No end in sight for government shutdown

Trump reportedly offers to accept less wall money, but Dems aren’t budging. No Images? Click here   By Paul Vale     Monday, December 24 NO END IN SIGHT A top White House official signaled that President Donald Trump is willing to accept less money than he’s been demanding to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, but a senior congressional Democrat said that, while their own offer could be sweetened, they still will not agree to a wall. Here’s what happens during a partial government shutdown. [AP] [Tweet | Share on Facebook] ‘WE’RE NOT GOING TO ABANDON THE WALL’ Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) promised Republicans wouldn’t budge on demands for border wall money, calling out Democrats for the division, accusing them of waging “a silly, petty fight” on the spending bill, and assuring Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) he was in for a war. [HuffPost] CORKER: TRUMP MANUFACTURED SHUTDOWN Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) accused Trump of manufacturing a government shutdown to please his core supporters. “This is a made-up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting, but even if he wins, our borders are going to be insecure,” Corker said. [HuffPost] TRUMP PUSHES MATTIS OUT EARLY Trump named Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan as incoming acting defense secretary. Mattis stated his last day would be Feb. 28. But Trump tweeted that Shanahan would step in as acting defense secretary on Jan. 1, greatly accelerating Mattis’ planned departure. [HuffPost] TRUMP TO TURKEY: WE’RE ‘DONE’ WITH SYRIA Trump told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan the U.S. was "done" with Syria as the pair discussed the possible withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) praised the commander-in-chief’s decision, suggesting it was time communities on the ground fought their own battles. [CNN] MULVANEY: ‘ORDINARY PEOPLE’ LOVE SYRIA WITHDRAWAL White House budget director Mick Mulvaney on Sunday admitted Trump’s sudden decision to withdraw American troops from Syria is extremely unpopular with lawmakers and Defense Department officials. But that’s OK, because “ordinary” people love it. In a later interview with ABC, Mulvaney admitted that Mexico would not be paying for Trump’s border wall. [HuffPost] REPUBLICAN ERA ENDS IN CHAOS The GOP ends its era of one-party rule in a shambles, with the government shut down as they get ready to hand over the House to Democrats. [HuffPost]       HUNDREDS DEAD IN INDONESIAN TSUNAMI The death toll from a tsunami triggered by a massive underwater landslide on an Indonesian volcano rose to 281 on Monday, as rescuers using heavy machinery and their bare hands searched through debris in the hope of finding survivors. [Reuters] WRESTLING REFEREE SUSPENDED A New Jersey high school referee was suspended after a video showed a black wrestler being forced to have his hair cut when told he would have to forfeit a match if he refused, according to state athletic officials. [HuffPost] SPACEX MAKES HISTORY A SpaceX rocket carrying a U.S. military navigation satellite blasted off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral, marking the space company’s first national security space mission for the United States. [Reuters] LAST DAY IN PARADISE The Guardian offers the untold story of how a fire swallowed an entire town. [The Guardian] MNUCHIN TRIES TO CALM BANKS OVER TRUMP TURMOIL U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tried to calm the markets reacting badly to the government partial shutdown by calling the heads of the six largest banks. [HuffPost] MORE ARRESTS IN MOROCCO OVER STUDENTS’ KILLING Nine more people have been arrested in Morocco for connections to the four initial suspects in the killing of two Scandinavian university students in a remote corner of the Atlas Mountains. [Reuters]       NORAD said it will continue its annual tradition of tracking “Santa Claus’ journey around the globe on Christmas Eve,” despite the partial government shutdown. Old footage of Louis C.K. and Chris Rock exchanging jokes laced with racial slurs triggered outrage across social media. Here are the 21 best movie boyfriends in rom-com history, ranked. Cardi B works the pole in her NSFW “Money” video. Here’s why 2018 was a record-breaking year for aviation. Retired Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz is threatening to sue over accusations he took part in a trafficking scheme. Rihanna has told her fans a new album will drop next year. It’s officially time to ban gift-wrapping paper. Here’s why. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is up and working as she recuperates from cancer surgery. “Aquaman” topped the charts in the run up to Christmas, taking more than $100 million, followed by “Mary Poppins Returns” and “Bumblebee.” The directors of “Avengers: Endgame” explain how the universe has changed after the Thanos snap. The New Yorker looks at China's bizarre program to keep political activists in check. Congratulations to Meghan Trainor, who married Daryl Sabara on her 25th birthday. Love this newsletter? Share it with a friend!      HuffPost is now a part of Oath and a part of Verizon. On May 25, 2018 we introduced a new Oath Privacy Policy which will explain how your data is used and shared. Learn More. Start your workday the right way with the news that matters most — all with a dash of signature Morning Email snark. Does somebody keep forwarding you this email? Get your own copy. It's free! Sign up here. 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