President Trump threatened on Friday to close the nation's southern border if Congress doesn't fund his border wall. https://t.co/BhDmA94OlA
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 28, 2018
No, @realDonaldTrump isn't being "forced" to do anything so stupid. If he "closes" the southern border (whatever that would mean), it's his choice. What Charles Krauthammer wrote a decade ago holds with respect to President Trump: Decline is a choice.https://t.co/cNOHN73We9 https://t.co/fZRRG4LPtz
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) December 28, 2018
I’m willing to bet there’s a healthy number of lawmakers who don’t know that federal contractors NEVER get paid after a shutdown.
Many members just assume, like their staff, that everyone eventually gets paid.https://t.co/SEu9LCT1eR
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) December 28, 2018
Poll: Most voters oppose Trump's demand for border wall funding, call for compromise with Democrats https://t.co/QzIMkaNvHA pic.twitter.com/DZAeEXmj27
— The Hill (@thehill) December 28, 2018
O'Rourke tears into Trump's border wall in video: "A symbol of division" https://t.co/i6SAJ23kJO pic.twitter.com/NJDgdZ0svY
— The Hill (@thehill) December 28, 2018
Border news: hundreds of immigrant families to be released from detention via @DLind https://t.co/Z6PdNs0kpB
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 28, 2018
Perhaps he means he is going to deny all asylum claims. However, two federal courts have already held that his efforts to curtail or redefine asylum are legally and constitutionally ineffective. https://t.co/SzhJkNZIbU
— Jennifer Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) December 28, 2018
Elsewhere…
We're investigating communications between private prison companies and ICE, the U.S. Marshals and the Federal Bureau of Prisons concerning the Trump admin’s zero tolerance and family separation border policies and its expansion of immigration detention https://t.co/zAZDhhKJVk
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) December 28, 2018
The president has jokingly congratulated Andrew Wheeler, now the acting EPA administrator, for not attempting to buy a used mattress from the Trump Hotel, a move Scott Pruitt once tried. https://t.co/63rtv7xjmX
— Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) December 28, 2018
Taxpayers Are Subsidizing Mar-a-Lago’s New Year’s Eve Party Despite Trump’s Shutdown https://t.co/9TDCX5elJI via @YahooEnt
— Alisn1derland (@Alisin1derlnd) December 28, 2018
Movies, TV, fiction all thru 20th century portrayed humans poised ready to flee, en masse, screaming and hysterical, at the sight of sharks, Godzilla or a planetary invasion by extraterrestrials (whether friendly or hostile).
How wrong they all were https://t.co/HJ0EGP159R …
— Alt-Rupert (@TheMurdochTimes) December 28, 2018
***
WORLD
In his inept attempts to impress Erdoğan, Trump might just have created the most bizarre coalition on the ground against Turkey's mercenary proxies in Northern Syria. https://t.co/5s6WcOmkHe
— Ross Greer (@Ross_Greer) December 28, 2018
In case you were wondering who runs things… https://t.co/ISSmGDaPVg
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) December 28, 2018
2019 will start with the lowest prevalence of extreme poverty ever recorded, but rates of poverty reduction are slowing—especially in Africa, which is on track to host 90% of the world's poorest people by 2030. https://t.co/6nIi8kQaJT
— Brookings (@BrookingsInst) December 28, 2018
Boeing wins $400 million U.S. defense contract: Pentagon https://t.co/UBJhxxPGGY pic.twitter.com/RaYwd4nxPU
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) December 29, 2018
If you have an HMV gift card spend it today https://t.co/LabkLykOvR
— Paul Lewis (@paullewismoney) December 28, 2018
I actually thought #HMV had already closed down
— Ash Stronge (@ashstronge) December 28, 2018
The murky story of a man who looted $1.2m of wine from a banker's cellar https://t.co/K59MJZj2Z6 pic.twitter.com/OB5IkJG8qC
— The Independent (@Independent) December 28, 2018
After a police officer broke through ice to save a puppy, he ended up adopting her. pic.twitter.com/2ZmMXsVxY8
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) December 28, 2018
2018 Was the Year Historians Went Viral on Twitter. Here’s How They Made Their Fantastic Threads. https://t.co/Ycli2AYQz2
— Josh Fitzgerald (@IntrepidHistory) December 28, 2018
***
BREXIT BRITAIN
Exclusive: Civil servant accuses ministers of 'Project Fear Mark III' over no-deal Brexit https://t.co/sMULKKlQtq
— Michael Karl Dawes (@MKarlDawes) December 28, 2018
"The government’s astonishing lack of transparency around Brexit is a national scandal" https://t.co/9KnWajNGVB
— The New European (@TheNewEuropean) December 28, 2018
Jean! Jean! I’m on Sky News! https://t.co/iet1Fc2z3Q
— The Irish Border (@BorderIrish) December 28, 2018
Never was "literally" more wished for. https://t.co/LrwhzOxYis
— Clay Harris 🇪🇺 (@mudlarklives) December 28, 2018
1. A thread about homelessness and Brexit, with corresponding links, now that this crisis is rightfully getting the attention it requires https://t.co/c8HGuaDsen
— oh Little Town of SheRa Marley-Threepwood (@SheRa_Marley) December 28, 2018
1988 State papers: Northern Ireland Office’s paperwork irked 10 Downing Street official https://t.co/JS3TAQb6dU
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) December 28, 2018
'Priceless' taken out of Major tribute to Queen due to her tax status https://t.co/VLeHfqkNiu
— The Guardian (@guardian) December 28, 2018
— Jamie Pow (@jamiepow) December 28, 2018
“All this does is erode trust in politics" – John Redwood awarded knighthood ahead of Brexit vote. https://t.co/QBRCqU2XIQ
— The New European (@TheNewEuropean) December 28, 2018
He's a Sir and he's OK: Monty Python's Michael Palin knighted; Twiggy & Gareth Southgate also among New Year Honours https://t.co/igJ7EgMA4k
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) December 28, 2018
I am extremely humbled and privileged to receive this honour. It came as a pleasant surprise when I received the letter.
It is an… https://t.co/bem4eEB8LA
— Andy J D Allen (@AndyAllen88) December 28, 2018
The Overnight Note 