I tend to think my role as a journalist is to seek out the truth, and critical thinking is an integral part of the work. News writing, style, and structure are all elements a bot can do, but I’m interested in the stuff only humans can do. Get behind me, bots!

The latest print issue of @streetroots.bsky.social is a devastating read, even if you won’t read every word. 16 pages of items city contractors took during sweeps in the first half of 2025. Data, presented without comment, tells the real, human-centered story of unsheltered Portland homelessness.

In 2025, new elected leadership in Portland presented a change of course in the city’s approach to housing and homelessness. At times, the mayor’s vision clashed with that of city councilors, with the mayor focused on expanding shelters and the Council focused on reshaping housing policy.

The latest print issue of @streetroots.bsky.social is a devastating read, even if you won’t read every word. 16 pages of items city contractors took during sweeps in the first half of 2025. Data, presented without comment, tells the real, human-centered story of unsheltered Portland homelessness.

🗞 In the new issue of Street Roots: Six months of data showing every instance between January and June 2025 in which workers through the city’s Impact Reduction Program took the homes or belongings of people living outdoors. Purchase this week's issue: streetroots.org/vendors#locate

Yeah, no: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

This year marked a new beginning for Portlanders after 100 years of local government operating at a glacial pace. It was the first under Portland’s new form of government. We asked councilors to reflect on their achievements and give us a sneak peek at what's to come in 2026.

2025 Year in Review 🧵

2025 Year in Review 🧵

Anyone have recommendations on search engines that don’t utilize AI tech? I’ve been so Google-pilled thanks to Gmail/Drive, but I just want to search for like, plant propagation techniques without setting Earth on fire. Does this exist?

Some of these redactions are almost like modern art

When they say “fun,” they mean it. But we still work our asses off.

¡Viva la Rolling Jubilee! debtcollective.org/what-we-do/d...

Aaron Tappley, Antonio Garcia, Brandon Coleman, Carol Horner. Dave Paul Collins, Debbie Johnson, Johnny Boyd, Martin Naugle. Three Brians, two Richards and someone who went by Ocean. The list of people who died while homeless in Portland is 102 names long...so far. www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...

Sorry, suckers! Information wants to be free!

CBS News may not want you to see its CECOT reporting, but I'm happy to share this powerful video that our team produced this year.

TriMet’s Safety Response Team is billed as an unarmed alternative to police on public transit. Now, workers say they need more support themselves and are organizing a union. What’s driving the push—and what it could mean for the future of the program.

At least 372 Multnomah County residents died while homeless in 2024, according to the county’s latest “Domicile Unknown” report. That’s down 18 percent from the 2023 high of 456.

“(Council Alliance of Workers) is not in the business of influencing policy or legislation. CAW’s sole mission is to advocate for workers and the conditions and benefits they need.”

A business owner's effort to rebuild a historic Dairy Queen on SE Division and 56th Ave faced problems from the start. Now, the franchisee is duking it out with the city over the inclusion of a drive-thru at the ice cream shop, which he thinks is necessary for the DQ to succeed.

City Council staff have formed a new labor union. The unit of eligible employees includes 41 staff members across all City Council offices.

Councilor Mitch Green filed a resolution December 16 seeking to launch an investigation to determine why nearly $21 million in funding collected by the Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) between 2021 and 2024 went undisclosed.

Cool job alert! The Portland Mercury is currently hiring for a managing editor to support our kick-ass editorial team. Are you a super organized person with newsroom experience and a love for helping reporters do their best work? Then this could be the job for YOU! (Or your very talented friend!)

This gift season buy books! For example! Mobility is about oil & human frailty! It has scenic locations & a polarizing protagonist loved ones can argue about! bookshop.org/p/books/mobi.... The Golden State has scenic rural CA & a frazzled mom they can also argue about! bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

A guest article from Southeast Portland resident, writer, and recent father, Robert Pineda. Like many of us, Robert is trying to process the state of our streets. bikeportland.org/2025/12/16/g...

If you can believe it, January 1, 2026 marks ten years since the armed takeover of Oregon’s Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. For Portland Monthly, I wrote about how the ensuing decade was dominated by anxious men and a culture of lawlessness. www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-cit...

The Mercury's @jeremiahhayden.bsky.social joined @citycastportland.bsky.social to discuss how the city administration reportedly viewed $21M in unspent housing bureau funds as a “big PR problem,” after the now-ousted director found the money through an audit, Listen ⬇️

I went on City Cast to talk about how the city administration reportedly viewed $21M in unspent housing bureau funds as a “big PR problem,” after the now-ousted director found the money through an audit, reported last week by the @portlandmercury.com. We also talk Portland/Seattle rivalry, etc.

Nurses at Legacy Emanuel hospital are raising alarm bells, saying hospital policies accommodating immigration enforcement agents violate the code of ethics they swore to uphold.

The letter comes as multiple Legacy staff members spoke to the Mercury on condition of anonymity over the past two weeks, saying they feared retaliation for speaking to the media without authorization.

GM

Despite the efforts of tech CEOS, plenty of people are tired of generative AI. A group of Portland artists made their positions on AI known at a recent forum discussion at Mother Foucault's Bookshop. Speakers shared their takes on the machine takeover—and suggested potential ways to push back.

A few weeks ago I got a bit escalated tbh & posted about traffic lights out all over East PDX, for 4 hours. I watched cars run intersections at full speed, hours after seeing the fallout of an injury crash on the same blocks. Some bureaus have resources to light intersections in emergency scenarios.

Portland City Council has confirmed the city’s first long-term city administrator under its new form of government.

I went on City Cast to talk about how the city administration reportedly viewed $21M in unspent housing bureau funds as a “big PR problem,” after the now-ousted director found the money through an audit, reported last week by the @portlandmercury.com. We also talk Portland/Seattle rivalry, etc.

The Housing and Homelessness Committee on December 9 referred a resolution to the full City Council to reallocate $21 million in unspent Portland Housing Bureau (PHB) funds toward rent assistance.

A Portland Police Bureau officer is under investigation after he was arrested last month on domestic violence charges. ✍️ Courtney Vaughn

This is the way.

This is a good example of how, no matter how disgusting a person has been in their past, with good, hard, self-reflective work, people can change but not Marjorie Taylor Green.

It’s been a tough year for climate work around the country, with the Trump administration slashing funding for programs intended to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the threats of the climate crisis. But Portland's clean energy fund just allocated $64 million to nonprofits for climate projects.

Former Housing Director Says She Was Told Not to Disclose Millions in Unspent Funds. A memo Helmi Hisserich sent to city councilors says city administration viewed unspent funds as "a big PR problem." ✍️ @jeremiahhayden.bsky.social

We spent the past month (months?) talking w/ protesters detained at Portland's ICE bldg about their experiences. We heard everything from being questioned about antifa, to not being read Miranda rights, to photos w/ arresting officers. Their stories point to a slapdash, chaotic federal operation:

Interesting to see this happening here as Newport, Oregon, just a 2+ hour jaunt from Portland, faces threats of a new detention center. I won’t speculate, but I am a little curious how things might be playing out if the coastal town had a similar ordinance.

Portland City Council passed a new land use fee targeting the impacts of detention facilities after months of munitions use at the South Portland ICE building. ✍️ @jeremiahhayden.bsky.social

Mayor Keith Wilson has made his choice for the city’s first long-term top bureaucrat after a year-long nationwide search. Wilson nominated Raymond Lee, who has served as the city manager for Greeley, Colorado since 2021. ✍️ @jeremiahhayden.bsky.social

Mayor Wilson pledged to end unsheltered homelessness in Portland by Dec. 1. Today, people are still sleeping on Portland streets. But Wilson did met one goal: He secured $$ to open his goal of 1,500 new beds. (Yet only 890 of those beds are currently open for use.) Where we're at/what's next:

We have reached Portland Mayor Keith Wilson's deadline for ending unsheltered homelessness in Portland. @alexzee.bsky.social takes stock of where we are.

Average folks kettled ICE