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!

People walking in front of Voodoo Doughnut holding signs
Doughnut Workers United members and supporters striking outside Voodoo Doughtnut in Old Town. Courtesy of Doughnut Workers United

TGIF! Let’s get into the headlines:

In local news:

• If you’re looking for laughs this weekend, comedian Jacqueline Novak is bringing her one-woman show Get On Your Knees to Revolution Hall this Sunday. What’s the show about? It’s “the most highbrow show about blowjobs you’ll ever see!” Check out Blair Stenvick’s conversation with Novak for the full scoop.

• Make some time for this long read from OPB that examines Portland’s long history of anti-fascist and neo-Nazi clashes through the story of Jon Bair, an anti-racist skinhead who killed a white supremacist gang member nearly 30 years ago.

• The National Labor Relations Board found Voodoo Doughnut illegal fired Old Town workers for going on strike during Oregon’s historic heatwave. The company is expected to rehire seven of the employees with back pay.

• The Oregon Health Authority reported 59 COVID deaths Thursday—the highest daily death count since the start of the pandemic.

In national and international news:

• Federal prosecutors are declining to file charges against the police officer who shot Jacob Blake in Wisconsin last year. The shooting, which left Blake paralyzed from the waist down, sparked several nights of protest in Kenosha where Kyle Rittenhouse shot three people, killing two of them. Rittenhouse’s trial begins next month.

• Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp went down for about two hours Friday, marking the second time this week that the major social networking sites were inaccessible. The network of apps went down around noon Pacific Standard Time due to a “configuration change”—whatever that means.

• A suicide bomber struck a busy Afghan mosque Friday, killing at least 46 people. The Islamic State took credit for the attack, stating they purposefully targeted Shiite Muslims and the Taliban for their perceived willingness to expel Uygher Muslims from the country.

Some fun things:

• Get ready for the fun fright of your life with SLAY—the Mercury's short HORROR film fest coming at ya online from Oct 22-31, and LIVE and IN-PERSON at the Clinton Street Theater on Oct 29 & 30! Get your tix now!

• The Mercury’s WING WEEK is here through Oct 4-10 with 24 creative wing dishes from your fave restaurants and bars—and they’re only $6 per plate! YES, PLEASE!

• And finally, this Twitter account feels like a weird fever dream: