1. Both lanes of I295 northbound near Yarmouth reopened Wednesday night just before midnight after a tractor-trailer carrying natural gas cylinders overturned and blocked traffic for a good portion of the day. (PH)
2. The Portland City Council heard 20 minutes of public comment Wednesday night about a recent infestation of rats at Harbor View Memorial Park. Rumors have circulated that the rats living in Harbor View are not wild, but domesticated pets. Olivia Wilcox-Ames, 27, who organized a group of volunteers to rescue and foster the rats said “Wild rats generally know how to go and hide and die in the wild, these rats don’t. These rats are laying dead out and open in the park for cats and dogs to find.” (PH)
3. Congress is currently considering a bill that would reduce credit card swipe fees. Fee increases in 2024 could cost U.S. merchants an additional $502 million per year. The proposed Credit Card Competition Act would push back on these increases by allowing businesses to use an alternate network to process credit transactions. (JN)
4. Bobi, a dog who died at the reported age of 31, held the title of “world’s oldest dog ever” until the title was suspended by Guinness World Records as it investigates the validity of his birth date. Skeptics are asking why puppy photos show Bobi with white paws while later photos show him with dark paws. “While our review is ongoing we have decided to temporarily pause both the record titles for oldest dog living and ever just until all of our findings are in place,” a Guinness World Records spokesperson told news outlets. (JN)
5. McDonald’s Breakfast Wrap was axed from menus in 2020, and this led fans to create a series of petitions to bring it back. The iconic breakfast item will be returning to McDonald’s restaurants on February 7th but only in Ireland and the UK. (Cosmo)
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