January 23, 2020

Which Day of the Trial Are We On? Depends Who You Ask.

Time is a flat circle.

Groundhog Day is more than a week away, but there’s evidence time might already be moving in a loop.

At least three of the country’s most prominent media outlets can’t seem to agree what day of the Senate’s impeachment trial the country is currently in.

On Thursday, House Democrats kicked off their second day of opening arguments against President Donald Trump, leading The New York Times to declare that we are in Day 2 of the trial.

Meanwhile, at CNN Thursday is the trial’s “third day.” They are counting Tuesday, when Senators debated rules that would govern the proceedings.

Over on C-SPAN, it’s “Day 4.” They are reaching back a full week and counting last Thursday, the day Chief Justice John Roberts and the senators were sworn in.

All three numbers make some sense. Debate them if you like, but time—and this trial—will charge ahead. We just might get there on different days. 

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4 DAYS LEFT—AND EVERYTHING RIDING ON IT

A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. That’s risky, because a strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength—but a weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

With just 4 days left, we need a huge surge in reader support to get to our $400,000 year-end goal. Whether you've given before or this is your first time, your contribution right now matters. All gifts are 3X matched and tax-deductible.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do. That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

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