SAVAGE LOVE: Quickies
1. My spouse and I haven’t had sex for almost two years. No kids, jobs aren’t stressful, and we still enjoy each other’s company. (At least I enjoy theirs.) The subject of sex never comes up. I don’t miss it, honestly, and I suspect they don’t either. But I don’t know. It’s possible your spouse doesn’t miss sex either—it’s also possible your spouse isn’t missing sex because they’re getting it elsewhere. Seeing as you don’t have kids to worry about, I don’t think raising the subject presents an existential risk. Tell your spouse you’re content with your companionate/sexless marriage and you want…
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Portland’s Top Public Safety Leader Is Leaving
Bob Cozzie, the deputy city administrator for Portland’s Community and Public Safety service area, is leaving his role, the city announced Tuesday, May 5. Cozzie previously led the Bureau of Emergency Communications, which oversees the region’s 911 program, for seven years. He was tapped to lead the city’s Public Safety operations last June, after the exit of Mike Myers. Cozzie’s last day will be May 18. The reason for his departure wasn’t immediately clear. The leadership change comes as Portland is in the process of trying to close a roughly $160 million gap before adopting a budget for the 2026-27…
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Good Morning, News: Protesters Stun Outside Met Gala Red Carpet, Portlanders Protest Local Tech Used by Israeli Military, and Progressive City Councilors Appear Innocent of Alleged Ethics Violations
If you appreciate the Mercury‘s interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. Your donation is tax-deductible. You can also subscribe and have our papers delivered! Good morning, Portland! We’re looking at rather reasonable weather today—temps are expected to hit the low 70s later this afternoon after a cloudy morning. Prayers up for a little rain later this week. Let’s get to the news. IN LOCAL NEWS: • Portland anti-war activists are sounding the alarm on the local company, Sightline Intelligence, that appears to be supplying AI tech that the Israeli military uses for…
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Protesters Push City To Investigate Firm That Appears To Supply Drone Tech to Israel
This story was co-published with the Guardian. Anti-war activists in Portland, Oregon, are pushing city authorities to ensure no local resources, tax breaks or investments support a local company that appears to be supplying artificial intelligence software to the Israeli military. The company, Sightline Intelligence, manufactures AI-supported video technology that is used in drones to interpret target movements and make quick decisions based on the perceived threat level. Cargo documents appear to show Sightline has shipped its technology to Elbit Systems, an Israeli arms manufacturer that provides drones to that country’s military and exports to others. The activists argue that such sales violate the UN’s…
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The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for May 4-10
Dust off your A/C unit, it’s Do This, Do That!! This week’s events pair well with the sunshine: the St. Johns Bizarre brings Alan Sparhawk of Low to the neighborhood’s stage, the Portland Fire show up for their regular season opener, and two-time Mercury Genius of Comedy Neeraj Srinivasan slings some jokes. Plus, we’ve got your Mother’s Day plans on lock—Celtic harp, anyone? MONDAY, MAY 4 Field Medic Field Medic’s 2020 record Floral Prince got me through the pandemic; the lo-fi combination of yearning vocals, poetic lyricism, and bedroom folk instrumentation helped me process emotions and hold onto hope for the future.…
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Curbside Serenade Makes Portland’s Street Corners More Musical
“Hey there!” David Pollack hollers into the microphone in the direction of a passing cyclist, halfway through his acoustic set. “Nice day for a ride!” he shouts before slipping back into an Elvis Costello cover. The moment unfolds in front of a laid-back crowd on Rainbow Road at SE 28th and Ankeny where the nonprofit Curbside Serenade kicked off “Kernside Serenade,” a slate of pop-up shows featuring local musicians, held every third Sunday through October. It’s one of several free outdoor music series the organization hosts in public parks and pedestrian plazas across the city. Along with Kernside Serenade, Curbside’s…
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THE TRASH REPORT: Hot Music Goss for Hot Days, Plus Jimmy Carter, FDR, and Cardi B Makes Three
Hello, Trash Pandas! Welcome to another Trash Report. I’m your girl Elinor Jones, coming to you with this extra ~musical~ edition of steaming hot gossip. So like, pretend I’m singing to you. For context, I’m not a very good singer, but I do care a lot, which is very similar to what you’ll get with this column: the information won’t be good, but I will yell it passionately at you. Let’s go. The Trashional Anthem This first part doesn’t have anything to do with music, but I have to talk about it: Trump had yet another attempt on his life…
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Good Morning, News: Attack at the MAC, Spirit Airlines Shuts Down, and Lying Giuliani in Critical Condition… Probably
If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution to the Mercury, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋 Woooo-wheee, it was a HOT one yesterday, right? Well, don’t dress only in flip-flops and thongs to go to work today, because while it will remain mostly sunny through Wednesday, the temps will drop down to a much more manageable 77 degrees. (On second thought… who am I to tell you not to wear your thong to work? You look hot, so you do…
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Shaking the Tree’s Glass Menagerie Shines Despite the Darkness
Many, many years ago, I had my first taste of The Glass Menagerie, the foundational memory play by Tennessee Williams. My high school staged it. So as I entered Shaking the Tree Theatre’s performance space, the gleeful words of our drama student aide rang in my ears: “Let’s get DEPRESSED!” It’s always a crapshoot how close any given staging will adhere to Williams’ intended tone; the sorrow contained within his memory play can be so potent that many have swung for something lighter, funnier, more self-aware. However, this work’s director, Samantha Van Der Merwe, chose the nuclear option—leaning directly into…
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The Long-Awaited Return of Electronic-Music Innovators Cabaret Voltaire
Anticipation to see British electronic-music pioneers Cabaret Voltaire perform has been building among some Americans for almost 50 years. Luckily for these diehards, the band—led by 71-year-old bassist/vocalist Stephen Mallinder—are touring North America for the final time this year, with a Portland date at Roseland Theater on May 8. Coming together in British industrial hub Sheffield during the mid-’70s, Mallinder, guitarist/winds player Richard H. Kirk, and synthesist Chris Watson desired to make weird, unprecedented sounds, despite having no conventional musical skills. Regardless, these disciples of the absurdist, early-20th-century art movement Dada were hell-bent on disrupting normal entertainment protocols and spotlighting the cursed forces of government surveillance…
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Highlights from Portland City Council’s Foie Gras Ban Hearing
The future of foie gras is on shaky ground in Portland. A proposed ordinance would ban the sale of foie gras within city limits, with restaurants receiving a fine of $1,000 to $5,000 for each violation. Foie gras is a luxury ingredient made by force-feeding ducks until their livers become fatty and enlarged. Proponents believe that the production of foie gras is cruel, contributes to environmental pollution, and could increase the risk of illnesses like bird flu due to the birds’ weakened immune systems. Similar bans have been enacted in California, New York City, and many European countries, and Portland…
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The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Portland This Weekend: May 1–3, 2026
FRIDAY ACTIVISM & SOCIAL JUSTICE May DayStand up for workers rights, defend immigrant communities, and show solidarity with unions at this May Day rally and march. Come early for a rally and cultural performances at 1:30 pm, and stick around for the march, which departs at 3:30 pm. There’s no better time than now to loudly express your dissatisfaction with our billionaire overlords, corrupt corporations, and ineffective government. Flex your economic power by avoiding shopping (apart from at local businesses) and wear union blue! BRI BREY(South Park Blocks, Downtown, free) Read more on EverOut!
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Good Morning, News! May Day, Wild Metro Chamber Polls, Our Endorsements, and Infowars’ Disappearance (Conspiracy?)
If you appreciate the Mercury’s interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. Your donation is tax-deductible. You can also subscribe and have our papers delivered! Good Morning, Portland: Happy May Day! It’s a beautiful day out and it’s looking good this weekend too. We hope you get some time away from the office, out with friends, to celebrate the fruits of our labor and that of generations before us. Let’s get to the news. 📰 IN LOCAL NEWS: IN NATIONAL NEWS:
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Totally Real Portland Holiday 503 Day Returns
“This thing started as a joke,” says Claudia Meza, the host of weekly podcast City Cast Portland. That joke was 503 Day, a local holiday to celebrate all things Portland. “We were calling it ‘a totally real’ holiday,’” says Meza. According to her, listeners ran with it and submitted theme songs and videos about 503 Day. “Everyone just sort of played along,” she explains. “We thought ‘wouldn’t it be funny if we gaslit the city into thinking this was always a thing?’” Portland is very capable of committing to the bit. After all, this is the city that once proclaimed…
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Ticket Alert: Shaboozey, Logic & G-Eazy, and More Portland Events Going On Sale This Week
Text your concert buddies, ’cause tickets are about to go on sale! Country and hip-hop crossover star Shaboozey saddles up for his Outlaws Never Die Tour this fall. A decade after their Endless Summer Tour, rappers Logic & G-Eazy reunite for a sequel co-headlining run. Plus, disco-punk pioneers LCD Soundsystem bring the dance party to Edgefield for two nights this summer. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events. ON SALE FRIDAY, MAY 1 MUSIC Allen Stone & The DipTopaz Farm (Thurs Aug 20) Belmont – Performing 10 Years of Between You and MeHawthorne Theatre (Tues July…
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