by Wm. Steven Humphrey GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It's the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being "the last to know," then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to your email's in-box... and then... YOUR HEAD.) • Zenith Permit Decision Raises Questions, Conflicts About City Council Authority  A recent double-feature work and listening session about Zenith Energy revealed the new Portland City Council is limited in how it might influence decisions about the controversial company. Some councilors, skeptical of Zenith, want to change that. Taylor Griggs • THE TRASH REPORT It's time to get trashy! In this week's can of gossip-y garbage: our new dystopian normal, LA fires and the renaissance of a forgotten reality star, and the anticipation of this week's Oscar nomination announcements! 🍿 Amy Sussman/Getty Images • Portland City Council Increases Its Staffing Budget by $4.6 Million Citing poor policy moves and "defunding" from the city's previous leaders, the new City Council will pull $4.6 million from contingency funds to hire additional council staff. Representatives from every district said their current staffing is inadequate. Courtney Vaughn • Ticket Alert Billy Idol hits the road with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, industrial rockers Nine Inch Nails will “peel it back” at the Moda Center, and early-aughts rock band Shinedown heads to Portland this summer. Here's where to get those tix now! Billy Idol • City Council Solidifies New Policy Committees One of the biggest changes to Portland's city government is the process for introducing and voting on new policies. Eight newly-established City Council committees will now be a primary conduit for public engagement and policy proposals from councilors. Courtney Vaughn • Dig! XX Revisits the Friendship and Fall Out of Two Famously Eccentric Indie Bands Indie documentary Dig! didn’t need to be improved upon, but with Dig!XX director Ondi Timoner has done just that. Oscilloscope Laboratories • This Week In Portland Food News This week's rundown includes a Mexican fried chicken cart, Indian cocktails and snacks, and a coffee shop next to a laundromat. Plus, find out what's next for Nodoguro and where to acquire pozole sandwiches. Alita's • SAVAGE LOVE Her partner's son is a virulent, Trump-loving homophobe. How is she supposed to put up with this? Dan Savage and his special guest offer great advice for dealing with this situation (as well as the next four years). Joe Newton • Introducing the Mercury's New (and Delicious) WIENER WEEK! Portland, if you love the Mercury's annual Burger Week, then you're going to flip ass-over-teakettle for our newest (and perhaps funnest) food week ever... the Portland Mercury's WIENER WEEK! Starting tomorrow, Monday January 27! WOW, THAT IS A LOT OF GOOD READIN'. I hope you didn't have any other plans this weekend! Dig in, and remember: Producing all this hard work costs moolah—so please consider contributing to the Mercury to keep it all coming! Thanks!