GOOD MORNING, BLOGTOWN! Used to have a little, now I have a lot. No matter where I go, I know where I came from (the Bronx!) LET'S GO TO PRESS.

In advance of this weekend's protests, our Doug Brown interviewed the leaders behind the Inauguration march as well as the "Flag Extinguishing Demonstration" (conservatives who vow to stymie any flag burners). To say it is interesting is an understatement.

Meanwhile Portland Police are gearing up for the weekend with a round of crowd control training. (Though Chief Mike Marshman is mostly concerned about the violent "fringe element," he says.)

Mayor Ted Wheeler met with the press yesterday to unveil a new temporary homeless shelter and answer questions about how the city handled this past week's Snowpocalypse.

The Oregon Ducks suspend their strength coach following three players being sent to the hospital following the coach's intensive workouts.

Whistleblower Chelsea Manning, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison for leaking reams of government secrets has had her sentence commuted by President Obama. (Naturally a few Republicans don't like that, boo-hoo-hoo.)

Related: Wikileaks founder (and WikiCreep) Julian Assange says he's willing to be extradited to America following Obama's decision to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence.

Meanwhile whistleblower Edward Snowden has been given permission to stay in Russia for three more years—also known as being stuck between a rock and hard place.

Former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump, accusing him of groping her without consent—which may mean we might finally have access to all those damning Apprentice tapes?

Obama is very busy! In his last few days he's also transferring $500 million to the environment saving Green Climate Fund—because Trump probably won't. IN A RELATED HEADLINE: "World temperatures hit new high in 2016 for third year in a row."

Trump's pick for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, is a goddamn disaster, and will probably leave our schools more open for gun violence and sexual assault.

Tough confirmation hearings are underway for Trump's picks for Health and Human Services, EPA chief, and UN ambassador. Spoiler alert: None are qualified.


Trump has been caught lying (AGAIN!), this time for saying he'd never met Russian president Putin when he clearly had (or at least said he had). So he was either lying then, or lying now, which means he's a lying liar.

And the result of that lying? Trump's approval ratings going into office are the lowest ever recorded, while departing prez Obama's polls have rocketed to 60 percent. Funny, that.

More than 50 Democratic members of congress are now boycotting this Friday's inauguration.

Now let's look at this continuing fucked up WEATHER we're having: It'll practically be balmy today with rain and a high of 49 degrees. Bring your galoshes!

And finally, Jimmy Kimmel hits the street to see which people prefer: Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act? (They are the same thing.) The results will neither surprise or delight you at all.