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Posted inMusic

The Pure Moods of Brian Eno, Enya, and Bike Summer

The August 14 ride will be a chill one, featuring sounds from the famed ’90s compilation. 
Avatar photo Cameron Crowell

A few nights ago I biked the Springwater Corridor at dusk as kids were scrambling into an abandoned industrial site on the waterfront. I slowed, hearing an unmistakable hiss. Someone’s hand lit up, holding a brown orb at the end of the fuse. Out of sight, a femme laughed a little, before urging the ignitor […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Portland Pays Big for Police Wrongdoing, Hurricane Brewing in the Atlantic, and the Scoop on the Portland Meetings You Don’t Know About

Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Heyyyyyy. (Trying something new.) Good morning, Portland. I have good news! It’s not […]

Posted inNews

Portland’s Most Effective Channel For Addressing Community Concerns is a Back Door

The city’s Public Environment Management Office runs frequent community meetings and gets quick results. You just might not know about it. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland’s new form of government, which went into effect this year, was designed to make it more accessible for all residents to participate in city policy discussions. Still, most Portlanders struggle to figure out how to cut through layers of local bureaucracy to make their voices heard, with limited time and opportunities available to speak […]

Posted inNews

The Lawsuit that Broke the Council’s Back

How nearly $4 million in wrongful death and bodily injury settlements united Portland City Council in calling for a culture shift within the Police Bureau.
Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

“We are not the same police bureau we were three years ago,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day told city councilors Thursday, August 7, after they approved almost $4 million to resolve two of the most recent claims against the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). The first lawsuit was filed in 2021 against PPB Detective Erik Kammerer. […]

Posted inNews

Daytime Cooling Centers Reopen In Portland Tuesday Amid Extreme Heat Wave

Multnomah County declared a state of emergency due to prolonged high temps. Three cooling sites will stay open until 9 pm Tuesday, with libraries open until 8 pm.
Avatar photo Mercury Staff

Originally published: Monday, August 11 With temperatures soaring around 100 degrees Monday and Tuesday, Multnomah County residents can find reprieve from the extreme heat wave at cooling centers and local libraries.  Multnomah County has declared a state of emergency, and reopened three daytime cooling centers at noon today. Four county library branches—Albina, Central, Gresham, and […]

Posted inMercury Music Picks

Mercury Music Picks: The OO-Ray Album Release Show, Ces Cadáveres, Femi Kuti

Plus immigrant rights fundraisers, Club Alive, and Northwest Hardcore Fest! 
Avatar photo Nolan Parker

Several of Portland’s best summer music festivals are behind us for the year: Pickathon, Project Pabst, Homie Fest, and others have melted our faces and hearts. But fret not, for there are still plenty of fests coming our way! We’ve still got this weekend’s Northwest Hardcore Fest, Lonely God Fest, and TBA to look forward […]

Posted inSavage Love

SAVAGE LOVE: Zone Police

“My boyfriend masturbates to AI-created images of our friends. Cool or not cool?”
Avatar photo Dan Savage

Can you expand on your “zone of erotic autonomy” concept? It has been a big help to me in my relationship, but I’m wondering where the autonomous zone’s boundaries are. My partner is a major porn and masturbation enthusiast, and over the years, it has caused a lot of friction — the good kind for […]

Posted inAlbum Review

Album Review: Digging in the DRRT with Lost Lander

A look back at the band’s expansive 2012 debut.
Avatar photo Ned Lannamann

“You can never go home,” sings Matt Sheehy during the climax of “Afraid of Summer,” a familiar warning on the dangers of revisiting the past. It’s one of several songs on DRRT—the 2012 debut album from Sheehy’s band Lost Lander—that grapple with finding one’s place in the universe and locating the balance between past, present, and […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Oregon Has the World’s Ugliest Dog, RFK Jr Blamed For Influencing CDC Gunman, and Morrow County Officials Charged With Pocketing Millions From Amazon Data Center Contracts

Avatar photo Courtney Vaughn

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland! Stay hydrated and hunker down in a place with […]

Posted inDo This, Do That

The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: August 11–17

Four comedians and an Afrobeat legend take the stage this week, as do burgers.
Avatar photoAvatar photo Lindsay Costello and Mercury Staff

If your dream is to eat a burger every day this week, we say go for it. But there are some pretty chill cultural supplements to this week’s noshing, too. Femi Kuti will bring Afrobeat grooves to Revolution Hall with his Positive Force crew, and the PDX Adult Soapbox Derby puts art on wheels, then […]

Posted inGood Morning, News!

Good Morning, News: Cyclist Injured By Hit & Run Driver, Homicides Drop 51% in PDX, and Trump Militarizes Washington, DC

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 […]

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