The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! I know it's a bit early for a cocktail, but... will it be in four days? Because that's when the Mercury kicks off its absolutely delicious HIGHBALL week: an entire 7 days of scrumptious, creative cocktails stirred up by the best barkeeps in town... and they're only $8 each! Now that you've been informed, let's take a sip of the NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• According to the latest “Domicile Unknown” report, issued by the Multnomah County Health Department along with Street Roots, more houseless people than ever are dying (at least 193 just last year) on the street. There was a chilling 53 percent increase of unsheltered folks dying between 2020 and 2021, and while drugs was a major reason why, they were also dying from homicides and... cold weather. Which brings us to our next topic....

• VERY MUCH RELATED: New Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez has put a stop to public safety bureau employees (including those in Portland Street Response) handing out tents and tarps to houseless people... even in freezing weather, putting who knows how many more folks in danger of hypothermia and death. (It's weird how someone who flat-out told you they were going to be cruel and thoughtless before the election, actually gets elected anyway and turns out to be cruel and thoughtless.)

The latest Domicile Unknown report shows that at least 193 people died while experiencing homelessness during the '21 calendar year. The number is up from 126 the previous year and the highest since MultCo began analyzing medical examiner deaths in 2011. https://t.co/g0gSXgJHdb

— Multnomah County, OR (@multco) February 15, 2023

At least 193 people who died in Multnomah County in 2021 were homeless at the time of their death, the highest number of houseless deaths ever recorded in a single year in Multnomah County. The county’s annual Domicile Unknown report, released Wednesday, found that nearly 80 percent of those deaths were not due to natural causes. 

“These numbers, while not surprising, are still incredibly heartbreaking to me,” Haven Wheelock, the Drug Users Health Services Program Supervisor at the health services organization Outside In, said during a press conference Wednesday. 

The Domicile Unknown report, compiled by county officials working directly with the county medical examiner’s office and members of the city’s unhoused population and their families, sheds light on the challenges unhoused county residents are facing. The name of the report refers to the phrase “domicile unknown” on the death certificates of people who do not have a known fixed address at the time of their death.

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD AFTERNOON, PORTLAND! Curious about how other people like to have their SEX? Then let's find out! Take the Mercury's super fun SEX SURVEY, and then we'll know how Portlanders do it, to whom they do it with, and the manner in which they DO IT. Now let's do it to it to some NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Anti-law gun lovers got the smack-down today when the Oregon Court of Appeals refused to entertain a patently ridiculous declaration from gun owners in Columbia County that state and federal firearm laws simply don't apply to them. This is also baaaaad news for the more than 1,900 counties across the nation who also plan on labeling themselves "Second Amendment Sanctuaries." (Somewhat unrelated, but just wanted to note The Cult's song "She Sells Sanctuary" is such a banger.)

Some good news for #gunsafety today – the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled that Columbia County cannot simply refuse to enforce gun safety laws passed by the Oregon legislature.

Common-sense requirements like safe storage and background checks exist to protect ALL Oregonians!

— Ellen Rosenblum (@ORDOJ) February 15, 2023

• Because he has such high regard for human life, new Commissioner Rene Gonzalez has put a stop to employees of public safety bureaus (including Portland Street Response) handing out tents and tarps to houseless people... in freezing weather. He claims it's to prevent fires from those trying to warm themselves... in freezing weather... but we know what he really means, because he's already made it clear on several occasions. 

Lack of access to shelter directly impacts your physical and mental health. Hypothermia continues to kill unhoused Portlanders every year. Don't lie to us and say this will "save lives." https://t.co/Xq5MLARMpl

— Brooke Jackson-Glidden (@jacksonglidden) February 15, 2023

Now that “Fool’s Spring” has sadly ended, I pray this message finds you well, and not in the midst of a weather-induced shopping frenzy. This Valentine’s day/week we’re falling head over heels for an upcoming PDX Jazz Fest show featuring co-headlining producers Omari Jazz and Kiefer, a new full-length from Portland rapper Bocha, and R&B singer Ella Mai's springtime tour.

MUST-SEE: 

Can’t miss upcoming events.                 

Kiefer + Omari Jazz (PDX Jazz Festival)

The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival starts tomorrow and one show that stands out—which is probably why its programmed near the end—is the co-headliner bill of Portland-based composer Omari Jazz and Los Angeles-based pianist Kiefer. Over the last few years, Omari Jazz has established himself as one of the most noteworthy and innovative producers from the region, and his latest beat tape, 2020’s immersive Dream Child, is just the tip of the iceberg. The album's liner notes contain pro-Black messages—”LOVE & SUPPORT BLACK PEOPLE NOW AND FOREVER”—as well as a poetic explanation of the album’s premise: ”Dreams are avatars of the subconscious / Refractions of the waking life / I offer these songs in ritual/ To tender my people's collective dream.” All of that together makes the title Dream Child feel more like words of encouragement than a noun, and revisiting it is a mission perfectly timed for Black History Month. Related news: Omari Jazz co-wrote a sci-fi short film with director Leah R. Brown—also titled Dream Child—that won Best Experimental honors at the 2022 Brooklyn Film Festival. (Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, Sat Feb 25, 9 pm, $25, tickets here, 21+)

CALLING ALL BOOZE LOVERS!

It's the triumphant return of the Portland Mercury's HIGHBALL! That's correct: Get ready for an ENTIRE WEEK (February 20-26) of specially crafted, original cocktails mixed by the best bartenders in town… and get this, they're only $8 each! 🤯 We've teamed up with the finest bars and restaurants in Portland—along with our cocktail-lovin' pals at Jim Beam—to bring you this one-of-a-kind booze-tacular! At each of Highball's locations, you'll find $8 specially crafted cocktails, and even better? They'll be available ALL DAY (not just during happy hour)! 

TAKE A LOOK AT ALL THE GORGEOUS, DROOL-WORTHY DRINKS HERE!

Stay tuned to portlandhighball.com and the Mercury for announcements—then plot your strategic course with the Highball map and set sail on a river of booze starting February 20! You'll get even more hot tips if you sign up for our email newsletters and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

Say, do you love the Mercury’s Food and Drink promotions (such as Highball, Burger Week, Pizza Week and more)? Then please consider becoming a recurring contributor to the Mercury. We would never be able to do these fun things without you!

So, are you ready for HIGHBALL? Great! Just remember a few friendly rules:

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good Morning, Portland!  It's like some opposite Santana ft. Rob Thomas situation out there this morning: a cold one. We're heading up to 45 degrees today, and then BACK DOWN to below freezing. Forecast for next week also looks cold as shit.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• Oregon lawmakers are once again attempting to float a statewide ban on selling prepared food packaged in single-use containers made of polystyrene foam (AKA Styrofoam). OPB's Dirk VanderHart reports "the bill got its first hearing before a Senate committee on Tuesday, with an array of environmental advocates lining up in support—even as restaurant representatives and industry players argued the bill is overkill." Previous attempts at passing a statewide a ban have fizzled and died, although many cities have issued their own.

• From the inbox: Over the summer, an invasive insect called the emerald ash borer was found for the first time on the West Coast—in Forest Grove. This is terrible news for ash trees and ash tree fans, as the jewel beetle is considered the most destructive bug to forests in North America. However, in anticipation of this, the Oregon Department of Forestry has spent the past three years collecting seeds from Oregon ash trees. "Researchers with the USDA will plant ash seeds where emerald ash borer is present in significant numbers and see if any of the seedling trees show resistance to the insect,” ODF Invasive Species Specialist Wyatt Williams explained in a press release. “If some trees survive, those resistant trees could become the basis for reintroducing the species to western Oregon. Resistant trees would be crossed with other Oregon ash to establish resistance while retaining genetic diversity.” 

• This news brief definitely got the staff write-up treatment, but it seems worth noting:

An incident in which a Portland police officer used deadly force is under investigation after the officer struck a man in the head with a shotgun while responding to a report of a stolen car.
https://t.co/G5X0suUzw1

— OPB (@OPB) February 14, 2023

• ICYMI, from yesterday's inbox: Portland City Council and the Portland Police Association (the union representing rank and file Portland police officers) have declared an impasse during their negotiations over body camera policy. That means that the city and police union will now enter arbitration—AKA a third party comes and helps them negotiate. While negotiations have been behind closed doors, the sticking point is most likely whether or not the police should be allowed to review the body camera footage before writing a report. The city and union will release their specific policy requests Friday. KGW also has a report on the impasse.

• Rumors of Portland's death have been grossly exaggerated:

With this lease, it looks like First Republic is not just remaining in Downtown Portland, but slightly expanding their footprint. https://t.co/RcvPDteJR2

— Iain (@maccoinnich) February 14, 2023

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good afternoon, Portland! Happy Valentines Day to all you cuties out there. My sweetheart today—and every day—is THE NEWS. Let's dive in.

In local news:

• Good news for “high earners:” Multnomah County and Metro announced Tuesday that they will not charge penalties or late fees to households who forgot to pay newly-created taxes that fund homeless services and universal preschool. One third of households making over six-figures in the region failed to pay Metro’s tax to fund homeless services, and county officials say some taxpayers also failed to pay a 2021 tax for universal preschool. However, because many eligible households were not notified that they had to pay the tax, the county and Metro are not punishing them for late payment.

• The latest on the booze scandal of the century: Governor Tina Kotek has picked Craig Prins, the inspector general for the Oregon Department of Corrections, to serve as interim director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Kotek’s selection follows the disgraced resignation of the former OLCC head Steve Marks, who used his position to set aside very expensive bottles of bourbon for him and his friends. Prins must be confirmed by the OLCC’s board Wednesday.

• SEX. DEBAUCHERY. SOME SILLY FUCK, MARRY, KILL QUESTIONS. All that and more in the Mercury’s revived sex survey! 

Calling all horny folks! 👀 The Mercury's scientifically hot Portland SEX SURVEY has returned! 😍 Take our anonymous survey and let's find out HOW you do it, WHO you're doing it with, and WHAT you're using to do it! 🍆https://t.co/L0IttI8nAK

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) February 14, 2023

Let’s say you’re a younger gay guy who’s been doing ethical FinDom (financial domination) for a few years and you’re good at it and you feel good about doing it because you take reasonable amounts of money, aka “tribute,” from your finsubs and you give value in return. In my case, I share sexy text messages, pics, and do meet ups with subs who’ve earned my trust. And let’s say one of your trusted subs — someone you’ve been draining in your own ethical way for a few years — offers to sign everything he has over to you. House, condo, vacation home, savings, stocks. Everything. This person says it’s their ultimate fantasy and they ask again and again. Do you have to say no? At what point can you ethically say yes? Let’s say this particular sub has no kids, no spouse, and his nearest relatives are Trump supporters and homophobes who were awful to him when he came out. He doesn’t want them to get anything. He says if I don’t take it all, he’s going to give it all to charity. I’m 32 (not that young, I guess) and he’s 72 and he’s not in great health. This would set me up for life and I would be able to help my parents out. Thoughts? What if I had to marry him to make it possible for tax reasons? Should I marry him? No one in their right mind would make an offer like this, right? I half expect him to come to his senses and think I’m a monster if I say yes. Can I do this and still think of myself as an ethical FinDom?

Seriously Entertaining This Unbelievable Possibility

P.S. I told him he could leave me whatever he wants in his will, but he says he wants to have the experience of giving it all to me while he’s still alive to enjoy it.

I shared your letter with three random gay dudes who do financial domination online...

Click here to read the rest of this week's Mini Savage Love (free-to-all).

HEY THERE, LOVE BIRDS! 💘

As you know, the Mercury has continued its annual tradition of publishing YOUR valentines to your shmoopy-woopy... FOR FREE. And so far we've received hundreds of mushy, ooey-gooey, deeply romantic missives of LOVE from all over Portland and beyond. So the question is... DID YOU GET ONE? 

Only one way to find out!  Go to the Mercury's Valentine page here and click on the "Browse/Search Valentines" box. You can scroll through and look for yours, or use our handy-dandy search function. Or just read them all if you're in the mood for a tsunami of hot 'n' heavy ROMANCE!

BUT DON'T FORGET! It's not too late to write a love note of your own! You have until February 17 to submit your Mercury Reader Valentine to that special lover in your life. And ohhhhhh... it's soooooo easy!

• Compose a 150-character love note designed to moisten and/or engorge the nethers of the one (or ones!) you love. (No mean stuff, spam, or gibberish, please!)

• If you like, we'll also send your beloved an email to let them know they've received an online valentine! Just enter their email in the appropriate box. (And while you're expressing your love, if you don't mind, you can help support the Mercury by making a $5 contribution to help keep us going. No pressure, of course. But you DO love us, right?)

• Hit "SUBMIT" and your valentine will pop up in our easily searchable database that's also on this page! 

• Pssst. On a similar topic: Looking for something sexy and fun to do this Valentine's Day season? How about watching the insanely sexy HUMP! Film Fest coming at ya to Revolution Hall starting March 3? Get those tickets here, hot stuff!

So what are you waiting for? Search through or submit your own FREE Mercury Reader Valentines now through February 17—thereby securing the love of your loved-one... FOREVER!

CALLING ALL SEX LOVERS (AND HAVERS)!

After a decidedly UN-horny pandemic break, the Mercury's annual SEX SURVEY is back, bay-beee (and presented by Lumera Regenerative Medicine)! If you've never taken one of our many sex surveys before, this is where we ask YOU and fellow Portlanders to reveal your deepest, darkest sexual secrets... but don't worry, it's completely ANONYMOUS. We want to find out WHAT you're doing (in the sack), HOW you're doing it, and WHO (not specifically) you're doing it to! 

Then in about two weeks, we'll round up all your answers, crunch the numbers, and reveal the absolutely FILTHY results in our super fun (and sexy) special feature story coming up on March 3! (Which is coincidentally the same day the intensely sexy HUMP! film festival kicks off in Portland. Huh, weird. Anyway, get your tickets here!)

Psst! If you enjoy the Mercury Sex Survey and all the crazy, sexy, cool and FREE things we do for you, please help us stay around forever by making a small (preferably monthly) contribution!

And now, let's share some dirty secrets, shall we? The survey should take you 7 minutes or less, feel free to skip questions if they don't apply to you, and remember it's ANONYMOUS. So let your inner-freak out to play! (Having trouble seeing the survey on your browser? YOU CAN ALSO TAKE THE SURVEY HERE!)

C'MON, YOU SEX FREAKS... LET'S DO IT, TO IT!

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good Morning, Portland! AND ALL HAIL MIGHTY AND TERRIBLE QUEEN OREGON. It is her birthday, and she is 164 fucking years old.

IN LOCAL NEWS:
• IT SNOWED. IT MELTED. LET'S GET ON WITH OUR LIVES. Unless you're dealing with a school late start or you live at the top of an icy hill. WHERE IS YOUR HUBRIS NOW—view-haver? Enjoy your gorgeous morning.

• The OLCC's director, Steve Marks, tendered his resignation Monday morning, after an internal investigation revealed that the commission's staff created a racket where they could buy rare bottles of bourbon. Although that may seem innocuous and like something anyone would do, government is for numbers-loving wonks and not charismatic favor-doers with lots of friends. The practice was allegedly widespread and even state lawmakers may have engaged in the dirty deals. If you are like "WTF is Pappy Van Winkle," here's an episode of Criminal that explains the widespread obsession with a perfectly fine bourbon.

• While Oregon currently restores voting rights to people who have been convicted of felonies, after they are released from prison, a new bill from a coalition of progressive legislators will, once again, aim to restore voting rights to those incarcerated for felonies. If they succeed, Oregon will be the first state in the nation to do so. Abe Asher reports.

• Colin Meloy of the Decemberists asked ChatGPT to write a Decemberists song, and then he played it. It's AWFUL. (And a must-listen, you're welcome.)

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

Good afternoon, Portland! It's time to brace yourself—not just for this possible snow, but also for... THE NEWS. 

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Speaking of that possible snow... three emergency shelters will open in the Portland area tonight at 8 pm, as forecasters are saying there could be between one to three inches of snowfall expected overnight. The shelters will then close at 7 am on Tuesday. TriMet will provide rides to anyone going to or from a shelter, regardless of their ability to pay. For more info, check out Isabella Garica's story. 

• A coalition of progressive legislators and organizations are again pushing to make Oregon the first state in the country to restore voting rights to people incarcerated for felonies. A similar bill failed in the state legislature in 2021 and 2022, but there's a sense this year that it has a chance to pass and re-enfranchise some 12,000 Oregonians. 

For the third time in as many years, Oregon lawmakers are looking to expand voting rights to incarcerated Oregonians. https://t.co/EQNlxDA0N6

— Portland Mercury 🗞 (@portlandmercury) February 13, 2023

• The Oregonian is reporting that Mayor Ted Wheeler's office appears to have selected a privately-owned, lightly-used property in the Central Eastside between the Brooklyn and Hosford-Abernethy neighborhoods as the future site of one of the city's oh-so-very humane, oh-so-very-well-thought-out large tent encampments. Sam Adams is presumably celebrating the news somewhere. 

Three emergency shelters will open in the Portland area Monday as the region braces for freezing temperatures and possible snowfall. The shelters will open 8 pm Monday and close at 7 am Tuesday, February 14, when rising temperatures are expected to melt any potential snow accumulation. While temperatures aren’t expected to drop below 32 degrees, a winter weather advisory is in place from 10 pm Monday to 10 am Tuesday.

According to the National Weather Service, there is an 80 percent to 90 percent chance of snow during the early hours of February 14. Forecasts predict low-elevation areas could see between one and three inches of snow. 

This week, we've got a sleek schedule of events to put on your radar, from the 2023 Biamp Portland Jazz Festival to Eagles: Hotel California Tour and from FAN EXPO Portland to Portland Mardi Gras Ball. For more ideas, check out our full Valentine's Day guide.

MONDAY

FILM

Decision to Leave (Special Re-Release)
Park Chan-wook, the visionary director behind Oldboy and The Handmaiden, won Best Director at Cannes in 2022 for this stylish thriller. Decision to Leave begins with a man falling to his death from a Korean mountain peak, and unravels into a sensual noir with subtle nods to Vertigo. This one-night-only screening of the film includes a new pre-recorded conversation between Park and Academy Award winner Bong Joon-ho (Parasite).
(Cinema 21, Nob Hill)