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!

Mailboxes stand in a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire in Talent, Oregon, in 2020.
Mailboxes stand in a neighborhood that was destroyed by a wildfire in Talent, Oregon, in 2020. David Ryder/Getty Images

Good Morning, Portland! You're in for another beautiful day of that sunny / mild weather that Oregon does so right. COME NIGHT HOWEVER, we welcome the return of our wet-blanket-friend spring showers. While she's no people pleaser, she DID make everyone move their stuff out of the living room so we could have a dance party. I TELL YA—here's the news!

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Forest fires are an increasingly devastating reality for Oregonians—both urban and rural—but are this year's candidates for Governor showing appropriate concern? OPB's April Ehrlich lines up where many candidates land on the issue, as well as the concerns of Ashland-area state representatives who argue that there should be more evidence-based forest management.

• Oh dang—a former employee of the Pearl Pizza Schmizza is suing it up, alleging the franchise owner hasn't properly paid the shop's employees, over the last several months.

• The Oregonian provides this fascinating and likely polarizing long read on “high class” abortionist Ruth Barnett, a naturopath who performed or oversaw 40,000 abortions during her 25+ year career. Many genders make use of health procedures to end pregnancy, but check out that antiquated "Diseases of Women" sign on her door—SO EPIC.

• Alerte! Alerte! Le jour des élections primaires dans l'Oregon est MARDI PROCHAIN!

IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

• The New York Times reports that Bulgaria has finally imposed economic sanctions on its long-time BFF country Russia and expelled its Russian diplomats. Hungary is like "but what about our oils?" And Russia seems seems interested in "annexing" Ukraine’s southern region of Kherson, despite the protests of the people living there.

• Happy Mother's Day, indeed. A new analysis has found something that many of us already anecdotally knew: During the pandemic, most of the increased childcare responsibilities in the US fell disproportionately onto the nation's mothers, and this was especially rough on college-educated women.

• When it comes to US deaths, drug overdoses outpace car crashes and gun-related homicides—and have for years. During the pandemic, those fatality numbers became even worse due to surges of fentanyl in illegal drug markets. The New York Times reports that children as young as 12 are high risk for fentanyl overdose—due to experimenting with painkillers or anxiety medication that might be laced with other drugs.

• And now, here's your Wednesday "hiding from extraneous bullshit" inspiration. It can wait until Thursday.