Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here today’s best Things to Do in Portland. YANA PASKOVA / GETTY IMAGES Good morning, Portland! FYI: “A baby doesn’t know if a hanging is on the wall, or if the wall is on the hanging.” Here are the headlines! Twists and Turns: […]
Blair Stenvick
Blair Stenvick is a former news reporter and culture writer for the Portland Mercury.
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Who’s to Blame for Oregon’s Overdose Deaths?
John clearly remembers the night, more than a decade ago, when a friend overdosed in his car. The two men were driving across Portland, on their way to buy heroin to use and sell. John’s friend was out of his own supply, so John lent him some heroin to tide him over until they purchased […]
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Portland’s First Trans Day of Visibility Will Focus on Housing Issues
Tracey Quirk, EyeEm / Getty Images The Portland City Council will formally recognize International Transgender Day of Visibility for the first time at Thursday’s council meeting. The day—which is officially on Sunday, March 31, but is being recognized by the city Thursday—is an opportunity to celebrate and draw attention to transgender people and issues across […]
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Black Leaders in Portland Are Celebrating a City Bike Route Decision. Here’s Why.
Changes are coming to NE 9th. PBOT Two blocks. That’s the distance between NE 9th—the street the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) recently decided to transform in to a bike-prioritized “neighborhood greenway”—and NE 7th, which many biking advocates had hoped would be PBOT’s choice. The decision came down to access: Whether displaced Black Portlanders driving […]
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Canby Mayor Refuses to Issue Proclamation for Trans Day of Visibility
Canby Mayor Brian Hodson at Wednesday’s city council meeting. CITY OF CANBY This Sunday, March 31, cities accross the world, including Portland, will recognize International Transgender Day of Visibility. But there’s at least one nearby town where it decidedly won’t be observed: the Clackamas County town of Canby. Earlier in March, a number of trans […]
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Good Morning, News: Avenatti Flies too Close to Nike, Small Town Papers For Sale, and Good Vibes for Nurkic
Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today. Jusuf Nurkic during better days. JONATHAN FERREY / GETTY IMAGES Good morning, Portland! Okay, I know it’s probably not a good morning for a lot of you, after watching Trail Blazers center Jusuf […]
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E-Scooters Return to Portland on April 26
KATHLEEN MARIE After a five-month hiatus, e-scooters—those oft-debated, much-studied transportation devices—will return to Portland in April. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced Monday morning that its year-long “Shared Electric Scooter Pilot Program” will kick off April 26. This pilot follows a 120-day trial run conducted by PBOT last year, during which e-scooter companies Bird, […]
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Good Morning, News: New Zealand Bans Assault Rifles, Clarence Thomas Speaks, and What’s Up With the Arts Tax?
Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden Kai Schwoerer / Getty Images Good morning, Portland! Did you see the Super Worm Moon last night? Do you miss the good old days was a full […]
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Good Morning, News: Paul Ryan Joins Fox, West Coast Wildfire News, and Sweeping State Gun Control Blocked
Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today. GETTY / WIN MCNAMEE Good morning, Portland! Grab some coffee, scrub the public toilet scum off your tongue, and settle in. Here are the headlines! Coulda Seen That Coming: Paul Ryan, former Speaker […]
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Oregon Lawmakers Block a Sweeping Student-Led Gun Control Bill
About 10,000 people participated in last year’s March For Our Lives in Portland. MERCURY STAFF When Portland high schooler Eliana Andrews helped organize the 2018 March For Our Lives in downtown Portland, she said many Oregon legislators approached her and her peers, eager to work with them to create new state gun laws. That encouragement […]
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Oregon Reps Are Fighting for LGBTQ Equality in Congress
MARC BRUXELLE / GETTY IMAGES Oregon’s members of Congress kept busy this week by introducing two new bills to protect LGBTQ people. In the Senate, Sen. Jeff Merkley was one of four senators to introduce the Equality Act of 2019, which would ban discrimination against LGBTQ people on the federal level, on Wednesday. While Oregon […]
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Rose Quarter I-5 Expansion is a Moral Issue for Opponents
K. MARIE Over a hundred people gathered Tuesday evening to weigh the possible benefits and drawbacks of the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) proposal to add two lanes to a portion of Interstate 5 in the Rose Quarter. Of the nearly 70 people who shared their thoughts on the project with ODOT and city officials, […]