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Posted inNews

Dozens of Complaints Against Police Funding Petition Prompt State Investigation

The Secretary of State has received more than two dozen complaints alleging campaign canvassers are misleading voters.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

Last month, canvassers began collecting signatures for a Portland ballot initiative seeking to use clean energy funds to hire police. Since then, the Oregon Secretary of State has received 28 complaints alleging campaign petitioners are misleading the public about the proposal. The Secretary of State’s office has opened an investigation into the allegations, many of […]

Posted inNews

Road Rules

Police policies allow at-fault drivers to leave certain crash scenes without so much as a ticket.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

In early April, Portlander Jennifer Shuch was biking across Northeast Halsey Street near the Hollywood Transit Center when she was struck by a driver running a red light. The impact, which was caught on video, left Shuch bruised and shaken up, but not seriously injured.  Despite a witness calling 911, no paramedics or police ever […]

Posted inFood and Drink

Farewell to Foie Gras

City Council voted 7-5 to ban the force-fed luxury food.
Avatar photo by Katherine Chew Hamilton

After multiple months of debates and delays, Portland City Council passed a foie gras ban Thursday, June 4. The ordinance prohibits foie gras, or fatty liver that is produced by force-feeding ducks or geese, from being served in restaurants and sold in retail stores within city limits. Those who violate the ordinance can, after a first […]

Posted inNews

“Chaotic” Middle School Assembly Underscores PPS’ AI Problem

A recent assembly celebrating the district’s partnership with Colin Kaepernick’s AI startup left some parents and teachers disturbed.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

On a Friday last month, some Portland middle schoolers went home from school with new Nike swag and tales of an unusually eventful assembly.  The event, hosted at Beaumont Middle School on May 8, featured former NFL player, activist, and EdTech CEO Colin Kaepernick, Rip City Remix’s DJ O.G. Too, and a bunch of free […]

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Elections Complaint Alleges Canvassers are Intentionally Misleading Public About Police Funding Initiative

Workers gathering signatures for the effort to divert clean energy funds to Portland police are using talking points that don’t line up with the petition’s actual text.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

Two people who were hired to gather signatures for a Portland ballot initiative that would use clean energy funds to hire police say they were trained to mislead the public about the proposal. If true, the conduct would violate state elections rules, and could spell trouble for the petitioners and the company hired to lead […]

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Net Benefits: The Future of Public Tennis in Portland

The US Tennis Association wants to run Portland’s public tennis programs. Advocates say private money will yield benefits, but others are wary.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

A proposal to let the private US Tennis Association (USTA) take the reins of the Portland Tennis Center—and the rest of the city’s public courts—has gained momentum. The plan comes amid a broader push for Portland’s parks bureau, facing budget woes and a growing maintenance backlog, to open its doors to offers from the private […]

Posted inMusic Issue 2026

Turn! Turn! Turn! Wants To Be a “Place for Weirdos”

The venue has new owners. Artistic freedom is welcome.
Avatar photo by Jeremiah Hayden

What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Music Issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds. On a recent weekend, the small music venue at the corner of North Williams […]

Posted inNews

Council Budget Talks Highlight Tension Over Proposed PCEF Moda Center Investment

Mayor Keith Wilson has suggested Portland’s Clean Energy Fund can spare $75 million for Moda Center upgrades, but the details are murky.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

If Mayor Keith Wilson wants to allocate clean energy fund dollars to renovate the Moda Center, he’ll have to go through Portland City Council first. And it’s not clear if they’re going to let him.  Earlier this year, amid a fervor to ensure Portland Trail Blazers’ new owner Tom Dundon keeps the basketball team in […]

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Portland City Council Officially Adopts Transportation Utility Fee

The fee will help pay for key road maintenance and safety programs, which have long gone without adequate funding.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

The Portland City Council voted Wednesday to implement a fee that will offer a significant new source of funding for the city’s beleaguered transportation bureau. The transportation utility fee will be officially implemented starting in January 2027, coming in the form of an additional charge tacked onto Portlanders’ water and sewer bills. The new program […]

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Portland Moves To Shake Up Transportation Funding With New Utility Fee

Portland City Council is expected to adopt the new fee to pay for road maintenance. It’s a plan that’s years in the making.
Avatar photo by Taylor Griggs

Portland City Council is poised to adopt a new funding mechanism for the city’s cash-strapped transportation bureau, in the form of an extra charge on Portlanders’ utility bills. The new fee, expected to go into effect in January 2027, will be tacked onto residential and commercial water bills. Most Portland households can expect to pay […]

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Ongoing PCC Strike Could Threaten Legal Status of International Students

A strike at Portland Community College could put classes in limbo. For international students, that could mean transferring schools or leaving the country.
Avatar photo by Anna Del Savio

Thousands of students at Portland Community College are in limbo, with winter classes unfinished and spring classes on hold. Graduation dates, income from on-campus jobs, and financial aid are at risk as faculty and academic professionals begin their third week on strike for higher wages. For international students, there’s another threat: having to leave their […]

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