This week, we're counting down the days to the official start of fall with the best things to do, from Arctic Monkeys to Rose City Comic Con and from Amy Sedaris to Zadie Smith.

MONDAY

READINGS & TALKS

Elizabeth Rush and Erica Berry
Four years ago, a crew of scientists set out for Thwaites Glacier, an unusually broad Antarctic glacier that had never been visited by humans before. Their goal? To learn as much as possible about the ice formation, which was purported to be deteriorating and potentially contributing to catastrophic global sea-level rise. Elizabeth Rush, author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Rising, documented the voyage in The Quickening, engaging with the unknown, the sublime, and the every day. Activites like ping-pong and lab work comingle with "staggering waves" and "unfamiliar contours" at sea, and the story is woven with more intimate questions: namely, what does parenthood mean in an era of "radical change?" Rush will be joined in conversation by Erica Berry, whose coming-of-age memoir Wolfish charts the trail of legendary wolf OR-7 in the Wallowa Mountains to "peel back the layers of what scares us." LINDSAY COSTELLO
(Powell's City of Books, Pearl District)

Owning a food cart in the year of our lord 2023 requires more footwork and power moves than a breakdancer. 

Chef Richard Văn Lê should know: Until recently, he was behind the iconic Matta food cart, which he opened to immediate success in 2019. Critics, myself included, fawned over Lê’s interpretations of family dishes he learned growing up in California. 

Lê always wanted to open a restaurant, a dream that faded as the realities of the industry—escalating food, rent, and labor costs among them—grew more stark during the pandemic. The next idea was a catering and event planning business, focused on breakdancing and other hip hop culture facets that Lê loves. That was the plan when Lê announced the cart was closing.

“Tina Kotek, listen up! All the youth have risen up.”

This was one of many chants that echoed through downtown streets during the Portland Youth Climate Strike (PYCS) last Friday, September 15. The strike, which saw teens leave school to march downtown, was held on an unseasonably warm September day, with temperatures in the 90s, underscoring the protesters' message: the climate is changing rapidly, and our leaders must act to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—before it's too late. 

Last week’s strike, held in solidarity with others around the world for the Global Climate Strike, was the second youth climate strike in Portland this year, and was one of several held in Oregon that day. Young people in Salem, Eugene, Bend, and Florence also left school to participate in climate marches in their city, all of which shared a central demand: Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek must declare a climate emergency. 

“A climate emergency declaration would allow the state government to act swiftly to reduce Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions, as well as address issues such as sustainable housing and transportation,” a press release for the statewide action said. 

The local action is part of a growing youth movement across the United States to demand action to reduce the impacts of the climate crisis, for future generations. Last month, a landmark lawsuit saw a Montana judge rule in favor of youth plaintiffs who alleged state leaders violated the young people's constitutional right to a clean, healthy environment, in its process for permitting fossil fuel development.

Hello, and welcome to The Trash Report! I am so happy to see you. "But Elinor," you reply. "I am reading this on a device; you cannot see me!" Or can I? Perhaps I am in the corner of your living room, wrapped in your curtains, but with my little feet sticking out of the bottom, quietly peeking my face out from time to time to watch you read, waiting for a smile that would validate my entire vibe. Don't check, just trust. You look great, btw. Now let's get to the gossip!

Old on Old Crime

The frontrunners of next year's presidential election, President Joe Biden and Florida Man Donald Trump, are trying to out-young each other in front of cameras, which is no easy feat since they're both older than the wind. The leading campaign strategy at this point seems to be going "but could an old person do this?!" and it's one of them walking unassisted for five steps down a wheelchair ramp.*

*This is not to say that there is anything wrong with aging! To make it to one's golden years is a feat and a blessing! But there is no shame in retiring!

Biden and Trump are probably both relieved to have had some of the heat taken off them by means of Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert getting kicked out of a Denver performance Beetlejuice for singing, vaping, and giving her boyfriend an over-the-pants handy. I know it's still only September but I think this is my favorite news story of the year. Every word in every development is a tasty morsel that I relish and savor. I am Denethor mouth-fucking cherry tomatoes while Pippin sings during the climatic battle scene of The Two Towers. Just like, oh yeah, this tomato is juicy af and life will never be better. And how cool is it that Beetlejuice works so nicely in so many jokes? Now and forever, if you want to fondle someone's goods through their clothes, you can be like "mind if I juice your beetle?" 

Royalty: They're Just Like Us!

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped into the spotlight last week via the Invictus Games in Germany. It was also a time to celebrate Prince Harry's 39th birthday. According to Celebitchy, Harry and Meghan chomped wiener schnitzel and drank some beers. And I know what you're thinking: How much weiner schnitzel? And I don't know. But you're also probably thinking: How many beers? And that's where I can help you. According to a source, Meghan drank one beer. Reasonable, boring, definitely in her beige era! As for the birthday boy? He had six. Also reasonable! He's going through a lot right now! 

Celebrities are Bad and Getting Better

Can you believe it's been six years since the #MeToo movement blew up and brought several powerful men down? I can, in that I certainly feel much older than I did when it started, but it's also very fresh in my memory. I guess spending months and years talking and thinking about various traumas will do that to a gal. Anyway, somehow Russell Brand escaped that era unscathed, but a story in The Times dropped Saturday with allegations from several women of sexual assault and physical and verbal abuse. It's horrific and worth knowing about, even though it might scratch Forgetting Sarah Marshall off your list of comfort rewatches.

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! Let's kick off this week with some partly sunny weather with highs in the damn-near-perfect 73 degree range. (For those who think 81 is perfect—that would be me, because that level of hotness best reflects my own—we'll have to wait until Friday.) Now let's hop into some perfectly hot NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• On Friday hundreds of local young people marched downtown to bring attention (for the billionth time) to the fact that our leaders need to stop fucking around and really make substantive changes to stop climate change—and yep, that includes shutting down Zenith Energy's oil transport company's residency in Portland, which after almost being stopped got a green light thanks to a backroom deal from our our city council. Our Taylor Griggs has all the deets!

A few photos from today’s @PortlandStrike. Stay tuned for a story in @portlandmercury! pic.twitter.com/ov4kFFfbjb

— Taylor Griggs (@taylorjgriggs) September 16, 2023

• Today kicks off a six-day trial in which Harney County Circuit Court Judge Robert Raschio will eventually rule on whether Oregon's voter-approved Measure 114—one of the country's toughest gun laws–violates the state's constitution. A federal court has already deemed it constitutional, and no matter what Raschio decides it will most likely be appealed. So continue to be patient while scores of people die.

• As our Courtney Vaughn reported last week, Mayor Ted Wheeler will NOT be running for reelection and instead says he will be laser-focused on trying to fulfill the same failed promises he made when he ran for mayor the second time, except... now he intends to be meaner? 🤷‍♂️ (If anyone can figure this guy out, please let me know.)

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.)

• Portland Mayor Wheeler Says He Won't Seek Another Term

Mayor Ted Wheeler says he won't run for another term, addressing questions about whether he plans to launch a reelection bid for the 2024 City Council race. In a letter, Wheeler said he'll focus on the city's current challenges for the next 15 months.

• TriMet Joins Portland's War on Drugs

Despite sensational headlines, experts advise caution when interpreting the results of a recent study that found meth and fentanyl in air and surface samples of public buses and trains. Amounts detected were negligible, but TriMet wants more security.

• POP QUIZ PDX!

Think you know Portland? 🤔 Let's find out with this week's super fun POP QUIZ PDX! Featuring sassy trivia Qs about Lake Oswego criminals, TriMet's drug-induced panic, and YOUR choice for a Portland amusement park!

NEW OPENINGS

An An
Banh Mi Up debuted this new sibling restaurant on September 8, serving up craveable dishes like pork belly bites, ube waffles with chicken katsu, and Vietnamese-style sizzling beef with eggs.
Kenton
Pickup, dine-in

Summer weather is having one last hurrah before the first day of fall next week, so be sure to take advantage at easy, breezy events from El Grito to the Oregon Science Festival Extravaganza and from the Portland Polish Festival to Little Beast's Fresh Hop & Friends.

FRIDAY

FILM

Summer Film Screenings
Whether you're in Oslo or the Pacific Northwest, no summer is complete without catching an outdoor movie screening (or four). Nordic Northwest agrees, and their hygge film programming offers a little something for everyone's cinema tastes, from historical dramas to cutesy folktales. On September 15, the series will conclude with the Nordic folktale-inspired flick Hilda and the Mountain King. Attendees can sip on a range of Oregon wines, beers, and non-alcoholic options during the film, and resident troll expert (yes, that's a thing!!) Britte Rasmussen Marsh will chat trolls beforehand, offering a wide context of "discord and history" pulled from her ample troll research. LINDSAY COSTELLO
(Nordic Northwest, Metzger, $5-$15)

Your contribution to the Mercury supports our editorial team. We try to ask unobtrusively, but there have been a couple surveys where an overwhelming number of readers said we should remind them more. The Mercury believes in Portland and smart, local journalism—we also like fun, sex, and staying curious about one another. Without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good Morning, Portland! IT SHOULD BE RAIN. WHY IS HOT? 93 TODAY, 87 TOMORROW, AND THEN MOVING INTO MORE REASONABLE MID-70s. NOW FOR THE NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Mayor Ted Wheeler isn't running for his current seat again—this we know—but what does he mean when he says he's "doubling down" on homelessness and economic policies? News Editor Courtney Vaughn has the story.

• What did I miss that we are casually calling Megan Rapinoe a villain? Reading this Oregonian piece didn't explain other than... rivalry? That's not hate, dawg. The salient info is that star soccer player and activist Megan Rapinoe will retire from women's professional soccer this year and the Thorns v OL Regin game on Saturday is the last time she'll play in Portland. Did like the Meghan Klingenberg quote: “I think the greatest compliment that I and we could give her as the Thorns, is to kick her ass."

• Every year, on a crisp day in November, local lit-focused nonprofit Literary Arts holds a festival of books, named—quite literally—Portland Book Festival. Here's who's coming to 2023 book dinner:

I arranged the authors in order of most gasped about. https://t.co/bPu0FxTchl

— Suzette Smith (@suzettesmith) September 15, 2023

It’s incredible to think John Williams’ music is still finding its way into moviegoer ears, here in 2023. The legendary composer-conductor scored The Fablemans for his longtime film partner Stephen Spielberg in 2022. This year, Williams returned to the franchise that sealed his place in history as the greatest modern film composer: Indiana Jones.

No matter what people think of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (it’s good!), you cannot deny that its score is just as stunning as the one Williams originally brought to life 42 years ago for Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Williams–who turned 91 earlier this year, and composed his first film score for 1958’s Daddy-O–is still the master of drawing emotion from viewers. Spielberg, whose relationship with the conductor goes back five decades, explained in a recent Forbes interview: “I’ve always said, I can always get the audience to the brink of crying, but Johnny’s music makes the tears fall.”

The next 15 months will mark Mayor Ted Wheeler’s final time in office at the city. 

During a Sept. 14 press briefing, Wheeler rattled off a list of accomplishments over the last year, and laid out a roadmap of what he’ll focus on as he wraps up his mayoral term. He also underscored a turbulent seven years in office, marked by unforeseeable challenges that he says required Portland to “adapt and reinvent city government” and on some occasions, bypass it altogether.

Wheeler announced Wednesday, Sept. 13 that he won’t run for office in the next election, saying he’s instead focused on the city’s current challenges. The following day, he said he hopes to “eliminate unsanctioned camping all across the city” before his term is over, and wants to see the Temporary Alternative Shelter Site scaled up and replicated in other parts of Portland.

Every year, for one crisp day in November, local lit-focused nonprofit Literary Arts holds a festival of books, named—quite literally—Portland Book Festival. Hailed as "the largest festival of its kind in the Pacific Northwest," the event brings local and nationally-recognized authors to the Portland Art Museum and surrounding partner venues for live panels, interviews, and pop-up readings, among other things. I've honestly never been to a bad talk at the fest—there's always something interesting, goofy, or endearing going down.  

We've known this year's fest will be on November 4 for months, but Literary Arts just released the 2023 list of attending authors at an annual local media / literary world preview. Typically it's a pleasant, but dry, affair filled with polite clapping. This year's felt much less staid, eliciting some laughs, gasps, and at least one "oh my god!" 

Tickets go on sale at 10 am unless otherwise noted.

ON SALE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

MUSIC

Cold War Kids - 20 Years Tour
Crystal Ballroom (Feb 1, 2024)

Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have a fun event coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!

• ENTER TO WIN FREE TIX to see the Cavalera Brothers on October 12 at Crystal Ballroom!

Let's go, heavy metal fans! Max and Igor Cavalera will be performing the classic Sepultura albums Beneath the Remains and Arise, along with opening sets from Exhumed, Incite, and Petrification. Get your tickets now or enter to win two free tickets here! 

Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Thurs Oct 12, 7 pm, $29.50-$45, all ages

GOOD LUCK! Winners will be notified on Monday, and check back next week for more FREE TIX from the Mercury!