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Courtney Vaughn

Courtney Vaughn is the news editor at the Portland Mercury. She appreciates your news tips and musings. Reach out at cvaughn@portlandmercury.com or find her on Bluesky @courtneyvaughn.
Posted inNews

Strike Averted: City Reaches Tentative Deal with Largest Employee Union

AFSCME 189 expects to finalize a new contract with the city of Portland, but another labor union’s strike plan is still on.
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One of Portland’s largest labor unions says it’s reached a tentative agreement with the city of Portland, after previously gearing up for a strike. The Oregon American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 189 announced Thursday that the union and city are now close to ratifying a revised labor contract after nearly […]

Posted inLove/Sex 2025 ❤️🍆🍑

Demystifying Sex Work with Elle Stanger

The Portland sex educator schools us on the definition of sex work as well as its misconceptions.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

[Read all of the articles in our Love/Sex issue HERE! Looking for a print copy? Look at this handy-dandy map!—eds.] Elle Stanger is a certified sex educator, stripper, writer, podcaster, and sex worker. She’s spent the last 20 years in the adult entertainment industry and is now certified through the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: What Your Cell Phone Data Says About Downtown’s Economic Rebound, Heritage Foundation Employees Now Working For Trump, and Microsoft Might Acquire TikTok

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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 Morning, Portland! It is, in fact, still January. Sorry. On the […]

Posted inNews

Mayor Wilson’s Shelter Plans Are Both Ambitious and Ambiguous

Staring down a ballooning homeless population and growing death toll, Portland mayor eyes 1,500 new shelter beds. Some councilors question the logistics and strategy.
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Corrections: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the status of a Temporary Alternative Shelter Site in North Portland, and initially included a financial figure for city spending given during a public meeting that has since been updated to more accurately reflect city expenditures on campsite removals.  Portland Mayor Keith Wilson made homelessness the […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: “Fake” Oregon Firefighters Arrested in LA, Fake TikTok Shutdown, and Fake Patriot Moves Back to the White House

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

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! We’re back after a day off for the holiday. […]

Posted inNews

Portland City Council Increases Its Staffing Budget by $4.6 Million

Citing poor policy moves and “defunding” from previous leaders, the new Council will pull from contingency funds to hire additional staff.
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A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the Government Transition Advisory Committee’s Council staffing recommendations. The Mercury regrets the error. “Kneecapped.” “Defunded.” “Not set up for success.” Portland’s city councilors had blunt words to describe the budget bestowed on them by the prior Council. The city’s new 12-person City Council voted Wednesday evening to increase […]

Posted inNews

Portland Mayor Orders Managerial Staff Back in Office Full Time

Starting in April, remote and hybrid work will end for city managers and supervisors. Mayor Keith Wilson says non-supervisory employees won’t see any changes this year.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson will require supervisors and managers to return full-time to city offices this spring. In an announcement Tuesday, Wilson said starting in April, all supervisory and managerial employees will have to work in-person at their job sites, rather than the hybrid or remote schedules many of them currently maintain. “Managers and supervisors […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning News: Portland’s Oversized Off-Ramp, Elon Musk’s Latest Self-Sabotage, and Speaker Mike Johnson Plays Politics With Wildfire Disaster Aid

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism […]

Posted inNews

Multnomah County Confirms Location of New 24-Hour Sobering Center

A site on SE Grand Avenue will house up to 50 sobering beds as an alternative to jail or hospital ERs. 
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Multnomah County says its new 24-hour sobering center will be located in Portland’s Central Eastside Industrial district. On Thursday, county officials announced a pending building purchase at 1901 SE Grand. Property records show the site houses a roughly 24,000-square-foot warehouse.  An opening date for the new sobering and crisis stabilization center hasn’t been announced yet, […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Gonzalez is Now a Truck Stop Attorney, Los Angeles is On Fire, and Real Talk About Real ID Requirements

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Portlanders Will Help Name City Snowplows, Wyoming Goes Hard Right, and How To Spot Fake Reviews Online

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

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! It’s already Friday. Today, expect more of the soggy […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: City Bureaus Get Millions From Portland Clean Energy Fund, the Fight to Save Sesame Street, and the Junk Science Around Junk Food

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism […]

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