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.)
• In the Shadows: Records Show Labor Leader’s Campaign to Influence City Councilors
New records reveal a top labor executive quietly pushed a Portland councilor to sue the city and let the mayor pick the next council president—raising fresh questions about power and transparency at City Hall.
• THE BLACK BYLINE: Your Guide to “Portland Nice”—And How to Avoid It
A recent cringeworthy exchange during a Metro Council meeting shows the pitfalls of being “Portland Nice,” where performative actions by white people often result in faux camaraderie with people of color, followed by bumbling missteps.
The Mercury’s 2026 Spring Arts Guide is about the art you support and the art that supports you. Change your mind. Vibrate with ecological grief. Laugh at these horoscopes. Find us in print or just read it all now!
• Mikki Gillette’s Riot Queens Requires Us to Read More Queer History
Even if you live in a city as queer-friendly as Portland, being a trans person is a political act. Riot Queens, a small, trans-driven play that recently opened at the Back Door Theater in Southeast Portland serves as a dire reminder that trans rights are hard-won—and still under attack.
• Damian Lillard Opens a Sports Bar in a Swanky Downtown Portland Hotel
Blazers star and hometown hero Damian Lillard is bringing Dame Time to the local food and drink scene. Lillard and his business partners officially opened Honorable Mention, a luxury sports lounge, in the basement of the historic Benson Hotel in downtown Portland.
In this week’s super fun, local (and icy) trivia quiz: the idiots of ICE are once again in court, the fate of Portland’s only in-town ice skating rink, and an extremely funny joke about Vanilla Ice! (Individual results may vary.) See how well YOU score!
• A Comedy of Turnovers Ends in Blazers Heartbreak
The Blazers loss to the Charlotte Hornets this week was a comedy of errors. The errors? 19 turnovers, numerous misses of easy shots, and some interesting refereeing.
• Inside the Race for County Chair: Financial Woes, Homeless Services, and Capitulating to Trump
Multnomah County Commissioners Shannon Singleton and Julia Brim-Edwards are both running for county chair, with more contenders expected before November. The next chair will inherit tough challenges: budget cuts, a homelessness crisis, federal scrutiny, and shaken public trust in drug treatment efforts.
In this week’s hilarious (and educational) column: Donald Trump’s disgusting new rash, the iconic Zendaya has reportedly married that darling wee Englishman Tom Holland, and would you allow The Pitt‘s Noah Wyle to operate on you? WE WOULD!
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s new film, The Bride!, is a gory, glorious mess—and it’s worth seeing it in IMAX. “The whole world is on fire for a lady criminal,” as one character puts it “and it’s turning them on.”
• At Mako Matcha Mill, Tea Leaves Are Pulverized Right Before Your Eyes
Mako Matcha Mill opened in mid-February at 414 SW 13th in the former Cacao space. Owners Edison Zeng and Emily Dewey source their tea directly from farmers, and because they’re not relying on middlemen, they can offer most drinks for around $4, a much lower price point than other cafes.
Lot’s of pit fruit playing Portland this week (Peaches and Cherry Cheeks), Lo Steele is releasing her new album with a free all-ages show at Music Millennium, and the rock & roll legend herself, Toody Cole is at Star Theater with the Forty Feet Tall boys.
• Panic Invites Players for a Big Walk in Its Downtown Portland Offices
There’s a new open world game you can play with your friends. It’s called Big Walk, and it was made by the people behind Untitled Goose Game. It’s not out yet but you can actually play it in Portland—ONLY.
The “legend” and “icon” distinctions are thrown around too much. But not when referencing Portland’s Toody Cole. She’s founded and fronted numerous impactful bands, is a champion of DIY—in music as well as every other aspect of her life—and still rips bass harder than anyone around. The 77-year-old sat down with Audrey Vann ahead of her Star Theater appearance March 17. Toody Cole forever!
“Some of us start out poly, some of us achieve poly—others have poly thrust upon ’em.” Got poly questions? Dan Savage has poly answers.
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!
