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Kevin Foster

Kevin Foster reports on the intersection of politics and social justice for the Mercury. You can email him or find him on social media.

 
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National “Tesla Takedown” Day Draws Hundreds to Portland Dealership

Protesters turn up the pressure for drivers to dump their Teslas and boycott the company as its billionaire CEO wields unchecked power over the US government. 
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Hundreds of protesters gathered at the Portland Tesla dealership on Saturday, March 29, joining over 200 protests across the nation in a movement dubbed “Tesla Takedown.” The peaceful protest called on Americans to sell their Teslas, drop their Tesla stock, and to boycott the company altogether.  At the root of the widespread outrage is Elon […]

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Cash-Strapped Tenants Say Landlords Flout Housing Rules at Low-Rent Apartments

As residents push back against property managers, many are questioning whether current oversight and enforcement can meaningfully protect them.
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Property management companies are facing scrutiny over living conditions at several affordable housing sites in Portland, as tenant groups have begun to push back. The tenants union at Wimbledon Square and Gardens (WSG) in inner Southeast Portland rallied against their property manager, Prime Residential, on Saturday March 1, calling on Prime to remedy issues related […]

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What ICE Can and Cannot Do in Oregon As Trump Targets Immigrants

Portland joins sanctuary city lawsuit against Trump administration as Oregon agencies reaffirm federal policing restrictions
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February 28: This story has been updated to include Sen. Ron Wyden’s efforts to prevent information sharing between immigration agencies and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. As the Trump Administration intensifies immigration enforcement nationwide, undocumented immigrants and their loved ones are on high alert. The passage of the Laken Riley Act in Congress has heightened the […]

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As Oregonians Take to the Streets to Protest Trump Policies, Oregon’s Attorney General is Turning to the Courts

Oregon has signed on to five multi-state lawsuits challenging recent presidential executive orders on birthright citizenship, DOGE, federal funding, and health care. 
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Update, February 14: As of Friday, February 14, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order to block the withholding of federal funds from health institutions that provide gender-affirming care. Originally published: Wednesday, February 12 As protesters descended on the Oregon State Capitol last week to protest a litany of executive orders from the Trump […]

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PSU Lays Off 17 Academic Faculty Members As Union Talks of Potential Strike

Portland State University’s professors union says independent financial analysis shows stable cash reserves, raising questions about the necessity for layoffs.
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Amid an $18 million budget deficit, Portland State University is laying off 17 non-tenure track faculty, citing “changes in programmatic and curricular needs.” The university issued layoff notices on Dec. 13. While the current layoff plans are less severe than the 94 notices sent to staff a few months ago, the faculty union, PSU-American Association […]

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Portland State University Faculty Layoffs Spark Outrage

After faculty received notice of layoffs, PSU’s professor union protested at the university president’s office. Faculty allege administrative bloat and bad budgeting are fueling budget cuts.
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Professors at Portland State University say the college is mishandling its budget, after PSU sent layoff notices to roughly 90 staffers Tuesday, October 15. More than 7 percent of the 1,200 unionized staff from the PSU American Association of University Professors (AAUP) received notice of forthcoming layoffs. In response, over 100 members of PSU AAUP […]

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Man Who Tried to Drive Into Crowd of Protesters Faces No Charges

Over 30 pro-Palestine protesters have been arrested in Portland since May, but a counter-protester who drove into a pedestrian area and deployed mace was never charged.
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A man who drove a car into a pedestrian area full of pro-Palestine protesters and sprayed mace at the crowd faces no charges. On May 2, Wheeler Tosh Nealy drove a white Toyota Camry into a crowd gathered at Portland State University, where he was seen macing activists, before fleeing the scene on foot. Nealy, […]

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Muslim Woman Forced to Remove Hijab in Multnomah County Jail

Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office failed to follow religious protocol. The missteps may have been illegal.
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Following a protest in support of Palestine at Portland’s Grand Floral Parade last month, Serine Abuelhawa was among eight protesters arrested. Abuelhawa, a Muslim woman, was taken into custody at the Multnomah County Jail, where she was instructed to remove her hijab in front of male deputies. For religious reasons, she initially refused, which led […]

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How a Food Bank Illuminated Cultural, Political Divides Over Gaza

The situation in Gaza has sent shockwaves through politics, universities, K-12 schools, and recently the Oregon Food Bank
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The Oregon Food Bank (OFB) says it hasn’t seen a big financial loss since losing support from a number of Portland-based Jewish organizations after the food bank called for an “immediate and permanent ceasefire in Israel’s war against Palestine.”  OFB says the loss in support is less a financial burden, but rather emotional.  “We experience […]

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Dark Money Casts a Shadow on Maxine Dexter’s Campaign

In one of Oregon’s most progressive congressional districts, anonymous super PAC money and tensions over Israel’s war in Gaza have taken the spotlight.
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As a wave of nearly $3 million in dark money enters Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District race, voters are questioning the donors backing Maxine Dexter’s campaign, and whether the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is among them. A political action committee (PAC) known as 314 Action Fund, has spent  $1.67 million to support Dexter’s campaign. […]

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Frustrated with Biden’s Stance on Gaza, Activists Want Voters to Write “Uncommitted” on Their Ballots

Oregon Democrats are encouraged to cast protest votes in the May primary election. State officials say it may not work as intended.
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Following suit with states across the country, a coalition of over 20 activist groups have formed Uncommitted Oregon, a campaign pushing for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza by calling on Democrats to write in “uncommitted” in the next primary election, rather than casting a vote for President Biden. The campaign echoes efforts in multiple states. […]

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Asylum Seekers in Portland Could Face Homelessness While They Await a Government Decision

At least 20 families filing for asylum could be out on the street soon, as funds for temporary shelter dry up.
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Update: April 5: Multnomah County leaders now say they will extend funds to keep all families filing for asylum sheltered through the end of April.  Note: Several interviews in this story were translated from Spanish to English through a translator. In 2023, Diana Albarran fled a dictatorship in Venezuela with her four-year-old daughter. Albarran remembers […]

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