1. President Donald Trump made headlines on Tuesday, after boasting about the size of his nuclear button in a tweet aimed at Nouth Korean leader Kim Jong-un. “North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un just stated that the ‘Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.’ Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger and more powerful one than his, and my button works!” Trump wrote. The tweet came after Kim said during his annual New Year’s Day address, “The entire mainland of the U.S. is within the range of our nuclear weapons and the nuclear button is always on the desk of my office. They should accurately be aware that this is not a threat but a reality.” (CNN)
2. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for coastal Maine starting at noon Thursday. Travel will be very dangerous, with snow accumulations of 9 to 12 inches expected. Maine will partially emerge from a deep freeze today and tomorrow, but another wave of teeth-chattering, below-zero temperatures will begin Friday – right on the heels of a potential blizzard. (PH)
3. Oregon recently passed a bill that allows motorists to pump their own gas in nearly half of the state’s 36 counties. (Oregon and New Jersey had long been the only two states that require gas station attendants to pump fuel.) When a CBS affiliate in Medford asked its Facebook followers about the law, Oregonians expressed horror and concern over their safety. “I don’t even know HOW to pump gas and I am 62, native Oregonian…I say NO THANKS! I don’t want to smell like gasoline!” one wrote. Another commented, “I’ve lived in this state all my life and I REFUSE to pump my own gas. This a service only qualified people should perform.” The post went viral as the rest of America began mocking Oregonians over the issue. (HP)
4. President Trump has declared that Maine is eligible for federal disaster relief to help pay for the damage caused by a late October windstorm that knocked out power to tens of thousands of Mainers for the better part of a week. The White House issued a statement Tuesday night stating that federal funding will be provided to the state as well as certain nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis to pay for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the storm in 13 counties. There was no mention in the release of how much federal aid Maine will receive. (WCSH6)
5. Pizza Hut is kicking off 2018 by offering 50 percent off all orders made online or via the company’s mobile app. “The holidays are over, but entertaining season is in full swing. And we’re kicking off 2018 with a deal that helps slow the spending, but not the fun,” Pizza Hut vice president of marketing Zipporah Allen says in a release. The Los Angeles Times reports that each electronic order made through January 8 is eligible for 50 percent off as well as for Hut Rewards–the only national pizza loyalty program that rewards customers with unlimited points toward free pizza for every dollar spent on food online. (LATimes)
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