January 15: Five days before the end of his term, Trump is Impeached by House of Representatives. Ten Republicans join the full complement of Democrats to approve a single article of impeachment against Donald J. Trump, charged with "incitement of insurrection."

January 10: House speaker Nancy Pelosi to seek resolution asking vice-president Pence to invoke 25th Amendment, in quest to remove Trump from office before his term ends. In latest ABC News/Ipsos poll, 56 percent of Americans say they want Trump removed, versus 43 percent who do not. Average of polls in recent days finds that half of respondents wants the president removed by impeaehment, 25th Amendment, or resignation; 43 percent oppose.

January 10: New video of rampage at Capitol on January 6 shows rioters changing "Hang Mike Pence." Several are seen striking a fallen police officer with pole-like implements -- one of which holds an American flag.

January 9: House of Representatives prepared one article of impeachment, on the grounds of "incitement of insurrection." At least 200 members are expected to support the move. A day later, Republian Senator Pat Toomey joins Lisa Murkowski in calling for Trump's removal.

January 8: Twitter cuts off Trump's account permanently, based upon "the risk of further incitement of violence." (The New York Times January 8: House Speaker Pelosi issues report on speaking to Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about "possible precautions for preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike." Later in day, Pelosi threatens impeachment if the president fails to resign "immediately."

January 8: CNN reports that Trump is "headed for impeachment. again." Vice-president Pence reportedly declined to consider 25th Amendment path. Shortly afterward, sources are reporting that articles of impeachment could be introduced as early as Monday, January 11.

January 7: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warns that if the vice-president does not pursue 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, Democrats will move toward impeachment.

January 7: Various Trump administration officials are resigning, including Secretaries of Transportation and Education.

January 7: During the day following Trump-incited mob assault on U.S. Capitol, rapidly-growing number of officials and others, including Republicans, call for a second impeachment of the current president, or for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. The Wall Street Journal calls for Trump to resign. His term officially ends on Januazry 20, when Joe Biden becomes the president. Trump is reportedly looking into pardoning himself as well as family members, along with Rudy Giuliani, before leaving the White House.

January 6: In wake of chaos, Twitter temporarily locks Trump's account because of incendiary tweets. Facebook and Instagram take similar actions.extending to the end of his term. Trump issues minute-long video calling on rioters to disperse, but his remarks keep repeating baseless claims that election was stolen from him. "We love you," Trump assures the culprits. "You're very special."
Former NJ governor Chris Christie charges that Trump's statement amounted to "one step forward and two steps back." Numerous critics, including lawmakers, refer to events at Capitol an "insurrection" and and an attempted "coup."

January 6: Pro-Trump mob invades U.S. Capitol, smashing windows, roaming the halls -- even occupying and vandalizing some legislators' offices. Lawmakers are evacuated from Capitol by officers with guns drawn, as protest turns violent. One woman is shot and killed during the chaos. Two days later, House is preparing to introduce articles of impeachment

January 6: Hours after Georgia runoff election, Raphael Warnock is declared the victor, giving Democrats 49 seats in U.S. Senate. Race between Jon Ossoff (D) and David Perdue (R), which could shift control of the Senate, is close to dead-even; but Ossoff is deemed the winner later in the morning, giving the Senate a 50-50 split.

January 5: In a tweet, Eric Trump vows to work to defeat every Congressional Republican who fails to support the preident's unfounded fight to overturn the presidential election. (CNN)

January 3: The Washington Post publishes excerpts from taped phone conversation between Trump and Georgia's secretary of state, in which the president demands that the state official "find" enough (11,780) Trump votes to overturn the election, "because we won." During the hour-long call, Trump issues vague threat about a "criminal offense."

January 1: Federal judge dismisses lawsuit filed against Mike Pence, which sought to grant the vice-president authority to interfere with election results. (CNN)

December 31: Congress overrides Trump veto of defense bill – first time in his administration.

December 31: Sen. Mitt Romney calls Trump administration's vaccine distribution plan "unrealistic."

December 31: According to CNN, at least 140 U.S. Representatives intend to vote against accepting the Electoral College vote count. A total of 196 Republicans serve as Representatives in the current (116th) Congress; the 117th Congress will replace it in January.

December 30: Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) announces intent to object to Electoral College vote count on January 6 – a move that will delay final certification of Joe Biden as president-elect. CNN notes that additional Republican Senators are expected to concur.

December 28: Congress overrides Trump's veto of defense bill. More than 100 Republican in House of Representatives vote against the president.

December 28: Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert (R) sues Mike Pence in attempt to strengthen the vice-president's role in announcing result of Electoral College vote. Rather than the usual ceremonial role, the lawsuit would give the VP greater power, even to the point of deciding the election in Trump's favor. (CNN)

December 27: Trump signs Covid relief bill a day after official deadline, avoiding potential veto override by Congress..

December 26: Supplemental unemployment benefits end at midnight, as Trump refuses to sign Covid relief bill, insisting on changes.

December 23: Trump vetoes National Defense Authhorization Act, causing Congress to plan override of his decision. Though not specifically threatening a veto, the president also continues to insist on changes to the Covid relief bill passed by Congress. Critics, including some Republicans, warn of harsh consequences for million of Americans suffering economic hardship due to virus.

December 22: After months of wranglng within Congress to create and pass a Covid "stimulus" bill, Trump demands an amendment before agreeing to sign it into law. Instead of $600 direct payments to most Americans, he wants to raise the amount to $2,000.

December 22: Trump issues first of what CNN calls an expected "flurry" of pardons, including two men who pleaded guilty in connection with the Mueller investigation that led to the president's impeachment. The early list includes two former Congressmen and four Blackwater guards.

December 21: Outgoing president "threatens 30-day reign of destruction" for his final month in office, accordingi to CNN.

December 20: Centers for Diseae Control (CDC) issues guidelines on prioritizing Covid vaccinations, starting with frontline workers (medical, grocery, postal) and the elderly (75-plus). Meanwhile, several coutries cancel flights from Britain due to emergency there of swifter-spreading variant of the virus.

December 20: After weeks of discussion, Senate and House reach agreement on $900 billion Covid relief package, including $600 checks sent to individuals and $300 weekly supplement to unemployment benefits. Critics charge that the amount falls far short of what is needed to deal with rampant hunger and evictions across the country.

December 19: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo names Russia as likeliest culprit in massive cyberattack against U.S. government agencies and corporations. Trump downplays the attack, while suggesting that China may be responsible.

December 18: Trump aides meeting in White House to discuss overturning the election reportedly wind up in an Oval Office "shouting match" over methods. Michael Flynn, recently pardoned by Trump, promotes invoking martial law to keep the president in power, perhaps by having the military rerun the voting in "battleground" states. Trump wishes to appoint ardent conspiracty theorist Sidney Powell to investigate the election.

December 14: All electors vote in accord with vote totals in their respective states, making Joseph R. Biden Jr. the official president-elect.

December 14: First vaccinations for Covid-19 are given to the most vulnerable Americans, led by health care workers. Vaccination of everyone who wants it is not expected until March or April, at the earliest. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, 15 percent of Americans do not intend to be vaccinated. In earlier polls, far more people said they would or might decline.

December 12: CDC advisers vote to recommend use of Pfizer vaccine. FDA commissioner, Dr. Stevem Hahn, soon approves emergency use of vaccine, permitting nationwide distribution to begin.

December 11: Supreme Court declines to hear suit brought by Texas against four states that Joe Biden had won in the presidential election, stating that Texas lacked standing to present such a case against election rules in other states. Called the most important case in American history by Trump, the lawsuit was backed by attorneys general in 17 Repubican-led states, as well as by a majority of Repubicans in House of Representatives.

December 11: TIME Magazine names its Person(s) of the Year: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

December 11: CNN reports that Trump's chief of staff orders head of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve vaccine today, or resign.

December 8: Arizona Republican party (@AZGOP) sends two tweets asking Trump supporters if they are prepared to die as part of the challenge to the presidential election result. (CNN)

December 8: Health board in Boise, Idaho adjourns meeting in reponse to protesters outside the building and at homes of board members. (CNN)

December 7: The New York Times reports that in late summer, Prizer offered additional Covid vaccine doses to the U.S. The Trump administration declined. As a result, inoculating most Americans may be delayed until summer 2021.

December 7: Trump declares that the presidential election was "like from a third world nation," as he continues his battle to have the result overturned in his favor. Despite a string of losses in court, he said "I think the case has been made." After informing his weekend rally audience that "You know, we won Georgia," he advised reporters that "in politics, I won two.... Two for two."

December 5: Trump reportedly pressured Republican governor of Georgia, in phone call, to overturn that states' election results, giving the president the victory he seeks. Speaking to supporters in Georgia, Trump continues his ongoing, baseless rant claiming massive fraud. Despite vital runoff in January for two Republican Senators, which could shift the power balance in the Senate, some backers of the president are urging Republicans not to vote because of the (alleged) rampant fraud.

December 1: Attorney General William Barr states that Department of Justice has "to date" found no evidence of widespread election fraud that could change the result. Results from all six close-vote states that Trump has accused of massive fraud have now been certified.

Please Click Here for News Briefs from mid-March through November 2020

Quick Look: Early Days of Covid-19 in the U.S.

Finally, in mid-March, the president began to react in accord with the magnitude of the crisis. By then, New York City was going into lockdown, elderly residents of a Seattle nursing home were dying, and some cities began to take drastic action to keep the virus from spreading. The governor of Illinois, for one, ordered that all bars and restaurants close for the duration, except for takeout orders. Americans were emphatically warned to maintain "social distance," staying at least six feet away from all other people. Elderly persons, and those with health issues (especially respiratory conditions) were strongly advised to stay home. Lacking clear directives from the federal government, state and local officials initiated their own orders or admonitions to the public. Meanwhile, hospitals were running out of protective face masks, ventilators, and available beds.

Writing in The New York Times on March 18, Jennifer Finney Boylan may have painted the most pointed picture of the coronavirus pandemic: "The world we lived in has vanished – slowly, and then suddenly. Even if we manage to defeat the coronavirus, that world will not return."

Note: This schedule is still under contruction. Preliminary outlines and/or unedited excerpts are available, accessed by clicking on each link. Additional excerpts will be available soon.

Inquiries from book publishers or agents are welcome. Please send e-mail to JF@tirekick.com.

"Here At Home" tales focus on folks whose escapades are more localized. Though fictitional, most are based at least in part upon real people and places. The collection also includes several early stories, previously unpublished, from the author's archive.
Untied Knots: Contents ... Introduction ... Excerpts: Night Train ... Scandal ... Bad Sports ... Desk Duty ... Ready? Go!

For further information, please contact us at JF@tirekick.com.

• Articles and essays related to current affairs, including relevant automotive subjects, will appear periodically. • Editor James M. Flammang has contributed to vehicle reviews at NewCarTestDrive.com. Tirekicking Today editor James M. Flammang, a veteran independent auto journalist, has contributed countless product reviews and feature articles to such publications as autoMedia.com, New Car Test Drive, CarsDirect, and Kelley Blue Book. He has written extensively for a variety of major outlets, including J.D. Power, cars.com, and the Chicago Tribune. Flammang is a member of the Freelancers Union and the International Motor Press Association, and is a past president of the Midwest Automotive Media Association. The author of more than thirty books, mostly on auto history, also has contributed extensively to Consumer Guide publications and to such trade publications as Ward's Dealer Business. TK Press, established in 2014 as a division of Tirekicking Today, has already published three books by Flammang. Several more titles (described above) are well underway, scheduled for publication diring 2020. "[W]hile there is a soul in prison, I am not free." Eugene Debs (in 1918 court statement) Five-time Socialist candidate for president

NEW! Used Car World Following a several-year absence, Tirekicking Today is reviving coverage of the used car market – again, emphasizing a consumer focus. Editor James M. Flammang has been reporting on used cars since the 1980s, not only for this website but for Consumer Guide's used car buying guide, along with a variety of other consumer publications. We will start with a detailed and informative look at the current used car marketplace, as expressed by experts attending the 2020 used car conference – dubbed Used Car Week – held "virtually" this year. Initial sessions dealt with automotive credit and finance. In early December, a second group of Zoom sessions turns to the pre-owned market overall. Subjects to be covered in this new section will include: • Cars vs. trucks in the sales race (Hint: Trucks have a strong lead.) • State of and expectations for auto financing. • How are used car prices trending? • Whatever Happened to the Repo Man? • Which is best, economically speaking: New or Used? • Where do electric cars stand?

News Headlines in the Auto World • November 23: Turning against Trump position on near-future fuel economy and pollution requirement, GM reverses its stance on separate emissions standards for California. • July 14: With great fanfare, Ford reveals 21st-century version of its long-departed Bronco SUV. • July 8: Chevrolet is dropping Sonic compact sedan. • May 19: Two Ford plants reopen, as part of Trump's intent to bring workers back to their jobs. A day later, both plants ahut down again because a worker tested positive for Covid-19. • March 27: Trump uses Defense Production Act to order General Motors to produce ventilators, essential to help severely ill Covid-19 patients breathe. A previous contract had been signed with GM, but resulted in a dispute about the dollar amount involved. Governors and mayors have pleaded for more ventilators in their grossly oveburdened hospitals. Note: This auto-industry section is in the process of updating. Please check again soon.