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.)
• City Council Puts Financial Crackdown On Detention Facilities
Portland City Council passed a new land use fee targeting the impacts of detention facilities after months of munitions use at the South Portland ICE building.Â
• POP QUIZ PDX!
In this week's super fun local news and entertainment trivia quiz: TV star sightings 👀, historical Portland a-holes 🎩, and YOUR choice for which celebrity should replace Santa this year! 🎅  (See how well YOU score!)
• Mayor Wilson Nominates New City Administrator
Mayor Keith Wilson has made his choice for the city’s first long-term top bureaucrat after a year-long nationwide search. Wilson nominated Raymond Lee, who has served as the city manager for Greeley, Colorado since 2021.Â
• When Wonder Ballroom Says All Ages, They Mean All Ages
Wonder Ballroom just ended “The Moat” era — no more splitting crowds, no more weird barricades. Portland shows just got way more inclusive.
• Tips for Holiday Fun (and Saving Money) with Ben Harkins
Former "Portland's Funniest Person" Ben Harkins shares four tips for holiday fun and saving some money this holiday season. (Please note: All of Ben's tips are simultaneously hilarious and preposterous.)
• THE BLACK BYLINE: Netflix’s Perfect Neighbor Proves That Not All Hate Wears Hoods
Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor is a brutal reminder that racism doesn’t always kick down the door—sometimes it just calls 911. Our latest Black Byline connects the dots between Florida, Oregon, and the systems that insist they’re keeping us safe.
• Concert Review: Primitive Man Howls in the Holiday Season
You've heard of Black Friday, but what about Black Metal Friday? Primitive Man, Otay:Onii, Guiltless, and Defiant Body destroyed Star Theater on November 28, and the Mercury's Holly Hazelwood climbed out of the rubble to tell us about it.
• SAVAGE LOVE
Get all your questions about sex and love answered lickety-split in this edition of SAVAGE LOVE “Quickies”! Included: Trump’s “gay” ballroom, learning the ropes, urine in the neti pot, and much, much more.
• Concert Review: Riding the Synth Wave with Olivia Block + Pete Swanson + Seth Nehil
Holocene and synths go hand-in-hand, making the Central Eastside venue perfect for Olivia Block's long awaited return to Portland. Joined by Pete Swanson of Yellow Swans and Seth Nehil of Hopscotch in a round robin style concert, the short set was sweet beyond belief.
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!
