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 “Hell” day, AKA the release date of Sleater-Kinney’s […]
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
Class-Action Lawsuit Challenges Portland’s New Anti-Homeless Camping Ordinance
Attorneys with Oregon Law Center allege the city’s rules violate state legislation aimed at preventing criminalization of homelessness.
Updated: October 2 The city of Portland faces a legal challenge over its new ordinance prohibiting unhoused people from living or resting in most public spaces. A class-action lawsuit filed Friday, September 29 by Oregon Law Center, asserts the city’s restrictions on homeless camping are unconstitutional, cruel, and impossible to comply with. A city ordinance […]
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New Research Finds No Link Between Measure 110 and Overdose Deaths
Research emerges amid heightened public scrutiny and new efforts to recriminalize hard drugs in Oregon
A new study commissioned by the CDC found no correlation between Oregon’s drug decriminalization law and rising overdose deaths. The study was published Wednesday, Sept. 27 in JAMA Psychiatry, a peer-reviewed medical journal. Researchers said after Oregon became the first state to decriminalize all drugs via Measure 110, they wanted to gauge the impact of […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Gonzalez Cites Terrible Parents as Cause For Emergency, Heartbreak in Hawaii, and Seltzer Water’s Hard Truths
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! Fall did not miss a beat. The first day […]
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Portland Police Union Settles False Information Lawsuit Brought By Former Commissioner Hardesty
The lawsuit stemmed from a 2021 leak about Hardesty by police. A settlement was reached after a judge ruled the union president’s actions were not protected speech.
The Portland Police Association (PPA) and former Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty say they’re happy to be moving on after the PPA and two police officers settled a lawsuit with Hardesty for $680,000 earlier this week. Hardesty filed suit against the city, the police union that represents rank and file officers, as well as […]
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Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell Will Step Down, as Mayor Announces Interim Chief
Lovell, who was appointed chief in 2020, said he never intended to serve as chief through retirement. He will move into a community engagement role at Portland Police Bureau.
Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell will step down from his position in three weeks, with an interim police chief stepping into the role until June 2025. Bob Day, who retired from Portland Police Bureau in 2019 after serving as deputy chief of police, will step into the role of chief until June 2025. The announcement […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Strikes For Everyone, Florida Man Still Claiming Portland Burned Down, and Russia Won’t Release a Jailed Journalist
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’re enjoying this last bit of sublime weather, before we usher […]
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With Politics in Rearview, Mayor Wheeler Announces ‘Doubling Down’ on Homeless, Economic Policies
Portland mayor says he’s committed to ending homeless camping, boosting economy, and hiring interim city manager before leaving office.
The next 15 months will mark Mayor Ted Wheeler’s final time in office at the city. During a Sept. 14 press briefing, Wheeler rattled off a list of accomplishments over the last year, and laid out a roadmap of what he’ll focus on as he wraps up his mayoral term. He also underscored a turbulent […]
Posted inNews
Portland Mayor Wheeler Says He Won’t Seek Another Term
Addressing questions about a reelection bid, Wheeler says city’s current challenges will require all of his focus over the next 15 months.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler says he won’t be running for office again in 2024. The announcement came as he addressed questions about whether he intended to run for mayor in the next City Council race under a restructured form of government. Wheeler confirmed Wednesday that he won’t seek a third term. “I am a firm […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: TriMet’s Drug Problem, Measure 110 Blesses Portland With New Detox Center, and Staying Up Late Will Be the Death of You
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! Fall is just around the corner (11 days, to […]
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The First Portland Area Detox Center Funded By Measure 110 Will Open Soon
It’s the first drug withdrawal center in the Portland metro region to focus on fentanyl addiction, and proof that Measure 110 efforts are paying off
Dr. Ben Schwartz used to be an emergency room physician. Now, he spends most of his time treating people who need addiction medicine and recovery. The need for addiction treatment was so pressing, it changed the trajectory of his career. Now, with a stronger, more powerful opiate overtaking the illicit drug market, Schwartz’s job just […]
Posted inNews
Portland City Councilors Will Lobby For Change in State Law to Pave Way For Criminalization of Drugs
City leaders blame a loophole in state law for the scourge of fentanyl and meth addiction on Portland’s streets. Experts caution a repeat of the failed War on Drugs.
City commissioners blame a loophole in Oregon law for the proliferation of visible fentanyl and methamphetamine use on Oregon’s streets. Now, they’re pressuring state lawmakers to change it. Oregon law currently doesn’t prohibit the public use of controlled substances, and it doesn’t allow local governments to do so, either. Portland City Council voted unanimously Wednesday, […]