• Editor’s note: I have received a large volume of e-mails since January 6th that Trump had everything under control, along with Gen. Mike Flynn, promising Trump would become President on January 20th.
• As late as January 18, Trump adherents were beseeched to stay the course, posts proclaiming that “once Biden takes his oath, he and his team are arrested for treason and sedition…encircled by the military.”
• I have watched “enlightened” and educated people toss aside their own reasoning abilities to consume and become followers of the promulgated garbage of baseless lies, merely to fit an agenda and/or to follow the herd.
• CNN reported: Trump has left, but some of his supporters still think he’s about to declare martial law — and they’re excited
• The Washington Post reports: The administrator of 8kun, the longtime home of the mysterious Q, says it’s time to move on
• NBC News: Donald Trump promised to end “American carnage” and “Make America Great Again.” Four years later, he leaves with those goals far from reach.
• And Trump’s pardons were the swampiest thing possible from the man who promised to drain the swamp of cronyism.
• The last 4 years of a documented 30,000+ Presidential lies comes to the end today. From CNN‘s Daniel Dale: Reflections on four weird years fact checking every word from Donald Trump
• Trump was defeated because he did not take care of his people, and did not know how to govern.
• Approx. 402,000 covid deaths occurred on Trump’s watch, nearly the U.S. total of WWII military deaths.
• Finally, President Joe Biden has been elected, certified and inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States.
• Grace and civility now return to the Office of the President, and along with First Lady Jill Biden, America can have pride in decency, honor, and kindness.
• America now rejoins our allies as committed partner.
• As just one example, when the pandemic is over, our President & First Lady will take their rightful place in the Kennedy Center Honors Presidential Box, the premier annual event recognizing our country’s leading artists who have contributed to the American culture via their life’s work in the performing arts. Former President Obama was the last sitting President to bestow these honors, in 2016.
• And Vice President Kamala Harris and First Husband Doug Emhoff are forging new paths as a bi-racial couple, shining brightly as a beacon of hope for so many people!
• Grace and kindness in action and deeds: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris spent MLK day volunteering at food banks
• A new day has dawned on America, where hope for the future can once again reign!

Trump supporters hung-on to expectations he would deliver for them, yet Trump did have the wherewithal to accomplish these:

* Disbanding The Federal Reserve, return the U.S.to the Gold Standard

* UFO Disclosure by end of 2017

* NESARA to pay by Nov. 4, 2020 election day

* Revealing JFK, Jr. was alive and supporting Trump for re-election

* Unredacted JFK Assassination files publicly released

* Cancel debt with China [UK’s Independent: China bans Trump cabinet officials from ever doing business with country]

* 9-11 files released

* 540,000 pedophile arrests

As Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY.) tweeted: “The omission of Snowden, Assange, and Ulbricht, from the pardons and commutations list speaks volumes. The President went 0 for 3 in his final round with the swamp.” [Ed. note: Trump was always for himself, and merely used his supporters and adherents.]

And a last good-bye to President Trump on his last day as President:

+ CNN: The ‘Trump Baby’ blimp that dogged the President for years will live on in a museum

+ NBC’s Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon: The Trump ‘concession speech we all deserve’

+ The Daily Kos: Bye bye. Adios. Arrivederci. Ciao. Tschüss. Sayōnara. Paalam. Zàijiàn. Zōi Gīn

Bottom line:

The Trump Administration now ends exactly where it began 4 years ago today, having promulgated over 30,000+ lies since January 20, 2017, the first lie about Inauguration crowd size:

• Editor’s note: This is a landmark day, so the numerous headlines below are also for historical and archival purposes.

*** SELECT REGIONAL NEWS FROM TUESDAY ***

The Olympian: Here’s where you can get a COVID-19 vaccination in and around Thurston County

JOLT News: County officials memorialize the 61 Thurston County residents lost in pandemic

McClatchey News: A 51st state? Washington officials introduce bill to create state of ‘Liberty’

South Sound Business: ‘We’ll Come Out of it Stronger’: Thurston County Officials Talk 2021 at State of the Community Event

Kitsup Sun: Two aircraft carriers were named for ardent segregationists. Could they ever be renamed?

KING-5 TV: As part of nationwide memorial Tuesday to honor lives lost to COVID-19, the Kobe Bell at Seattle Center was rung and buildings in downtown Seattle are illuminated.

*** CORONAVIRUS NEWS ***

KOVR-13 TV/CBS Sacramento: California Urges Stop To 300K [Moderna versions] COVID-19 Vaccines After Some Fall Ill

Mercola: Informed Consent for COVID Vaccine

CNBC: Flight attendants play ‘babysitter for adults’ as bad behavior onboard spikes; FAA threatens hefty fines [about not wearing masks]

*** NATIONAL NEWS FROM TUESDAY ***

NBC News: Joe Biden consoles country as U.S. tops 400,000 Covid-19 deaths – 400 lights were turned on along the perimeter of Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, each one representing a thousand people lost to the coronavirus. [Ed. note: the country’s first recognition for the loss of fellow citizens!]

USA TODAY: Obama, Bush and Clinton to join Biden for wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington Cemetery after inauguration

CNBC: Trump provoked deadly Capitol riot, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell says [Ed. note: As Trump’s 2nd impeachment trial looms, is McConnell signalling he might convict this time?]

CNN: The ‘Trump Baby’ blimp that dogged the President for years will live on in a museum

CNBC: Biden plans immediate executive actions to roll back Trump era after inauguration speech

Newsweek: Jill Biden Urged to Reverse White House Rose Garden Changes Made by Melania Trump [Ed. note: to restore Jackie Kennedy’s grandeur that Melania removed in 2020.]

Slate: Trump Has Quietly Hollowed Out the Government [Ed. note: Inexperienced Trump loyalists installed with little to no experience running government has meant disasters on so many issues.]

Business Insider: 12 National Guard troops were pulled off security for Biden’s inauguration over concerns including suspected ties to far-right groups

The Hill: Society of Professional Journalists asks Biden to end restrictions on agency personnel speaking to press

Reuters: Oath Keepers militia members arrested for role in U.S. Capitol siege

*** THE LAST DAY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ***

CNN: Steve Bannon pardon: Trump tells people he’s decided to pardon Bannon as one of his final acts in office

WaPo: Trump grants clemency to 143 people in late-night pardon blast

WaPo: The Trump presidency was marked by battles over truth itself. Those aren’t over.

George Conway: What I really believe – Donald Trump is an enemy of truth. Joe Biden will serve America well.

David Bier: Because I couldn’t find anything comprehensive, I’m just going to post everything I’ve seen in the news/Twitter about Trump’s activities related to the Jan 6th insurrection. I think the timing & context of his actions/inactions will matter a lot for a senate trial. [Ed. note: This is instructive and historically relevant.]

WaPo: Dominion threatens MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell with lawsuit over ‘false and conspiratorial’ claims

CNBC: MyPillow’s CEO, a Trump supporter, says Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s stopped selling his products

NBC News: Trump’s spectacular fall from grace could have serious financial consequences

Rolling Stone: Trump Is Officially the Least Popular President Ever Polled

The Wrap: SAG-AFTRA Board Moves to Expel Donald Trump

The Hill: Poll: Majority of voters want Trump barred from running for office again

McClatchey News: Trump ends historically unpopular presidency with 34% approval rating – weakest average approval rating of any of his predecessors since the survey began in the 1940s

Axios: Jonathan Swan’s “Off the Rails” series documents his coverage from 4 years of Trump

Wall St. Journal: Trump Has Discussed Starting a New Party

CNN: Some Trump supporters think he’s about to declare martial law — and they’re excited.

WaPo: Trump sowed divisions until the bitter end. It may have been his biggest success.

AP: The Latest: Trump declassifies Crossfire Hurricane material [Ed. note: Will the FBI, NSA, CIA get this declassified under Trump by the time Biden takes office, which will be rescinded?]

• Editor’s note: As a footnote to Trump leaving office tomorrow, the challenges to the Washington election, including to Republican Secretary of State Kim Wyman, require a perspective and our attention.
• Culp followed President Trump’s roadmap to challenge election results in this state by following the most loyal allies and listening increasingly to conspiracy theories, which echoed his own views and offered an illusion, and an alternate reality.
• To impinge the credibility of certain county auditors, including Thurston’s Mary Hall, without any credible evidence, was an attempt to undermine our election process by causing voters’ doubt.
• THIS IS NOT OK!
• The more educated voters of the state, conversant with facts, saw right through such a charade. Culp lost by 545,177 votes.
• The disinfectant of sunlight and transparency is required so this does not occur here again!
• We just can’t pretend this was the proper manner of elections in a Constitutional Republic!
• WA. Democrats filed a Bar Complaint against Culp’s Campaign Lawyer.
• And Culp put Yelm in the spotlight by violating Governor Inslee’s COVID-19 regulations in conducting rallies with large crowds, few masks, and no social distancing.
• Excerpts from these stories below reflect the assault on democracy in our state and are posted here for historical and archival purposes:

+ Seattle Times: Former gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp drops election fraud lawsuit after Washington state threatens legal sanctions

“Culp’s lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court last month, tried to sow doubts about his 545,000-vote loss to Gov. Jay Inslee. It claimed “intolerable voting anomalies” in an election “that was at all times fraudulent.”

“But, facing a threat of legal sanctions for making meritless claims in a court of law, Culp’s attorney, Stephen Pidgeon, withdrew the lawsuit Thursday night [Jan. 14], according to a copy of his motion supplied by the state Attorney General’s office.

“The lawsuit was withdrawn “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled.

“The about-face by Culp occurred after Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office warned Pidgeon that the state intended to file a motion to dismiss the case, and intended to take the unusual step of asking a judge to impose sanctions unless Pidgeon withdrew the case by noon Friday.

“The notice, which Ferguson personally signed off on, said the claims made by the Culp campaign were “‘factually baseless.'”

“Culp’s tactics — and resulting defeat — are reminiscent of the post-election flailing by President Donald Trump, who similarly leveled debunked fraud claims in an unsuccessful effort to overturn his loss to President-elect Joe Biden.

“‘Rather than concede gracefully, Mr. Culp has used this lawsuit to distract from the magnitude of his loss and to sow confusion. Mr. Culp also fundraised off his baseless allegations [AG Ferguson’s notice said],'” by Jim Brunner and Joseph O’Sullivan, The Seattle Times. Read more

+ Seattle P-I: Former Washington gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp drops election lawsuit

“The lawsuit challenged the results in King, Pierce, Thurston, Clark, Skagit and Kitsap counties and demanded audits of voting machines, paper ballots and results. All six counties were won by Gov. Jay Inslee and Culp lost the state by 545,177 votes, according to a SeattlePI analysis of election results.

“‘These unsubstantiated allegations were without merit and created confusion among Washington voters,’ said Wyman in a statement Friday [Jan 15]. ‘Today we finally have an opportunity to shed light on some of the misleading and inaccurate assumptions made in this lawsuit, and can continue working to restore confidence with a swath of Washington’s electorate.'”

“On Friday [Jan 15], the Washington State Democratic Party announced they have filed a bar complaint against Pidgeon for “violations of his oath to defend the U.S. and Washington State Constitutions” and are seeking disciplinary action.“

“The newly-filed complaint claims that Pidgeon used the courts for ‘desperate and legally unjustifiable attempt to undermine the electoral process on behalf of his defeated client’ and imposed costs on Washington taxpayers,’ by Callie Craighead, Seattle P-I. Read more

+ Secretary of State Kim Wyman: Culp for Governor campaign lawsuit against Wyman, election officials, dismissed

“‘As I have said before, I welcome anyone who has questions about Washington’s elections processes or who has substantive evidence of fraud to reach out to my office. I publicly invited Loren Culp to do the same, and he never contacted me or my office to share his concerns,’ Wyman said.” Read more

+ Washington Democrats: Washington State Democratic Party announced they have filed a bar complaint against Pidgeon [Culp Campaign Lawyer]

“The complaint seeks an immediate investigation into Dr. Pidgeon’s multiple violations of his oath to defend the U.S. and Washington State Constitutions and impose appropriate disciplinary action. 

Specifically, Dr. Pidgeon has repeatedly advanced meritless allegations of unspecified election fraud in his representative capacity for the Culp for Governor campaign in the case of Culp for Governor vs. Wyman et al., (King County Superior Court Cause No. 20-2-17720-2 SEA). His use of the judicial system to advance these frivolous claims undermines both public confidence in the democratic process and has contributed to the spread of disinformation that has resulted in threats of violence against election officials — including Washington’s own Republican Secretary of State.” Read more

+ NVN: Washington Governor Candidate Loren Culp Draws Hundreds for Rally in Yelm [July 2020]

• Editor’s note: Culp violated state COVID-19 regulations right here in Yelm by conducting rallies with large crowds, few masks, and no social distancing. Where was this man’s leadership in taking precautions caring for his constituents’ health?
• Culp did not earn this state’s trust to be a leader!

*** SELECT REGIONAL NEWS FROM MONDAY ***

KING-5 TV: Washington to consider proposal to make Juneteenth an official state holiday – commemorates the end of slavery in the United States

Seattle Times: ‘Powerhouse duo’ of Washington Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell gain clout as Biden era begins

Washington Examiner: WA. GOP Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler who voted for Trump impeachment faces backlash and possible primary challenges [Ed. note: Herrera Beutler’s District 3 encompasses rural Yelm, Rainier, Tenino]

JOLT News: Amid heightened security, calm on the Capitol Campus in Olympia

KING-5 TV: Washington starts COVID-19 vaccine Phase 1B with lower age threshold and adds more mass vaccine sites

Airliner Watch: Emirates president says Boeing 777X entry to service may slip to 2023 ‘or even longer’ [Ed. note: This aircraft is to be assembled in Everett and any delay affects Puget Sound’s workforce.]

*** SELECT NATIONAL NEWS FROM MONDAY ***

WaPo: QAnon adherents discussed posing as National Guard to try to infiltrate inauguration, according to FBI intelligence briefing

Common Dreams: Feds Are Vetting 25,000 National Guard Troops Ahead of Biden Inauguration

Law&Crime: FBI Charges Woman Believed to Have Stolen Nancy Pelosi’s Laptop During Capitol Riot, Saying She May Have Tried to Sell Device to Russian Intelligence

WaPo: Proud Boys, other fringe groups find refuge – and money – on Christian fundraising website

NBC News: New Jersey reservist, with Navy base clearance, charged in connection to deadly Capitol riot

The Daily Kos: Trump team orders installation of notorious pro-Trump saboteur into top NSA position [Ed. Note: to be sworn in with one day left in the Trump Administration.]

CNN: Pelosi demands acting Pentagon chief halt his order to NSA to install Trump loyalist as general counsel

Common Dreams: Biden Plans to Rescind Keystone XL in “Huge Victory” for Indigenous-Led Movement

*** CORONAVIRUS NEWS ***

WaPo: 400,000: The invisible deaths of covid-19 [Ed. note: Trump leaves office with 400,000 COVID-19 deaths on his watch!]

NY Daily News: ‘Dark weeks ahead’: Incoming CDC director expects 500,000 COVID deaths by mid-February

Mercola: Could Most COVID-19 Deaths Have Been Prevented? [by optimizing Vit. D]

Zero-Hedge: Peer-Reviewed Stanford University Study “Did Not Find Evidence” Lockdowns Were Effective In Stopping COVID Spread

Wall St. Journal: Does Getting the Covid-19 Vaccine Stop You Spreading It? Scientists Don’t Know Yet.

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM MONDAY ***

WaPo: Misinformation dropped dramatically the week after Twitter banned Trump – Zignal Labs charts 73 percent decline on Twitter and beyond following historic action against the president

Business Insider: Capitol rioters say Trump told them to do it, which some legal experts say could open him to criminal charges

WaPo: Attorney Roberta Kaplan is about to make Trump’s life extremely difficult [represents clients in high-profile cases against Trump]

The Hill: Scarborough says he’s considering legal action against Trump over conspiracy tweets [targeting him falsely]

Snopes: American Thinker joined the likes of Newsmax in issuing a correction to various claims it spread during the 2020 election. [their voter fraud claims were false]

NBC News: Capitol riot exposed flaws of Trump’s DHS, focused on immigration and not extremists, say ex-officials

ABC News: The Trump letter his lawyers said should never see ‘light of day’

Deadline: Donald Trump Faces Possible Expulsion From SAG-AFTRA As Union’s Board Sets Special Session

WaPo: The Trump presidency was marked by battles over truth itself. Those aren’t over.

• Editor’s note: These stories of note on this MLK, Jr. Day 2020:
• The [MLK, Jr.] Memorial Foundation: The 10th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Wreath Laying Virtual Ceremony, 7am PST
• NBC News: United We Serve’: Biden-Harris team to celebrate and honor MLK Day
• McClatchey News: National parks will be free to visit on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. What to know
• NBC News: We didn’t heed MLK when he was alive. We need to listen now.
• Martin Luther King, Jr’s. work and legacy is even more pertinent today!

This story has been posted here annually on MLK, Jr. Day since 2009:

THIS IS 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THIS WEEKEND THE NATION PAUSES TO REMEMBER THE LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

– MLK’s letter from the Birmingham, Alabama jail penned April 12, 1963 still resonates today.
By Martin Luther King, Jr.
Read more

– “Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist and prominent leader in the African-American civil rights movement. His main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the United States, and he has become a human rights icon: King is recognized as a martyr by two Christian churches. A Baptist minister, King became a civil rights activist early in his career. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, serving as its first president. King’s efforts led to the 1963 March on Washington, where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. There, he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history.

In 1964, King became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to end racial segregation and racial discrimination through civil disobedience and other non-violent means. By the time of his death in 1968, he had refocused his efforts on ending poverty and opposing the Vietnam War, both from a religious perspective. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 and Congressional Gold Medal in 2004; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day was established as a U.S. national holiday in 1986,” quoting Wikipedia.


– The Seattle Times has a fabulous 2011 expose on the civil rights giant.
Click here

– The full version of Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech.
August 28, 1963, posted on YouTube.
Click here

– “The Color of Surveillance”
“What an infamous abuse of power teaches us about the modern spy era.”

“The FBI has a lead. A prominent religious leader and community advocate is in contact with a suspected sleeper agent of foreign radicals. The attorney general is briefed and personally approves wiretaps of his home and offices. The man was born in the United States, the son of a popular cleric. Even though he’s an American citizen, he’s placed on a watchlist to be summarily detained in the event of a national emergency. Of all similar suspects, the head of FBI domestic intelligence thinks he’s ‘the most dangerous,’ at least ‘from the standpoint of … national security.’

“Is this a lone wolf in league with foreign sponsors of terrorism? No: This was the life of Martin Luther King Jr. That FBI assessment was dated Aug. 30, 1963—two days after King told our country that he had a dream.,” by Alvaro M. Bedoya, Slate.com.
Read more

– “6 Leaders Who Carry On Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy”

“With King’s dream only partially achieved, they work to ensure civil and other rights,” by Pamela K. Johnson, AARP. Read more

– “11 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes that will inspire your soul”

“At the center of nonviolence stands the principle of love,” by Bethanni Williams, KING-5 TV News, Seattle. Read more

– “‘Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope’ | MLK Memorial brings famous speech to life”

“Here’s the history behind the monument in Washington, D.C. which pays homage to the life of one of the greatest civil rights leaders,” by Megan Yoder, KING-5 TV News, Seattle. Read more

Blogger Klein is a founding donor to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C.

• Editor’s note: Regarding Big Tech’s crackdown last week, Reporters Without Borders crafted an excellent observation:
• “We must impose democratic obligations on the leading digital players”
• “After overlooking the fake news and hate speech that Trump posted throughout his four years as US president, Twitter unilaterally decided on 8 January to permanently close his @realDonaldTrump account and then, a few days later, 70,000 other accounts linked to the pro-Trump QAnon movement. Facebook, Instagram and Twitch also suspended the presidential accounts for an unspecified period, while Amazon then suspended the pro-Trump social media Parler.
• “All of these decisions were taken by private-sector companies without any democratic or judicial control!
• “The laws of the public arena used to be established by parliaments and enforced by judges, but private-sector corporations are now in charge. Their norms are not defined within a democratic framework with checks and balances, they are not transparent and you cannot appeal to any court before they are carried out. The organization of the online public arena should not be left to market forces or individual interests.”
• “We must impose democratic obligations on the leading digital players”
• Click here to read the full story.
• I agree – and this is an important issue for all to be educated and a national conversation to begin!

*** SELECT REGIONAL NEWS LAST WEEKEND ***

Seattle Times: Bill giving those with felonies the right to vote is introduced in Washington Legislature

KING-5 TV: Washington opens window to indoor dining with new ‘open-air’ rules

Tacoma’s News-Tribune: ‘We’re Getting Sick, and We’re Dying’: Grocery Workers Seek Return of Hazard Pay

KING-5 TV: Seattle-based Alaska Airlines increases security on flights to DC ahead of Inauguration Day [joins Delta, American, United]

*** SELECT NATIONAL NEWS LAST WEEKEND ***

Newsweek: Senator Sasse Blasts Republicans Who ‘Wink’ at QAnon, Urges Them to Reject Conspiracy Theories [Click here for Sen. Sasse’s full op-ed In The Atlantic.]

Rep. Eric Swalwell: This is what a real hero looks like

Gizmodo: Leaked Parler Data Points to Users at Police Stations, U.S. Military Bases

MSNBC: Riot reckoning: See how GOP leaders were complicit in Trump’s scheme

WaPo: Off-duty police were part of the Capitol mob. Now police are turning in their own.

WaPo: Pushed to the edge by the Capitol riot, people are reporting their family and friends to the FBI

BBC News: Wilmington 1898: When white supremacists overthrew a US government

Truthout: We Have to Let White Supremacy Die in Order to Truly Live

CNN Business: Tim Cook: Why I kicked Parler off Apple’s App Store

Politico: Poll: We have met the enemy and it is us

*** SELECT TRUMP NEWS ***

WaPo: In Trump’s last days, a spree of environmental rollbacks – Rules affect oil and gas drilling, mining and logging, along with energy efficiency standards and restrictions on toxic chemicals

ABC News: Ahead of inauguration, government contracts reveal White House deep clean – More than $200,000 will be spent on additional cleaning services. [“After three COVID-19 breakouts within the White House in recent months”]

MSNBC: Trump spent four years destroying two brands: His own and the GOP’s

NYT: Trump Ignites a War Within the Church – After a week of Trumpist mayhem, white evangelicals wrestle with what they’ve become.

WaPo: ‘Trump said to do so’: Accounts of rioters who say the president spurred them to rush the Capitol could be pivotal testimony

• Editor’s note: Last week we had Insurrection Week, this week we had Impeachment Week, and next week we have Inauguration Week.
• Former Google ethicist Tristan Harris says the Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma, “predicted so much of what happened on January 6th.” Harris says the Capitol insurrection was a manifestation of the social media business model leading us to “a more and more extreme view of reality.” Harris added, ‘We have been watching different movies of reality’ during his interview on MSNBC’s The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.
• “The January 6 insurrection was a last gasp for white supremacy,” by Anand Giridharadas, publisher of The.Ink.
• The insurrectionists are not the future, rather are fighting to hold onto the past: a White, Male, Christian dominated America that is losing grip after centuries of dominance and control.
• Next week, we inaugurate a new President, Joe Biden, and our first Vice President, a first for a woman, a first for a person of color, Kamala Harris.
• I look to the future while the relics of the past fight to hold on, yet are falling away.
• The future I envision is one where all peoples are equally accepted and different points of view are considered, respected, and honored from: women, First Nations, people of color, our LGBTQ community, immigrants, and those of all faiths.

*** REGIONAL NEWS ***

Rep. Marilyn Strickland: Statement on the Impeachment of Donald Trump – “there was no other option than to impeach President Trump and remove him from office”

The Olympian: Entire state remains in Phase 1 of reopening plan but Thurston’s region makes progress

JOLT News: County health officer sent additional guidance to school officials today – Schools can plan to expand in-person classes as soon as Jan. 25

McClatchy News: Loren Culp, who lost Washington governor race by 13% ends fraud lawsuit [the lawsuit was dismissed “with prejudice,” which means the lawsuit can’t be refiled.]

The Olympian: Thurston Sheriff tests positive for COVID-19 as county confirms outbreak at jail

Washington State House of Republicans: Republican leaders answer media questions in response to governor’s inaugural address

The Air Current: Boeing’s MCAS on the 737 MAX may not have been needed at all

Airliner Watch: Boeing’s Dreamliner generates zero deliveries for the second month in a raw

Ask The Pilot: So Long (and Good Riddance) to CNN Airport News

*** CORONAVIRUS NEWS ***

WaPo: Death toll approaches 400,000, far exceeding Trump’s benchmark for success in containing the virus

WaPo: Vaccine reserve was already exhausted when Trump administration vowed to release it, dashing hopes of expanded access

CNBC: Microsoft, Salesforce and Oracle back plan to develop a digital Covid vaccination passport

Airliner Watch: American Airlines becomes first US airline to introduce “Health Passport” for all international flights to US

Vox Media: Still going to the grocery store? With new virus variants spreading, it’s probably time to stop. – Health experts say you should avoid optional trips whenever you can. You probably need a better mask, too.

The Norwegian Medicines Agency: 23 deaths associated with covid-19 vaccination [Pfizer/BioNTech shot] of which 13 have been assessed. Common adverse reactions may have contributed to a severe course in elderly people who are frail.

NBC News: Biden to deploy FEMA, National Guard as part of national vaccination plan

*** NATIONAL NEWS ***

U. S. Dept. of Defense: Joint Chiefs Stress Service Members’ Commitment to Constitution

The Daily Kos: Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré to head investigation of Capitol Hill security

Daily Beast: MyPillow Guy Presents Trump With ‘China’ Election-Fraud Theory, Lawyers Send Him Packing [Click here for a close-up of his notes.]

Truthout: QAnon Trump Supporter Jacob Chansley Seeks Pardon From Trump for Capitol Breach

Truthout: Biden Calls for $15 Federal Minimum Wage With Pandemic Relief Package

NBC News: Some Democrats in Congress are worried their colleagues might kill them

PR Watch: The Republican Attorneys General Association was a member of the coalition that organized the January 6 protest.

McClatchey News: Will the fences ever come down? Some worry Capitol security surge to become permanent

UK Daily Mail: BLM activist egged on Capitol rioters: Left-winger who told CNN he was there simply to document the siege is arrested after video reveals he smashed a window, told rioters he had a knife and shouted ‘we got to get this s**t burned’

CNBC: ‘Strong evidence’ pro-Trump rioters intended to kill Pence, Congress members, prosecutors say

The Nation: I No Longer Trust Law Enforcement to Keep Biden and Harris Safe on Inauguration Day – The siege of the Capitol revealed what most Black people already knew: Law enforcement is in league with Trumpism.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Jordan Klepper Sees It All at The Capitol Insurrection

*** TRUMP NEWS FROM FRIDAY ***

Intelligencer: Trump Is on the Verge of Losing Everything

CNBC: Trump to depart White House hours before Biden inauguration, flying Air Force One to Mar-a-Lago last time

Truthout: QAnon Trump Supporter Jacob Chansley Seeks Pardon From Trump for Capitol Breach

Common Dreams: “Damning” New Inspector General Report Finds Proof of Trump Team Cruelty to Asylum Seekers

CNBC: Palm Beach County eyes yanking Trump golf course lease after U.S. Capitol riot

*** SELECT REGIONAL, NATIONAL NEWS ***

City of Yelm: COVID-29 Testing at Yelm Community Center [click here for the calendar]

Tacoma’s News Tribune: Where is the COVID vaccine bottleneck? State looking into reporting delays

Tacoma’s News Tribune: Former member of WA National Guard [Mark Jefferson Leffingwell of Seattle] indicted in attack on U.S. Capitol

Tacoma’s News Tribune: Songbirds are getting sick and dying across Washington. What’s going on?

The Points Guy: New CDC testing policy could have ‘chilling’ affect on international travel, expert warns

*** NATIONAL NEWS ***

WaPo: 2020 rivals hottest year on record, pushing Earth closer to a critical climate threshold

Miami Herald: Trump’s Mar-a-Lago partied like it was 1999 despite COVID. Now, it’s been cited

*** SELECT POLITICAL NEWS FROM THURSDAY ***

WaPo: Biden unveils $1.9 trillion economic and health-care relief package

The Daily Kos: Trump admin launches despicable attack on LGBTQ people on its way out

People: Macaulay Culkin Supports Calls to Edit Donald Trump Out of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Politico: Online extremists are ignoring Trump’s call for calm

Law & Crime: Democrats Introduce Resolution to Permanently Ban Trump from Stepping Foot on U.S. Capitol Grounds

CNN: DC attorney general wants to interview Donald Trump Jr. as part of Trump inaugural funds abuse probe

Foreign Policy: ‘We’re in a Worse Place Today Than We Were Before He Came In’ – Former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on the mess Donald Trump is leaving behind.

UK’s Daily Mail: Trump ‘orders aides not to pay Giuliani’s $20,000-a-day legal fee’

USA TODAY: Olympic gold medaslist Klete Keller, charged in U.S. Capitol riot, turns himself in to federal authorities

WaPo: QAnon reshaped Trump’s party and radicalized believers. The Capitol siege may just be the start. [Ed. note: QAnons are followers and interpreters of Q.]

Reuters: Exclusive: Parler CEO says social media app, favored by Trump supporters, may not return

The Daily Kos: Every outgoing president since Reagan has received a farewell ceremony from Pentagon … until Trump

KING-5 TV: What does President Trump’s impeachment mean this time? A Seattle political scientist explains

Truthout: At Least 28 Cops Were Attendees at Pro-Trump Rally Preceding Attack on Capitol

MSNBC: One of Trump’s most significant failures is a massive win for the climate movement

WaPo: Trump is isolated and angry at aides for failing to defend him as he is impeached again