Portland Mercury
@portlandmercury.com
News. Culture. Trouble. Established 2000.
www.portlandmercury.com
www.portlandmercury.com
Here at the Mercury we love an action film director who’s secretly so much better than anyone asked him to be. On Friday, Ric Roman Waugh’s Shelter hits theaters with a nearly wordless guy (Jason Statham) forced to return to a secret, violent vocation.
Movie Review: In Shelter a Nearly Wordless Jason Statham Is Forced to Return to a Secret, Violent Vocation
Is that you Jason? I mean, Mason?
www.portlandmercury.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:10 AM
Here at the Mercury we love an action film director who’s secretly so much better than anyone asked him to be. On Friday, Ric Roman Waugh’s Shelter hits theaters with a nearly wordless guy (Jason Statham) forced to return to a secret, violent vocation.
Portland's public transit agency is in a dire financial place, and it's unclear when—or if—help will arrive.
In the meantime, TriMet is going to have to make major bus and MAX service cuts. Riders still have a limited time to weigh in on the changes through a survey.
In the meantime, TriMet is going to have to make major bus and MAX service cuts. Riders still have a limited time to weigh in on the changes through a survey.
TriMet’s Present Crisis, and Uncertain Future
TriMet is facing a $300 million budget gap, and it’s unclear when—or if—the public transit agency can expect any new funding to help fill the void. As a result, the agency is planning to make some maj...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 30, 2026 at 3:35 AM
Portland's public transit agency is in a dire financial place, and it's unclear when—or if—help will arrive.
In the meantime, TriMet is going to have to make major bus and MAX service cuts. Riders still have a limited time to weigh in on the changes through a survey.
In the meantime, TriMet is going to have to make major bus and MAX service cuts. Riders still have a limited time to weigh in on the changes through a survey.
Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events!
This week we have tickets to Hayes Carll, Cedric Burnside, Grace Helbig, AND J.R.C.G.
This week we have tickets to Hayes Carll, Cedric Burnside, Grace Helbig, AND J.R.C.G.
FREE TICKETS THURSDAY: Win Tix to Cedric Burnside, Hayes Carll, Grace Helbig, and MORE!
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 ...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events!
This week we have tickets to Hayes Carll, Cedric Burnside, Grace Helbig, AND J.R.C.G.
This week we have tickets to Hayes Carll, Cedric Burnside, Grace Helbig, AND J.R.C.G.
Despite a host of compromises over what to prioritize, Portland City Council has yet to decide how to allocate $21 million in funding generated by the city’s Rental Services Office.
Proposed Renter Support Bill May Divert Some Funds to Developers
A proposal to use $21M in unspent funds for rent assistance could be marred by efforts to reappropriate funds toward a cash-strapped housing project.
www.portlandmercury.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Despite a host of compromises over what to prioritize, Portland City Council has yet to decide how to allocate $21 million in funding generated by the city’s Rental Services Office.
Portland City Councilors Angelita Morillo and Mitch Green are asking the mayor to expedite enforcement of a new detention center impact fee that targets landlords. The city code change makes it a violation to emit harmful chemical agents like tear gas, which pose environmental and health hazards.
Councilors Want City to Move Faster on Enforcement of New Detention Center Fee
Portland City Councilors Angelita Morillo and Mitch Green are asking the mayor and city administrator to expedite enforcement of a new detention center impact fee. In a joint letter sent to Mayor Wils...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Portland City Councilors Angelita Morillo and Mitch Green are asking the mayor to expedite enforcement of a new detention center impact fee that targets landlords. The city code change makes it a violation to emit harmful chemical agents like tear gas, which pose environmental and health hazards.
Mercury Music Picks is your curated Portland concert and music news guide! This week in town we're being treated to a Meredith Monk documentary, Cate Labubu, Steve Reich's Counterpoints, and so much more!
Mercury Music Picks: New Music Portland, Steve Reich's Counterpoints, and more!
Nolan Parker
www.portlandmercury.com
January 29, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Mercury Music Picks is your curated Portland concert and music news guide! This week in town we're being treated to a Meredith Monk documentary, Cate Labubu, Steve Reich's Counterpoints, and so much more!
•Rose Festival Parade shifts to night mode
•The two agents who shot Alex Pretti placed on leave
•Revered Portland restaurant closing
•Tesla reports steep profit decline
•Profile Theatre’s Tiger Style is the best bargain in Portland theater
•The two agents who shot Alex Pretti placed on leave
•Revered Portland restaurant closing
•Tesla reports steep profit decline
•Profile Theatre’s Tiger Style is the best bargain in Portland theater
Good Morning, News: Federal Agents Who Shot at Alex Pretti Placed on Leave, Sen. Klobuchar Runs for Governor, and More About the January 30 National General Strike
Absolutely no vagueposting allowed
www.portlandmercury.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:42 PM
•Rose Festival Parade shifts to night mode
•The two agents who shot Alex Pretti placed on leave
•Revered Portland restaurant closing
•Tesla reports steep profit decline
•Profile Theatre’s Tiger Style is the best bargain in Portland theater
•The two agents who shot Alex Pretti placed on leave
•Revered Portland restaurant closing
•Tesla reports steep profit decline
•Profile Theatre’s Tiger Style is the best bargain in Portland theater
By way of his newsletter Between Courses, Angel Medina has announced plans to close Portland's revered fine-dining restaurant República in February.
Revered Mexico-Forward Portland Restaurant República Has Announced It Will Close
By way of his newsletter Between Courses, Angel Medina has announced plans to close Portland's revered fine-dining restaurant República in February. Considered the flagship of the local mini-empire Re...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:25 AM
By way of his newsletter Between Courses, Angel Medina has announced plans to close Portland's revered fine-dining restaurant República in February.
Welcome back to Art Snack, a smol attempt at streamlining the beautiful chaos of Portland’s arts and culture scene. This week: Portland’s claim on the summer thriller Weapons, WHOA! Renée Watson won the Newbery Medal, and Republica restaurateur asks for help to tell the story of a Minneapolis chef
Art Snack: Portland Author Renée Watson Wins the Newbery Award, Local Restaurateur Fundraises to Tell a Minneapolis Story
It's a peculiarity of mine; I don't even try to rationalize it anymore.
www.portlandmercury.com
January 28, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Welcome back to Art Snack, a smol attempt at streamlining the beautiful chaos of Portland’s arts and culture scene. This week: Portland’s claim on the summer thriller Weapons, WHOA! Renée Watson won the Newbery Medal, and Republica restaurateur asks for help to tell the story of a Minneapolis chef
A new biography by Rolling Stone writer Jonathan Bernstein, What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome, draws from interviews with family, friends, and colleagues to look at the unvarnished truth of Just Townes Earle’s life and legacy.
Book Review: What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome Documents Justin Townes Earle's Time in Portland
When Justin Townes Earle rolled into Portland in 2016, he had already lived a long life for a 34-year-old. Born in Nashville, Earle had been making music since he was a kid and earning plenty of compa...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 28, 2026 at 10:47 PM
A new biography by Rolling Stone writer Jonathan Bernstein, What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome, draws from interviews with family, friends, and colleagues to look at the unvarnished truth of Just Townes Earle’s life and legacy.
Portland City Councilors Mitch Green and Angelita Morillo are asking the mayor and city administrator to expedite enforcement of a new detention center impact fee.
PLUS, an attempt to ban restaurants from serving foie gras in Portland died in committee Tuesday. More news ⬇️
PLUS, an attempt to ban restaurants from serving foie gras in Portland died in committee Tuesday. More news ⬇️
Good Morning, News: Councilors Shoot Down Proposed Foie Gras Ban, ICE Director Ordered to Appear in Court, and Dems Demand Kristi Noem's Ouster
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...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 28, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Portland City Councilors Mitch Green and Angelita Morillo are asking the mayor and city administrator to expedite enforcement of a new detention center impact fee.
PLUS, an attempt to ban restaurants from serving foie gras in Portland died in committee Tuesday. More news ⬇️
PLUS, an attempt to ban restaurants from serving foie gras in Portland died in committee Tuesday. More news ⬇️
Given ICE’s relatively limited infrastructure in Oregon, a possible federal plan to build the state’s first immigrant detention center in Newport has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds in the state’s struggle against the agency.
Stopping the Slow Creep of ICE
The beginning of 2026 has seen another surge of violence from immigration enforcement officers—including in Portland, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers shot two people in East Portland...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Given ICE’s relatively limited infrastructure in Oregon, a possible federal plan to build the state’s first immigrant detention center in Newport has emerged as one of the key battlegrounds in the state’s struggle against the agency.
Enter to WIN this awesome @portlandbangers.bsky.social prize pack during Wiener Week!
This package includes 2 tickets to any Bangers game, stickers, socks, koozies, a game poster and more.
This package includes 2 tickets to any Bangers game, stickers, socks, koozies, a game poster and more.
Portland Bangers Wiener Week Contest
mailchi.mp
January 27, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Enter to WIN this awesome @portlandbangers.bsky.social prize pack during Wiener Week!
This package includes 2 tickets to any Bangers game, stickers, socks, koozies, a game poster and more.
This package includes 2 tickets to any Bangers game, stickers, socks, koozies, a game poster and more.
For now, Oregon remains one of the few states where ICE doesn't operate a detention center.
But the feds are considering building Oregon's first immigrant detention center in the coastal city of Newport, igniting major backlash and fear.
This and more stories to start your morning ⬇️
But the feds are considering building Oregon's first immigrant detention center in the coastal city of Newport, igniting major backlash and fear.
This and more stories to start your morning ⬇️
Good Morning, News: Info on ICE in Oregon, Bovino Backlash (and Other Chaos), and TikTok is Even Worse Now
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 c...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:25 PM
For now, Oregon remains one of the few states where ICE doesn't operate a detention center.
But the feds are considering building Oregon's first immigrant detention center in the coastal city of Newport, igniting major backlash and fear.
This and more stories to start your morning ⬇️
But the feds are considering building Oregon's first immigrant detention center in the coastal city of Newport, igniting major backlash and fear.
This and more stories to start your morning ⬇️
Pickathon is back in 2026, announcing their initial music lineup today! The genres represented, as per usual, feature an expansive lineup of international heaters and regional heavyweights, and heavyweights in training.
The Pickathon 2026 Music Lineup is Here!
Nolan Parker
www.portlandmercury.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:49 AM
Pickathon is back in 2026, announcing their initial music lineup today! The genres represented, as per usual, feature an expansive lineup of international heaters and regional heavyweights, and heavyweights in training.
It's the Do This, Do That Portland events guide!
This special Wiener Week electropop and avant-garde musicians are coming to town, and did you know you can see a film at Laurelhurst Theater for only seven bones on Tuesdays?
This special Wiener Week electropop and avant-garde musicians are coming to town, and did you know you can see a film at Laurelhurst Theater for only seven bones on Tuesdays?
The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for January 26-February 1
Guard your buns, because this Monday marks the beginning of the Mercury's Wiener Week! Plus, electropop and avant-garde musicians are coming to town, and did you know you can see a film at Laurelhurst...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:05 AM
It's the Do This, Do That Portland events guide!
This special Wiener Week electropop and avant-garde musicians are coming to town, and did you know you can see a film at Laurelhurst Theater for only seven bones on Tuesdays?
This special Wiener Week electropop and avant-garde musicians are coming to town, and did you know you can see a film at Laurelhurst Theater for only seven bones on Tuesdays?
The Trash Report roundup is back 🗑️
-ICE is everywhere and it's scary AF
-Brooklyn Beckham calls out his famous parents
-Karamo backs out of Queer Eye Press
-Prue is leaving the Great British Bake Off
✍️ @elinorjoneser.bsky.social
-ICE is everywhere and it's scary AF
-Brooklyn Beckham calls out his famous parents
-Karamo backs out of Queer Eye Press
-Prue is leaving the Great British Bake Off
✍️ @elinorjoneser.bsky.social
THE TRASH REPORT: Feuds for Thought
Hey friends. I am writing this on Sunday. My daughter and I like to snuggle on the couch and watch dumb Instagram reels on my phone together on the weekends, and but yesterday ICE shot a man to death ...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 26, 2026 at 8:28 PM
The Trash Report roundup is back 🗑️
-ICE is everywhere and it's scary AF
-Brooklyn Beckham calls out his famous parents
-Karamo backs out of Queer Eye Press
-Prue is leaving the Great British Bake Off
✍️ @elinorjoneser.bsky.social
-ICE is everywhere and it's scary AF
-Brooklyn Beckham calls out his famous parents
-Karamo backs out of Queer Eye Press
-Prue is leaving the Great British Bake Off
✍️ @elinorjoneser.bsky.social
Border Patrol agents murder another protester in Minneapolis, Oregon nurses take on ICE (and management), and Kanye West buys a full page ad to (belatedly) apologize to the world. It’s GOOD MORNING, NEWS.
Good Morning, News: The Border Patrol Murder of Alex Pretti, Oregon Nurses vs. ICE, and Kanye's Full Page Apology
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...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 26, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Border Patrol agents murder another protester in Minneapolis, Oregon nurses take on ICE (and management), and Kanye West buys a full page ad to (belatedly) apologize to the world. It’s GOOD MORNING, NEWS.
Portland Mercury’s Wiener Week is back! 🌭
Explore hot dogs from more than 40 restaurants across Portland Jan 26 through Feb 1!!!
Explore hot dogs from more than 40 restaurants across Portland Jan 26 through Feb 1!!!
January 26, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Portland Mercury’s Wiener Week is back! 🌭
Explore hot dogs from more than 40 restaurants across Portland Jan 26 through Feb 1!!!
Explore hot dogs from more than 40 restaurants across Portland Jan 26 through Feb 1!!!
“Oh, hi! Sorry, can’t talk.. reading these super interesting Mercury stories, and you bore me to death. BYE.”
Catch up on all the great Mercury articles you may have missed this week with our SUNDAY READING LIST! 🗞️☕
Catch up on all the great Mercury articles you may have missed this week with our SUNDAY READING LIST! 🗞️☕
YOUR SUNDAY READING LIST: Sketchy ICE Agents, Pushy Cops, and Table Tennis Is More Than Just Marty Supreme
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 ...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 25, 2026 at 5:57 PM
“Oh, hi! Sorry, can’t talk.. reading these super interesting Mercury stories, and you bore me to death. BYE.”
Catch up on all the great Mercury articles you may have missed this week with our SUNDAY READING LIST! 🗞️☕
Catch up on all the great Mercury articles you may have missed this week with our SUNDAY READING LIST! 🗞️☕
Exploring the fine print fair at the Portland Art Museum.
The event features 16 collectors from across North America. It continues Jan 25 from 11am-5pm.
The event features 16 collectors from across North America. It continues Jan 25 from 11am-5pm.
January 25, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Exploring the fine print fair at the Portland Art Museum.
The event features 16 collectors from across North America. It continues Jan 25 from 11am-5pm.
The event features 16 collectors from across North America. It continues Jan 25 from 11am-5pm.
Hundreds of people have marched to the South Portland ICE facility.
The protest was organized hours after a man was shot and killed by federal agents in Minnesota while observing and filming them.
Footage by Jeremiah Hayden
The protest was organized hours after a man was shot and killed by federal agents in Minnesota while observing and filming them.
Footage by Jeremiah Hayden
January 25, 2026 at 2:01 AM
Hundreds of people have marched to the South Portland ICE facility.
The protest was organized hours after a man was shot and killed by federal agents in Minnesota while observing and filming them.
Footage by Jeremiah Hayden
The protest was organized hours after a man was shot and killed by federal agents in Minnesota while observing and filming them.
Footage by Jeremiah Hayden
Genderbomb's anthology show at Performance Works Northwest, Impact Play, encourages radical intimacy, which they serve up on a kinky (and, at one point, human!) platter.
Genderbomb’s Impact Play: “If You’re Offended, Tell Your Friends”
“What you witness at this show will be art made for the moment by people who aren’t so much putting on a play, but caught in the middle of play,” read the print program for Impact Play. Produced by tr...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 24, 2026 at 9:37 PM
Genderbomb's anthology show at Performance Works Northwest, Impact Play, encourages radical intimacy, which they serve up on a kinky (and, at one point, human!) platter.
Portland's Jimmie Herrod lights up the Schnitz January 24 and 25 with the backing of the Oregon Symphony. Herrod, of Pink Martini and America's Got Talent fame, has vocals that soar like Aretha and sizzle like Billie, and we've got it on good authority that there's gonna be a Janet Jackson cover.
Singing All the Parts: The Vocal Dynamism of Portland’s Jimmie Herrod
Jenni Moore
www.portlandmercury.com
January 24, 2026 at 5:10 PM
Portland's Jimmie Herrod lights up the Schnitz January 24 and 25 with the backing of the Oregon Symphony. Herrod, of Pink Martini and America's Got Talent fame, has vocals that soar like Aretha and sizzle like Billie, and we've got it on good authority that there's gonna be a Janet Jackson cover.
Attorneys for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center sent a cease and desist notice to the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) on January 16, accusing the union of making “false and misleading statements” regarding the hospital’s policies on immigration enforcement activity in the facility.
Legacy Emanuel Sends Cease and Desist to Nurses Union Over ICE Statements
Attorneys for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center sent a cease and desist notice to the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) on January 16, accusing the union of making “false and misleading statements” regardin...
www.portlandmercury.com
January 24, 2026 at 1:13 AM
Attorneys for Legacy Emanuel Medical Center sent a cease and desist notice to the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) on January 16, accusing the union of making “false and misleading statements” regarding the hospital’s policies on immigration enforcement activity in the facility.