GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.)
Portland's Office of Violence Prevention has long relied on BIPOC staff. But staff complaints, including one against a City Council candidate, paint a picture of a hostile workplace with frequent employee turnover, especially among Black employees.

• POP QUIZ PDX!
This week's trivia quiz includes sick burns, unpronounceable Oregon names, and it's HALLOWEEN CANDY TIME, BAY-BEEES! đź‘» See how well YOU score!

• Portland Auditor's Office Will Take Another Look At Gonzalez's Potential Campaign Finance Violation
Citing "new information," the Portland Auditor's Office is revisiting its campaign finance investigation into Rene Gonzalez's Wikipedia edits. A previous determination of insufficient evidence has been withdrawn.

• Controversial Dark Money Group, People For Portland, Dissolves Amid State Elections Investigation
People For Portland managed to catalyze a swath of Portlanders disillusioned with the state of the city. The group's aggressive tactics, including downtown billboards, sparked dialogue. They also led to state investigations into election law violations.

• Pasar Is the Snack Sister of Beloved Portland Indonesian Restaurant Wajan
The sister restaurant to beloved Indonesian restaurant Wajan, Pasar focuses on drinking snacks and delicious, lesser-known dishes that are rarely found in Portland.

• Portland Elections Division Issues Warning Letter to Gonzalez Campaign Over Political Sign
The Portland Auditor's Office issued Rene Gonzalez a warning over an old campaign sign displayed near the Vista Bridge that left off a required fine print financial disclosure. A separate campaign finance complaint against Gonzalez remains under review.

• TICKET ALERT
Alt-rock brothers The Driver Era have dropped dates for their tour, Maya Hawke—from Stranger Things—is bringing her indie folk to Portland, and singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun has announced a local stop.Â

• Eponymous Portland Coffee House Turns to Fundraising to Stay Afloat
Jim & Patty’s has been a fixture in Portland for 21 years, it may not survive the new cost of doing business. Hundreds of restaurants and cafes in Portland have closed since 2020, with debt, inflation, labor, and other economic forces driving up costs.

• Illuminati Hotties' Sarah Tudzin on Writing All Rippers, No Filler
We talked with indie rock luminary Sarah Tudzin, of the Illuminati Hotties, about creativity during late-stage capitalism, the enduring genius of multi-instrumentalist Arthur Russell, and her emphatic new album, 'Power.'

• The Best Things to Do in October
Welcome to OCTOBER. And we've compiled the biggest events you need to know about, from Charli XCX & Troye Sivan to Kehlani's CRASH WORLD TOUR, from Amy Tan to Chuck Palahniuk, and from the Portland Marathon to the West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta.

• SAVAGE LOVE
Online dating best practices, LTR silent treatment, wrist cuffs vs handcuffs, and much, much more in this zippy edition of SAVAGE LOVE "quickies"!

WOW, THAT IS A LOT OF GOOD READIN'. I hope you didn't have any other plans this weekend! Dig in, and remember: Producing all this hard work costs moolah—so please consider contributing to the Mercury to keep it all coming! Thanks!