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GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Lookit, everybody! It’s SNOWING. But enjoy your white stuff while you can, because you can expect on-and-off freezing rain throughout the day, and temps that won’t rise above freezing until late this evening. Then we’re back up into the balmy 40s on Saturday, and all the way up to 50 (!) on Xmas day! SANTA’S WEARING A THONG! With that thought in mind, let’s jump into some NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• Yesterday’s freezing temps pushed the Metro area’s warming centers to capacity—however, no one is being turned away. Check out the locations of the area’s five warming centers here (or dial 2-1-1), and keep a lookout for your homeless neighbors who may be in danger. The ice storm also left roughly 10,000 Oregonians without power.

145am observation from a wx station near Corbett High School:

🌡 Temperature 14°F.
💨 East wind 44 mph with gusts to 82 mph.
🥶 Wind chill: -10°F.

It’s a good thing school is out for the holidays. #ArcticFront

— NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) December 23, 2022

• A little snow isn’t stopping MY morning commute! (Audio up.)

Here’s video of my morning commute which was pretty normal for me! pic.twitter.com/ozKEh4Nacd

— Wm. Steven Humphrey (@WmSteveHumphrey) January 4, 2016

• Speaking of transportation: If you’re even slightly interested in transportation and how big (often wrong-headed) decisions get made in regards to interstate highways, bridges, and (coff, coff) certain Rose Quarter projects, do not miss this super fascinating Isabella Garcia interview with Metro President Lynn Peterson about her new book, Roadways for People. 

• Commissioner-to-be Rene Gonzalez is asking his donors to help him pay his lawyer fees after he received a sweetheart deal for campaign office space from local moneybags Jordan Schnitzer, was fined by the city, and eventually had the fine revoked in court. The resident of the wealthy Eastmoreland neighborhood now wants Portlanders to pay for the lawyers who defended him, as well as any damage that was incurred to the office as a result of him acting like a butthole. Ummm… HARD NO.

• Wow, what a big 2022 we had in the realm of news! A great way to revisit and reflect on everything that happened is by checking out the Mercury‘s “Wrapped” news recap. We’re covering the biggest stories of the year in politics, cops, transportation, health, and lots more—plus it has those sexy data points (presented in a Spotify “Wrapped” style) that the kids of today just adore. Miss it at your peril!

• Hey brainy pants! How well do you remember what happened in 2022? 🧐 See how YOU score in the slam-bang, grand finale of POP QUIZ PDX 2022! And you even get to vote for who YOU think earned the title of “Portland’s Biggest Villain” of the year! 👹

We’re keepin’ you busy with cheap and easy events to close out 2022 and kick off 2023, from THE ANTI-CHRISTmas Party and Orphan Gathering to 7th Night Spin: A Queer All-Gender Chanukah Dance Party to The Benson’s Gingerbread Masterpiece. https://t.co/eLTANErd0k

— EverOut Portland (@EverOutPortland) December 22, 2022

IN NATIONAL/WORLD NEWS:

• The January 6 committee has issued their final report in which they blame one person (GUESS WHO??) for the domestic terrorist attack on the nation’s capitol, and his “multipart plan” to overthrow the 2020 election. The committee also recommends that Trump be barred from holding federal office. HARD AGREE.

• SNORT!

JUST IN: McConnell calls Trump “diminished,” vows to find ‘quality’ Senate candidates in 2024 https://t.co/w5v8wH0sdY pic.twitter.com/hFPboTCT7j

— The Hill (@thehill) December 23, 2022

• The storm meteorologists are calling a “bomb cyclone” has left more than a million people without electricity in the eastern US, and has canceled at least 3,700 flights across the nation so far this morning.

• Yesterday the Senate passed a big-time $1.7 trillion government spending bill that will avoid a government shutdown while also funding a host of domestic and defense needs, including workplace protections for pregnant folks and those who breastfeed, as well as sending $44 billion in aid to Ukraine, and overhauling election laws here at home.

• At least three people have been killed by a shooter in central Paris at a Kurdish cultural center. Three more people were injured in the shooting and a suspect has been apprehended.

Looks like the unofficial Queen of Christmas has been telling a tall tale https://t.co/w4Y3GjhN7V

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) December 23, 2022

• And finally… long-time Portlanders will love this snowy call-back from the Portland Pickles!

PDX: Stay safe out there today. pic.twitter.com/ANndVmESWS

— Portland Pickles (@picklesbaseball) December 23, 2022