1 Officials From Both Sides Meet With Trump For Border Security Briefing
So…after the big classified briefing on border security at the White House – did anything get solved? Nope – and that’s according to everyone involved. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Dems want strong border security and argued that the government should not be held hostage. House Democratic leader (and presumptive incoming Speaker) Nancy Pelosi noted that Dems will pass legislation today to end the partial shutdown…but that won’t happen unless the President signs it. All signs are that he won’t…but it won’t even get that far as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says the Senate will not take up the bill that Democrats plan to pass as they take control in the House. President Trump is demanding several billion dollars to help construct a massive border wall, but Dems are flatly rejecting that demand. "We can go through the back and forth," Pelosi tells NBC News. "No. How many more times can we say no?"
2 Trump Speaks...About Everything
When President Trump arranged his first Cabinet Meeting of 2019, we could have easily guessed there would be some surprises. But few could have imagined that he would speak so publicly on such a wide range of topics. At the top of the list? His border wall. Trump likened the southern border to a sieve and noted "walls work" – pointing to the Vatican’s wall as an example. Trump also blamed Democrats for the shutdown, saying they just don’t want to pay for border security – he also suggested that Dems are playing politics with the issue because they have their eyes on the 2020 presidential campaign. Speaking of the upcoming, Mitt Romney was mentioned – especially given the highly critical Op-Ed he has released. Mr. Trump said he hopes that Romney “will get on board.” Not surprisingly, he talked about the partial shutdown, too. And when asked how long it will continue, he replied that it “could run for a long time…or it could end quickly.” Which way will it go? Trump suggested it's up to Democrats, who have rejected his demand to fund the wall.
3 China Successfully Lands A Rover On The Moon
If Chinese state media is to be believed, the nation has successfully landed a rover on the far side of the moon. This would be the second time China has landed a research rover on the moon. The first – the Jade Rabbit rover – stopped working in 2016 after 972 days of service. As for the Chang'e 4 probe, it targeted the side of the moon that never faces Earth so that it would be shielded from electromagnetic interference. Interestingly…if you’re wondering how images – which have already begun coming in – can transmit without radio waves? Simple. China deployed a satellite dedicated to orbiting the moon last year so it can relay the data. For the record, only three nations have landed on the moon. China is investing heavily in its space program to catch up with the United States and Russia. It hopes to put a rover on Mars in 2020 and to have its own orbiting space station above Earth by 2022.