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!

Good Morning, Portland! Alas, no more spells of Portland’s annual fake spring. Real spring greets us this Thursday, keeping the region fairly soggy. Today we’re in for a high of 51 degrees and a low of 40. 

@4theluvofhats21

 

♬ original sound - Alexander Jai Battle

In Local News:

• ICYMI: Portland's Mill Ends Park no longer holds the Guinness World Record for the world's smallest park. We've been stripped of the record by Japan. As KGW reports, "a park in Nagaizumi Town, Japan, has now claimed the title." 

• Power hungry: Bonneville Power Administration, a major energy supplier to Oregon, was one of several federal agencies hit by federal layoffs from the Trump administration. Oregon's congressional leaders have begged Trump and his lackeys to restore the jobs cut, noting the move to slash staff threatens the Pacific Northwest power grid. Last week, several Oregon lawmakers again wrote to the Trump administration, lamenting the consequences of indiscriminate federal staffing cuts. "The imminent departure of nearly 20% of BPA’s
workforce — including linemen, engineers, and power dispatchers — poses a direct and immediate threat to the reliability of the electrical grid that serves millions of American families and businesses in the Pacific Northwest," the letter states. "We do not believe there is currently an energy emergency, but your actions certainly appear to be creating one through these cuts that actively jeopardize the stability of our energy infrastructure, right now."

• Put down that carton of eggs. The arts tax is due. Here is your annual reminder to file your Portland Arts Tax by April 15. The $35 tax is owed by everyone 18 and older who earns at least $1,000 of annual income, unless they are in a household that meets the federal poverty level threshold. And because this city and county only know how to be cumbersome when collecting taxes, you still have to file for the tax, even if you don't owe it. 🙃

• Have a laugh. It's tax season and the federal government is actively being dismantled. We all deserve a bit of levity. Treat yourself to the Mercury's annual Geniuses of Comedy showcase, this Thursday at Revolution Hall, hosted by Adam Pasi. There's no better bang for your buck! 

In National/World News:

  • We don’t deserve Lady Liberty. As Donald Trump and his sidekick Elon Musk continue to embarrass America on the international stage, a politician in France suggested the United States give back the Statue of Liberty. The statue was a gift from France 140 years ago and has stood in New York ever since. “Give us back the statue of Liberty,” Raphaël Glucksmann said in a speech over the weekend. That’s not going to happen, as the art piece is now US government property and also a UNESCO World Heritage site, but nothing captures the state of current US turmoil better than the gesture from Glucksmann. In the words of Mercury arts and culture editor Suzette Smith, “Yes queen, take it from us!” 

  • Israel’s got a heavy trigger finger. The country has abandoned its truce with Hamas and resumed heavy bombing in Gaza, killing hundreds. CNN reports the Israeli military said it is “currently conducting extensive strikes” on Hamas targets in Gaza. Hamas says Netanyahu is now ignoring the ceasefire agreement, and “putting the captives in Gaza at risk of an unknown fate.” 

  • The FDA is SoL. After federal employees were instructed to return to the office full time (the ones who weren’t fired, anyway) staff at the Food and Drug Administration headquarters apparently returned to chaos Monday, finding offices short on everything from chairs to office supplies, describing a workplace in disarray. FDA employees, most of whom had been working remotely even before the pandemic, told the Associated Press they faced “long lines to park and clear security, followed by hours of hunting for space and supplies in offices that were not designed to accommodate the agency’s full workforce.” 

  • How many racist white guys can you fit in the White House? How did you celebrate St Patrick's Day yesterday? Did you sip a Guinness or a festive green drink? Maybe you wore green or feasted on traditional Irish food. Trump and the White House marked the occasion by hosting Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor. McGregor, a former champion UFC fighter known for his cocky demeanor, and more recently, unhinged racist posts online, spewed an anti-immigration rant, saying Ireland is “losing its Irishness” due to immigration. The fighter’s remarks led to a rebuke from Ireland’s prime minister.

  • Fascism, so hot right now. The X account for Boston-area punk band Dropkick Murphys is suspended. Fans speculated it was after the band's frontman, Ken Casey, shared candid, blunt thoughts about the Trump regime during a recent media interview and recent live shows. Punk bands are supposed to call out fascism and have, by nature, always been rooted in anti-establishment. The band clarified that it stopped using the site in 2022 when Elon Musk bought it, and then their handle got hijacked, so they requested the account to be suspended. Musk fancies himself a "free speech absolutist," but users have noted any unsavory mention of Musk gets their account suspended, or garners a direct reply from the man child himself. 

Here's Casey during one of the band's recent shows, enlightening a fan in MAGA merch.