote
Christopher Furlong / Getty Images As workers at the Starbucks store at 28th and Powell in Southeast Portland prepare to receive ballots for the union election on April 22, shift supervisor B Morris-Brand is feeling confident. “I’m just excited to see all the hard work that all of my partners have [done] pay off,” Morris-Brand […]
Posted inSports
Timbers Anthem Singer Madison Shanley Confronts Club Over Handling of Abuse Cases
Madison Shanley sings the national anthem in a red T-shirt with the words “YOU KNEW” before the Portland Timbers’ match against the LA Galaxy. Kayla Marie Plummer Madison Shanley first auditioned to sing the national anthem for the Portland Beavers at what was then PGE Park all the way back in 2008. She was a […]
Posted inNews
Charter Commissioner Takes Step Toward Placing City Government Change on Ballot
David Papazian / Getty Images Portland is one big step closer to voting on sweeping changes to the city’s form of government and elections. The Portland Charter Commission unanimously approved a major package of reforms to the city’s charter on Thursday night, in a preliminary vote that triggers the city attorney’s office to begin drafting […]
Posted inNews
Following Anti-Trans Bills, Oregon Healthcare Providers Anticipate Surge in Patients
Vladimir Vladimirov / Getty Images When a bill criminalizing the provision of gender-affirming care for transgender children advanced out of the Idaho House of Representatives in early March, Dr. Kara Connelly braced herself for the worst. Connelly is a pediatric endocrinologist and professor at Oregon Health and Sciences University (OHSU), where she specializes in providing […]
Posted inNews
Portlanders Overwhelmingly Desire New Form of Government, Poll Finds
Portland City Hall COSMONAUT / GETTY IMAGES A new poll suggests that an overwhelming number of Portland voters support sweeping changes to the city’s form of government and elections systems. The poll, commissioned by the racial justice nonprofit Building Power for Communities of Color and conducted by the Oakland-based firm FM3 Research, surveyed nearly 622 […]
Posted inNews
Providence Health Nurses Rally Tuesday to Spotlight Labor Contract Delays
A nurse cares for a ICU patient in 2021 at a Providence medical Center in Southern California. Mario Tama / Staff Providence Health nurses will hold an informational picket outside of the Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Southwest Portland on Tuesday evening as labor contract negotiations between the state’s largest healthcare system and thousands […]