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 computer cursor hovers over the spam folder
Spam text reports increased by 146 percent in 2020. Devonyu / Getty Images

In local news:

• The latest food trend for resident hotties? Canned seafood. Not the fishy, suspiciously gray stuff from your childhood, but briny, tastefully-spiced seafood in well-designed tins. Check out how you can jump on the trend sustainably in this story from the Mercury’s 2021 Food & Drink Guide.

• Rapper Nas and the Oregon Symphony are teaming up this November for a classical interpretation of some of Nas’s greatest records. Read the preview from Ray Gills Jr!

• Duncan Hwang, community advocate and interim co-director of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) launched a campaign Tuesday to fill Metro Council’s District 6 seat. The seat was vacated mid-term by former Metro councilor Bob Stacey, who officially resigned last week amid growing health issues. The current councilors have until mid-January to appoint a replacement.

• If you’ve been longingly looking at live show lineups while the OHA graph of daily COVID-19 cases looms in the other tab (*cough* me *cough*), check out Alex Zielinski’s report on her first pandemic-era indoor concert experience, complete with vaccine card checks, plexiglass shields, and the return of getting elbowed in the boob by the dude next you.

In national and international news:

• Complaints about spam texts increased by 146 percent last year, prompting the Federal Communications Commission to consider new federal rules around spam texts, similar to those in place for robocalls. The commission may create fines for groups sending out mass spam texts, or require network providers to block known spam numbers.

• Here’s a headline for you: “UK queen turns down “Oldie of the Year” title”

• A $17 million ransom has been set for the 17 Christian missionaries and children abducted by the 400 Mawazo, a Haitian gang who kidnapped the group while they were on a mission trip in the country. The hostages include an 8-month-old infant and four other children. The 400 Mawazo are responsible for 80 percent of abductions in Haiti, according to a regional human rights group.

• And finally, the Mercury's short HORROR film fest SLAY is starting to stream this weekend! You can watch the show online from Oct 22-31, or attend a LIVE and IN-PERSON show at the Clinton Street Theater on Oct 29 & 30 now! GET THOSE TICKETS NOW.