Portland-based aid group Mercy Corps is rebranding as Prosper Global and shifting its mission.

Why it matters: The shift reflects declining U.S. aid funding, rising global need and a move to partner more directly with communities.

What they're saying: "We believe strongly that what these communities need is prosperity, not mercy," chief development officer Mary Stata told Axios.

• "It really reflects our mission," Stata added, "centering our program participants as leaders, not as passive recipients of humanitarian aid."

Zoom in: The new brand was the product of nearly a decade of internal conversations, according to Stata.

• The name Mercy Corps had religious and militaristic connotations the organization is hoping to shed, she said, and was difficult to translate in some languages.
• "We increasingly felt like our current identity was no longer representing our values… or able to really represent our work with clarity," Stata said.

By the numbers: Prosper Global distributed roughly $500 million in aid last year, per financial statements from the organization.

• The organization reached roughly 37 million people in 35 different countries — including conflict zones in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and, most recently, in Lebanon as war in the Middle East continues to impact civilian population centers.
• The Trump administration shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development — which managed some $43 billion in appropriations and assisted approximately 130 countries with disaster relief and economic development in fiscal year 2023.

The bottom line: More than 300 million people are in "urgent need" of humanitarian relief, Stata said, a number that has "more than doubled in the past four to five years."

• "The humanitarian system is being pushed beyond its limits," she added. "The absence of U.S. aid could not come at a worse time."

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Portland's arts tax is under fresh scrutiny after a critical report from the city auditor.

Why it matters: The program hasn't ensured that the funds collected — an average of more than $11 million annually — improve access to the arts, and the city "is not holding grantees to specific outcomes," per City Auditor Simone Rede's report.

Catch up quick: The $35 income tax was approved in 2012 to pay for increased access to arts programs for young people and provide funding for arts organizations.

• But residents must log in to a city website to pay the tax, separate from normal tax filings, and can accrue late charges if not paid on time.

Follow the money: From its launch through fiscal year 2024–25, the tax generated about $146 million, according to the report.

• Of the more than $12 million generated last year, $2 million went to collection and administrative costs; $7.8 million went to six Portland-area schools; and another $2.1 million went to the Office of Arts & Culture.

Between the lines: Last month, reporting from OPB showed that $9 million in arts tax money sat unused even as arts nonprofits have seen funding from the city decline.

What they found: The auditor recommended the city implement clear goals and metrics for arts tax money to make sure the funds are being used effectively.

What's next: In a response to the audit, city administrator Raymond Lee said city officials "generally agree" with the report's recommendations and were working to put fixes in place.

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📚 Portland Public Schools is looking to cut three instructional days from the calendar over the next three months as it aims to trim a $14 million budget deficit. (The Oregonian)

⚖️ The Trump administration is again appealing a ruling by a local federal judge that put limits on when chemical munitions can be used outside of an ICE facility in South Portland. (OPB)

🐳 Whale watch week is upon us! More than 10,000 migratory gray whales will be traveling past the Oregon coast as they make their way from Mexico to the Arctic for summer feeding. (The Oregonian)

👩🏾‍⚖️ U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson spoke with seniors and mock trial members at Jefferson High School this week before a sold-out talk at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. (KOIN)

The Portland City Council said yesterday they will begin exploring options to rename César E. Chávez Boulevard after sexual abuse allegations dating back decades were made against the revered union leader. (OPB)

Sean Carmack is bringing a generations-old family doughnut business back to life in his home kitchen, just steps away from North Portland's Peninsula Park.

Carmack's "spudnut" recipe — doughnuts made with potato flour — can be traced back to 1953, when his great-grandfather took over a small shop in Bountiful, Utah. It was a cult-classic success for four decades until a fire and failed revival attempt shut it down for good.

• He tinkered with production and product development for two years, but a recent layoff was the catalyst for rebuilding the bustling restaurant he remembers from his childhood.

Carmack launched his namesake doughnut shop in January, operating under Oregon's cottage food laws. The menu is tight, offering just six options: classic glaze, rose, black walnut, cardamom-cinnamon and fried cinnamon rolls topped with either chocolate or vanilla.

• The potato flour gives each bite a gentle, yet distinct "potato-roll-like fluffiness," Carmack said. "You realize you're tasting something that's not quite like anything you've tried."

Demand has steadily grown over the last few months — with weekend sellouts becoming more common — and Carmack said he hopes to eventually turn the operation into a brick-and-mortar neighborhood spot with the same energy the original shop was known for.

• "It was a really important place for the community," he said.

If you go: Carmack's Doughnuts (5927 N. Borthwick Ave.) is open Thursday through Sunday from 8:05am to noon or sellout.