Government Shutdown Update Shutdown: Congress is racing to reach a spending deal to avoid a government shutdown on Friday, the one-year anniversary of Trump's presidency.

DACA: Republicans and Democrats are divided on whether it should be included in those negotiations.

Latest:

House Republicans have scheduled a vote for Thursday on a short-term spending bill that would fund the government through Feb. 16. Democrats, however, remain largely opposed to the measure, known as a continuing resolution (CR), because they want it tied to a larger immigration deal over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program and border security. 

The CR includes a six-year reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and delays on three Obamacare taxes. The vote will reportedly take place Thursday night 

In a Thursday morning tweet, Trump blasted the GOP congressional leadership’s decision to attach tens of billions of dollars in funding for a popular children’s health program to a spending bill that would keep the government open until Feb. 16.

“CHIP should be part of a long term solution, not a 30 Day, or short term, extension!,” Trump said, referring to the Children’s Health Insurance Program. 

Even if the House manages to pass the bill, the Senate faces its own issues. With only a 51-49 margin of Republican control in that chamber — and Sen. John McCain absent due to cancer treatment — McConnell has already lost the support of two Senate Republicans for the funding package. Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) have come out against it.

Democrats are opposing the budget deal because they are under heavy pressure by leadership to oppose any spending bill that does not protect Dreamers, who are now shielded from deportation from an Obama-era initiative that Mr. Trump rescinded (DACA). They charge that the Republicans are making children’s health care a bargaining chip to force them to drop their demands on immigration.

Zogby Poll: Booming Economy Lifts Trump, Hispanics, Women Optimistic

The recent Zogby poll found that Trump’s Approval Among Female Voters was at 40%, while 54% disapproved of him. 

Among Hispanic voters, 45% approve of Trump and 55% disapprove of Trump and among Independent voters 33% approve of Trump, while 59% of independent voters disapprove. 

That's a very good number for Trump in the Hispanic column. It's not a bad number in the women column based upon what's happening. So, the gamble is that the Democrats don't have any answer to the surging economy. Trump's economic policies are working, ISIS policies are working, it looks like the Trump policies regarding the border are working because there are fewer people coming in and more deportations.

NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll: Majority says Trump's first year in White House was a failure

There was a poll conducted by NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist that asked about Trump’s first year in office. Their first question was, "Is Donald Trump's first year a failure or success?” 53% said it has been a failure while 40% said it has been a success. Now the 53% number seems hard to believe because the same poll asked the same people: “Overall, has Donald Trump met your expectations, exceeded your expectations, or fallen below your expectations as president?” 34% said Trump met their expectations and 15% said he exceeded their expectations. So in aggregate, that's 49 percent. The people who said Trump has fallen below their expectations is at 46 percent. 

If 49 percent say he's met the expectations or exceeded, then how can 53 percent think his administration's a failure? There's a gap.

Gallup: World's Approval of US Leadership Hits Low of 30 Percent

The global approval of U.S. leadership has dipped to 30%. When Obama left office, the approval rating was at 48%. However, since Trump became president some countries have a higher approval rating of the United States. These countries and areas include, Liberia, Macedonia, Israel and Belarus.

Gallup also polled: which countries have the most influence since Trump became president?

Germany polled the highest at 41%, which has replaced the U.S. as the top-rated global power in the world. The U.S. and China are tied for second at 31% and Russia comes in at fourth place with 27%. 

So, what is this all about? This is about most of the other people, the other countries that don't really like us because the U.S. has been the big boys and the bullies in some occasions ever since we defeated the Axis powers in World War II and Japan in World War II and there's a lot of jealousy.

Now, when Barack Obama came in as president, he said we don't want the United States to be the big guys anymore. We're going to be like you. Everybody is going to be the same. Well, everybody's not the same. One of the reasons we have a 20 trillion-dollar debt is because the United States protects the world from horror. 

It was the United States in conjunction with various factions that defeated ISIS this year, 2017. It was us. It wasn't China, it wasn't Russia, it wasn't Germany. What does Germany do for anybody? Nothing. Zero. They take a lot of refugees, but that’s about it. 

Now, should you care what other people think of the United States? As an American, yes. It’s natural for people to like us, but when you see a poll like that it is ridiculous. The media overseas just bashes America all day long.

Bannon Testimony Update -Bannon Agrees to Cooperate with Mueller Inquiry

It is still unknown when Steve Bannon and Robert Mueller will meet. Sources told CNN that they did not say when the interview will take place or if the subpoena would be withdrawn.

Bannon who was President Trump’s former chief strategist, will be interviewed by investigators working for the special counsel in the Russia investigation instead of testifying before a grand jury, according to a person familiar with the matter, a sign that Mr. Bannon is cooperating with the inquiry. 

The special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, had subpoenaed Mr. Bannon to appear before a grand jury this week. However, Bannon has agreed to cooperate with Mr. Mueller’s investigation and will be interviewed in the less formal setting of the special counsel’s offices in downtown Washington. 

After Tuesday’s House Intelligence Committee meeting with Bannon, they have agreed to give Bannon until the end of the month to return to the panel and finish his closed-door interview, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter.

On Tuesday, Bannon refused to answer certain questions at the direction of White House lawyers who instructed that they might want to assert executive privilege.

Bannon's attorney, in a letter to the committee shared with CNN, said the committee asked that his legal team work out with the White House the scope of the executive privilege President Donald Trump could potentially assert in the future.

California Neck Stabber Was Illegal Immigrant Deported 7 Times

A California man, Eulalio Miniz Orozco, 39, an illegal immigrant is suspected of stabbing a fellow diner last month. Orozco has previously been deported seven times, a spokesman for Immigration and Customs Enforcement has said. 

Orozco allegedly was captured on surveillance cameras on December 21, getting up from his table while eating and brutally stabbed a fellow diner in the neck at Lola’s Supermarket in the Santa Rosa area. Orozco was arrested by local authorities December 28, and has been charged with attempted murder. 

According to ICE, Orozco is also known as Ricardo Velasquez-Romero. Orozco/Velasquez-Romero had been residing in Santa Rosa for the previous two months, police said. 

ICE spokesman James Schwab said, the “Department of Homeland Security (DHS) databases show Mr. Velasquez has been repatriated to his native Mexico seven times since 2007. Records indicate Mr. Velasquez also has multiple prior criminal convictions, including those from felony drug and weapons charge,” Schwab continued. 

“Records indicate Mr. Velasquez also has multiple prior criminal convictions, including those from felony drug and weapons charges,” said Schwab

Orozco’s alleged victim is a 61-year-old male who’s condition was upgraded to stable as of Dec 28. The victim’s identity has not been released

Poll: Majority of Voters Say Oprah Shouldn't Run for President

According to the latest Politico/Morning Consult poll, the majority of voters say Oprah Winfrey should not run for president in 2020. 59% say Winfrey should not run and 24% think she should.

The poll also showed that in a Trump/Oprah Matchup, 40% of voters think Winfrey would defeat President Donald Trump, while 38% say she would not.

Movie Theater Attendance Hits 24-Year Low, Ticket Prices Rise Nearly 4 Percent

The National Alliance of Theater Owners (NATO) announced Wednesday that the national ticket average for 2017 rose 3.7% year-over-year to $8.93, up from $8.65 last year. The estimated number of movie tickets sold last year is 1.23 billion. NATO’s estimate is the lowest since 1993, when “Jurassic Park” was the top grossing film of the year and an estimated 1.24 billion tickets were sold. 

While annual box office revenue stayed above $11 billion for the third consecutive year, revenue over the summer season plummeted to 18-year lows. Attendance has been on a downward trend since 2005, though small rebounds were seen in 2012 and 2015.

Bill’s Movie Review: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is a 2017 crime filmwritten, produced, and directed by Martin McDonagh. It stars Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, and Peter Dinklage. 

McDormand plays a mother who rents three billboards to call attention to her daughter's unsolved murder, polarizing the community. The film was released in the United States on November 10, 2017. It was named as one of the top 10 films of the year by the American Film Institute. 

At the 75th Golden Globe Awards, the film won the awards for: Best Motion Picture – Drama; Best Actress – Drama (McDormand); Best Supporting Actor (Rockwell); and Best Screenplay. It also received nominations for Best Director and Best Original Score. 

As of January 14, 2018, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has grossed $28.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $10.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $38.6 million. 

Bill says, it is one of the worst movies he’s ever seen in his life. While Frances McDormand and Woody Harrelson are great and have tremendous performances, the movie is so anti-American, anti-Catholic, anti-everything. It's relentlessly depressing. So, basically, you can count on it for winning a lot of Academy Awards. It's a hate American movie. There's nothing in it.

Mail Time!

• "I totally disagree with your comments, Bill, that the president starts fights. He fights back. When he does, he of course punches down."
• Look, he may not start fights but he starts controversies. You know, he says things that he knows or should know are going to cause all kinds of consternation. That's all I'm saying. 

• "We would not miss your broadcast. Every day you break it down so we can truly understand it."
• That's great, Julia. That's what I'm trying to do. 

• "I'm a 20-year-old college student closeted here in a very left-wing university. Bill, your No Spin style is refreshing in a world where emotion is consistently more important than fact."
• You're in really good shape even though you might be in a university that's drifting to the left, because you're an independent thinker. You're independent. You watch this. You consider what I have to say and great. I mean, that's what you should be, you're doing a good job.

Word of the Day: Barbermonger