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Nimblefish chef to open Sushi Fukami downtown

With only eight seats and 23 courses, reservations are sure to fill up fast.

Food and Drink

Chef Cody Auger, the force behind Portland&#x27;s much-celebrated Nimblefish, is bringing a more intimate vision downtown with Sushi Fukami, an eight-seat omakase restaurant opening next month.The big picture: After a decade of building Nimblefish into one of the city&#x27;s most acclaimed sushi counters, Auger told Axios the new project is his chance to focus on a style of preparation rooted in traditional Japanese Edomae cuisine — meticulously cured seasonally driven bites.

10 things I've learned in 10 years in Portland

Portland still finds new ways to surprise me.

News

This summer marks a full decade since I moved to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Portland" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland" data-vars-content-id="2de0d41f-a5ac-4069-98ab-c4d09eb23229" data-vars-headline="10 things I&#x27;ve learned in 10 years in Portland" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland" target="_self">Portland</a>, the most beautiful and confounding city I&#x27;ve ever lived in.The big picture: I&#x27;ve seen the good, the great and the not-so-great.

Best and worst traffic times around Portland for July Fourth

The busiest holiday traffic is expected to start Thursday.

This will be the busiest July 4 week for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="travel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/29/summer-travel-prices-destinations" data-vars-content-id="cec93922-ac94-43a7-b143-f5ef8d0b8ab4" data-vars-headline="Best and worst traffic times around Portland for July Fourth" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/29/summer-travel-prices-destinations" target="_self">travel</a> around Portland since at least 2019, AAA predicts.Why it matters: The right departure time could save you hours in traffic.The big picture: The worst <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="July 4" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/15/trump-rally-july-4-celebration-dc" data-vars-content-id="cec93922-ac94-43a7-b143-f5ef8d0b8ab4" data-vars-headline="Best and worst traffic times around Portland for July Fourth" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/15/trump-rally-july-4-celebration-dc" target="_self">July 4</a> holiday traffic is expected to start Thursday, according to INRIX, a transportation data firm that works with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AAA" data-vars-click-url="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/06/72-2-million-americans-expected-to-travel-over-july-4th-week/" data-vars-content-id="cec93922-ac94-43a7-b143-f5ef8d0b8ab4" data-vars-headline="Best and worst traffic times around Portland for July Fourth" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/06/72-2-million-americans-expected-to-travel-over-july-4th-week/" target="_blank">AAA</a> to calculate travel times.State of play: To avoid the heaviest traffic, leave early in the day or consider driving on Monday or Tuesday, per INRIX.By the numbers: AAA expects 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles for Independence Day between Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, July 5.<ul><li>That&#x27;s up from 71.8 million travelers last year but a smaller jump than in recent years.</li></ul>Zoom in: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="biggest bottleneck" data-vars-click-url="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/06/72-2-million-americans-expected-to-travel-over-july-4th-week/" data-vars-content-id="cec93922-ac94-43a7-b143-f5ef8d0b8ab4" data-vars-headline="Best and worst traffic times around Portland for July Fourth" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/06/72-2-million-americans-expected-to-travel-over-july-4th-week/" target="_blank">biggest bottleneck</a> around Portland is expected between Portland and Hood River on I-84 heading east around 2:30pm Thursday.<ul><li>AAA predicts that trip will take an hour and 32 minutes, a 67% increase in travel time.</li></ul>The bottom line: Many other typical routes in and out of town will be jammed, too, so plan accordingly.

The hurdles in Kotek's economic prosperity roadmap

Rethinking the state's tax structure would be the most "politically difficult."

To revive Oregon&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sluggish economy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/03/10/portland-economy-business-tax-safety-concerns" data-vars-content-id="19b561ad-c0b2-4355-a234-7c4d910ddd22" data-vars-headline="The hurdles in Kotek&#x27;s economic prosperity roadmap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/03/10/portland-economy-business-tax-safety-concerns" target="_self">sluggish economy</a>, Gov. Tina Kotek&#x27;s Prosperity Council says the state needs to overhaul everything from its tax structure to its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="regulatory system" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/08/20/portland-s-construction-permitting-timeline-lags-behind-vancouver" data-vars-content-id="19b561ad-c0b2-4355-a234-7c4d910ddd22" data-vars-headline="The hurdles in Kotek&#x27;s economic prosperity roadmap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2025/08/20/portland-s-construction-permitting-timeline-lags-behind-vancouver" target="_self">regulatory system</a>.Why it matters: Business leaders have spent years warning that Oregon is losing out on jobs and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="billions of dollars in investment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/03/09/oregon-businesses-expand-out-of-state-growth-incentives" data-vars-content-id="19b561ad-c0b2-4355-a234-7c4d910ddd22" data-vars-headline="The hurdles in Kotek&#x27;s economic prosperity roadmap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/portland/2026/03/09/oregon-businesses-expand-out-of-state-growth-incentives" target="_self">billions of dollars in investment</a> due to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="red tape" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2026/02/12/oregons-economy-has-lagged-for-decades-some-blame-a-shrinking-workforce-and-too-much-red-tape/" data-vars-content-id="19b561ad-c0b2-4355-a234-7c4d910ddd22" data-vars-headline="The hurdles in Kotek&#x27;s economic prosperity roadmap" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wweek.com/news/state/2026/02/12/oregons-economy-has-lagged-for-decades-some-blame-a-shrinking-workforce-and-too-much-red-tape/" target="_blank">red tape</a>, workforce shortages and high costs.

The ultimate guide to summer camps in Portland

Parenting

Summer camp sign-up season is here, which means parents should be doing their homework now.Why it matters: Caregivers have to plan ahead or risk their kids being home alone over Oregon&#x27;s 10-week school vacation that starts June 15.