The Hill reports: Vice President Pence on Tuesday said President Trump has the “impression” that previous presidents wanted to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall, following claims from Trump that former presidents have told him that they wanted to build a wall. Spokespeople for multiple former presidents, including Former President Carter, Clinton and George W. Bush, in recent days have publicly …

CNN reports: Following news that the networks would air Trump’s immigration address, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement that they should be given an equal amount of time to respond. “Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will …

Axios reports: President Trump is curious — and White House aides, alumni and reporters are anxious — ahead of the Jan. 29 publication of the tightly embargoed “Team of Vipers,” a delicious, unsparing memoir by former Trump aide Cliff Sims. ABC News has won a fiercely competitive effort to score the first broadcast interview with Sims, whose book deal was …

CBS News Los Angeles reports: A man was found dead early Monday morning at the same West Hollywood apartment of prominent Democratic Party donor Edward Buck where another man died of a drug overdose about 18 months ago. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the apartment in the 1200 block of Laurel Avenue just after 1 a.m. where they …

The Washington Post reports: The global Catholic community Opus Dei in 2005 paid $977,000 to settle a sexual misconduct suit against the Rev. C. John McCloskey, a priest well-known for preparing for conversion big-name conservatives — Newt Gingrich, Larry Kudlow and Sam Brownback, among others. The woman who filed the complaint is a D.C.-area Catholic who was among the many …

Variety reports: Major broadcast and cable networks will carry President Donald Trump’s prime time speech on border security, as the White House tries to use the power of the bully pulpit to break an impasse with Democrats that has led to the partial government shutdown. The White House requested primetime at 9 p.m. ET for the speech, but the broadcast …

Tampa’s ABC affiliate reports: A Florida man claimed ignorance when jail officials found syringes in his rectum during an early morning strip search. Wesley Scott, 40, was arrested Friday in Pinellas County on an outstanding warrant charging him with drug possession, reports The Smoking Gun. When Scott was searched at the jail, officers found three syringes inside his rectum. However, …

CNBC reports: Blackwater founder Erik Prince said Monday that he would have preferred getting a “proctology exam” to being interviewed by special counsel Robert Mueller’s team of investigators about his meeting with a Russian investor linked to Vladimir Putin. But the controversial security consultant told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” that his previously reported sit-down with Mueller’s team regarding that curious encounter …

The Associated Press reports: Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed a new directive to prohibit LGBT-based discrimination in state services or by state contractors, replacing a narrower order that her Republican predecessor issued days before he left office. Whitmer’s directive, like one signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in late December, says state contracts, grants and loans must include a …

The Houston Chronicle reports: Patience has apparently already run out for some Democrats waiting on Beto O’Rourke to announce whether he’ll run for president. A group of Democrats led by a key South Carolina Democrat and a TV actress have created a “Draft Beto” campaign with a goal of raising $1 million and setting up a grassroots network to help …

Forbes reports: Security lines at airports across the country are starting to grow long as nationwide action from TSA workers starts to take its toll. On Friday, CNN reported that the agency, which is responsible for operating security checkpoints at airports across the country, was suffering from staffing shortages as a function of the government shutdown. Starting on Sunday, the …

“So with the president speaking [tomorrow night], I’m guessing he’s going to declare a national emergency. The emergency is – this shouldn’t be that hard to figure out –  because when you have that many people that are that are victims of crime happening in this country, that should be enough of a national emergency. We’re not talking about people …

CNBC reports: Amazon is now the largest company by market value, overtaking Microsoft’s hold on the title. Amazon’s ended trading Monday with a market value of about $797 billion, compared with Microsoft’s $783 billion. Apple, which had been part of a close three-way race for the seat, is now down to about $702 billion in market value after plunging last …

Politico reports: Former President Jimmy Carter denied ever supporting President Donald Trump’s border wall, contradicting the current commander in chief’s claim that previous presidents confided they regret not building a physical barrier on the Mexican border. “I have not discussed the border wall with President Trump, and do not support him on the issue,” Carter said through a statement released …

Remember back in 2017 when Trump claimed credit for zero jetliner crashes that year? Don’t expect him to own any that happen in 2019 because of something he actually did. Andrew LeBovidge, the leader of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, on Monday predicted that the partial government shutdown’s “ripple effect” may last months, “if not years,” for aviation safety …

The New York Times reports: President Trump announced on Monday that he would address the nation from the Oval Office on Tuesday evening to discuss what he called the crisis at the southern border, and the White House said that later in the week he would travel to the border as part of his effort to persuade Americans of the …

The Hill reports: Actor Samuel L. Jackson on Sunday emphatically endorsed Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D-Mich.) impassioned call to impeach President Trump. Just hours after being sworn in as a new member of Congress on Thursday, Tlaib took a microphone at an event and told the crowd of supporters that “we’re going to go in and impeach the motherf—er” in a …

Via press release: Governor Ralph Northam today announced legislative proposals to remove barriers to voting and reform campaign finance laws. The package includes proposals to implement no-excuse absentee voting; repeal the requirement to show a photo ID to vote; limit large campaign contributions; ban direct contributions from corporations or businesses; and prohibit the personal use of campaign funds. “Participation makes …

Mediaite reports: While at least one elected Democrat has deployed Oedipal profanity in support of impeaching Trump, leaders like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) have adopted a wait-and-see-what-Mueller’s-got posture. But on Monday morning’s edition of Fox News’ America’s Newsroom, White House Director of Communications Mercedes Schlapp boldly declared that impeachment would fail. Schlapp touted Trump’s “accomplishments,” and said …

Talking Points Memo reports: President Trump will visit the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Monday. The government shutdown has dragged on over Trump’s insistence on more than $5 billion for a border wall. No end to the shutdown before then, apparently. President @realDonaldTrump will travel to the Southern border on Thursday to meet …