World News: OnPolitics Today: Shut it down

FROM WASHINGTON AND BEYOND

Monday, January 7

A disappointed young visitor, Asa Hazelwood, 3, pauses at the closed gates to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC on Jan. 2, 2019. Asa's mother was unaware of the zoo's closure. The Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are now closed to visitors during a partial shutdown as Congress and President Trump are at an impasse over funding of Trump's proposed southern border wall.

What's happening in Washington this week?

Here's what you need to know as the government shutdown enters its third week

Welcome to the first edition of OP Today in the new year, friends. Since we last talked, a partial government shutdown began...and as of Monday afternoon, there is still no end in sight.

Before we dive into the details, you know the deal: Get your friends to subscribe. Join our Facebook group. Keep up with latest . And just keep on keeping on.

What you need to know about the shutdown

The government shutdown began on Dec. 22. As of Monday, it became the third longest shutdown in U.S. history, hitting 17 days. The longest in history took place in 1995 and 1996, spanning over 21 days. If lawmakers and President Donald Trump are unable to reach a deal, this current shutdown will hit its 22nd day this coming Saturday.

The shutdown is centered around over Trump's demand for $5.6 billion for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. In December, the president refused to back a deal that would have kept the government open because it didn't include the wall funding. Since then, Democrats - who argue that a wall is ineffective - have said they would be willing to discuss immigration and border security, but only after the government has been reopened.

What is shut down?

Only parts of the federal government are shut down, since Congress passed some of its funding bills last year.

The shuttered agencies include the departments of State, Treasury, Justice, parts of Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Homeland Security.

So what does that mean for this week?

Lawmakers met with Vice President Mike Pence about the shutdown over the weekend, but no deal emerged out of those discussions. As of Monday, no other meetings had been announced.

Trump, who insists that he could declare a national emergency to build a wall, plans to discuss the border during an address 9 p.m. Tuesday. He's also planning a visit to the border on Thursday.

Elsewhere in politics

•	Here is a rundown of who has declared they're running for president in 2020
•	Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg absent from Supreme Court while recovering from surgery, a first in her career
•	President Trump bets big on Supreme Court to uphold controversial policies after lower court losses
•	'Why did you undergo the DNA test?': Elizabeth Warren asked about ancestry in first question at Iowa event