Isabella Garcia [You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] Not to be outdone by last year’s historic wildfires and ice storms, 2021 delivered deadly heatwaves and drought conditions. As the impacts of climate change became more apparent this year, the city took unprecedented action against a major polluter, a new […]
Best of 2021
Posted inCoronavirus
The Mercury’s Top Health Stories of 2021
BILLY H.C. KWOK / GETTY IMAGES [You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] The availability of COVID-19 vaccines for the general public this year created, in the words of Governor Kate Brown, “a tale of two pandemics.” The majority of Oregonians embraced the vaccine, prompting Brown to briefly remove COVID […]
Posted inBest of 2021
The Mercury’s Top Transportation Stories of 2021
Mercury Staff [You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] Following a year of empty streets and congestion-free commutes, Portlanders were back on the roads and, unfortunately, causing the most fatal crashes in over 20 years, prompting more investments in traffic safety. Portland’s regional mega-projects like the Interstate 5 Rose Quarter […]
Posted inHousing
The Mercury’s Top Housing Stories of 2021
GETTY IMAGES / SCOTT HEINS [You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] The COVID pandemic added a heaping pile of instability on top of a local housing market already on shaky ground in 2021. The financial losses that accompanied the pandemic forced thousands to seek rental assistance—while the state scrambled […]
Posted inCops
The Mercury’s Top Policing Stories of 2021
A protester confronts a PPB officers on April 16. NATHAN HOWARD / GETTY IMAGES [You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] After a year of sustained protests against police violence, Portland’s police force entered 2021 on shaky ground. This year saw police penalized for their actions during 2020’s protests, an […]
Posted inPodcast
The Mercury’s Favorite Podcasts of 2021!
Podcasts continued to explode in 2021. Every C-list celebrity came out with one, and your parents might even know what they are now. But amid all the noise, a few pods stood out to Mercury culture writers. Here are our favorites. Maintenance Phase Our society’s relationships with weight, food, and notions of health are deeply […]
Posted inBest of 2021
The Mercury’s Top Politics Stories of 2021
Portland City Hall COSMONAUT / GETTY IMAGES [You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] City politics got messy this year. Between Mayor Wheeler getting pepper sprayed by a pissed-off dairy heir to commissioners clumsily attempting to make Texas feel bad for banning abortion, there was little time for political growth. […]
Posted inMercury staff
The Mercury‘s Favorite Take-Out Joints of 2021!
Mitate’s vegan sushi Janey Wong [You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] When it comes to eating out, “taking out” was the biggest food and drink news of 2021. While the pandemic knocked so many of Portland’s fantastic restaurants on their heels, local eateries showed their ingenuity and gumption by […]
Posted inMovies & TV
The Mercury’s Favorite TV Shows of 2021!
2021 was another great year for binge-watching. These were the shows our Mercury culture writers neglected all our adult responsibilities for. Squid Game Season 1 What’s left to say about Squid Game that hasn’t already been said? This Korean Netflix drama’s first season was unlike anything I’d ever watched before, using a series of games […]
Posted inBest of 2021
The Mercury’s Top Criminal Justice Stories of 2021
Getty Images / boonchai wedmakawand [You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] The local and state criminal justice sector spent 2021 stretched between reacting to a global pandemic and calls for reform. Many of the issues it began to address will require years of commitment to see through, while others—like […]
Posted inMercury staff
The Mercury’s Favorite Movies of 2021!
[You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] Whether you need a good laugh, a good cry, or a good “what the fuck did I just watch?”, the Mercury’s culture writers have got you covered with this list of nine movies that were our favorites this year. Plan B This unexpected […]
Posted inMercury staff
The Mercury’s Favorite Albums of 2021!
[You can read all of the Mercury’s “Top Stories of 2021” here.—eds] It was another weird year for music as an industry, with concert tours still being postponed or all-out canceled left and right. But music as an art form still flourished, and these seven albums beloved by Mercury culture writers proves it. Here are […]