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!

Hundreds gather downtown to protest the attack on abortion rights.
Hundreds gather downtown to protest the attack on abortion rights. Suzette Smith

GOOD AFTERNOON, PORTLAND! Gaaaaaah! What is that GLOWING ORB in the sky?!? Well, whatever it is, enjoy it while you got it—the rest of this week's weather is considerably less orb-y.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Thanks to an unexpected surge in tax revenue, Mayor Ted Wheeler suddenly has an extra $34.8 million to play around with in the city budget. So where's all that moolah going? The proposed budget was released today and our Alex Zielinski breaks it all down for you in easy to understand terms!

• Some alarming news from the county’s Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS): The total number of homeless people in Multnomah County is up 30 percent since 2019. And just to put a finer point on it, the majority of that increase is made up of people who are on the streets—not homeless and temporarily sheltered somewhere—AND it's probably an undercount. But here's a twist: City Commissioner Dan Ryan is verrrry unhappy with the report, and not for the reason you may think. Check out the full story from our Isabella Garcia for more!

• Hundreds of Portlanders gathered last night to protest the Supreme Court's possible overturning of Roe v Wade, and effectively outlawing abortion in states that refuse to protect their citizens by denying them this necessary aspect of healthcare. Our Suzette Smith was on the scene, talked to many of the participants, and files this report.

• Today in corrupt Republicans doing corrupt things: One of the two top current contenders for the Republican nomination for Oregon governor, Bob Tiernan, testified in court last year that he spends 60 percent of his time in California. I personally think he should shoot for 100 percent.

• Damn it... too bad "Portland's DEAD."

IN NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

• According to an AP report, there were many more Ukrainian deaths (at least 600) at the Mariupol theater bombed by Russian forces than previously thought.

• If you think that abortion clinics—which have suffered threats and actual violence from religious zealots for decades—are going to have it any easier if SCOTUS overturns Roe v Wade... well, you may want to think again.

• Feckless doorknob Donald Trump Jr. testified before the January 6 committee yesterday, though sources called it "uneventful"—which is probably to say he was "unhelpful."

• Speaking of feckless doorknobs, shitty author/blithering douche-pickle J.D. Vance won the Ohio Republican Senate primary last night after being promoted by his dim-witted leader, Donald Trump. While this is good news for mouth-breathing dullards, NPR explains why Trump's endorsement powers have serious limitations.

• And finally... for those who've been wondering what happened to Elizabeth Holmes, well, she's back... and she has IDEAS.