National parks are facing serious service issues as Trump's government shutdown continues into its 12th day. Credit: OLIVIER DOULIERY / GETTY IMAGES

Stay up to date on Portland news and politics. Looking for fun? Here are the best Things to Do in Portland today.

National parks are facing serious service issues as Trumps government shutdown continues into its 12th day.
National parks are facing serious service issues as Trump’s government shutdown continues into its 12th day. OLIVIER DOULIERY / GETTY IMAGES

Good morning, Portland! Here’s your first Good Morning, News of the year—as your favorite goths like to say, “New Year, New Tears!”

Today will have a high of 45, a low of 32, and no precipitation—it’s like 2019 isn’t even trying, weather-wise.

Here are the headlines.

Reservation Woes: The New York Times reported yesterday that thanks to a federal government shutdown that is entering its 12th day, Native American tribes aren’t receiving necessary funding for health care, food pantries, or employee wages. “The federal government owes us this: We prepaid with millions of acres of land,” said Aaron Payment, the chairman of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe, to the Times.

Park Problems: The government might still be shut down, but people’s digestive systems keep on running, which is causing a big problem for our national parks. Without federal employees around to keep the park system running smoothly, a pile-up of “human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior” is plauging iconic parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone.

Tech Bugs: The stock market is coming off its worst year in a decade, and this morning Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Netflix all saw deep dips in their share prices. Stock prices alone might not mean much for the average American—and considering Netflix has been spying on our Facebook messages, seeing it take a dive isn’t exactly heartbreaking—but the stock market could be a barometer for a pending 2019 recession.

The Art of the Deal With the Devil: Donald Trump will meet with congressional leaders today, ostensibly in an attempt to end the government shutdown before the new congressional session starts tomorrow. Quick prediction: Trump backs down on border wall funding without admitting that’s what he’s doing. Also, Nancy Pelosi will wear a fabulous coat, but it won’t feel as organic as the first time around.

Shots Fired, Except It’s a Water Gun: Senator-Elect Mitt Romney wants to make one thing very clear: he doesn’t care for this Donald Trump fellow! Oh, but he’s cool with the corporate tax cuts and appointment of conservative, underqualified judges. With Jeff Flake leaving elected office, I guess Romney sees a clear opening for fake moderate huckster.

Common Sense Vaccination: The Oregon Health Authority will begin a new Hepatitis A prevention strategy that targets the state’s homeless population, which is vulnerable to contracting the disease because they don’t always have access to running water or toilets. This strategy is largely preventative, part of an effort to avoid the type of Hepatitis A outbreaks that have occurred in other states recently.

Common Sense Gun Legislation: Yesterday new legislation went into effect in Washington state, making it illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase an assault rifle. Opponents are suing to block the law, which is similar to ones in New York, Hawaii, Vermont, and Illinois.

Oh, Thank Goodness:

Blair Stenvick is a former news reporter and culture writer for the Portland Mercury.