memeorandum: This petty poster war says everything you need to know about the immigration debate in Congress (Michael Brice-Saddler/Washington Post)

11:50 AM ET, February 10, 2019

Top Items:

Border talks at impasse as shutdown looms Friday, officials say — Bipartisan talks aimed at resolving the border wall dispute and averting a government shutdown Friday have broken down and are at an impasse, two people familiar with the situation said Sunday.

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, The Guardian and The Week

Heather Caygle / Politico:

Shutdown talks stalled — Negotiations to avert another government shutdown have stalled, leaving lawmakers in the same place they've been for months. — Although lawmakers were optimistic going into the weekend about reaching a border security deal and funding the government past Feb. 15 …

Discussion: Axios, The Week and Breitbart

Houston Chronicle:

20 years, 700 victims: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders resist reforms — Thirty-five years later, Debbie Vasquez's voice trembled as she described her trauma to a group of Southern Baptist leaders. — She was 14, she said, when she was first molested by her pastor in Sanger …

Discussion: Russell Moore and The American Conservative

Elena Schneider / Politico:

Klobuchar's opening pitch sidetracked by staff horror stories — MINNEAPOLIS — Sen. Amy Klobuchar is pitching herself for the White House as the common-sense Midwestern answer to President Donald Trump — while former staffers portray her as a brutal boss who mistreated them.

Discussion: Axios, Balloon Juice and TheBlaze

Dan Merica / CNN:

Klobuchar expected to announce 2020 presidential bid — Minneapolis (CNN)Sen. Amy Klobuchar is expected to announce a presidential bid on Sunday, people close to her tell CNN, vaulting the three-term senator from Minnesota into the crowded field of Democrats angling to take on Trump in 2020.

Discussion: Reuters and The Week

Daily Mail:

Mother, 38, is arrested in front of her children and locked in a cell for seven HOURS after calling a transgender woman a man on Twitter — More than two months after her arrest and she has had neither her mobile phone or laptop returned — A mother was arrested in front of her children …

Discussion: Louder With Crowder and Breitbart

Michael Brice-Saddler / Washington Post:

This petty poster war says everything you need to know about the immigration debate in Congress — There may be no better way to understand the immigration debate on Capitol Hill than to take a walk through the second floor of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Discussion: ImmigrationProf Blog

Jim Clifton / Gallup:

What If There Were 42 Million at the Border? — Here's a good question about caravans: How many more are coming? — Gallup asked the whole population of Latin America. There are 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Roughly 450 million adults live in the region.

Discussion: RedState, The Gateway Pundit, Breitbart, illegal immigration … and Front Page Magazine

Paul Schwartzman / Washington Post:

Michael Cohen's secret agenda … NEW YORK — At first, Michael Cohen appeared indifferent as he listened to the group of Republican leaders urge his boss to run for governor. — It was the fall of 2013, and Donald Trump was already fixated on “the big thing,” as he referred to running for president.

Discussion: Politico and Raw Story

Mike Allen / Axios:

Scoop: Bob Woodward writes email to Jeff Bezos: “It's Watergate redux” — Bob Woodward — author of “FEAR: Trump in the White House,” and an associate editor of The Washington Post, where he has worked since 1971 — wrote an email of support on Friday to Post owner Jeff Bezos, following his Medium post defying the National Enquirer:

Discussion: Bloomberg and Talking Points Memo

Manuel Roig-Franzia / Washington Post:
What happens when billionaires battle gossipmongers? Prepare for explosions.

Discussion: New York Times, more at Mediagazer »

Alice Miranda Ollstein / Politico:

Republicans can't wait to debate Medicare for All — The only people more eager than progressive Democrats for hearings on Medicare for All are conservative Republicans. — GOP lawmakers, fresh off an electoral shellacking fueled in large part by health care concerns …

Discussion: The Daily Beast and Partnership …

Washington Post:

Virginians are split on governor's fate amid blackface scandal — Poll Questions — Q: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Ralph Northam is handling his job as governor of Virginia? Do you approve/disapprove strongly or somewhat? — Hide Results — Q: Northam has been governor for about one year.

Discussion: The Week and Politico

Washington Post:
Virginians are split on governor's fate amid blackface scandal, poll shows

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Outside the Beltway, The Week, Breitbart, Axios, Talking Points Memo, Politico and New York Times

Washington Post:
Va. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax renews his denials and asks for an FBI investigation into assault accusations against him

Discussion: Axios, WHYY, Breitbart, POLITICUSUSA, The Daily Caller, The Daily Beast and Talking Points Memo

The Daily Caller:

Ocasio-Cortez's Adviser Went Viral For What He Told Tucker Carlson — But He Got It Wrong — A policy adviser for New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez claimed that her Green New Deal proposal did not include economic protections for those “unwilling to work” and claimed that the phrase came from a “doctored document.”

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Hot Air, Daily Wire, Mediaite, Breitbart, TheBlaze and Patterico's Pontifications

Eliza Relman / Business Insider:
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's staff says a document that supported paying Americans 'unwilling …

Discussion: twitchy.com and Townhall

Committee on Foreign Affairs:

McCaul Statement on Administration's Response to Magnitsky Act — Media Contact: caroline.campbell@mail.house.gov — Washington D.C. - House Foreign Affairs Lead Republican Michael McCaul (R-TX) released the following statement in response to the Administration's failure to meet …

Discussion: Mediaite and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »

Katha Pollitt / New York Times:

Day Care for All — The progressive to-do list is missing a very important idea. — Ms. Pollitt is a columnist at The Nation. — When Bernie Sanders ran for president, he promised to fight for free public college, universal health insurance and a $15 minimum wage.

Mary Papenfuss / HuffPost:

Protesters Raise Funds To Transport Trump Baby Blimp In Time For President's El Paso Rally — A major protest is planned as Trump kicks off his first campaign rally of the year in the Texas border city. — In less than a day, activists from El Paso raised enough money to transport …

Discussion: CBS News and New York Times