Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he is open to a path to citizenship for “Dreamers” just days after he rejected a bipartisan plan built around that idea. White House aides said the president would release a complete immigration "framework" on Monday. On the Hill, Senate Dems say they are willing to pursue a long-term budget deal without tying the legislation to a solution for “Dreamers.” But Dems in the lower chamber say not so fast. As a reminder, the stopgap funding runs out February 8th. Alex Azar, the former President of the U.S. arm of Eli Lilly & Co, was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as the new Health and Human Services Secretary in a 55-43 vote. He takes over the agency at a time when rising drug prices are a huge political issue. Meanwhile, some GOP lawmakers are suggesting that a months-old text message between two FBI officials, that appears to have been in jest, reveals a "secret society" of federal law enforcement officials plotting against Donald Trump. Guys, the first rule of secret societies is not to talk about secret societies. Just ask all the rappers who belong to the Illuminati. Moving on, 45 has landed in Davos where a number of attendees are planning to walk out of his speech tomorrow to protest his remarks about African countries. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s response to the protests? Deuces! More on that below. Also, VP Mike Pence took to Twitter on Wednesday to share an image of himself posing with the all-white Fall 2017 Capitol Hill Pages. Time for a more inclusive pipeline, no? Lastly, Cecile Richards is stepping down as President of Planned Parenthood after more than a decade in the post. Oh, and one more thing: Oprah is not running for president. Sorry, guys. We’re kicking off Thursday with this...
- Judge dismisses some charges against Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) but leaves others standing.
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) has questions for Education Secretary DeVos.
- Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) continues to push on Puerto Rico.
- Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has message for Trump critics in Davos.
- Lawmakers ask DOJ & FBI to investigate fake comments on federal regulatory sites.
- Michelle Obama adds foodservice event in Dallas.
- Meet the new staff member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
- After pressure from the CBC, the Internet Association starts diversity initiative.
- DNC announces nearly $1 million in grants to engage communities of color.
- San Francisco changes Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day.
- Former Congressman John Conyers' son jumps into race ... almost.
- NYT names new slate of opinion writers.
- States defy FCC on net neutrality and Burger King jumps into the fray.
- Mayors snub the president after letter from DOJ.
- HUD’s Lynne Patton insults reporter April Ryan.
- Member of Trump’s Hispanic Advisory Council joins CNN as commentator.
- Black journo lodges racism complaint against Young Turks Network.
- Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to co-host PBS program.
- Two trailblazing journos honored with new award.
- My Brother’s Keeper Alliance holds final summit.
- NAACP-LDF sues DHS on behalf of Haitian TPS holders. Check it out in Blogs.