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Posted inNews

Council Workers’ Union Complaint Alleges Loretta Smith Fired Staffer in Retaliation for Union Organizing

The newly-formed Council Alliance of Workers union is calling on city councilors to uphold their commitment to labor rights in their own workplaces.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

A new union representing Portland City Council aides and operations staff filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) complaint against the city for alleged anti-union conduct from Councilor Loretta Smith’s office. The complaint, filed January 13, alleges Smith retaliated against and fired a former aide due to his role in organizing the Council staff union.  The […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: A Potential Mask Ban For Law Enforcement, Gruesome Discovery at a Local Recycling Yard, and DOJ Officials Resign After Being Blocked From Investigating Renee Good’s Death

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism […]

Posted inDo This, Do That

The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for January 12-18

This week: Ghibli favorites, medieval books, and Steve Gunn’s ambient guitar.
Avatar photoAvatar photo Lindsay Costello and Mercury Staff

The news is bleak, the nights are long. Yet somehow… the calendar is still stacked. January is when culture gets weird in the best way; this week, medieval manuscripts emerge from the vault, and camp horror and queer literature come out to play. Plus, artist Elizabeth Knight presents her dog embroideries, and local hardcore shows […]

Posted inBooks

Terry Dactyl Traces Queer Survival From the AIDS Crisis to 2020 Seattle

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore’s signature style rolls and whirls with long sentences—descriptions as artfully enduring as her characters.
Avatar photo Katie Lee Ellison

[This profile originally appeared in our sister pub The Stranger. -eds] Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore takes long and meandering walks through Capitol Hill most days. From the height of summer to the depths of winter, if the sun is out, she’s soaking in it. On these walks during the pandemic lockdown, Terry Dactyl came to her. She […]

Posted inromance

Submit a FREE Mercury Reader’s Valentine for Your Sweetie!

Or friend, or sex pal, or pet… that’s up to you!
Avatar photo Wm. Steven Humphrey

Are you in love? In lust? In a complicated situationship that started because of a drunken and convenient New Year’s Eve kiss, but now you’re ready to take things to the next level by publicly declaring your adoration in the permanency of newsprint? Good news, the Mercury‘s reader Valentines are back, and NOW is the […]

Posted inThe Trash Report

The Trash Report: Ashley Tisdale and the New World Order—Plus Mermaids!

It’s time to take out the trash! (AKA the hottest new gossip of 2026!)
Avatar photo Elinor Jones

Hi babies! Welcome to the first new Trash Report for 2026. As always, I am your best friend, Elinor Jones. I don’t know about you, but I am not bothering with Dryuary this year. I learned from the events of January 6, 2021 that January is always going to give us a reason to toss a […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Big Trouble for Two Portland Cops, the Latest on Last Week’s Border Patrol Shooting, and Trump’s Revenge Tour Continues

Avatar photo Wm. Steven Humphrey

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and […]

Posted inNews

“Sometimes Criminals Get Shot”: Portland Police Officer Defends Minnesota Shooting of Renee Good

Portland cop pulled from protest duty after remarks, while the Police Bureau reviews another incident involving an officer punching a protester during an arrest.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

While Portland’s police chief has encouraged residents to exercise their First Amendment rights in response to recent shootings by federal agents, videos show his own officers exhibiting violence against a protester and justifying the shooting of Renee Good in Minnesota. Now, the actions of two Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers are under internal review. On […]

Posted inNewsblast!

YOUR SUNDAY READING LIST: Gun-Happy Federal Agents, Wrongful Imprisonment, and How to Get Fitted for a Chastity Belt

Avatar photo Wm. Steven Humphrey

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 […]

Posted inNews

After Border Patrol Agent Shoots Two People In Portland, Oregon AG Vows to Investigate

Update: Homeland Security identifies man and woman shot and injured during an encounter with immigration agents in East Portland. Oregon officials are imploring DHS to leave the state.
Avatar photoAvatar photoAvatar photoAvatar photo Jeremiah Hayden, Courtney Vaughn, Taylor Griggs, and Wm. Steven Humphrey

This story has been updated with additional reporting.  Updated: 8:30 pm January 9; Originally published: 3:56 pm January 8 The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified the man and woman shot Thursday by a US Border Patrol agent. According to DHS, Luis David Nino-Moncada was driving the vehicle that agents tried to conduct […]

Posted inEverOut

The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Portland This Weekend: Jan 9–11, 2026

N/A Fest, Into the Night: A Twin Peaks Prom, and More Cheap & Easy Events Under $20
Avatar photo EverOut Staff

It’s been an insane week, y’all. If you’re looking for some escapism this weekend, find community at events from the First Ever Gigantic Hot Dish & Casserole Competition to an N/A Fest at John’s Marketplace and from Into the Night: A Twin Peaks Prom to the Radical Harvest Craft Faire and Clothing Swap. For more suggestions, […]

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