As the "boom" of AI continues to careen along with hardly any guard rails in sight, what's to become of "natural intelligence"? In the latest edition of THE BLACK BYLINE, Donovan Scribes digs into the runaway train of AI and how its "helping hand" could lead humanity to even deeper disconnection.

As the city and county weigh contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to a Moda Center renovation project that could cost the public more than the $600 million requested by the team, questions are mounting about the rush to approve funding for arena upgrades.

Lloyd Center Mall will officially close to the public this August, the Trail Blazers playoff schedule, The Department of War recites a fake bible verse from Pulp Fiction, and should the city, county, and state contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to a renovation project at the Moda Center?

Lloyd Center Mall will close its doors this summer, according to a public announcement by the owners.

Calling all brainiacs! It's time for another edition of the funnest trivia quiz in town, POP QUIZ PDX! Among this week's head scratchin' questions: Franz Bakery's spinning loaf, our badass Blazers, and what will you choose for your next highly regrettable tattoo? See how well YOU score!

A state ethics complaint against city councilors for getting pro-bono legal help was officially dismissed last week. The OGEC found no conflict, saying officials can get job-related legal services if done properly. The attorney called it a win for local democracy under Portland’s new government.

The Good Morning, News is here! ⬇️ - A Manhattan federal jury has found that Live Nation maintained a harmful monopoly - Eight members of the Oregon Army National Guard prepared to be sent to the Middle East at a ceremony held Wednesday - Show me that AI Val Kilmer, if it’s so great, you cowards!

Sean Christensen's show Memory Foam, now up at Never Coffee's SW 12th location, explores his childhood memories and the way familiar places transform over time—including Mount Saint Helens. The results are colorful, layered, and a little weird, just how we like it.

Mercury Music Picks is back! This week, check out shows from hip-hop royalty the Pharcyde, emo heartthrobs AFI, Portland Panorama's Karaoke from Hell, and local favorite Nonbinary Girlfriend.

A new bagel shop just opened in Portland, and lines are forming around the block. PLUS new spots for pizza and wine just debuted in PDX. All the local restaurant news ⬇️

For the @portlandmercury.com I reviewed the latest, among latests, from Steven Soderbergh

Is Triangle's Savannah Sipping Society modeled on The Golden Girls? Maybe, maybe not. But we will tell you who among the play’s cast is our Rose, Blanche, Dorothy, and so forth. Just a few shows left! Full review ⬇️

It’s Tax Day, meaning today is the deadline to file your state and federal taxes. It’s also the deadline to file your city of Portland Arts Tax. PLUS, the Blazers are playoff-bound, EPA could relax standards for recycling plants that break down plastic via a chemical method, & more ⬇️

I couldn't help but think of @donovanscribes.bsky.social's "Portland Nice" column when I saw Nice People at Imago Theatre for @portlandmercury.com: www.portlandmercury.com/theater/port...

The state ethics board has fined the local social media influencer Kevin Dahlgren for violating state law when he worked in homeless services for the city of Gresham. Dahlgren faced previous legal peril in a Multnomah County criminal case over the same conduct, but state ethics law still applies.

Justin Hocking’s first full-length memoir, The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld, won the 2015 Oregon Book Award for creative nonfiction, and now his second is in competition for the 2026 prize.

The Trail Blazers ended the regular season with big back-to-back home wins. Tonight, they face the Suns in the play-in tournament. If they win, the Blazers secure the 7th seed in the NBA Playoffs and a date with the San Antonio Spurs.

Local advocates push back on the city for giving the green light to Zenith, the Portland Fire goes international with their draft picks, and Trump is in hot water with MAGA for depicting himself as Christ. All this and more in GOOD MORNING, NEWS!

Environmental advocates delivered a letter to Mayor Keith Wilson's office, rejecting the process and results of the city's investigation into Zenith Energy.

Welcome to Portland, Iyana Martin! Martin was the MVP of the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2023, and was named the EuroLeague Women Young Player of the Year for 2024-25.

Your curated guide to the top local events in Portland this week (April 13-19): Oklou delivers soothing French vocals, Making Earth Cool pregames for Earth Day with a screening of archival nature films, and Moment's new thing is a regional woodwind conference.

The latest edition of Street View is here with tons of Portland transportation news: How Portland intends to rebuild bike culture, the e-bike rebate program just launched, and the Portland City Council seems poised to adopt a transportation utility fee.

🗳️People are turning to online betting markets to weigh in on who they think will win Oregon’s Republican gubernatorial primary ⁠🏀The Blazers are headed to Phoenix in the NBA Play-In Tournament⁠ 🥯Portland’s hot new bagel spot⁠ 🙏Pope Leo and the Vatican respond to Trump's rant⁠ Good Morning, News ⬇️

We're just 7 days away from the launch of the Portland Mercury's PIZZA WEEK featuring 70 of the top pizza spots in PDX.

"I'll wake up... all I need are these Mercury stories and a hefty pile of cocaine." Catch up on all the great Mercury stories you may have missed this week with our SUNDAY READING LIST! 🗞️☕

The Portland Trail Blazers sank the Los Angeles Clippers battleship last night at Moda. In the biggest Blazers game since 2021, Matisse Thybulle and Donovan Clingan squeezed the orange on both sides of the court.

The Ladds 500 turned a Portland neighborhood into a bustling, joyous cyclist’s paradise.

Northeast Portland has an under-the-radar, weekends-only spot for killer bagels.

The Thompson Elk Statue is back in downtown Portland. A community celebration and official unveiling is set for this Sunday from 1pm-4pm.

Of the top 30 intersections in the city with the highest number of reported collisions, 26 are on or east of 82nd Avenue, according to 2019-2023 city data.

We find many kinds of “nice” in Nice People, a new comedy-drama by Imago Theatre co-founder Carol Triffle. There’s performative niceness and a request that one character explain (nicely) that they are, in fact, not a threat (nice). This is a play written for the "Portland Nice."

I wrote about the exciting and inviting bike races in Portland this season for the @portlandmercury.com Transportation Issue www.portlandmercury.com/transportati...

Did you know the Mercury’s monthly issues are now delivered via electric cargo trikes? Today, we rode along with B-Line from SE Portland to downtown see the delivery of the new transportation issue.

The Mercury‘s April issue is called “Joyride,” and it’s all about transportation in Portland.⁠

Management says the move was necessary for health and safety. Staff call it ethically questionable. And the 47 women who were unexpectedly told they’d need to transfer to a different drug and alcohol treatment facility say the process has been traumatic.

As local governments face grueling budget cycles, they're left to decide how to spend resources to address homelessness. Over 9 months, a PSU research team asked homeless residents what they need, and the report offers nuance to what studies find are effective ways to address homelessness.

Portland almost demolished a good chunk of Southeast for a freeway. Almost! I wrote a bit about the never-constructed Mount Hood Freeway for the @portlandmercury.com Transportation Issue.

The Broadway Bridge will finally reopen this weekend—Sunday, April 12. It's been undergoing a deck replacement since October 2025. It just so happens to coincide with the launch of the Mercury's NEW transportation issue. Read more >> www.portlandmercury.com/good-morning...

A Cannes-winning film about a romance between a human and a possessed vacuum is playing in Portland for one night only. A Useful Ghost tells the tender story of a wife who returns to haunt her husband as a vacuum cleaner before jumping the shark into an anti-authoritarian queer horror rom-com.

A group of volunteers and local businesses just repainted Portland's Rainbow Road. The small, but colorful pedestrian and cyclist plaza is populated by small businesses such as Gorges Beer Co., Moonshot Tavern, and Crema.

Oregon Congressional Dems US Senator Jeff Merkley and US Rep. Maxine Dexter joined Senator Cory Booker (D—New Jersey) for a joint press conference in Portland Tuesday afternoon to condemn the threats of Donald Trump toward Iran. That same afternoon, the US agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran.

The city of Portland has finally reached an agreement with owners of the downtown Ritz Carlton building that will add nearly $8 million in funding for the city’s affordable housing projects.

To the shock of no one, hubby did something NAUGHTY. But do his reasons for stepping out justify his actions? Dan Savage and a guest expert issue a ruling in this week's edition of SAVAGE LOVE.

From Sweden to Portland with love, queer rave queen Cobrah turned Wonder Ballroom into a sweaty, euphoric dance hall. Andrew Jankowski was on hand to throw ass and capture the energy.

Today's top headlines: • Trump threatens "a whole civilization will die tonight" • Rene Gonzalez sues city of Portland • A driver sped the wrong way through downtown Portland before crashing the car through barriers at Waterfront Park and into the Willamette River More news ⬇️

On April 14, the legendary Franz Bakery will celebrate 120 years in Portland. The block party, which begins at 9am, will include a grilled cheese machine.

A very serene afternoon at Laurelhurst Park.

The state of Oregon and the city of Portland may be gearing up to give hundreds of millions of dollars of public money to help finance renovations to the 31-year-old Moda Center—and organized labor wants something in return.

This week in Do This, Do That: David Byrne, Lan Su's magnolia festival, and vegan Indonesian food courtesy of the Wajan and Veganizer collab. Plus, the April 10 Blazers vs. Clippers game is their "most important in half a decade," and more!

Barbara Forever puts—according to our critic HR Smith—“the body-ody-ody in body of work.’” Brydie O’Connor’s new doc provides a delightful survey of Barbara Hammer’s experimental films—synthesizing the joy of throwing oneself into strange and improbable art projects with a lot of dyke drama.