memeorandum: As government shutdown negotiations continue, Congress risks giving America a case of the Mondays (Halimah Abdullah/ABC News)

12:55 PM ET, January 21, 2018

Top Items:

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

Eric Trump: The government shutdown is ‘good for us’ politically … President Trump — 's son Eric Trump — said on Saturday that he believes the government shutdown is politically good for his father and his allies. — “Honestly, I think it's a good thing for us,” …

Discussion: Politico, Fox News Insider and Breitbart

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Trump calls for Republicans to trigger ‘nuclear option’ if stalemate continues — on Sunday called for Senate Republicans to trigger the so-called nuclear option if the government shutdown continues and pass a long-term budget with 51 votes. — “Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting …

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, Vox, Breitbart, CNBC, Politicus USA, IJR, USA Today and Political Wire

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Shutdown showdown enters day two — A group of moderate senators hopes to end the brinkmanship that has erupted at the one-year mark for Donald Trump's presidency. — Moderate senators from both parties plan to meet again Sunday to try to hash out a compromise to reopen the government …

Discussion: IJR

Associated Press:

The Latest: Trump floats idea of rule change to end shutdown — The Latest on the government shutdown (all times local): — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is calling on Republicans to “sit down and talk” with Democrats on immigration in an effort to reopen the government.

Discussion: Politico and The Week

David Weigel / Washington Post:

Shutdown could hurt Democrats seeking reelection in Trump states … Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr., a Pennsylvania Democrat facing reelection this year in a state that narrowly voted to put Donald Trump in the White House, was the sort of senator Republicans hoped would vote against their bill to fund the government late Friday.

Discussion: Political Wire

Halimah Abdullah / ABC News:
As government shutdown negotiations continue, Congress risks giving America a case of the Mondays

Discussion: Politico, NPR and Talking Points Memo

David Caplan / ABC News:
Eric Trump on government shutdown: 'Honestly, I think it's a good thing for us'

Discussion: Associated Press

Adam Kelsey / ABC News:
TrumpShutdown beats #SchumerShutdown in hashtag battle to assign blame

Discussion: CNN, Hit & Run, Power Line and Associated Press

Julie Hirschfeld Davis / New York Times:
After Vowing to Fix Washington, Trump Is Mired in a Familiar Crisis

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politico, BuzzFeed, Lawyers, Guns & Money, NPR, Joe.My.God., NBC News, The Atlantic, Roll Call, Althouse, Mediaite, ABC News, Fox News Insider, The Guardian, TheBlaze, CNN, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, FOX6Now.com, CNBC, Raw Story, IJR and Vox

Washington Post:
‘Negotiating with Jell-O’: How Trump's shifting positions fueled the rush to a shutdown

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog, The Week, New York Times, Washington Monthly, Politico, Balloon Juice and The Hill

Oliver Willis / Shareblue Media:
Watch Mitch McConnell kill effort to protect military pay as GOP pushed for shutdown

Discussion: Joe.My.God.

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:
New Trump Ad Calls Dems ‘Complicit’ In Murders By Undocumented Immigrants

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Matt Flegenheimer / New York Times:

Now on Stage, Stormy Daniels: A Strip Club and a Presidency Meet After Dark — GREENVILLE, S.C. — One by one, the patrons lurched to the stage's edge, summoned by the siren song of stale arena rock and toplessness — a sea of large men with small bills and slight smiles …

Discussion: Business Insider and Mediaite

Dan Zak / Washington Post:

Stormy Daniels, star of the latest Trump sideshow, took her act to a strip club. It was a scene. — GREENVILLE, S.C. — Year two of the Trump presidency began here overnight much like year one had ended: with his alleged ex-mistress smashing people's faces into her bare chest at a strip club between an airport and a cemetery.

Gary Langer / ABC News:

Amid record low one-year approval rating, half of Americans question Trump's mental stability: POLL — A year in the presidential spotlight hasn't been kind to President Donald Trump: His approval rating is the lowest in modern polling for a president at this point, with deep deficits on policy and personal matters alike.

Discussion: Taylor Marsh

CNN:

CNN Poll: Democratic advantage narrows in 2018 — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)As the midterm election year begins, a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS finds the Democratic advantage on a generic congressional ballot has tightened to a narrow 5 points among registered voters …

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Daily Wire and NTK Network

Washington Post: Poll finds public optimistic about the economy, critical of Trump, split on issues

Robert O'Harrow Jr / Washington Post:

Trump's 24-year-old drug policy appointee was let go at law firm after he 'just didn't show' — A former Trump campaign worker appointed at age 23 to a top position in the White House's drug policy office had been let go from a job at a law firm because he repeatedly missed work, a partner at the firm said.

YouTube:

Complicit — Donald Trump was elected President to build the wall and keep American families safe from evil, illegal immigrants who commit violent crimes against lawful U...

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, Raw Story, Washington Times, IJR, FOX6Now.com, Shareblue Media and Joe.My.God.

Barton Deiters / WOOD-TV:

Kzoo doctor detained by ICE after 40 years in US — KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — Even as the issue of immigration has been central to the government shutdown in Washington, a respected doctor at Kalamazoo's Bronson Methodist Hospital who has been living in America for nearly 40 years finds himself …

Anna Fifield / Washington Post:

Trump asked Moon to give him public credit for pressuring North Korea into talks — SEOUL — Even before he was elected South Korea's president eight months ago, Moon Jae-in was vowing to take the “driver's seat” in global efforts to deal with North Korea. — But as the inter-Korean talks …

Discussion: ThinkProgress

Annie Linskey / BostonGlobe.com:

Elizabeth Warren's Native American problem goes beyond politics — WASHINGTON — There's a ghost haunting Elizabeth Warren as she ramps up for a possible 2020 presidential bid and a reelection campaign in Massachusetts this year: her enduring and undocumented claims of Native American ancestry.

Discussion: IJR

Sean Wilentz / New York Times:

They Were Bad. He May Be Worse. — Historians have long looked to a few key criteria in evaluating the beginning of a president's administration. First and foremost, any new president should execute public duties with a commanding civility and poise befitting the nation's chief executive, but without appearing aloof or haughty.

Katharine Q. Seelye / New York Times:

1 Son, 4 Overdoses, 6 Hours — Drug deaths draw the most notice, but more addicted people live than die. For them and their families, life can be a relentless cycle of worry, hope and chaos. — PEMBROKE, N.H. — The first time Patrick Griffin overdosed one afternoon in May …

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

WH releases photos of Trump working through shutdown — The White House on Saturday released photos of President Trump — working on the first day of the government shutdown and the one-year anniversary of his inauguration. — One photo shows the president walking through a hallway wearing a white …

Discussion: Vox, Raw Story and Joe.My.God.