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Posted inNews

County Commissioner’s Staffer Fired After Scrutiny Over Political Activity

Communications manager Vikki Payne left Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards’ office in early August, after taking heat for actions involving a PAC she oversaw.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

Updated: 10:52 am August 21 A staffer in Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards’ office who ran a controversial political action committee that often skewered county leadership has been fired. Vikki Payne, a communications and project manager who worked for Brim-Edwards since she began her term as commissioner in 2023, is no longer employed with the […]

Posted inNews

Portland’s Most Effective Channel For Addressing Community Concerns is a Back Door

The city’s Public Environment Management Office runs frequent community meetings and gets quick results. You just might not know about it. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland’s new form of government, which went into effect this year, was designed to make it more accessible for all residents to participate in city policy discussions. Still, most Portlanders struggle to figure out how to cut through layers of local bureaucracy to make their voices heard, with limited time and opportunities available to speak […]

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Portland City Councilor Hires, Then Immediately Fires Controversial Local Podcaster

Andy Chandler, an anti-“woke” online commentator, was recently tapped by Councilor Dan Ryan’s team to do video work. Ryan’s office says Chandler is no longer on staff.
Avatar photo Kevin Foster

Local podcast host and video producer Andy Chandler was hired as a part-time videographer by City Councilor Dan Ryan, then fired soon afterward when Ryan’s office discovered Chandler’s public political views. “We had hired Andy Chandler to work as a videographer for us part-time, but as some information about his past expressions of personal views […]

Posted inNews

Preschool for All Advocates Put Kotek and State Legislators on Notice

When Salem lawmakers moved to gut Multnomah County’s preschool tax, program supporters jumped to its defense. Their efforts seem to have worked—for now.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

When Riley McPhee’s twins were born four years ago, he and his wife immediately began looking into their childcare and preschool options. After looking into multiple programs and crunching numbers, it became clear that the kids’ monthly daycare expenses would end up consuming the entirety of his income. McPhee and his wife decided to have […]

Posted inNews

Oregon Bill Expanding Police Use of Drones Without Warrants Alarms Civil Rights Advocates

Despite concerns over privacy and civil rights violations, lawmakers are backing an effort to reduce legal hurdles for police surveillance via drones.
Avatar photo Abe Asher

A new bill moving through the Oregon Legislature would make it easier for law enforcement agencies to use drones without a warrant—and it has civil rights advocates alarmed.  “This is just another example of an unnecessary and really excessive expansion of law enforcement authority,” Michael Abrams, policy counsel at the ACLU of Oregon, said. “I […]

Posted inNews

Recent Portland Police Actions at ICE Facility Test the Limits of Sanctuary Laws

As anti-ICE protests escalate in Portland, state leaders call for peaceful protest, but confusion over police involvement lingers.
Avatar photo Kevin Foster

This story has been corrected to indicate the city’s Impact Reduction team posted signs warning of a campsite removal outside the ICE facility. Updated: 12:40 pm June 13 ICE arrested two more asylum seekers at Portland’s immigration courthouse on Tuesday, amid protests that have continued to escalate in front of the ICE facility on Macadam […]

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With Newfound Sway in City Hall, Portland’s Democratic Socialists Hope to Redefine the City’s Priorities

Amid a local budget crisis and national chaos, Portland DSA has big goals. For the first time, it also has a group of allies on City Council. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

How do you solve a problem like an unprecedented city budget deficit? Over the last few months of budget planning, Portland leaders suggested a host of ways to close the roughly $93 million gap, from closing community centers and cutting positions in the Urban Forestry department, to slashing parks maintenance funds. To members of the […]

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What Will It Take to Thwart Trump’s Assault on Democracy?

As the US hurtles toward fascism, some urge Americans to resist en masse.
Avatar photo Abe Asher

Plenty of ink has been spilled over the last decade on the question of whether President Donald Trump is a fascist or not. Shane Burley, a journalist and author who covers the far right, says it doesn’t particularly matter.  “The question of whether or not Donald Trump is a fascist is sometimes a red herring,” […]

Posted inElection

The Mercury’s May 2025 Election Endorsements

Our top picks for the May 20 Special District Election, featuring school board seats, public school bonds, and more! 
Avatar photo The Mercury Election Strike Force

This story has been updated with additional information since it first published. On May 20, Multnomah County residents will elect new leadership on local school boards and utility boards. Portland voters will also decide whether to approve a sizable school bond measure to fund Portland Public Schools. We picked the brains of local school board […]

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Update: PSU Says Pressure From City Councilor Didn’t Influence Decision to Drop Penalties Against Student Protesters

After Councilor Mitch Green made controversial threats to withhold city funding for Portland State University over its handling of pro-Palestine voices, students received letters of dropped charges. 
Avatar photo Kevin Foster

Updated: 11:55 am April 28 Originally published: 11:47 am April 26  Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Portland State University about its decision regarding student conduct violations. Amid a threat from Portland City Councilor Mitch Green to vote against city funding for Portland State University’s (PSU) new performing arts center, […]

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At a Massive “Hands Off” Rally, Portlanders Protest Trump From All Angles

On April 5, protesters took to the streets in cities across the US. Portland’s event showed the diversity of opinions in the anti-Trump movement. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portlanders took to the streets en masse on April 5 to participate in the city’s “Hands Off” mass mobilization, with thousands of people filling up the downtown waterfront to rally against the Trump administration. The event, organized by the groups 50501 and Rose City Indivisible, began at the Japanese American Historical Plaza, but the crowd—which […]

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Oregon Senate Bill Aims to Address Greenwashing

The bill has been criticized as overly broad and difficult to enforce, but environmental advocates say truthful marketing is crucial to addressing the climate crisis.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

As the effects of the climate crisis become increasingly clear, the market for “eco-friendly” products has become more and more lucrative, and politically significant. From household cleaner brands to gas utility companies, many businesses have found success by advertising their products as greener than the alternatives. The problem? Those claims aren’t always true.  It’s not […]

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