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Good Morning, Portland! RAIN. You're so tired of it. But what about: "Rain" the fifth single from Madonna's 1992 Erotica? YOU COULD NEVER BE TIRED OF IT. It will rain all day today, and rain much less for the rest of the week. Now, about that news.
IN LOCAL NEWS:
⢠A man charged with arson and bias crimesâfor setting fire to the Muslim Community Center of Portland, as well as allegedly breaking windows at Portland-area synagogues Shir Tikvah and Beth Israel, among other actsâwas charged with additional federal hate crime charges Tuesday. Michael Bivins gained a tenuous level of local social media celebrity around 2016 for being that guy who will charge into the middle of Patriot Prayer / Proud Boy altercations to film the chaos on his smartphone, but he hasn't been active in journalism in years.Â
⢠Local PNW celeb Jinkx Monsoon made her Broadway debut Monday, playing Mama Morton in Chicago.
â¤ď¸ itâs opening night 𼚠@CBSNews https://t.co/37PNbvlOHl
â Jinkx Monsoon (@JinkxMonsoon) January 16, 2023
⢠In the first week of January, Multnomah County Animal Services paused taking in stray petsâsaying it didn't have room to house more. In subsequent days, the Oregonian reported on deep rooted issues at the center which led to poor conditions for the animals and confusion over why some had been euthanized. When it resumed normal servicesâactually allowing in-person adoptions for the first time since the pandemicâMultnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson called for a review of MCAS practices. That process will likely take a while, but the short term good news is: The shelter posted on its social media to say that many of its animals have been adopted.
⢠In this week's Savage Love:
In this week's SAVAGE LOVE: How many times have you asked yourself this: "Am I being used as a pawn in my lover's sex games with his primary partner?" đ¤https://t.co/EW9yJZNDzf
â Portland Mercury đ (@portlandmercury) January 17, 2023
IN NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
⢠"Free nugs," I whisper into your ear, sensually. We are not roleplaying. I'm just letting you know that (in theory) all McDonald's will be offering a free six-piece McNuggets to celebrate 40 years of the popular fast food menu item. Fox 8 in Cleveland reports that McDonalds sent them a press release saying there are free nugs today, January 18, only. You don't have to buy anything else, but you do have to use the app. The Mercury reached out to McDonalds for confirmation of the free nugs. NUGS UPDATE 12:30 pm: We  have confirmed today's free nugs (which may only be acquired using their app) with the McDonalds US press office.
@McDonalds can you confirm these free nugs allegations? https://t.co/5PRDEGPcu1
â Suzette Smith (@suzettesmith) January 18, 2023
⢠GROAN. Okay, George Santos news. Surprising very few, Rep. Santos' recent staff hires and caucus hangs seem to indicate he will somehow become even zanier and more conservative. The New York Times reports that he shows signs of toppling into the right-wing politics camp. Shocked, I am shocked.
⢠A Utah man who murdered his family before committing suicideâthe surviving family's Gofundme campaign received attention for including a photo of the family with their smiling murderer and later photoshopping an image of Jesus over himâhad been investigated two years prior for child abuse. The Associated Press reports that police records appear to contain warning signs of abuse: "The familyâs eldest daughter, detailed multiple assaults, including one where she was choked by her father and 'very afraid that he was going to keep her from breathing and kill her.'"
⢠This new music video for Andy Shauf's "Telephone"âanimated by Chad VanGaalenâ wishes you would call.