Update, December 9: The Portland Police Bureau has released the names of the officers involved in this shooting, a month after it took place. The officers are Erik Daniels, Joshua Howery, and Mark Piombo. All three officers involved in the November shooting remain on administrative leave, awaiting a ruling from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s […]
Alex Zielinski
Alex Zielinski is a former News Editor for the Portland Mercury. She's here to tell stories about economic inequities, cops, civil rights, and weird city politics that you should probably be paying attention to.
Posted inNews
Election Day is TOMORROW: How to Vote and When to Expect Results
Unless you have fastidiously avoided your mailbox for the past month, you’re probably aware that we’ve got an election on our doorstep. Those piles of glossy campaign mailers and voting guides, topped by an actual mail-in ballot, are meant for the November 8 general election, otherwise known as TOMORROW. By now, you’re in one of […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Overfilled Oregon Hospitals, RIP Aaron Carter, and UN Climate Summit Begins
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 morning, Portland! Hope you enjoyed that extra hour of sleep due […]
Posted inNews
City Council Approves Unfunded Plan to Criminalize Unsheltered Homelessness
Portland City Council voted Thursday to approve a plan to ban unsheltered homelessness and create mass outdoor homeless encampments across the city. The package of five resolutions, introduced by Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioner Dan Ryan two weeks ago, outlines a number of aspirational and unfunded plans to address homelessness and housing needs. The […]
Posted inHousing
Is City Council’s Proposal to Ban Unsheltered Homelessness Legal?
A review of recent cases by attorneys familiar with laws regarding homelessness finds that it might not be.
As Mayor Ted Wheeler and Commissioner Dan Ryan have fast-tracked a proposal to criminalize homeless camping and create mass encampments through City Council, few have discussed whether or not the plan would pass legal muster. A review of recent cases by attorneys familiar with laws regarding homelessness, however, finds that it might not. “No matter […]
Posted inNews
Homeless Portlanders Urge City Officials to Reconsider Mass Encampment Plan
Mayor Wheeler and Commissioner Ryan were asked to involve the perspective of homeless Portlanders before passing a plan to criminalize homelessness in Portland.
Homeless Portlanders had a captive audience in Mayor Ted Wheeler and City Commissioner Dan Ryan Tuesday afternoon in a public forum where Portlanders who’ve experienced homelessness were invited to share their thoughts on the politicians’ joint proposal to ban camping citywide. “With the camping ban, you’re saying the one space we’re carved out to be […]
Posted inNews
Elections Office Clears Gonzalez Campaign and Schnitzer of Additional Campaign Violations
An investigation by the City Auditor’s office found no violations of campaign finance regulations by both City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez’s campaign and one of his largest donors. The complaint centers on a deal between Schnitzer Property Management LLC and the Gonzalez campaign, in which the management company—owned by Gonzalez donor Jordan Schnitzer—gave Gonzalez a […]
Posted inNews
City Sweeps Laurelhurst Park Homeless Residents to Turn Street Into Pickleball Courts
Trucks and moving vans showed up at Laurelhurst Park early Halloween morning to start breaking down tents and packing up the belongings of those residing on the sidewalk between SE Cesar Chavez Ave. and SE 37th Ave. Residents had been warned about the camp sweep last week, and some had relocated before staff with Rapid […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Portland Tenants Win Fight Against 50% Rent Hike, Gonzalez Accuses Hardesty of Libel, and Brazil Elects Leftist President
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! Happy Halloween, nerds! It’s going to be a classic wet and rainy […]
Posted inNews
Low-Income Tenants Threatened by 50% Rent Hikes Successfully Delay the Increase for 18 Months
A group of tenants living in city-established affordable housing in Portland’s Overlook neighborhood declared victory Friday for successfully stalling major proposed rent hikes at their apartment complex, the Prescott. “We as tenants were able to stand up against this and come to a really good resolution,” said tenant Kelsey Schreiner, who was notified in August […]
Posted inNews
City Council Hears Public Feedback on Proposal to Criminalize Unsheltered Homelessness
City commissioners will hold a final vote on the proposal on Thursday, November 3.
City Commissioners heard loud opposition and support Wednesday to a proposed city policy that would ban homeless camping across Portland. The seven hours of testimony, provided by more than 200 Portlanders, painted a clear picture of who stands to benefit from the plan—and who could be harmed by the ordinance as proposed. “I can tell […]
Posted inCops
City Council Set to Approve $47,500 to Settle Police Abuse Case
Cushing is one of at least nine Portlanders whose civil cases against the city for officers’ conduct at 2020 demonstrations has resulted in a settlement payout from the city.
Portland City Council will vote Wednesday on whether it should award $47,500 to Portlander Evelyn Cushing for her injuries sustained by a Portland cop during a 2020 racial justice protest. According to a draft legal complaint sent to the city, Cushing was beaten with a night stick by Officer Brian Wheeler at a demonstration in […]