memeorandum: Republicans are way more optimistic about the stock market than Democrats (David Nather/Axios)

7:40 AM ET, January 5, 2019

Top Items:

CNN:

First on CNN: Hundreds of TSA screeners, working without pay, calling out sick at major airports — Where can't you travel during the shutdown? — Washington (CNN)Hundreds of Transportation Security Administration officers, who are required to work without paychecks through …

Discussion: New York Times, Payday Report, TheBlaze, Gothamist, Washington Post, POLITICUSUSA, fox8.com, Daily Kos, Raw Story, Mediaite, Axios and Talking Points Memo

The Daily Beast:

Trump Referred to Shutdown as ‘Strike’ in Profanity-Laced Meeting With Democratic Leaders — The president also dropped three f-bombs and claimed Democrats wanted him impeached. — During Friday's meeting at the White House over the ongoing shutdown standoff, President Donald Trump …

Discussion: Hill Reporter, Daily Kos, Breitbart, CNBC and ABC News

Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:

Rashida Tlaib's Expletive-Laden Cry to Impeach Trump Upends Democrats' Talking Points — WASHINGTON — Impeachment was always going to hang heavily over a divided Washington. But it took little more than 24 hours this week for a freshman House Democrat's exuberant, expletive-laden impeachment promise …

Discussion: Hmm Daily, ABC News and Breitbart

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Congress isn't feeling the pressure for a fast deal to end the shutdown — yet — Maybe Congress shouldn't have tried to ease the pain of a government shutdown. — One reason for the extended closure of nine Cabinet departments and other agencies is the legislative version of no good deed …

Washington Post:
A freshman, a viral video and a profanity revive Trump impeachment talk

Discussion: The Hill, Patterico's Pontifications, The Guardian and Fox News Insider

Laurie Kellman / Associated Press:
Welcome to the jungle: New Dems get early political lesson

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Breitbart and POLITICUSUSA

Washington Post:

Millions face delayed tax refunds, cuts to food stamps as White House scrambles to deal with shutdown's consequences — Food stamps for 38 million low-income Americans face severe reductions and more than $140 billion in tax refunds are at risk of being frozen or delayed if the government shutdown stretches …

Washington Post:

Three dead in national parks as shutdown wears on — Trump administration officials decided to leave the scenic parks open even as the Interior Department has halted most of its operations — a departure from previous extended shutdowns — Three days after most of the federal workforce …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Guardian and Axios

Washington Post: Three have died in accidents in national parks since shutdown began. …

Sam Stein / The Daily Beast:
National Parks Are Overflowing With Poop Thanks to the Government Shutdown

Discussion: East Bay Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Denver Post and Deadspin

Andy Campbell / HuffPost:

Proud Boys Founder Gavin McInnes Can Get Back To Antifa After He Battles His Neighbors — McInnes is complaining that his neighbors' anti-hate yard signs are an attack on him and his family. — Gavin McInnes' ongoing fight against his detractors has spilled over into his tony neighborhood outside …

Will Sommer / The Daily Beast:
Gavin McInnes Writes Letters to Neighbors to Take Down Anti-Hate Signs

Discussion: Raw Story and getoffmylawnpod.libsyn.com

Andrew Restuccia / Politico:

Trump claims support from past presidents for the wall: Clinton, Bush and Obama beg to differ — President Donald Trump claimed without evidence on Friday that past presidents have privately confided to him that they regret not building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Michael C. Bender / Wall Street Journal:

FBI Investigating Fake Texts Sent to GOP House Members — Person impersonating aide to Vice President Mike Pence sought whereabouts of certain lawmakers — WASHINGTON—The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating fake text messages sent to some House Republican lawmakers …

Discussion: CNN and Mediaite

Mark Osborne / ABC News:
President Trump, senior White House staff head to weekend retreat at Camp David

Discussion: Political Wire and Axios

WDIV-TV:

Rep. Rashida Tlaib doubles down after explicit Trump comment: ‘President has met his match’ — Rashida Tlaib speaks exclusively with Local 4 — WASHINGTON - Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib spoke exclusively to Local 4 after hurling an expletive at President Donald Trump.

Discussion: Breitbart and Washington Post

John Bresnahan / Politico:
Dems livid after Tlaib vows to ‘impeach the motherf—er’

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Post, Townhall, National Review, RedState, Hot Air, Spectator USA, CNN, Washington Examiner, ABC News, Politico, Vox, Breitbart, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Washington Free Beacon

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Does Mitch McConnell know he's part of the first branch of government?

Discussion: Power Line, CNN and FOX40

Katherine Faulders / ABC News:

Trump considering declaring national emergency to secure wall funding: Sources — President Donald Trump is seriously considering potential options to circumvent Congress, including declaring a national emergency, to reprogram funds from the Department of Defense and elsewhere to help pay …

Discussion: Hot Air, Vox, Splinter, Axios, POLITICUSUSA, The Gateway Pundit, Politico, Mediaite and The Week

Julia Ainsley / NBC News:
Trump admin lawyers working out details of using national emergency to build wall

Discussion: Raw Story, TheBlaze and ABC News

Seung Min Kim / Washington Post:
Trump threatens years-long shutdown for his wall as GOP support begins to fracture

Discussion: Common Dreams, No More Mister Nice Blog, Law & Crime and Townhall

Kenneth P. Vogel / New York Times:

Congress Is Examining Decision to Lift Sanctions on Russian's Firms — WASHINGTON — Congress is reviewing the Trump administration's decision to lift sanctions on companies owned by Oleg V. Deripaska, an influential Russian oligarch with close ties to President Vladimir V. Putin, Democrats said on Friday.

Discussion: Raw Story

The Daily Beast: Dems Move to Block Trump From Lifting Sanctions on Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska

Katelyn Polantz / CNN:

Mueller grand jury gets 6 month extension — Washington (CNN)Special counsel Robert Mueller's federal grand jury has been extended by six months. — The grand jury, based in Washington, DC, was seated for an 18-month term that began in July 2017 and was set to expire in the coming days.

Discussion: CNBC, Raw Story, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo and Hill Reporter

ABC News:
Judge extends Mueller grand jury

Discussion: Politico and TheBlaze

Julia Ainsley / NBC News:

Fact Check: Did the U.S. catch 4,000 terrorists at the southern border in 2018? — Said one ex-official, “Terrorists trying to infiltrate the U.S. across our southern border was more of a theoretical vulnerability than an actual one.” — WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders …

New York Times:

The Price of Trump's Migrant Deterrence Strategy: New Chaos on the Border — A crisis is emerging at migrant shelters as the Trump administration focuses, as one official put it, on “how can we deter, rather than how can we handle.” — EL PASO — At a migrant shelter near the Mexican border …

Astead W. Herndon / New York Times:

Elizabeth Warren Campaigns in Iowa: ‘This is How It Starts’ — COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — Senator Elizabeth Warren hit the presidential campaign trail in southwestern Iowa on Friday evening, making her the first declared major candidate to host an event in the pivotal state and kicking off …

Discussion: Associated Press

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand gauges Wall Street executives' interest in backing a potential 2020 presidential run — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has been reaching out to Wall Street executives about supporting a potential 2020 run for president. — The New York Democrat's effort comes …

Discussion: Washington Monthly and Splinter

David Nather / Axios:

Republicans are way more optimistic about the stock market than Democrats — Data: Survey Monkey online poll conducted Dec. 17-18, 2018, among 2,301 adults. Total margin of error is ±3.0 percentage points; Poll methodology; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

Oliver Darcy / CNN:

Former Weekly Standard staffers find new home at The Bulwark, a conservative site unafraid to take on Trump — New York (CNN)A handful of writers and editors who worked at The Weekly Standard, the now-defunct conservative magazine that was deeply critical of President Donald Trump until its sudden demise in December, have a new home.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Spencer Ackerman / The Daily Beast:

Trump Wanted Out of Syria Immediately. Now U.S. Says ‘No Timeline’ to Leave. — Trump's snap decision prompted the resignation of Jim Mattis. According to a senior State Department official, now it's going to be a while before U.S. troops depart. — In the latest revision to a wartime decision …

Discussion: Politico, The Daily Caller, Wall Street Journal and Task & Purpose

Laura Rozen / Al-Monitor:
Pompeo heads to Mideast to stress ‘US not going anywhere’

Discussion: New York Times, Al Jazeera and TheBlaze

Erik Wemple / Washington Post:

Fox News guest to Tucker Carlson: It's ‘almost impossible to find’ sexism these days — Fox News host Tucker Carlson is famous for challenging guests on dubious statements. He badgers them; he goads them; he needles them; and when they fail to meet his standards, he goes with the high-pitched laugh.

Discussion: Contemptor, National Review, The Daily Caller, Salon and Mediaite

Associated Press:

Children heading to Disney World in church van among 7 victims in fiery I-75 crash — Five children heading to Disney World in a church van from Louisiana died along with two truck drivers in fiery crash on Interstate 75 in north Florida, the Florida Highway Patrol said Friday. — Published Earlier Today

Tim Fitzsimons / NBC News:

Transgender pride flag hung in Congress by Rep. Jennifer Wexton — The new congresswoman from the 10th district of Virginia said she hung it to honor trans friends and family. — Newly elected Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., started her term with a statement of transgender equality by hanging …

Discussion: The American Conservative

Jose Lambiet / Daily Mail:

EXCLUSIVE: ‘They got nothing!’ Roger Stone says he is being ‘harassed’ by Mueller investigators who ‘tracked down his temporary maid to ask if he was meeting with Russians at his home and went through his garbage’ — Roger Stone, 66, claims he is being harassed by prosecutors …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit