News. Culture. Trouble. Established 2000. www.portlandmercury.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mm5ct3xirk25Fill out your ballot 'cuz election day is tomorrow, Trump's approval ratings hit an all-time low for his second term, another sketchy poll from our friends at the Oregonian, and it's been 46 years to the day since Mount St. Helens blew her top. All the GOOD MORNING, NEWS ⬇️ https://www.portlandmercury.com/good-morning-news/good-morning-news-election-day-is-tomorrow-trumps-terrible-approval-ratings-and-mount-st-helens-explosive-anniversary/18 May 2026 16:38 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm5ct3xirk25https://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mm57ymc5os2bOn Sunday, May 18, dozens of Portland residents gathered in the Sunnyside neighborhood for the first cat walk of 2026. Multiple folks added their homes to the tour map, and the cats ate up the attention.18 May 2026 15:48 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mm57ymc5os2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlwgifaesk2dIt was an up-and-down week for our Portland Fire, who won and lost in their two-game matchup against the New York Liberty. Our Stephanie Kaloi was there and has this recap (along with fan reactions and photos) that shows how the Fire have plenty of fight and grit to spare. https://www.portlandmercury.com/the-portland-fire/portland-fire-nets-a-win-and-a-loss-against-the-liberty/15 May 2026 22:55 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlwgifaesk2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlwe6nikus2cThese three newly opened restaurants and bars in Portland each showcase different facets of AAPI identity. Dear Lola offers diaspora Filipino food, After Ours serves Vietnamese drinking fare, and Bangkok Belly grills up Thai street skewers. https://www.portlandmercury.com/food-and-drink/new-aapi-owned-restaurants-dear-lola-after-ours-and-bangkok-belly/15 May 2026 22:14 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlwe6nikus2chttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlvy4r5guk2eThe best free & cheap things to do in Portland this weekend, including the return of Sunday Parkways, a PIRC benefit show, AND the inaugural home match for the Portland Cherry Bombs FC. https://everout.com/portland/articles/the-best-bang-for-your-buck-events-in-portland-this-weekend-may-15-17-2026/c6354/15 May 2026 18:38 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvy4r5guk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlvsaif5e22eWorkers at downtown Portland’s Muji—the Japanese clothing and home goods brand—have decided to unionize, joining the Wobblies in the collective fight for better working conditions. This and more of the top headlines this morning 🔗⬇️ https://www.portlandmercury.com/good-morning-news/good-morning-news-pcc-president-out-muji-pdx-unionizes-cuba-out-of-oil-and-trump-looks-weak-in-china-visit/15 May 2026 16:53 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvsaif5e22ehttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlumh3j43k2iKEEKS 🫶 The perfect Portland headliner for our Music Issue Launch Party [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 May 2026 05:37 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlumh3j43k2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mludrqvcpk2iThe Mercury’s music issue launch party has taken over Turn! Turn! Turn! The Barbaras, KEEKS, Isabeau Waia’u Walker and La Isla Electronica are taking the stage!15 May 2026 03:01 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mludrqvcpk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlu5s22y4k2iBoard approves a separation agreement for PCC President Adrien Bennings, who leaves amid state ethics complaints and the school's financial challenges. https://www.portlandmercury.com/news/pcc-president-resigns-ending-turbulent-stint/15 May 2026 01:14 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlu5s22y4k2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mltvpd23j22rJust in time for the United States’ 250th birthday, Oregon Contemporary Artists’ Biennial exhibition considers the personal and financial toll of what it costs to be an American. https://www.portlandmercury.com/visual-art/the-price-of-the-ticket-is-cost-conscious/14 May 2026 22:50 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltvpd23j22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mltrfp7quc25Are you ready for summertime in a glass? Yes? GREAT! Then prepare your thirsty mouth for the return of the Portland Mercury‘s HIGHBALL Week! That’s correct: a WHOLE WEEK (May 25-31) of beautifully crafted, unique cocktails for only $10 each! https://www.portlandmercury.com/cocktails/coming-soon-the-delicious-cocktails-of-the-mercurys-highball-week/14 May 2026 21:33 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltrfp7quc25https://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mltof6tuoc2kHey brainy pants! It's time to see how much you know about Portland with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDX! In this week's super sassy trivia quiz:⁠ How to smuggle contraband (or not)⁠, out-of-control gas prices (thanks Trump)⁠, killer bees (worst kind of bees)⁠, and more! https://www.portlandmercury.com/pop-quiz-pdx/pop-quiz-pdx-killer-bees-angry-volcanoes-and-other-disastrous-disasters/14 May 2026 20:39 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltof6tuoc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mltj2xsddc2kDon't miss our Music Issue Launch Party TONIGHT at Turn! Turn! Turn! [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 May 2026 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltj2xsddc2khttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mltizqe7n22kThe Mercury's first music issue in more than a decade is here! In this issue you’ll find ⬇️ 😋Local band's favorite restaurants in Portland 📆 A big Portland summer 2026 festival guide 🤫 The top 5 places in Portland to avoid tourists 🗺️ A lovingly illustrated PDX music map & so much more! https://www.portlandmercury.com/music-issue-2026/mercury-2026-music-issue-intro/14 May 2026 19:03 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltizqe7n22khttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mltc76bs2222Portland’s arts tax may soon grow from $35 to $50—though not if Portland Metro Chamber has anything to sue about it, and a 56-year-old woman was sentenced to 180 days of jail time and four years probation after pleading guilty to setting the NW Portland Elephants Delicatessen on fire. More news ⬇️ https://www.portlandmercury.com/good-morning-news/good-morning-news-war-powers-resolution-gains-support-still-fails-andportland-metro-chamber-threatens-suit-over-arts-tax/14 May 2026 17:00 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mltc76bs2222https://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlrgl3t5os2yMercury Music Picks is back with 20+ concerts and live music events to see this week in Portland! https://www.portlandmercury.com/mercury-music-picks/mercury-music-picks-announces-the-portland-mercurys-music-issue-launch-party/13 May 2026 23:13 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlrgl3t5os2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlr4ur4lp22aPenises: You like ’em or you don’t, right? Well, as it turns out, the subject is a bit more complicated than that, and Dan Savage offers a measured response on dicks in this week's SAVAGE LOVE. https://www.portlandmercury.com/savage-love/savage-love-straight-up/13 May 2026 20:20 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlr4ur4lp22ahttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlqrjq5mck22A new poll indicates that “more than 40 percent of Portlanders say they’re thinking about moving," but the data is suspicious at best. PLUS, where will public money going toward Moda Center renovations come from, and the state of Texas is suing Netflix. All the Good Morning, News ⬇️ https://www.portlandmercury.com/good-morning-news/good-morning-news-the-latest-moda-center-funding-fight-trumps-laughable-plan-to-lower-gas-prices-and-the-video-game-you-didnt-know-you-needed/13 May 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqrjq5mck22https://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlp3q4q43s22If Mayor Keith Wilson wants to allocate $75 million from the Portland Clean Energy Fund 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. https://www.portlandmercury.com/news/council-budget-talks-highlight-tension-over-proposed-pcef-moda-center-investment/13 May 2026 00:54 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlp3q4q43s22https://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlouxlzb6222Torta restaurant Güero posted on Instagram on May 10 about the detention of their cook, Jose “Poni” Gongora Poot, and linked to a GoFundMe raising money to support his family in the legal fight to bring him home. https://www.portlandmercury.com/food-news/food-news-longtime-guero-cook-detained-by-ice/12 May 2026 22:53 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlouxlzb6222https://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mloeeebcy226A nonprofit that offers a crisis help line for youth is trying to avoid hundreds of thousands of dollars in cuts from the Multnomah County budget, and congressional leaders are trying to help. https://www.portlandmercury.com/news/youth-crisis-line-is-not-at-risk-of-closing-despite-proposed-cuts/12 May 2026 17:56 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mloeeebcy226https://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mloabsaqws2iThe first yellow-legged hornet to be spotted on the West Coast was found in Vancouver, Eugene police officer resigns over leaked body cam footage, and a nonprofit sues over a White House decision to paint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s basin blue. All the Good Morning, News 🔗⬇️ https://www.portlandmercury.com/good-morning-news/good-morning-news-watch-out-for-yellow-legged-hornets-lawsuit-calls-out-trumps-tacky-reflecting-pool-plans-and-were-all-conspiracy-theorists-now/12 May 2026 16:43 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mloabsaqws2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlmcoxds7223The Mercury's Do This, Do That is back with the top events happening this week in Portland. 🙌 Things to do in Portland this weekend include: Florence + The Machine at Moda Center, a guided cat walk in SE Portland, and the Mercury's big Music Issue Launch Party! https://www.portlandmercury.com/calendar/the-mercurys-do-this-do-that-your-top-events-for-may-11-17/11 May 2026 22:21 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlmcoxds7223https://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mllredvmec2iA new poll reveals how unpopular Gov. Tina Kotek is with Portland residents, the Portland Fire fills the Moda Center for their first regular season home game, and thanks to Trump, gas prices keep going up! Get all the latest headlines and more in this edition of GOOD MORNING, NEWS. https://www.portlandmercury.com/good-morning-news/good-morning-news-koteks-increasing-unpopularity-fans-flock-to-portland-fire-and-trump-vs-the-gas-pumps/11 May 2026 17:10 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllredvmec2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mllnb3npms2kFor the last three decades, logging on Oregon's federally-managed land has focused on balancing wood production with wildlife management and recreation, but now, a revised resource management plan from the Bureau of Land Management aims to quadruple the agency's annual timber harvest. https://www.portlandmercury.com/news/new-federal-logging-plan-could-decimate-oregons-old-growth-forests/11 May 2026 15:57 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllnb3npms2khttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlkifsbpec2x19,335 fans packed the Moda Center for the Portland Fire’s home opener. It was the highest attendance ever for an expansion team’s first game. https://www.portlandmercury.com/sports/portland-fire-blaze-their-own-trail/?fbclid=IwdGRleARuQRpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeR0kLGLL21B5mrKHTzctL456fylBHIJ_tC4hfYgoYwTDuxUrhu294bNdmglQ_aem_8czMgfC1gCYSpIqxKhxpbA11 May 2026 04:58 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlkifsbpec2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mlhc6bzrqc2xScenes from the St Johns Parade today in Portland.09 May 2026 22:28 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlhc6bzrqc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/portlandmercury.com/post/3mletvsav7s2fBallroom is exhilarating, inspiring, and profoundly queer. Ballroom also has a lot of rules, and these rules often go unspoken. The Rebound’s Daniel ‘Papi’ Giron and Eric Lee have 10 tips on what to do, how to dress, and where to find your next ball! https://www.portlandmercury.com/theater/category-is-attending-your-first-ball/08 May 2026 23:07 +0000at://did:plc:vtroe3vx43ypg55fs7kjbroi/app.bsky.feed.post/3mletvsav7s2f