Inauguration is one of those times that federal Washington and local D.C. collide head on, though never so much as this year. Our team at @wamu885news and @DCist has been relentlessly focused on the second half of that equation....

On a bright, cold Saturday, we found a scene that onlookers described as “surreal” and “post-apocalyptic.” One ANC commissioner estimated that troops outnumbered residents five to one. https://t.co/CVYH5gC26E
Residents in the militarized zone described how their lives have been ensnared by the security apparatus. “With the bridges closing out of Virginia, it feels like it’s just us, and the whole world is watching.” https://t.co/HbW2FtOsjm
Speaking of the bridges closing, @JWPascale mapped out the street closures. As Mayor Muriel Bowser put it: “Clearly we are in unchartered waters.” https://t.co/qU9lOPCqsx
All of those closures and new security measures have upended the lives and services of people experiencing homelessness, as @mikafrak reported https://t.co/gl7S8bhsFT
So what is the likelihood of far-right violence? @Curious_Kurz @margaretbarthel @dbonessi spoke to experts who said major crowds are unlikely but there may be diffuse violence. And they warned it could continue well beyond inauguration. https://t.co/oV4SZ6LzF1
Need a drink after all that? True to form, D.C.’s restaurants have stepped up with all manner of inauguration-themed deals and offerings. From @ecwilliams30 https://t.co/OUXqAG0JqB
Speaking of restaurants, a number have donated pizza and other offerings to the thousands of National Guard troops in town. Do they actually need it? @JacobFenston reported on the phenomenon. https://t.co/31lnMj0WUA
Plus, here’s what we know about the scheduled plans for inauguration itself: https://t.co/g0AXGexc0B
And that’s not even all of it. Keep up with our continuing inauguration coverage here: https://t.co/g115EQt5PD

More from Government

Long thread: 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.

12/12: The earlier DC protest over the electoral college vote during clearly inspired Jan 6th. On Dec 12th, he tweeted: “Wow! Thousands of people forming in Washington (D.C.) for Stop the Steal. Didn’t know about this, but I’ll be seeing them! #MAGA.”


12/19: Trump announces the Jan. 6th event by tweeting, “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!” Immediately, insurrectionists begin to discuss the “Wild Protest.” Just 2 days later, this UK political analyst predicts the violence


12/26-27: Trump announces his participation on Twitter. On Dec. 29, the FBI sends out a nationwide bulletin warning legislatures about attacks https://t.co/Lgl4yk5aO1


1/1: Trump tweets the time of his protest. Then he retweets “The calvary is coming” on Jan. 6!” Sounds like a war? About this time, the FBI begins visiting right wing extremists to tell them not to go--does the FBI tell the president? https://t.co/3OxnB2AHdr
This article by Jim Spellar for @LabourList misses the point about why Labour needs to think seriously about constitutional reform - and have a programme for it ready for government.


The state of our constitution is a bit like the state of the neglected electric wiring in an old house. If you are moving into the house, sorting it out is a bit tedious. Couldn’t you spend the time and money on a new sound system?

But if you ignore the wiring, you’ll find that you can’t safely install the new sound system. And your house may well catch fire.

Any programme for social democratic government requires a state with capacity, and a state that has clear mechanisms of accountability, for all the big and all the small decisions that in takes, in which people have confidence.

That is not a description of the modern UK state.
Abbott is pushing a lie to protect incompetence. There is no Federal oversight of the Texas Grid, ergo fewer regulations (sound familiar) - so point one: state legislature needs reform. 2/


2. Point 2: there were clear signs the grid would get overloaded under extreme cold conditions. Why? Due to a vacuum of regulations mandating winterization of turbines and power generators. This from sources, in Texas!

3. Point 3: Of the power shortfall that hit Texas, over 80% was due to problems at coal and gas fired plants. Power generators were just not winterized. Decisions to do so have been ignored since the 1990s.

4. Point 4: these are winterized wind turbines in Denmark. The ocean is frozen. The turbines are generating.


5. #Texas| the main issue is: catastrophic governance at the State level (no Federal oversight of the Texas grid) failing to allocate funding to winterise the Natural Gas, Coal and Wind Turbine elements that contribute to the grid. (~ 80/20

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