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 going to be chilly (high 40s) and rainy […]
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 inNews
New Preschool for All Data Challenges Idea That Wealthy People Are Fleeing County
Skeptics have suggested the universal preschool tax was driving high-income earners out of Multnomah County. The latest data doesn’t support that notion.
In the years since 2021, when Multnomah County began collecting its Preschool for All tax, much has been made about the effect the program may be having on county income demographics. County data from 2022 and 2023 showed a decrease in the number of high-income earners paying the tax, prompting some to fear the universal […]
Posted inNews
Initiative to Divert Clean Energy Funds to Cops Moves Ahead Under Constrained Timeline
A judge ruled largely in favor of the police union-backed initiative, but its future remains unclear.
Last week, a Multnomah County judge ruled largely in favor of the Portlanders backing an initiative petition seeking to divert a portion of the city’s clean energy fund to police. But the future of the effort to tap the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) for police hiring remains unclear, with people on both […]
Posted inNews
Oregon’s Wildlife is at Risk. Increasing the State’s Lodging Tax Could Help
A bill to raise Oregon’s lodging tax by 1.25 percent to benefit threatened animal species passed the House and now awaits a Senate vote.
Oregon lawmakers have advanced a bill to boost funding for wildlife conservation efforts and help protect the state’s most imperiled species. House Bill 4134, also known as the 1.25 Percent for Wildlife bill, would increase the state’s lodging tax to 2.75 percent, directing most of the additional revenue to the Oregon Department of Fish and […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Oregon House Republicans Delay Progress in Salem, US DOJ Hid Trump’s Presence in the Epstein Files, and in Today’s Most Shocking (Not) News, Kristi Noem Is a Liar
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 the last chilly, rainy day […]
Posted inNews
Portland City Council Votes To Reshape Its Committee Structure
Councilors determined eight was too many when it comes to their policy committee load. Come the end of March, they’ll be saddled with just five.
Portland’s transition to a new form of government last January brought new practices and procedures for the City Council. Among the largest changes, impacting both the Council and members of the public, was the introduction of eight policy committees. The committees, which considered topics including transportation, climate, finance, homelessness, and public safety, were intended to […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Dan Rayfield Joins Oregon ACLU Case Against Feds, False Spring is Over, and Rev. Jesse Jackson Has Died
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 going to be chilly today, with a high […]
Posted inNews
Former City Hall Staffer Files Discrimination Complaints Against Councilor’s Office
The complaints, which have yet to be investigated by the city and state, allege Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane and her chief of staff retaliated against and fired a staffer after she requested ADA accommodations.
The Mercury’s Jeremiah Hayden contributed to this story. A former staffer in Portland City Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane’s office filed complaints with the city and state, alleging the councilor and her chief of staff, Mary Li, retaliated against her after she requested reasonable accommodations for a disability. The former employee, Sprout Chinn, believes she was punished and […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Oregon Primate Center May Close Up Shop, Portland Named Its Snow Plows, and Here’s the Latest Way the Trump Admin Plans to Ruin the Earth
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 are set for a dry and balmy day […]
Posted inNews
What Can the Multnomah County District Attorney Do to Stand Up to Trump?
Prosecutors across the country are vowing to hold federal officials responsible for breaking the law. Portlanders are asking the Multnomah County DA to do the same.
What can local government leaders do to protect their residents in a time of federal authoritarianism? Many Portlanders have asked that question since federal officials and agents have become increasingly hostile to immigrants or those they perceive to be immigrants, as well as people protesting President Trump’s draconian immigration crackdown. Recent actions by federal officers […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Housing Bureau Finds More Unspent Funds, Local Movie Theater in Trouble (Kinda) for Melania Jokes, and Why You Shouldn’t Trust the Government’s Story
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 going to be unseasonably warm today and for […]
Posted inNews
Portland Officials Condemn ICE After Federal Agents Tear Gas Peaceful Protesters and Children
Saturday’s rally and march led by local labor unions against ICE drew thousands of participants. The disproportionate federal response to a peaceful protest has rattled the city.
Thousands of local union members and supporters gathered in Portland’s South Waterfront Saturday afternoon for an anti-ICE demonstration hosted by Oregon labor leaders. The family-friendly event turned chaotic after federal agents met the peaceful crowd with repeated rounds of tear gas as they marched outside Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. The disproportionate federal […]