Ada Yokota / Getty images As the Oregon Employment Department (OED) continues to be overwhelmed with unemployment benefit claims, and the federal government quibbles over renewing coronavirus relief funds, Portlanders who lost work back in March are still struggling to get by—and full of questions about their futures. In early May, the Mercury interviewed five […]
Blair Stenvick
Blair Stenvick is a former news reporter and culture writer for the Portland Mercury.
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Good Morning, News: Stories from Detained Portlanders, Police Tear Gas Protesters, and Congress Stalls on COVID-19 Relief
We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the quality reporting you’ve come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to the Mercury. A Portland police car sits in a cloud of tear gas at a protest in July. mathieu Lewis […]
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More Portlanders Share Experiences of Being Snatched—and Detained—by Federal Police
Marek Jarocki was arrested by federal police on July 25, after being caught in a cloud of tear gas. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland When Tetra thinks back to the night he was kidnapped by federal police in downtown Portland, he can’t help but laugh. “It was such a mess,” said Tetra, 24, who asked the Mercury to […]
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Good Morning, News: Cops Chase Protesters, Less-Lethal Munitions Cause Head Injuries, and Positive COVID-19 Tests Increase
We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the quality reporting you’ve come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to the Mercury. zoranm / Getty images Good morning, Portland! The date is August 4, 2020, and we open with some […]
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Portland Police Temporarily Barred From Live-Streaming Protests
BLAIR STENVICK A Multnomah County Circuit Court judge has issued a temporary restraining order against the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) livestream video of nightly protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Shortly after protests began two months ago, PPB began live-streaming the events from the cops’ vantage point, and sharing the stream on social media. […]
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Portland Police Will Work Closely With State Troopers Guarding Federal Courthouse
mathieu Lewis Rolland One hundred Oregon State Police (OSP) officers are currently en route to Portland to replace the speciality federal officers who’ve been aggressively guarding the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse. Yet, while the city’s top officials deem this transition a “victory,” they still appear unclear about how it’s going to work. At consecutive […]
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Good Morning, News: Feds Don’t Go Quietly, Police Livestream Could Be Illegal, and Parting Words From John Lewis
We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the quality reporting you’ve come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to the Mercury. Federal officers in downtown Portland on July 29. Mathieu Lewis Rolland Good Morning, Portland! We’re going to reach […]
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With Some Feds Leaving Portland, How Will Protest Policing Dynamics Change?
Federal officers in downtown Portland on July 28. Mathieu Lewis Rolland Gov. Kate Brown announced Wednesday morning that, following conversations between her and Mike Pence, the federal government will begin withdrawing some of its troops from Portland on Thursday. According to Brown’s statement, officers from the Oregon State Police (OSP) will step in to police […]
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ACLU Takes New Legal Action Against Federal Agents Who Continue to Target Journalists
MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND The ACLU of Oregon has filed a legal motion asking a federal court to hold the Department of Homeland Security and United States Marshals Service in contempt for violating a recent restraining order barring federal officers from attacking journalists and legal observers in Portland. On Thursday, July 23, a federal judge issued a […]
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Good Morning, News: Feds Continue to Blame Protesters, Wheeler Calls for “Ceasefire,” and Nobody Wears Jeans Anymore
We need your help. The economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis is threatening our ability to keep producing the quality reporting you’ve come to love. If you’re able, please consider making a monthly contribution to the Mercury. A scene from last night’s protesting in downtown Portland. Sergio Olmos Good morning, Portland! (stern cop voice) This […]
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Federal Officers Probably Aren’t Leaving Downtown Portland Anytime Soon
Mathieu Lewis-Rolland Federal agents have arrested 83 protesters outside the Mark Hatfield Federal Courthouse in downtown Portland this month, with 23 arrests occurring since Saturday. And they may just be getting started. Since arriving earlier this month, federal officers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Protective Service (FPS), and the US Marshals […]
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Today Is the Deadline to Register to Vote in the August Special Election
Multnomah county Elections: There are a lot of them this year! That’s especially true in Oregon, where our vote by mail elections are pandemic-proof. One election you might not have seen coming is the August 11 special runoff for a Portland City Council seat. Today, July 21, is the last day to register to vote […]