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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋

If you need some big laughs this winter—AND I BET YOU DO—then do something about it and get your tickets now for the Mercury's 2025 UNDISPUTABLE GENIUSES OF COMEDY show coming at ya Thursday, March 20 at Revolution Hall. Hosted by the hilarious Adam Pasi (with special guest Monhanad Elshieky!), it also features the best of Portland's comedic talent and up & comers that you need to know about! Trust me, it's the funniest night of the year! And now let's peruse some up & coming NEWS. 

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• WEATHER... it's happening! While we're off to a dry, frigid start this morning, sleet and/or freezing rain is heading toward us from the south, and is expected to hit Portland at around 10 am (it's already snowing and sticking in my Southeast neighborhood). The National Weather Service predicts anywhere from a half inch to three inches of snow throughout the day and could continue until Friday afternoon. To make matters more uncomfortable, we could be seeing high winds with gusts topping 40 mph at times, bringing the windchill factor down to the low teens in some areas. More than 110 schools in northwest Oregon are already closed, so take care not to get stuck in the possible upcoming mess, which could be causing significant problems by noon today.

• And with temperatures so frigid, it's also important to look out for our houseless neighbors or those who might need to be checked up on. Multnomah County has opened six warming shelters (find those here), adding that no one will be turned away, the locations are accessible to those with disabilities, and pets are welcome. In addition, TriMet has announced that no one will be denied a ride to a shelter (just inform the driver as you board). If you need a ride to a shelter, dial 211 for information. And if you see someone suffering from the cold who may need help, call the non-emergency response line at 503-823-3333 and ask for a welfare check. Take care of yourselves and each other out there—we all need you around!

PBOT crews worked overnight, placing 8,300 gallons of liquid anti-icer. 

The National Weather Service has advised PBOT that Portland will experience a wintry precipitation mix of snow and freezing rain starting this morning.

Delay travel & stay home if you can!  

www.portland.gov/transportati...

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— Portland Bureau of Transportation  (@pbotinfo.bsky.social) February 13, 2025 at 7:36 AM

• As the bumbling MAGAts of the Trump Administration seek to confuse and discourage the rest of us with their onslaught of horrible, cruel, and often illegal executive orders, Oregonian lawmakers and protesters are fighting back with multiple, successful lawsuits and showing up in force to show the world we don't stand for this sort of bullshit. Having trouble keeping up with all the action? Our Courtney Vaughn and Kevin Foster have this informative roundup of what our state's public servants and demonstrators are doing to fight the good fight.

• In sporty-sports news: The formerly hot Portland Trail Blazers have seen their recent winning streak heartlessly broken, losing three games in a row including last night's defeat to the Denver Nuggets, 132-121. It didn't help that our team was down three good players—Deandre Ayton, Scoot Henderson, and Jerami Grant—all of whom are on the bench with injuries.

• The Oregon Zoo's newest (and freaking cutest!) baby elephant now has a name: Tula-Tu, which was chosen by zoo staff to honor her mother, Rose-Tu, and means "balanced" in Sanskrit to symbolize the "harmony and stability" Tula-Tu is expected to bring to the herd. Say it with me, "TULA-TUUUUUUUU!"

😍😍😍   Oregon zoo

• Get the latest music news from Jenni Moore's always excellent HEAR IN PORTLAND! This week: an EP release show featuring Dreckig, Lo Steele spends Valentine's Day at the Fixin’ To, and a new, intimate monthly concert series that takes place in... [*checks notes*]... a laundry room? A laundry room! 😀

YES, there's still time to submit your FREE Mercury reader valentine! Send us your sweetest, mushiest 150 character love note to your shmoopie-woopie... and also check to see if someone sent YOU a valentine! 👀❤️😍

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— Portland Mercury (@portlandmercury.com) February 12, 2025 at 10:02 AM

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• Anti-vax crackpot (and animal mutilator) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing a Senate vote today to decide if the wildly unqualified conspiracy theorist will become America's next health secretary. He's expected to win the post handily, so now the best we can hope for is Elon Musk accidentally laying him off in his mass purge of the federal government. Meanwhile, (the also wildly unqualified) pro wrestling maven Linda McMahon is being questioned by the Senate today in her bid to become education secretary—which if she's successful could find herself quickly out of a job if President Musk decides to shut down the Department of Education. 🤪

“So far what we’re seeing is a lot of costs and a lot of chaos.”

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— Raw Story (@rawstory.com) February 13, 2025 at 7:44 AM

• Meanwhile, a Boston judge has given the go-ahead for Trump's federal government buyout plan, which was temporarily paused after a labor union challenged it in court. Saying that the union itself was not directly affected by the plan, the judge is allowing the buyout to continue, but pointedly added that the ruling "did not address the underlying lawfulness of the program." So expect more lawsuits in the days ahead.

• Today in "clear conflicts of interest": "Trump administration set to purchase $400 million worth of armored Teslas." Apparently he wants America to be laughed off the battlefield.

Southern California's strongest atmospheric river storm of the winter is arriving Thursday, and it's expected to bring significant flooding to roads and a high risk of landslides. Here's what you need to know.

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— The Los Angeles Times (@latimes.com) February 13, 2025 at 7:00 AM

• At least 28 people were injured when a driver plowed his car into a labor union demonstration in Munich yesterday. The suspect is thought to have picked his group of victims at random.

• After a brief pause, Hamas is saying they will continue the release of hostages—a move that was probably precipitated by Israel's threats to continue "military operations" (i.e. bombing the shit out of Gaza) if Hamas broke the truce. 

• And finally... everybody needs a friend like "Nunchuck Tylor."

@nunchucktylor Nunchuck Tylor wants to be your friend #fyp #fypシ #fypage #fypシ゚viral #viralvideo #viraltiktok #awesome ♬ original sound - NunchuckTylor