Recently, you may have noticed some lizard-like vessels gliding across the surface of the Willamette River; those are the city’s famed dragon boats, which are back on the water practicing for the annual Portland Dragon Boat Festival happening June 6–7.

In this edition of SAVAGE LOVE: Quickies ⬇️ - Will hooking up and having fun while single lessen my hunger for an LTR? - Should I take on a summer lover even though I really want a partner? - Thinking about staging an old-school flashmob wedding proposal. Good idea or not?

Bring your singles and get ready to mingle at the Mercury’s Queer Issue launch party on June 14 at Swan Dive, 727 SE Grand. The party is open to all Mercury fans 21 and up (OLCC’s rules, not ours—sorry!).

There need to be more novels about friend breakups. With his third, the wonderful and witty author Daniel M. Lavery is doing his part, writing a “Heartburn pastiche” about a funny, sharp-witted, prickly woman who gets friend dumped—again!—and decides to figure out why!

Two people who were hired to gather signatures for a Portland ballot initiative that would use clean energy funds to hire police say they were trained to mislead the public about the proposal.

Each year, the Society of Professional Journalists awards newsrooms for their writing, photography, design, audio, video, and magazine journalism. The Mercury is proud to say we took home six awards in all—two first place awards, and four second place. (We’re gonna need to install a new shelf!)

Do This, Do That has the scoop on this week's Bike Summer kickoff ride and where to grab a strawberry shortcake. Plus, it's Portland Book Week, and Harry Goaz (AKA Deputy Andy Brennan) stops by Clinton Street Theater for their screening of Twin Peaks season two episodes.

Want a deal on Pickathon tickets?! We've got a limited supply of 3-day weekend passes for Pickathon for only $345! That’s 25% off the current price of $475. ⁠Get yours while supplies last >> www.portlandmercury.com/pickathon/

In this edition of The Trash Report: - The Pope slams AI - Somehow The Enhanced Games is a real thing - The latest development in toxic masculinity: ballsmaxxing - The NEW Kylie Minogue documentary is here Read more ⬇️

The best things to do in Portland this June: - Starlight Parade - Nacho Week - Juneteenth Oregon - Punk Rock Pride - Bike Play XVII: A Bikesmith's Tale - Dragonboat Race - Portland Book Week - Kickstand Comedy in the Park & A LOT more. Full guide ⬇️

A mysterious shooting in Sandy leaves multiple people dead, the Portland Fire stops Indiana Fever in their tracks, Iran says its going to re-close the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad Friday. Check out all these headlines in this edition of GOOD MORNING, NEWS!

The Portland Fire scored a huge victory over Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in front of 19,347 fans. 🔥

The Burnside Bridge closed to traffic to celebrate the structure’s 100th birthday. There were Lego displays, food & drink vendors, and a stage for live music.

Scenes from the Fred Meyer Junior Parade in Portland - the oldest and largest children’s parade in the nation.

The best free and cheap events this weekend in Portland! There's CityFair, the Burnside Bridge's big birthday bash, the return of the Portland Pickles, plus tons of flea markets and concerts.

Decades before the Pacific Northwest had any kind of film industry, a young, self-taught director named Richard Lyford started making silent horror and sci-fi shorts.

The Criterion Mobile Closet has arrived outside the Portland Art Museum.

Today's top stories: - Vaccination opt-out rates for non-medical purposes are reaching concerning levels in OR - US DOJ is suing states that refused to approve undercover license plates to federal agents, including OR - Analyzing democratic socialist Myrna Muñoz's election victory in Hillsboro

A wild indie game convention is coming to Portland this weekend, and planned festivities include a dungeon synth dance party and workshops where you can learn to make and design your own game.

Seafood-focused Merrow pops up about once a month at Heavenly Creatures, with their next pop-up taking place June 7-8. Mercury writer Caitlin Pangares discovered that the standout albacore carpaccio bears a surprising connection to one of her favorite restaurants in New York.

A “Right to Know Who’s Policing You” ordinance from Portland City Councilor Sameer Kanal passed 8-4 Wednesday, May 27. Here's everything you need to know about the new law enforcement mask ban in Portland ⬇️

Calling all trivia lovers! It's time to flex your brain with another edition of POP QUIZ PDX. In this week's fun, quizzy questions: local sports mascots, historic highways, and which (nude) professional sports team should the Mercury purchase? 👀 See how well YOU score!

Portland City Council passed an ordinance yesterday that would ban law enforcement officials from wearing masks, and the council also approved financial support for Black families trying to purchase homes in two planned developments in historically Black neighborhoods. More Good Morning, News ⬇️

Mercury Music Picks is back with 20+ concerts and live music experiences this week in Portland.

A proposal to let the private US Tennis Association take the reins of Portland's public tennis courts, including the city's cherished tennis center, has gained momentum.

Today's top stories: - 9 people are missing and one is dead after a chemical explosion at a paper mill in Longview, WA - A proposal to let the US Tennis Association take the reins of Portland's public courts gains momentum More 🔗⬇️

She thinks her hubby was groomed by a former babysitter—but he doesn't feel weird about it. Is it weird that he doesn't think it's weird? Or is she weird for thinking it's weird? Dan Savage weighs in on this weirdness and more in this week's SAVAGE LOVE!

The best events this week in Portland (May 26-31): ✅ Portland Pickles Opening Night ✅ Portland Fire vs Indiana Fever ✅ Bloom Tours ✅ Burnside Bridge Centennial Celebration Find even more events 🔗⬇️

Portland Timbers head coach Phil Neville is leaving the club, and the official word is that he and Timbers management mutually agreed to part ways.

Oregon is currently running some surprisingly affordable deals on…islands. That’s right, you can buy three small islands (only 20 acres total) in southern Oregon’s Lower Umpqua River for as little as $24,500. ⁠

It's officially Highball Week in Portland! We've partnered with 30 of the city's best bartenders to craft the perfect cocktails. All the details >> www.portlandmercury.com/cocktails/co...

Catch up on what our Portland Fire has been up to during their away games, what we have to look forward to, and a very handy primer on who's who in our WNBA team! Our Stephanie Kaloi introduces you to the players you should know ahead of the next home game on May 27 against the Connecticut Sun.

Three new albums worth listening to this weekend. In this Spin Cycle, we have Portland dream pop, noisy dance punk from the Big Apple, and Thai psych-rock.

A one-woman shop is quietly baking up some of the best cupcakes in Portland. Likely Ivy exclusively sells mini cupcakes, covering a range of traditional and experimental flavors and topped with a luscious, silky buttercream. But they're also secretly vegan.

Did you know that the world’s largest vinyl marketplace was founded and still headquartered in Portland? Since its Y2K launch, Discogs has blown the slipmats off the turntables as a database, vinyl marketplace, and an online community of millions of users across the globe.

“Grassroots organizing beat establishment Democrats.” That’s good news for “far-left” voters, like people who don’t like data centers, want to fund public schools and healthcare for everyone, support public transit and the environment, and yes, abolish ICE.

You already know that the Criterion Mobile Closet is pulling up to PAM, but what else is happening during PAM CUT's Cinema Unbound Awards? I broke down @portlandartmuseum.bsky.social's programming for @portlandmercury.com: www.portlandmercury.com/movies-and-t...

PAM CUT is becoming even more unbound for its 2026 awards show, expanding from a single glorious gala to a week of programming connected to the awards’ honorees—and other events that just get the vibe, like the Criterion Mobile Closet!

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!

The Portland Pickles just revealed the newest member of the roster: Wilma the Bat Dog. Wilma will make her bat retrieval debut during the team's home opener on May 26.

River enjoyers, take heed. There’s some stuff in the Sandy River between Oxbow Regional Park and Dabney State Rec. Area!⁠ ⁠ PLUS, things got heated during a city council budget meeting, and Providence Health Plan plans to stop offering health insurance next year.

20 incredbile concerts and live music experiences happening this week in Portland: Marisa Anderson, American Football, Melody's Echo Chamber and more!

The Portland Police Association (AKA the cop union) has a bone to pick with the city’s budding police accountability board.

Wu-Tang Clan deity GZA kept the Hawthorne Theatre crowd waiting for hours. Was it worth it? Read Holly Hazelwood's full concert review ⬇️

The @portlandmercury.com's coverage of this morning's City Council budget talks is LIVE. We covered several amendments concerning the Portland Clean Energy Fund, Public Environment Management Office, and tree permitting jobs. Stay tuned for more updates from @jeremiahhayden.bsky.social and me.

By popular demand, the @portlandmercury.com is back with live reporting from today's city budget talks. Today's amendments to Mayor Wilson's proposed budget include tweaks to parks, city jobs, shelter and displacement. Tune in for highlights from me and the inimitable @taylorgriggs.bsky.social.

Maria Bamford has written a memoir, starred in her own semi-autobiographical television series, and spent decades crafting stand-up comedy about her own life—in excruciatingly honest detail. Now she’s the subject of a documentary by Judd Apatow, Paralyzed By Hope: The Maria Bamford Story.

Oregonians destroy gas tax hike in Tuesday's election, Trump's settlement with the IRS is more evil than anyone thought, and guess which union is trying to take down Portland's police accountability board? Get all these headlines and more in this edition of GOOD MORNING, NEWS!

Who’s winning? Who’s losing? Get your latest election night results right here, Portland ⬇️

Facing a $160 million city budget gap, Portland city councilors are proposing a slew of amendments to Mayor Keith Wilson’s proposed 2026-27 budget...