Chris brown daughter birthday party

ABC’s JONATHAN KARL, at the top of “Good Morning America,” on shutdown negotiations: “There is no real sign of progress ANYWHERE.” PRESIDENT OBAMA, to an audience at Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Md.: “[T]he Republicans in Congress are poisoning Obamacare, then trying to claim it’s sick. (Laughter.) … And once it's working really well, I guarantee you they will not call it ‘Obamacare.’ (Laughter and applause.).” Story Continued Below SPEAKER BOEHNER: “The president says, ‘I'm not going to negotiate.’ Well, I'm sorry, but it just doesn't work that way.” DAN PFEIFFER, to CNN’s JAKE TAPPER on “The Lead”: “[T]he House Republicans are not asking for negotiation. It's a negotiation if I'm trying to sell you my house and we are just debating the price of it. It is not a negotiation if I show up at your house and say: ‘Give me everything inside or I'm … [Read more...] about SHUTDOWN COUNTDOWN: 3 days — NO SIGNS OF PROGRESS: Top congressional aides (both chambers, both parties) expect shutdown Tue. — B’DAYS: Carl Woog, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Juleanna Glover

Driving the Day Happy New Year and welcome to 2017. PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP spoke to the pool Saturday night at his Mar-a-Lago New Year’s Eve party (which had paying guests). Here is what he said, per pooler S.V. Dáte of the Huffington Post. -- ON U.S. INTELLIGENCE THAT RUSSIA INTERFERED IN THE ELECTION: “Well, I just want them to be sure, because it’s a pretty serious charge, and I want them to be sure. And if you look at the weapons of mass destruction, that was a disaster, and they were wrong. And so I want them to be sure. I think it’s unfair if they don’t know. And I know a lot about hacking. And hacking is a very hard thing to prove. So it could be somebody else. And I also know things that other people don’t know, and so they cannot be sure of the situation.” Follow-up question -- What do you know that others don’t? “You’ll find out on Tuesday or Wednesday.”Story Continued Below -- ON CYBERSECURITY: … [Read more...] about HAPPY 2017 — 19 days until Inauguration Day — TRUMP SPEAKS on his way into Mar-a-Lago party — WEEKEND READS — MIKE SHIELDS and KATIE WALSH engaged in London — BRIANNA KEILAR married in Vegas

Driving the Day Good Sunday morning. LEAD STORY ON NYTIMES.COM -- “China Learns How to Get Trump’s Ear: Through Jared Kushner,” by Mark Landler: “When President Trump welcomes President Xi Jinping of China to his palm-fringed Florida club for two days of meetings on Thursday, the studied informality of the gathering will bear the handiwork of two people: China’s ambassador to Washington and Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The Chinese ambassador, Cui Tiankai, has established a busy back channel to Mr. Kushner, according to several officials briefed on the relationship. The two men agreed on the club, Mar-a-Lago, as the site for the meeting, and the ambassador even sent Mr. Kushner drafts of a joint statement that China and the United States could issue afterward.” http://nyti.ms/2nwr22A -- JARED HAS HIS HANDS FULL! … He is also pulling the strings in the U.S.-Mexico relationship (http://wapo.st/2owLAZH), trying to solve Middle East … [Read more...] about JARED KUSHNER tries to save the country, world, universe — NEW WAVE of Kennedys make a mark in politics — HADAS GOLD married — SPOTTED at GLENN THRUSH’s 50th birthday party

Driving the Day FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- WE HEAR … There is a chance Congress will stay in session for part of August. There has been political pressure from some members of the House and Senate to stay in town and try to get some things done instead of take a five-week recess. The pressure will only increase if the Obamacare repeal and replace isn’t done in the next few weeks. Congress has just 27 days in session until the summer break. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise: many lawmakers have had to face angry constituents on trips home. STATEMENTS FROM PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP from Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey -- at 8:22 a.m.: “The #FakeNews MSM doesn’t report the great economic news since Election Day. #DOW up 16%. #NASDAQ up 19.5%. Drilling & energy sector......way up. Regulations way down. 600,000+ new jobs added. Unemployment down to 4.3%. Business and economic enthusiasm way up- record levels!” … at 8:29 a.m.: “I … [Read more...] about BREAKING: TRUMP to delay UK trip — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Aug. recess in jeopardy — ISENSTADT: MITT shows signs of political revival — SPOTTED at Mike Shields/Katie Walsh engagement party — B’DAY: Greta van Susteren