The votes are still being counted in the west, and there are important races that have yet to be determined. But today is a new day for the United States. The House and Senate have a lot of work ahead to investigate the grift and corruption of the Trump Administration, its cabinet secretaries, and its sycophantic supporters in the House and Senate while passing laws that seek to reverse some of the damage that the Trump administration has done to this country, our foreign policy and allies, and our standing in the world. Though Trump is still president and he will try and do more really bad stuff (it’s his nature after all), but the Dems can go on record and legislate on a wide variety of issues on health care, climate, the environment, voting rights, abortion rights, the economy, tariffs, the Supreme Court, ethics in government, the Epstein files, gun control, the budget, war powers, etc., etc., etc., – and though much of it Trump will veto, the Democrats can set the legislative agenda for the next election campaign and put everyone on record. Jamie Raskin, Jon Ossoff, and others have said that the Congress and Senate can investigate and legislate at the same time, and must do so to restore the legislative branch’s powers and call everyone to account.

Trump now will not be able to get the Senate to pass on any judge he appoints, fill any Supreme Court vacancy, approve any cabinet appointment, or do anything substantive. Trump really is a lame duck – no, a dead duck.

Yes – there is “morning” in America, and this two year nightmare of Trump and his sycophants running roughshod over our civil rights, women’s rights, immigrant rights, the environment, economy, relationships with our allies and NATO, and the integrity of our democratic institutions and norms can begin to be diminished.

The following are images of early morning light that I photographed in my neighborhood in Sherman Oaks, California in recent weeks as I anticipated watching the election returns last evening and hopefully awakening today to a new political day. I hope you find them “enlightening” and inspiring of optimism and hope.