NEW: Portland Councilor Loretta Smith allegedly fired a staffer for union organizing. An unfair labor practice complaint, filed today, claims Smith showed increasingly hostile behavior to the worker following the union announcement, culminating in his termination last week.

The new union representing Portland City Council staff filed a complaint alleging Councilor Loretta Smith retaliated against and eventually fired a staffer for his role in union organizing.

Submit your own Portland Valentine! 💝 Do you love “love”? Then send your sweetie, pal, pet, or potted plant a FREE Mercury Valentine! The first 200 will be published in our February print issue (but all will be printed online)!

The Mercury has obtained a series of images of group messages that show racist, sexist, and homophobic tropes used by a local developer and other local conservative political activists during a council president election. Readers may find this content offensive.

Eight local and national stories to start the morning in Portland. A mask ban could go into effect in PDX for law enforcement Bodies found at a local recycling facility Members of DOJ's civil rights division have resigned. More at the 🔗⬇️

The top events this week in Portland! This week, artist Elizabeth Knight presents her dog embroideries, and Steve Gunn takes over Polaris Hall. Plus, the Studio Ghibli Film Festival returns to OMSI! Full guide ⬇️

OMSI’s Studio Ghibli Film Festival returns this January! Several other screenings this month in remind us that the repertory cinema scene is alive and kicking in Portland, even in the dark of winter.

LAST CALL! The Portland Mercury is currently hiring for a managing editor to support our incredible 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!)⁠

Big trouble for two Portland cops, the latest on last week’s shooting by Border Patrol agents, and Trump tries to shift blame on the crumbling economy by… checks notes… launching a criminal investigation into the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell? 🙄 It’s GOOD MORNING, NEWS! 👋🗞️

“Reading all these Mercury stories is easier than ever now that my eyelids have been removed!” Catch up on all the terrific Mercury articles you may have missed this week with our SUNDAY READING LIST! 🗞️

Two Portland Police officers are facing scrutiny after one was caught on camera repeatedly punching a protester while another was reassigned after he was filmed defending the deadly shooting of Renee Good by ICE agents in Minnesota.

Hundreds of Portlanders gathered at Terry Schrunk Plaza this afternoon for a vigil honoring the victims and survivors of ICE and Border Patrol violence.

Saddle up, smarty-butt! It’s time for another super fun POP QUIZ PDX. In this week’s entertaining local trivia quiz: realistic fake IDs, questionable New Year’s resolutions, and Donald Trump’s Parade of Ding-Dongs and Door Knobs ! (AKA the parade that never ends) See how well YOU score!

If you're looking for some escapism this weekend, find community at events from the First Annual Gigantic Hot Dish & Casserole Competition to an N/A Fest at John's Marketplace and from Into the Night: A Twin Peaks Prom to the Radical Harvest Craft Faire and Clothing Swap.

The DHS has identified the man & woman shot Thurs. by a US Border Patrol agent. According to DHS, Luis David Nico Moncada was driving the vehicle that agents tried to conduct a traffic stop on. Moncada and his passenger, Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras, were both shot during the traffic stop.

7 local and national stories to start the morning in PDX. -A day after a woman was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minnesota, two people were shot by a Border Patrol agent Thursday afternoon in Portland. -New date set for City Council President vote All the morning news ⬇️

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield says his office will open a formal investigation into the shooting of two people by federal agents in East Portland Thursday afternoon. Story update >> www.portlandmercury.com/good-morning...

Vigil/press conference featuring six city councilors ends with an “abolish ICE” chant and the Portland crows circling overhead.

Updated: A DHS spokesperson claims a Portland victim shot by a border patrol agent today "weaponized" their vehicle, leading the agent to fire. The Trump administration made a similar claim following the killing of a woman in Minneapolis yesterday, though video apparently contradicts that assertion.

At the last-minute vigil at Portland City Hall, organized to honor the two people shot this afternoon by federal agents. Several Portland councilors will hold a press conference here starting in 10 min.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers have shot two people in Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau. The shooting took place at 2:18 pm on Southeast Main street, but the victims, one male and one female, were found at 146th and East Burnside minutes later.

The council pause was related to the ICE shooting, so councilors could be briefed on the incident. Council is back in session to elect a president. Full story incoming @portlandmercury.com

There have been no security threats to staff or anyone reported to security here, according to the security team lead for council protection detail.

Portland city council was abruptly recessed moments ago and councilors are now in a meeting. High tensions but no one is talking in an official capacity at the moment. Will keep you posted.

It's FREE ticket Thursday in Portland! Enter to win free tickets to some of the best shows and events Portland has to offer. ⁠ ⁠ This week 🎊⁠ 🎟️ Welcome to Night Vale at Revolution Hall⁠ 🎟️ Fan Expo at the Oregon Convention Center ⁠ 🎟️ Maximalist Dreamscapes at the newly renovated Whitsell Auditorium

A Portland man is suing several government entities, alleging he served prison time for causing a fatal overdose that never happened.

Saddle up, smarty-butt! It’s time for another super fun POP QUIZ PDX. In this week’s entertaining local trivia quiz: realistic fake IDs, questionable New Year’s resolutions, and Donald Trump’s Parade of Ding-Dongs and Door Knobs ! (AKA the parade that never ends. 😑) See how well YOU score!

After a full day of deliberation and several tense rounds of votes on Wednesday, City Council still hasn't chosen its next president. The Council is scheduled to reconvene this afternoon.

A call for Portland Book Fest to divest from banks that profit from the destruction of Palestine has grown into a collective that programs events to raise awareness across the city. An upcoming event presents an opportunity to hear the winner of the 2024 National Book Award for Poetry.

The top news stories to start the day in Portland ⬇️ -Portland City Council did not succeed in approving a new council president. -Portlanders hold vigil for woman who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis -New food pyramid just dropped

In the fall, a group called Literary Portland for Palestine asked Portland Book Festival to divest from Wells Fargo sponsorship funding. They've since grown into a collective working to raise awareness. And because they're a literary organization, they're doing it with poems.

City Council remains deadlocked on a council president vote after more than 6 hours of deliberations and several rounds of voting. Conversations have devolved into mud-slinging and a full-on airing of grievances.

More than 2 hours in to the City Council leadership vote, the Council remains locked in a tie after 2 rounds of voting. Councilors Elana Pirtle-Guiney and Sameer Kanal are the two nominees for council president.

All the news you need to start your morning in Portland: - Portland is set to elect a new City Council President - The CPB Board recently began reducing its operations after Congress voted to defund the entity - Trump’s DOJ won’t let up on its petty attempts at retribution against Portland

Portland City Council is set to decide who will hold the council president’s gavel for the next year. It’s the first item on Wednesday morning’s agenda, which is scheduled for two hours, but if last year’s election is any indication, you’ll want to bring a snack. 🍿

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is planning to exit some homeless residents from the city’s alternative shelters, instead referring them to emergency overnight shelters and day centers.

If you think January is slow for music in Portland, think again! This, the first Mercury Music Picks of the year, is packed to the brim with music and (music) film. You just have to choose your own adventure from these 10+ local events! 🎵

It’s another edition of Savage Love “Quickies” in which Dan answers your sexiest Qs lickity-split! Including: trauma turn-ons, sweet chastity (belts), a life without kink, and lots more!

Facing a $300 million budget gap, Portland transit service TriMet just announced another round of service cuts coming in August. PLUS 7 more stories to start your day in Portland 👇

“We’re seeing the same buildup of lies about Venezuela that we saw in the ramp-up of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan... the same, tired old lies being bandied about like we’ve never heard them before,” a member of About Face PDX said to the crowd. Full story >> www.portlandmercury.com/news/2026/01...

Hundreds of Portlanders show up to protest Trump’s illegal attack on Venezuela, JD Vance’s house was vandalized, and a new Oregon ID scanning law just dropped. It’s GOOD MORNING, NEWS! 👋 📰

The new album by Dustbunny just dropped with massive helpings of dream pop, and shoegaze energy. Is it an early contender for a Best Portland Album of 2026? The quintet are throwing their album release party TONIGHT at Mississippi Studios with fellow future legends Femme Cell and Pileup.

Oregon stores can now swipe your driver’s license or ID every time you buy alcohol or cannabis, even if you’re 65 years old and clearly not a teenager trying to score beer.

According to weatherspark.com, in Oregon, “the cloudiest part of the year begins around October 7 and lasts for 8.1 months.” Here are just a few tips for beating down the Seasonal Affective Disorder beast.

I reviewed Bi Gan's RESURRECTION for the Mercury... Portland, you have very few chances to see this in theaters this weekend. My recommendation? You should.

Is it 2026 yet? Wake up and see how much YOU remember about the weirdest and wildest happenings of 2025 with the latest super fun edition of POP QUIZ PDX! Including: Ugly dogs! Celebrity visitations! Blithering presidents! And YOUR vote for the most villainous villain of 2025! 👿

A new must-see film to start the new year in Portland: Resurrection. In the near-future, humans no longer dream, because they’ve figured out that dreaming is what prevents us from being immortal. “People not dreaming is like [sic] candles that do not burn—they can exist forever!”

On the off chance you're New Year's Day-ing at the movies, consider this great recommendation / review from @sinacolad.bsky.social of Bi Gan’s 'Resurrection.' Portlanders be warned; it's a pretty limited engagement for this sci-fi existential banger.

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.