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 […]
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
County Commissioner’s Staffer Fired After Scrutiny Over Political Activity
Communications manager Vikki Payne left Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards’ office in early August, after taking heat for actions involving a PAC she oversaw.
Updated: 10:52 am August 21 A staffer in Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards’ office who ran a controversial political action committee that often skewered county leadership has been fired. Vikki Payne, a communications and project manager who worked for Brim-Edwards since she began her term as commissioner in 2023, is no longer employed with the […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Portland’s Hefty Festival Fees, Oregon’s Newspapers are Dwindling, and Workers are Staying in Jobs They Hate, For Now
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! Things are heating up this week. Today, we’re in […]
Posted inNews
The Lawsuit that Broke the Council’s Back
How nearly $4 million in wrongful death and bodily injury settlements united Portland City Council in calling for a culture shift within the Police Bureau.
“We are not the same police bureau we were three years ago,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day told city councilors Thursday, August 7, after they approved almost $4 million to resolve two of the most recent claims against the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). The first lawsuit was filed in 2021 against PPB Detective Erik Kammerer. […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Oregon Has the World’s Ugliest Dog, RFK Jr Blamed For Influencing CDC Gunman, and Morrow County Officials Charged With Pocketing Millions From Amazon Data Center Contracts
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! Stay hydrated and hunker down in a place with […]
Posted inNews
Recent In-Custody Death Reignites Calls For a Police-Free Crisis Response System
Portland Police Bureau says it wants another agency to take over calls involving behavioral health. The region already has one that police rarely use.
Note: This story has been corrected to clarify the process for requesting Project Respond to accompany police on calls. As Portlanders await a medical examiner’s report and grand jury review of the death of Damon Lamarr Johnson, the fatal incident has reignited a conversation about the region’s mobile crisis response systems—including one that the police rarely […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: New Day Center For Portland’s Unhoused, New Loan Forgiveness For ICE Agents, and New, Hefty Fees For US Visas
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! Today we’re in for partly sunny skies, with a […]
Posted inMercury 25th Anniversary Issue
Twenty-Five Years of News (As Well As Entertainment and Trouble)
How the Portland Mercury found its niche by blending irreverent commentary with sobering investigative reporting.
[Find the Mercury‘s 25th Anniversary Issue (in print) near you by using this handy-dandy map, and read all of our anniversary stories here.—eds.] It was the best of times. It was the weirdest of times. Like nearly every Portland Mercury news editor before and after him, Denis Theriault’s memories of working at the paper feel both […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Judge Thwarts Trump’s Attempt to Defund Planned Parenthood, Gunman Kills 4 in Manhattan, and Regina Spektor Won’t Tolerate Pro-Palestine Fans
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! Today is predicted to be the hottest day of the […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Project Pabst Magic, Gay Parents’ Child Kicked Out of Portland Catholic School, and Tom Lehrer’s Lasting Legacy
DOZENS of Tom Lehrer fans mourn the musician and mathematician.
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: A Police Standoff at a Local Target Store, Why Kotek Gave $10M to an AI Company, and Stephen Colbert Tells Trump: “Go F*ck Yourself”
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: ODOT is Broke, Elon Musk Made an AI Girlfriend, and Sen. Wyden Wants to Unmask ICE
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 […]