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This rain is pretty ridiculous. Please slow down a bit. Try to pace yourself, the rain. We have enough landslides and gigantic puddles. Let’s give it a rest. Maybe come back when we’ve had a chance to dry off a bit.

Did any of you realize the King Conservation District was having an election at all? Or that you could vote via the Internet including on your phone? It seems like the District elections come up just enough that I can never remember the process Just put it on the ballot and send it to people’s homes like a normal election. But seriously, do any of you know who to vote for?

The Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally meets tonight. I suppose we’ll toast the start of the Senate trial. But there are lots of other politics—local, regional, state, and national—to discuss over a beverage. Stop by, if you can.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. Look for us in the back room of the pub beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? There are hundreds of chapters of Living Liberally, including dozens in Washington state, a bunch in Oregon and even a few in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or start a new chapter for your community!

Trevor Noah: Ronan Farrow’s “Catch and Kill” and accountability for Harvey Weinstein.

Now This: Here’s how the draft actually works in the U.S.

WaPo: Beyond Greta Thunberg—The uprising of youth climate activists.

The Dotard Трамп and Other Criminals on Trial:

• Stephen’s Interview of FAUX News’ interview of The Dotard
• Farron Cousins: Devin Nunes goes nuts [has a cow?] after he’s exposed in Ukraine scandal
• Jimmy Kimmel: The Dotard tweets, “GOT IMPEACHED FOR MAKING A PERFECT PHONE CALL”
• Seth Meyers: Bombshell evidence emerges as House sends impeachment articles to Senate
• WaPo: People deny knowing Lev Parnas….Then they show up in a photo with him.
• Chris Hayes: Трамп picks Jeffrey Epstein lawyers to defend himself
• The Late Show: Release the articles!
• Stephen: Parnas implicates Трамп & co. in Ukraine crimes, and he has receipts
• The Late Show: Lev Parnas sings!

• Young Turks: Lev Parnas directly implicates Трамп, Pence, and Barr
• The Daily Show: Here are your friends, Dotard Трамп
• Robert Reich: Should Facebook and Twitter stop Трамп’s lies?
• Stephen: Трамп officials contradict The Dotard when offering justifications for Soleimani killing
• Bruce Nelson: Mangy Fetlocks (shameless smart ass) sings a song about Lev Parnas
• Trevor: Senate impeachment trial & Lev Parnas’s Maddow chat
• Bill Maher: Nancy Pelosi on impeachment
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп lying about Ukraine & Space Force
• Stephen: Giuliani acted with Трамп’s “knowledge and consent” when conspiring with Parnas in Ukraine
• David Pakman: Trump rants about dishwashers at unhinged MAGA rally
• Seth Meyers: Трамп’s team can’t defend his shifting Iran lies
• Lauren Mayer: Fasten your seatbelts:

• Mark Fiore: The war powers resolution
• Bill Maher needs a post-vacation vacation
• Young Turks: Watchdog report on Трамп confirms he broke the law
• Farron Cousins: Трамп abused and harassed Kirstjen Nielsen after she told him “no”
• Stephen: Трамп’s dishwasher rant is highlight of rambling pre-debate rally
• Trevor: Nancy Pelosi’s impeachment procession and Lev Parnas’s Paper Trail
• Samantha Bee: Democratic debate—The drama in Iowa
• Jimmy Kimmel: Impeachment moves to Senate
• Seth Meyers: Sen. Amy Klobuchar talks Democratic debates, Ambassador Yovanovitch and Трамп’s trial
• Conan: Impeachment rules were written 200 years ago
• Daily Show: The Dotard Трамп dishwasher:

• The Young Turks: Трамп’s weird flex about Mount Rushmore
• Stephen: The Dotard taunts Cory Booker on Twitter after the candidate suspends his campaign
• David Pakman: Трамп family short-circuits on Twitter over impeachment trial

Farron Cousins: Matt Gaetz fights Republican lawmaker over DUIs and sex games

The Daily Show: Arizona in the grip of climate change.

Roll Call: Congressional hits and misses of the week.

Twenty-twenty Vision:

• Stephen: Mayor Bloomberg explains why he apologized for his “stop and frisk” policing policy
• Now This: Funniest moments from the debate
• Samantha Bee discovers she has 2020 vision
• The New Yorker: On the trail—Welcome to the Iowa caucuses
• Daily Show: Jordan Klepper fingers the pulse—Why is the Iowa caucus first?
• Stephen: Andrew Yang explains why the 2020 candidates are a very white bunch
• Trevor: January 2020 Democratic debate in Iowa
• Ronny Chieng: Andrew Yang’s alternative Asian debate
• Stephen: Michael Bloomberg’s presidential campaign only has one donor—Himself
• Now This: Who is Andrew Yang?
• The Late Show: Survivor Iowa—Outwit, outplay, outspend
• Stephen: Candidates clash over “woman president” question at Iowa debate.
• Now This: 2020 candidates explain their top issue
• Samantha Bee: We need to talk about Tom Steyer’s tie

Mother Jones: The next front in the Republican war on voting rights.

New York Times: How one vote can change history.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

The snow was nice yesterday, but where is it today? I wanted more. Oh well. It’s still nice and chilly.

The Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally meets tonight for an evening of politics, food, and drink. Oh…and a wood-burning stove. Stop by, if you can.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. Look for us in the back room of the pub beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the 266 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, seven in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or start a new chapter for your community!

The legislative session starts today. So here’s the annual what would you like them to pass post. For me:

– A capital gains tax would be a real step toward making the state’s tax system more fair. I would prefer an income tax, but I don’t think that it has the votes.

– I don’t have much faith that they’ll do much good on transportation, but at least don’t fuck it up any worse by caving in to another unconstitutional Eyman initiative.

The Daily Show: Iran’s Foreign Minister vows not-so-swift revenge

Wired: Former Secret Service agent explains how to detect counterfeit money.

Roll Call: Authorizing conflict—The AUMF and Congress explained.

Bruce Nelson: Staying hopeful in troubled times, aka, “The shit song”.

The Dotard Трамп and Other Murderous Dictator Wannabees:

• The Late Show: The Dotard Трамп’s Super Bowl ad—Exclusive sneak peek
• Seth Meyers: Congress votes to limit Трамп’s war powers after Iran lies
• Now This: Fact check—The Dotard made a LOT of false claims in his Iran speech
• Chris Hayes: Трамп moves to gut landmark environmental law
• WaPo: Why Democrats say they’re withholding the impeachment articles
• Stephen: The Dotard Трамп, master of naming things, pitches “NATOME” at presser
• Young Turks: Трамп attacked Iran over (imminent threat of) impeachment
• Mark Fiore: SPACE FORCE!
• Jimmy Kimmel: Dotard Трамп gets no credit
• Daily Show: What’s behind Трамп’s decision to kill Iran’s Qassem Soleimani?
• Lawrence O’Donnell: The future of the Трамп “cult”
• Late Night: “Hey Congress, U Up?”:

• Chris Hayes: Trump in 2011 suggests a President could start a war with Iran for political survival
• Jimmy Kimmel: No one trusts The Dotard
• Stephen: John Bolton, who objected to Трамп’s Ukraine “drug deal,” days he would testify
• Now This: Who is Stephanie Grisham? Narrated by comedian Andy Haynes
• Seth Meyers with Rachel Maddow: Iran’s retaliation against the US
• Stephen: Sen. Sanders is concerned that Sen. McConnell wants an impeachment trial without witness testimony
• Reflect: Michael Flynn slammed with six month prison sentence recommendation
• Jimmy Kimmel: Трамп just wants to be #1
• The Late Show: Exclusive footage of team Трамп’s Iran intel briefing
• Now This: Who is Stephen Miller? (Narrated by Debra Messing)
• WaPo: A brief history of when Трамп has shown self-awareness
• Trevor: Трамп brings U.S. to brink of war with Iran
• Chris Hayes: Facebook’s new decision to allow lies in political ads will benefit Трамп
• Stephen: President Трамп sez “I like to obey the law”
• Lawrence O’Donnell: What happens when Трамп goes off prompter
• David Pakman: Forensic psychiatrist—There’s a madman in the White House
• Ali Velshi: Nancy Pelosi gets results by withholding impeachment articles
• Seth Meyers: The Dotard Трамп responds to Iran’s retaliation
• Jimmy Kimmel: Never give The Dotard crazy options
• Trevor: Iran retaliates & Трамп outlines next steps
• Rachel Maddow: Another Clinton investigation championed by Трамп comes up empty:

• WaPo: Republicans on impeachment witnesses, then and now
• Now This: Трамп is silent as Puerto Rico reels from back-to-back earthquakes
• Stephen: White House officials “shushed” lawmakers who asked questions during Iran briefing

Roll Call: Congressional hits and misses of the week.

MoveOn: Nationwide news coverage of #NoWarWithIran protests.

The Atlantic: The dramatic 5-year journey of opening a zero-waste restaurant.

Rachel Maddow: Another vindication for Clinton as probe reportedly hits dead end.

Twenty-twenty Vision:

• Seth Meyers: Sen. Elizabeth Warren talks Julian Castro’s endorsement, Kate McKinnon and calling donors
• Rachel Maddow: Bloomberg, Steyer ad spending dwarfs rest of 2020 field
• WaPo: 2020 candidates speak out against escalating tensions with Iran
• Chris Hayes: Vote to hear witnesses? “Had hope before that was dashed” Booker says
• Stephen: For Sen. Bernie Sanders, the increased focus on climate change is the difference between 2016 and 2020
• Full Frontal Rewind: Make Voting Fair Again
• Seth Meyers: Sen. Elizabeth Warren discusses Iran, avoiding war and Трамп’s impeachment trial
• Lawrence O’Donnell: What Tom Steyer saw early on about impeaching The Dotard
• Samantha Bee: Delaniacs, rejoice!
• Andrew Yang enters The New Yorker’s cartoon caption contest:

• Stephen: Sen. Bernie Sanders will do everything he can to stop A war with Iran
• Rachel Maddow: Tom Steyer spending suggest explanation for surprise polls in NV and SC
• Seth Meyers: Late Night Democratic presidential debate

Vox: How to fix our unreliable power grid.

Bruce Nelson: It can only get better once it can’t get worse.

The Atlantic: How cities became childless

Farron Cousins: After 3-year investigation, DOJ still can’t find any way to prosecute Hillary Clinton.

Robert Reich: Four reasons why millennials don’t have any money

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

Still feeling gross. But WTF Boeing?

Feeling pretty crappy today, but suffice it to say, today is a good time to write or call your member of Congress and ask them to oppose a war.

It’s 2020! Celebrate the start of this new (possibly transformative) year with the Seattle Chapter of Drinking Liberally on Tuesday night.

We meet every Tuesday at the Roanoke Park Place Tavern, 2409 10th Ave E, Seattle. Look for us in the back room of the pub beginning about 8pm.

Can’t make it to Seattle? Check out one of the 266 chapters of Living Liberally, including 22 in Washington state, seven in Oregon and three in Idaho. Find a chapter near you. Or start a new chapter for your community!

Dear Senators Cantwell and Murray;

I am writing to urge you to do everything in your power to stop us from going to war with Iran. A war would have devastating consequences for both sides, andis not in the national interest. Further, we have a moral obligation to stop it before it goes any further.

Thank You

Carl Ballard

Now This: Most heroic first responders of 2019.

Daily Show: Top 10 Obama Scandals.

Mental Floss: 18 weird & wonderful holidays to celebrate in the New Year.

The Dotard Трамп and His Henchpersons:

• Trevor: Everything you need to know about Трамп’s tremendous road to impeachment
• Chris Hayes: Why The Dotard was cut from “Home Alone 2”
• Now This: What would happen if Трамп overturned Obamacare?
• Mark Fiore: The Emoluments Clause
• Lawrence O’Donnell: State Department demurs on Mike Pompeo-Volodymyr Zelenskiy meeting
• Joy Reid: Evangelicals and Трамп—Facing a final split?
• Lauren Mayer: Putin put the P in GOP:

• Robert Reich: How Citizens United got us Трамп
• Now This: The top impeachment in 2019
• Lawrence O’Donnell: All the President’s men must testify in Senate impeachment trial
• Chris Hayes: New unredacted emails contain “Clear direction from POTUS to hold” funding
• Ari Melber: GOP nightmare? Giuliani “would testify” at Трамп trial as insiders push him away
• Now This: Pro-Трамп pastor says impeachment is a “Jew coup”
• Lawrence O’Donnell: NYT report reveals the truth about The Dotard Трамп’s tax cuts
• Vox: The rise and fall of Rudy Giuliani
• Now This: The most absurd Трамп quotes of 2019
• Chris Hayes: Трамп’s strange habit of retweeting obscure accounts

Now This: Top Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez moments of 2019.

Roll Call: Best of Congressional Hits and Misses in 2019.

Weird History: Hedy Lamarr—The Nazi-fighting bombshell who made cell phones possible.

Now This: Who is Devin Nunes, and why is he always having a cow?

Hasan Minhaj: How to survive 2020:

Chris Hayes: Senate staffer portrayed in “The Report” responds to Mike Pompeo.

Vice News: Inside the cryptocurrency revolution.

Twenty-twenty Vision:

• Rachel Maddow: Castro on dropping 2020 bid
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Sen. Booker—“This President has no larger strategic plan” in Middle East
• Trevor: Getting to know Elizabeth Warren
• Rachel Maddow: Julian Castro on changes needed in the caucus and presidential nomination process
• Lawrence O’Donnell: Sen. Booker on impeachment—“All of us should want the truth to come out”

Now This: How reproductive freedoms were limited in 2019.

Sky News: A new climate—What Antarctica tells us about the past…and the future.

Chris Hayes: On the threat of Anti-Semitism.

Vox: Google and Amazon are now in the oil business.

Robert Reich: Why I’m still hopeful about America:

Vice: Why college athletes don’t get paid

Now This: Michelle Obama voted most admired woman in U.S.

Last week’s Friday Night Multimedia Extravaganza can be found here.

There are going to be anti war protests across the country tomorrow (h/t). If you are in the Seattle or Tricities area, and are able to attend, I would encourage you to come.

Hey, let’s not go to war with Iran. I mean the President clearly wants a war. But we will have to do what we can to prevent it. Or at the very least stand up and say that we oppose it. I don’t know how effective marches or letter writing or whatever is, but be the kind of person who participates in opposing the war.