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 set for a cooler and wetter end of the […]
Isabella Garcia
Isabella Garcia is the former News Editor for the Portland Mercury. She covered City Hall, transportation, the environment, breaking news, and more.
Posted inNews
Majority of Portland Street Response Workers Condemn Commissioner Gonzalez’s Tent Ban
Eight days before Portland’s most severe snowstorm in 80 years, Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez banned Portland Street Response (PSR) outreach workers from distributing tents and tarps to people living outside. In the wake of the ban, multiple PSR workers—who spoke to the Mercury on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation—say the ban […]
Posted inHousing
Tenant Advocates Urge Oregon Legislature to Strengthen Rent Control After Record Inflation
Landlords argue that stronger rent increase limits would stifle housing development.
If Robbin McMain gets another rent increase, she’s worried she’ll become homeless. McMain lives in a 55-and-older mobile home park in Brookings, Oregon, where she—like many other such residents—owns her mobile home while renting the lot it sits on. This year, McMain and her neighbors all received a 14.6 percent rental increase—the maximum allowed under […]
Posted inHealth
Oregon Lawmakers Seek to Expand Access to Reproductive and Gender-Affirming Healthcare Amid National Attacks
HB 2002 would protect Oregon providers from out-of-state persecution.
As states across the nation restrict abortion access and launch legislative attacks on LGBTQ Americans, Oregon legislators are looking to protect people seeking reproductive and gender-affirming medical care, as well as doctors providing the services. House Bill 2002, sponsored by 34 Democratic lawmakers, would strengthen protections for medical providers who offer abortion services, close reproductive […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Portland Eyes Sleeping Pods for Mass Camps, Clackamas County Kills Transitional Housing Project, and a Tornado in Los Angeles
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! Well, the sun was fun while it lasted, but […]
Posted inCops
Auditor Finds Police Lack Data to Judge Effectiveness in Curbing Gun Violence
A follow-up report says the police bureau still has work to do to implement audit recommendations from 2018.
The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) still doesn’t track enough data to evaluate whether its gun violence intervention tactics are effective at measurably reducing gun violence, a report from the city auditor found. The report, released Tuesday, is a follow-up to a larger audit published in 2018 that evaluated the PPB’s Gang Enforcement Team—a group that […]
Posted inHousing
Portland City Council Approves Incentives for Office-to-Apartment Building Conversions
Developers say that the tricky redevelopments may still be too cost prohibitive.
Facing a housing crisis and a sluggish downtown economy, Portland City Council is aiming to incentivize developers to convert vacant office buildings into residential apartment complexes by waiving up to $3 million in fees and relaxing seismic requirements. On Wednesday, City Council unanimously passed two of what they say is just the beginning of an […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Portland Police Botch Breath Tests, Don’t Swim in the Willamette, and Biden’s Latest Gun Control Push
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 set to be a gloomy yet dry day […]
Posted inTransportation
Traffic Deaths in Portland Remain Record-High For a Second Year
Speeding, dark conditions, and persistent traffic exposure played a role in the 63 fatalities in 2022.
Sixty-three Portlanders were killed in traffic crashes in 2022, the second year in a row Portland has seen a 30-year high in traffic deaths. According to the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) 2022 fatal crash report released Monday, excessive speed, dark conditions, and traffic exposure continue to play a significant role in fatal traffic crashes […]
Posted inhomelessness
Portland’s First Sanctioned Mass Homeless Camp Expected to Open This Summer in Central Eastside
California-based nonprofit Urban Alchemy will run the 150 person camp.
Portland’s first city-run, sanctioned outdoor camp for homeless residents is expected to be up and running in the Central Eastside by this summer, Mayor Ted Wheeler announced Thursday. While the lease agreement has yet to be finalized, California-based nonprofit Urban Alchemy is poised to run the 150-person camp at 1490 SE Gideon, despite strong reservations […]
Posted inNews
Accused Normandale Gunman Pleads Guilty on All Charges
Benjamin Smith will be sentenced on April 18.
Benjamin Smith, the man accused of fatally shooting one traffic volunteer and injuring four others during a racial justice march at Normandale Park, pleaded guilty on nine counts in Multnomah County court Wednesday. Kat Knapp, the wife of shooting victim June Knightly, said Smith’s plea was a small satisfaction during a press conference following the […]
Posted inNews
Race for Open Multnomah County Commission Seat Takes Shape
Three candidates will be on the May 16 ballot.
Homelessness, economic recovery, and community safety are top of mind for three candidates vying for the open Multnomah County Commission seat this May. The district 3 position, left open by Jessica Vega Pederson who was elected County Chair in November, covers a large swath of Southeast Portland—an economically diverse district that’s been impacted by Portland’s […]