Hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, skeleton staff at the Capitol and the White House, national parks closed -- ISSA shutdown. As we enter day three, we’re just hours away from the Senate holding a procedural vote at noon on a bill to fund the government through February 8th. But don’t hold your breath for a happy ending. The big dividing line? “Dreamers.” After contentious negotiations, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took to the Senate floor Sunday night and promised to “proceed to legislation that would address DACA, border security and related issues” if the government reopens. The Democrats’ response? We don’t believe you, you need more people. Meanwhile, the art of the deal seems lost on the Commander-In-Chief, who does not appear to be part of any negotiations. He is, however, blaming Dems for the shutdown even though the GOP has control of the White House, the Senate, and the House. Remember on the campaign trail when candidate Trump enumerated the many challenges America was facing and promised, “I alone can fix it?” Sigh … memories. Meanwhile, POTUS45 is set to deliver a "special" closing address at the World Economic Forum's 48th annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, despite protests over his attendance. But, if the shutdown continues, he may have to miss the four-day assembly, which brings together more than 2,500 world leaders, business titans, and renowned activists from around the world. Over the weekend, women -- from Eva Longoria to Whoopi Goldberg to Olivia Munn -- took to the streets across the country to march alongside activists, moms, daughters, workers, and even a few men, to recapture the spirit of last year’s Women’s March. But it was Viola Davis who brought down the house with an impassioned and fiery speech that began with a history lesson in Jim Crow laws and the Black, Latinx, and Native Americans they oppressed. And last night, Sterling K. Brown made history again, becoming the first Black actor to win Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor at the SAG Awards. Lastly, the New England Patriots will take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Super Bowl Sunday. But the real question is this: will Janet Jackson make a surprise appearance during Justin Timberlake’s halftime performance? I mean … he too was part of Nipplegate. #NeverForget. Okay, we’re kicking off the week with this...
- Feds to try Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) ... again.
- Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) is donating shutdown salary to “Dreamers” group, while Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) offers support for border wall in exchange for legislation protecting the “Dreamers.”
- Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) intros bail reform bill.
- Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) calls Trump “Cadet Bone Spurs.”
- Former First Lady Michelle Obama heads to Dallas.
- Former Obama appointee tapped as Airbnb’s new Director of Policy Initiatives.
- Meet the 2018 Rockefeller Foundation Fellows.
- Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) at odds with PR Governor Ricardo Rosselló.
- Omarosa signs with speakers bureau and is rumored to have recorded WH conversations.
- SCOTUS Justice Sonia Sotomayor treated by paramedics and back at court the same day.
- Group launches initiatives to increase number of Indian Americans elected to office.
- There’s a new collaboration to help Native-Serving Institutions.
- Van Jones to begin new show with JAY-Z as the first guest.
- Former WSJ reporter starts news service.
- GMA’s Robin Roberts to be honored by the Radio Television Digital News Foundation.
- PBS launches new four-part series on Native Americans.
- Axios publishes its 1st-anniversary staff photo and causes an oh-so-white Twitter storm.
- Did CMS Administrator Seema Verma violate an ethics agreement? The top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee wants to know.