The Portland City Council has tried to intervene by passing a detention center fee ordinance in December 2025. It was intended to address public nuisance impacts associated with detention facilities-particularly those that draw protests-by effectively putting a cost on contamination and health hazards from tear gas and other munitions law enforcement deploys on protesters.
Critics fear the administration could make the law legally vulnerable if it pushes through weak rules, even if they are temporary, and they don't want a judge to overturn it in a legal proceeding just because the administration didn't let city staff do their homework.
The Keller is profitable, popular, and central to downtown's recovery. It is time to stop the time-wasting charade and make a decision that reflects fiscal responsibility and the will of Portlanders.
The Azn Zine Fest is to show Portland there's a fuck-ton of Asian creatives. When we put out the call for vendors, we were like, 'Maybe 30 to 50 people will respond to our call.' We had probably 120 respond.
A ragtag group of predominantly business interest representatives has been selected by the city of Portland to weigh in on economic challenges to the city's core. The hotshot team-called the Central City Roundtable-will convene for the first time on Friday, March 6. They'll look at recommendations offered by the infamous task force that Governor Tina Kotek designed in 2023, which proved a predictably contentious practice due to its secrecy and lack of record-keeping.
OHSU's National Primate Research Center may be no more, much to the delight of animal welfare advocates, who have long been pushing the university to shut the doors on its monkey research facility. Yesterday, OHSU's board voted unanimously to look into transitioning the center-which, with about 5,000 primates, is one of the largest research centers of its kind in the US-into a monkey sanctuary.
The Portland Housing Bureau has found additional unspent dollars in its coffers, adding to the previous $21 million it found through an audit last year. It is unclear exactly how much money is in the fund, but Council President Jamie Dunphy called councilors over the weekend to tell them they would soon learn of the specifics of what was found in the Housing Investment Fund. He told the Mercury February 2 that he did not yet know how much total funding was available.
* 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 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.
(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 Officers Who Clashed With Anti-ICE Protesters Identified Officer who was filmed punching a protester on January 9 was previously named in a lawsuit stemming from a 2020 protest. Another officer was reassigned after recent remarks made on camera triggered complaints and internal review.
And you can find some of the best Southern-style biscuits outside of the South. Pine State Biscuits is Portland Oregon's premier Southern comfort spot serving up biscuits that made it onto Guy Fieri's show "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives," impressing Fieri and dazzling millions of viewers at the mere sight of them. Pine State Biscuits is the creation of three North Carolina-natives, Kevin Atchley, Walt Alexander, and Brian Snyder who wanted to bring the cuisine of their home state to the Northwest.
Portland officials released a Market Feasibility Study on Friday, Jan. 23, that declared the region cannot support two venues capable of hosting popular touring Broadway shows. That upends the proposal approved by the City Council in late 2024 calling for a new Broadway-capable performing arts center to be built at Portland State University before the Keller Auditorium is closed and remodeled to continue hosting such large show.
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.)
* Facing a $300 million budget gap, Portland transit service TriMet just announced another round of service cuts coming in August. TriMet already made smaller cuts to transit service in November, but the agency's budget deficit is significant and growing, without any new money coming in from the state for the foreseeable future. The agency is asking riders to weigh in on proposed cuts,
The Heights lounge and event space was founded in 2024 by local musician Jermaine Malone. Since then, it's operated out of a 3,800-square-foot space on SE Foster Road. The lounge features a rotating calendar of events from comedy nights, to dance parties, to "secret" punk shows. It also offers event space rentals and was expanding to include a studio space for music recording and mixing.
Friday was a beautiful night for a Krampuslauf or "Krampus run," a holiday activity that draws from Alpine folklore where mischief-makers dress up like horned creatures and caper together through their town. The Portland version of this-a little more costume-forward and kid-friendly-has been meeting up and merrily marching on or around Krampusnacht since 2010.
The ordinance has two components. First, it will require landlords who rent buildings used as detention centers to compensate residents and the city for actual costs incurred as a direct consequence of its tenants' actions. Those costs could include things like police overtime, traffic management, fire and emergency medical responses, and environmental remediation. The collected money will reimburse impacted community members, and the city's general fund.
