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Good Morning, Portland! The Mercury's Queer Guide is at the printers! Look for our girl on stands starting next Thursday, but we'll have a bunch of wonderful (and serious) stuff starting Wednesday!
IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Ugh, I hate this story. But we hear it often enough. An elected official wants to cut taxes on high income taxpayers because it would incentivize (sure 🙄) more high income taxpayers to move into the area? This time that politician is Gov. Tina Kotek and she's suggesting Multnomah County pause its Preschool for All tax collection or reduce the rate.
• In 2023, we reported Doug Fir Lounge's plans to rennovate the former Le Bistro Montage space in Portland's Central Eastside. Why is she not open yet? Turns out the project keeps running into "bureaucratic speed bumps due to spates of permitting conflicts, Public Works requests, and spiraling costs." That's fucking curious, considering that Live Nation is practically marching their venue into town on a red carpet of the previous City Council's tongues. For the Mercury, Ryan J. Prado has more.
• Portland's hot budget drop is actually... well they left it out and it has cooled off.
It’s official: After months of negotiations and debate, Portland has a budget.
— Alex Zielinski (@alexzee.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM
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• Mark that shit down as something that will probably show up in our Pop Quiz PDX soon. But how did you do on THIS WEEK's?
• Mercury writer Jenna Flecher laid out the sense this week, in her review of Mikki Gillette's double bill of short plays: "In a political landscape that increasingly seeks to vilify and erase queer and trans people, Gillette’s plays offer the rare opportunity to support art made by and within queer community at a time where it’s more urgent than ever." Read up so you don't miss you chance to catch these important productions.
• Who's ready to LOSE. YOUR. MIND. over something you didn't really go to very often?! Because the Lloyd Center Orange Julius is closing.
In more Lloyd Center news, the Orange Julius is closing. The owner passed away, and Bob was a real piece of Portland history. Read all about the champion barrel jumper and one-time ice rink manager:
— Samantha Swindler (@editorswindler.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 2:42 PM
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• Oh, but the Mercury is about to kick off a monthlong Summer of Slushies treat event to beat the heat. So that may help you keep your brain on froze.
• This week in CORRECT, Oregonian sports columnist Bill Oram argues that Portland's WNBA team should NOT resurrect the name of the WNBA franchise used in 2002 because Oregon's relationship to FIRE has CHANGED.
• While we all know that most advice column questions are written by the advice columnists, this one I need to respond to: "How can I politely let older women know their makeup makes them look like a clown?" You fucking don't. All people; of every age. You grow the fuck up, and realize that not everything needs to meet your aesthetic tastes. Don't like those pants? Haircut not for you? Shut. the. fuck. up.
• Golden Retriever break while we wait for my eyelid to stop twitching:
IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
• This morning's top news is that a three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously concluded that President Trump can keep control of the National Guard troops he ordered into Los Angeles. The beatings will stop when morale improves!
• Also in Marshall Law, the Department of Homeland Security is trying to say that members of Congress can't make unannounced oversight visits to immigration facilities anymore—this contradicts existing law 😑, but those guys aren't really doing law these days.
• AP reports that an Iranian missile struck Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science. No one was harmed, which is much more fortunate than when Israel bombed and killed top scientists in Iran's nuclear program last week. Still, it's a big setback for the research being done there.
• Uh, and oh this:
President Trump will decide within the next two weeks whether to strike Iran, the White House said Thursday, saying Trump still sees a “substantial” chance that negotiations can achieve U.S. and Israeli demands on Iran’s nuclear program.
— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) June 19, 2025 at 11:19 AM
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• With the end of Suga's military service, all members of the world-famous South Korean music group have completed their mandatory enlistment service—and have PERMISSION TO DANCE.
• Now get out there and put a runny egg on your partner's head—easily one of Satan's less harmful requests. Let her have this one 😩.
