I saw an article headline today arguing we should abolish the presidential pardon. Too much power in the hands of one person. For what it’s worth, I think the pardon power serves an important purpose (though it is an archaic one) and that we should see more pardons, really a lot more. But the point of the article, which is based on President Trump’s wanton and partial abuse of this power, focused my attention on a different point.

After a three-week pause, impeachment looks poised to move forward this week. Join Kate Riga and Tierney Sneed, who have been covering impeachment for TPM, at 2 p.m. EST today for a discussion of what to watch. Register here, and bring questions.

Happy Monday, January 13. NBC News reported Monday morning that President Trump had been plotting the assassination of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani for at least six months prior to the attack, a development that puts renewed scrutiny on the administration’s “imminent” threat rationale for the strike. Here’s more on that and other stories we’re following.

There is a robust scientific consensus that all human populations outside of Africa descend from migrations of homo sapiens out of Africa that took place between 50,000 and 70,000 years ago. Before that, in Europe for instance, neanderthals were the dominant human or hominid population outside of Africa. But last year scientists performed a series of skeletal morphology and dating tests which appear to change the story dramatically.

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I kept hearing how Elizabeth Warren was refusing to go negative in kind with Bernie Sanders. But I think she just dropped a neutron bomb directly on Bernie’s head.

And to be clear, “going negative” isn’t a bad thing if you are discussing relevant facts.

I remain skeptical. But CBS is reporting that the White House believes there’s a good chance they won’t be able to stem Senate GOP defections on allowing witnesses in the President’s impeachment trial.

We’re likely to see the House appoint impeachment managers and hand off the articles of impeachment to the Senate this week. Tierney Sneed and Kate Riga took Inside members’ questions on what they’re watching, and what to expect as a Senate trial begins.

Watch here.

Happy Tuesday, January 14. In the last two days, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) took some shots at her longtime Senate ally Bernie Sanders (I-VT), accusing the Vermont senator of directing his volunteers to “trash” her and confirming he once told her a woman could not win the Democratic nomination. The Sanders campaign has vehemently denied the allegations. Is this a sign of a broader rift between the two comrades or just the ebb and flow of a Democratic primary? Here’s more on that and other stories we’re following:

We’re getting word now that Speaker Pelosi is telling her members to expect a vote Wednesday on sending the articles of impeachment to the Senate. Tierney Sneed is outside the House Democratic caucus meeting on the Hill, we will have her report shortly.

Did we learn anything from 2016?

From the reactions to a report that Russian government-affiliated hackers targeted a Ukrainian gas company at the center of conspiracy theories around Vice President Joe Biden, apparently not.