Isabella Garcia

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! Masks will be required in public outdoor settings in Oregon starting Friday. […]

A firework explodes next to far-right members as they fight with antifascist protesters on Sunday, Aug. 22. Sean Bascom Update Aug. 23, 2 pm: Nearly 24 hours after antifascists and right-wing protesters clashed in Northeast Portland Sunday, Mayor Ted Wheeler issued his first statement on the violence, supporting the lack of police intervention. “In the […]

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! A far-right agitator fires a paintball gun into a crowd during a […]

Multnomah County employees must get vaccinated, or lose their job. Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County All Multnomah County employees will be required to get a COVID-19 vaccination, Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury announced Friday. Multnomah County is the first county in Oregon with an employee vaccine mandate. The new requirement is part of the county […]

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! Oregon continues to break COVID hospitalization records, straining the state’s healthcare system. […]

Hospitals across Oregon are expected to exceed capacity in September as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Brandon Bell / Getty Images As hospitals across the state exceed capacity limits,Oregon medical workers are being forced to consider which COVID-19 patients to prioritize treating. Only 6 percent of Oregon’s total ICU hospital beds and 7 percent of […]

Oregon K-12 teachers, staff, and volunteers must get vaccinated by Oct. 18, or six weeks after vaccines receive full FDA approval. Portland Public Schools All Oregon K-12 teachers, staff, and volunteers must get vaccinated against COVID-19, Governor Kate Brown announced Thursday, citing the need to protect students who are not eligible for the vaccine from […]

The Oregon Convention Center cooling shelter during the June heatwave. Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County There are several reasons why Portland’s record-breaking heatwave in June might have been so deadly. According to a report published Wednesday by Multnomah County, officials believe the heatwave caused such devastation due to residents’ general lack of preparedness for summer […]

Arbor Lodge Shelter cooling center volunteer Mia Edera (right) coordinating with the group of volunteers. Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County With the Pacific Northwest recording its third heatwave in just over a month, cooling centers in Portland are becoming commonplace. This week, Multnomah County and the City of Portland coordinated four 24/7 cooling centers throughout […]

Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County Update August 13, 11:20 am: The Charles Jordan Community Center daytime cooling center will close today at 9 pm—one day earlier than originally planned—due to a lack of use. All four overnight cooling centers will remain open 24/7 through 9 am Sunday, August 15. • Sunrise Center, 18901 E Burnside St, Portland• Arbor […]

The FDA approved a third COVID-19 vaccine shot for immunocompromised people Thursday. Mario Tama / Getty Images 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 […]

Gov. Brown celebrating the lifting of COVID safety requirements at Oregon’s “reopening” event six weeks ago. Courtesy of Governor Kate Brown’s Office Update 12 pm: During a press conference announcing the reinstatement of the statewide indoor mask mandate, Governor Brown stressed that the purpose of the mask requirement is to avoid exceeding statewide hospital capacity […]