memeorandum: Trump dodges question on whether he has worked for Russia (Darlene Superville/Associated Press)

4:50 PM ET, January 13, 2019

Top Items:

Trump Confronts the Prospect of a ‘Nonstop Political War’ for Survival — WASHINGTON — So it has come to this: The president of the United States was asked over the weekend whether he is a Russian agent. And he refused to answer. — The question, which came from a friendly interviewer …

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg, Mediaite, Raw Story, WGNO, The Mahablog, NPR, Common Dreams and Daily Kos

CNN:

CNN Poll: Trump bears most blame for shutdown — WASHINGTON (CNN)Amid the longest government shutdown in US history, a majority say Donald Trump bears more responsibility for it than the Democrats in Congress, and the President's disapproval rating has climbed five points since last month, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.

Discussion: Washington Post, AOL and New York Times

Washington Post:
Americans blame Trump and GOP much more than Democrats for shutdown, Post-ABC poll finds

Discussion: Mother Jones, Daily Kos, CNBC, Hot Air, Vox, AOL, Hullabaloo, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, POLITICUSUSA, twitchy.com, Outside the Beltway, Politico, Mediaite, The Guardian, Axios, Balloon Juice and Political Wire

Strobe Talbott / Politico:
It's Already Collusion

Discussion: RedState, CNN and Mediaite

CNN: Make no mistake — this is a GOP shutdown

Washington Post:
Graham urges Trump to reopen government — but declare national emergency if border deal remains elusive

Discussion: Splinter, Mediaite and Breitbart

Andrew McCarthy / Fox News:

FBI Russia investigation was always about Trump — McCarthy on the Russia investigation: I really think that the investigation was about Trump from the beginning — On Friday night, the New York Times published what was clearly intended to be a blockbuster report that …

Discussion: Power Line, Fox News Insider and IJR

Catherine Herridge / Fox News:

Republican uncovered secret FBI debate over Trump motivation for Comey firing during House questioning — A House Republican's line of questioning uncovered revelations that in May 2017 senior FBI leadership debated whether President Trump was directed by the Russian government to fire FBI Director James Comey, Fox News has learned.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Darlene Superville / Associated Press:

Trump dodges question on whether he has worked for Russia — President Donald Trump avoided giving a direct answer when asked if he currently is or has ever worked for Russia after a published report said federal law enforcement officials were so concerned about his behavior after he fired James Comey …

Discussion: Breitbart

Dion Nissenbaum / Wall Street Journal:

White House Sought Options to Strike Iran — State and Pentagon officials were rattled by the request — WASHINGTON—On a warm night in early September, militants fired three mortars into Baghdad's sprawling diplomatic quarter, home to the U.S. Embassy. — The shells—launched …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, Common Dreams, The Guardian, Daily Kos, Joe.My.God., CNN, POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story, Task & Purpose, Axios, Defense One, Washington Press, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Hullabaloo

Neal Rothschild / Axios:

Ocasio-Cortez is driving more Twitter conversation than the top 5 news companies combined — Note: Kamala Harris tweets under both a private and a Senate account. Her total is combined; Data: CrowdTangle; Chart: Chris Canipe/Axios — A freshman congresswoman who has held office for less …

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Shane Goldmacher / New York Times:
Ocasio-Cortez Pushes Democrats to the Left, Whether They Like It or Not

Discussion: twitchy.com

Paul Mirengoff / Power Line: Ocasio-Cortez whines about criticism by Daily Caller

Janet Hook / Los Angeles Times:

Old, young, liberal, centrist: Democrats will have no end of choices for president in 2020 … There are fresh faces and old hands. Thirty-somethings and senior citizens. Billionaires and at least one person still paying off student loans. A skateboarder, a brewery founder and a coffee magnate are all taking a look.

Will Bunch / Philly.com:
Bernie Sanders is the leader America needs now. Just NOT by running for president in 2020

Discussion: Outside the Beltway and Raw Story

Kris Schneider / ABC News:

Durbin to Trump: ‘Put an end to this shutdown and put everything on the table’ — As the partial government shutdown enters its fourth week, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday that he believes President Donald Trump needs to …

Discussion: Breitbart

Quinn Scanlan / ABC News:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer 'don't want to reach a solution …

Discussion: Politico

Sofi Sinozich / ABC News:
Trump, GOP blamed for shutdown; no crisis seen but fewer oppose wall (POLL)

Discussion: Joe.My.God.

Judy L. Thomas / Kansas City Star:

They roam public buildings, making videos. Terrorism experts say they may be dangerous — The sun had long set when the two men trudged up to the justice center in Shawnee and peered inside. They pulled open the door and entered the modern brick building that houses the police department …

Louis Casiano / Fox News:

Dems fly to Puerto Rico on chartered jet, meet with lobbyists, see ‘Hamilton’ as shutdown drags on — Despite a partial government shutdown with no end in sight, about 30 Democratic members of Congress traveled to Puerto Rico this weekend — with their families and lobbyists …

Discussion: Daily Wire, twitchy.com, IJR, Joe.My.God., The Gateway Pundit, Sputnik International, The Daily Caller, Townhall and New York Times

Paulina Dedaj / Fox News:
Trump tells Judge Jeanine Pirro that Dems must ‘come to their senses’ on border security

Discussion: AOL, IJR, Splinter and The Daily Caller

Louise Matsakis / Wired:

MacKenzie Bezos and the Myth of the Lone Genius Founder — WHEN AWARD-WINNING NOVELIST MacKenzie Bezos and her husband Jeff Bezos, the chief executive and founder of Amazon, announced on Twitter Wednesday they were getting divorced, public discussion over the uncoupling quickly centered …

Discussion: The Guardian and New York Times

Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

Woman banned from Walmart after riding cart while drinking wine from Pringles can, police say — Police were called to a Texas Walmart after a woman was reportedly drinking wine from a Pringles can and riding an electric cart in the parking lot. — Officers responded to a call around 9 …

Discussion: twitchy.com and fox8.com

Mitch Smith / New York Times:

Students in Rural America Ask, ‘What Is a University Without a History Major?’ — STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Chancellor Bernie Patterson's message to his campus was blunt: To remain solvent and relevant, his 125-year-old university needed to reinvent itself. — Some longstanding liberal arts degrees …

House Committee on Oversight and Reform:

House Chairmen Issue Warning After President's Statements on Cohen Testimony — Washington D.C. (Jan. 13, 2019)—Today, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, Rep. Adam Schiff, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the Chairmen of the House Committees on Oversight and Reform, Intelligence, and the Judiciary …

Discussion: Axios

Asha Rangappa / Washington Post:

The FBI can't neutralize a security threat if the president is the threat — But Mueller — and Congress — could pick up where counterintelligence hits its limits. — The FBI, according to the New York Times, opened a counterintelligence investigation into whether President Trump …

Discussion: Mother Jones, RedState, Lawfare, Bloomberg and FOX6Now.com

Ken Dilanian / NBC News:

Congress now interested in that other Trump Tower once planned for Russia — Two Congressional aides told NBC News Trump's proposed Moscow development with Aras Agalarov is drawing new scrutiny from House and Senate investigators. — WASHINGTON — Before Donald Trump's lawyer was pitching …

Discussion: Joe.My.God.

George Will / National Review:

Referenda Delenda Est — Brexit shows how direct democracy can be dangerous — “In my country the people can do as they like, although it often happens that they don't like what they have done.” — Winston Churchill, 1946 — During the Second World War, as U.S. power was eclipsing Britain's …