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! And happy New Year’s Eve-Eve. It’s tough work to have […]
Taylor Griggs
Taylor Griggs is a news reporter for the Portland Mercury. She is interested in all of your ideas, comments and concerns, particularly those related to transportation, climate, labor, and Portland city government. Send Taylor an email at tgriggs@portlandmercury.com, and find her on Bluesky @taylorgriggs.
Posted in2024 Wrapped
2024 Wrapped: This Year’s Biggest Environmental News
Clean Energy Fund spending, Willamette River love, and Zenith faces some heat. This was the biggest Portland environment news in 2024.
The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund’s (PCEF) budget is bigger than expected. This year was about figuring out how to spend it. Late last year, updated financial forecasts showed that Portland’s clean energy fund—which is fueled by a 1 percent tax on big business sales in Portland—would have more money to spend on carbon-reduction […]
Posted inNews
Awash With Cash, Portland Clean Energy Fund Marks New Strategy With Latest Investments
PCEF will allocate $300 million in grants for large-scale projects. A hefty portion of funds will go to the city’s own bureaus for infrastructure projects and decarbonization.
Recent funding allocations from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) demonstrate a shift in the program’s strategy, in response to its growing revenue. Though city staff say the carbon-reduction and climate resiliency program’s mission is still community-centered, the clean energy fund is now doling out millions to Portland’s bureaus during a time of […]
Posted inNews
With Zenith Energy’s Permits On The Line, Critics Urge Strong Government Oversight
The controversial fuel storage and transport company faces state fines and additional regulatory requirements. City officials will decide what happens next.
Until recently, it appeared all but certain that Zenith Energy would have the official green light from both the city of Portland and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to continue its operations into the future. The controversial oil transport and storage company, which operates a Portland site in the Northwest Industrial area, secured a […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Judges Block Grocery Store Merger, Luigi Mangione’s Manifesto, and ODOT Secures Funding for SOME of I-5 Rose Quarter Project
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 inNews
With $850 Million Secured, ODOT Plans to Break Ground on Rose Quarter Project
A recent funding allocation gives ODOT enough to start the long-awaited I-5 expansion—but the agency doesn’t have enough to finish the rest of the project.
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) officials say after years of planning amid financial and political uncertainty, the state can finally begin work on its plan to expand and cap I-5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter next year. But the agency is still hundreds of millions in the hole for the project, and its current construction plan […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Street Roots Union Drive, Gambling Bank Robber, and a Healthy Dose of Brain Rot
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! The forecasts are showing another sunny day with a high […]
Posted inNews
UPDATED: Street Roots Staff Announce Intent to Unionize
Workers at Street Roots plan to join Communications Workers of America, adding to the growing ranks of local news outlets with union representation.
UPDATED: December 10, 4:15 pm— The Street Roots board has declined to voluntarily recognize the union. According to the Street Roots Workers Guild, the board notified the NLRB of the decision on December 9, citing their wish to reduce the bargaining unit by two members who they are ineligible for the union due to their […]
Posted inNews
Oregon DEQ Wants New Requirements for Ross Island Sand & Gravel’s Willamette River Cleanup
The proposed new rules come after a lawsuit alleging the DEQ failed to hold the former gravel company accountable for Willamette River water quality.
For 75 years, Ross Island Sand & Gravel mined the bottom of the Willamette River, significantly altered the habitat of the river near Ross Island. The company ceased mining there in 2001, but the environmental impacts of the company’s extraction still linger. Now, Ross Island Sand & Gravel faces a state mandate to help restore […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Summer Wildfires Prompt Special Legislative Session, Lawsuit Over Self-Driving Car Crash, and the Backstory Behind the “Holding Space” Meme
If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’snews 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 and […]
Posted inNews
Unionized New Seasons Workers to Strike on Wednesday Before Thanksgiving
The New Seasons Labor Union has been in contract negotiations with the company for almost two years. Workers want customers to boycott the company until an agreement is reached.
New Seasons workers at 11 unionized stores in Portland and Beaverton plan to walk off the job on Wednesday, November 27, for a one-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike. Union members say they scheduled the strike for the day before Thanksgiving—one of the busiest shopping days of the year—to exert their leverage amid lagging labor […]