GOOD MORNING, BLOGTOWN! Now I see where believing you got me. Gave you the wheel, but you can't drive me. LET'S GO TO PRESS.

Guys, it's COLD outside this morning (like 23 degrees cold) which is wreaking some havoc with the MAX lines (one train derailed from the ice buildup, no injuries), BUT EXPECT DELAYS.


Portland is trying out salt on the roads to deal with the ice. (Note: This would not be a news story in any other major city, but for those who are just arriving, Portland despises only two things: salt on the roads, and fluoride.)

Check out this story of the fourth houseless person to die from hypothermia since the beginning of the year, and how mental illness played a major role.

Let's give credit where credit is due: Oregon Senator Ron Wyden is kicking some major ASS right now in his fight against the Trump shitstorm. Yesterday he blasted CIA director nominee and Republican congressman Mike Pompeo over his views of American privacy and data collection.

That being said, at least Mike Pompeo appears to be siding with intelligence agencies during his confirmation hearing, and expressed logical fears of Russia meddling in American political affairs.

Speaking of which, did anybody else think it was kind of disturbingly weird that C-SPAN was briefly taken over by Kremlin funded network Russia Today?

President-elect and proven liar Donald Trump went on another of his screechy and embarrassing Twitter rampages this morning about how everything is FAKE NEWS and SLEAZEBAGS are out to get him and RUSSIA is innocent and TOO BAD... and oh, you know the drill.

House Republicans are beginning to get very nervous indeed that there's no viable plan to replace Obamacare, and they're going to get drummed out of their jobs by a furious public. They are right to be nervous.


Today in OH, HELL YEAH: The Justice Department will be investigating FBI Director James Comey's very suspicious actions in regards to the pre-election Hillary Clinton email scandal.

In America's favorite bromance: Obama surprises Vice President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and it is just as heartbreakingly sweet as you might suspect.

Some Senators are considering confirming Rex Tillerson for the Secretary of State role simply because they're afraid Trump's replacement might be worse. (This is the America in which we now live.)

Okay, let's look at this COLD WEATHER we're having: IT'S COLD! Expect sunny skies and a high of only 32.

And finally, here's what it looked like when the Kremlin network Russia Today briefly took over C-SPAN. (Not a big improvement actually.)