A total shut show in Washington
It's time to shut up or shut down for President Donald Trump and Congress.
But first: Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is retiring, Trump said Thursday, one day after Trump said he would pull U.S. troops out of Syria — a move Mattis advised against.
Border wall funding, or lights out
One bid to ward off a partial government shutdown collapsed Thursday when President Donald Trump refused to sign a Senate-backed bill because he wanted more money for his border wall. The short-term spending bill punts a decision over border wall funding until next year when a newly Democrat-controlled House won't likely see it through. Funding to keep multiple agencies and departments open will lapse at midnight Friday unless Congress and the White House reach a deal.
So what happens if a shutdown occurs? National parks, law enforcement training and federally assisted loans could all be affected — plus 420,000 federal employees including border patrol agents. And speaking of the border ...
A ban on asylum-seekers in the U.S.
The Trump administration on Thursday unveiled a new policy banning asylum-seekers from entering the U.S. and requiring them to stay in Mexico — upending the way America has welcomed migrants fleeing persecution for decades. Asylum-seekers at the southern border can currently stay in the country until a judge decides their application. Under the new policy, asylum-seekers would be immediately returned to Mexico and ideally only enter the U.S. for application hearings, a Homeland Security official told USA TODAY.
Antarctic ice sheet + collapse = global flood
It's happened before, and it could happen again: A giant ice sheet in Antarctic melted thousands of years ago, raising sea levels by up to 30 feet and flooding huge swaths of once dry land. Scientists think it could happen again as the world heats up because of man-made global warming, new research suggests.
Real quick
This couple's been on their honeymoon for seven years. Sounds nice.
She was left dead in a parking lot 39 years ago. DNA led to an arrest for her murder.
Keep your phone from being hacked with this tip: Get a burner number.
Dismiss Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault charges? No thanks, a judge said.
Patriots receiver Josh Gordon is leaving the team. Another suspension? Perhaps.
'Donald's right': Putin praises Trump on Syria
President Trump's call to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria has many critics, but one particular world leader definitely approves: Vladimir Putin. "Donald's right," the Russian president said of Trump's decision to remove 2,000 troops fighting ISIS — a direct contradiction to Trump's claim Thursday that Russia is "not happy about the U.S. leaving." Many analysts say thousands of ISIS extremists remain in Iraq and Syria, calling Trump’s decision premature. Others note that despite Trump's claim that "we won" against ISIS, America's involvement in Syria remains nearly a complete failure.
Snatch 'em now: Chick-fil-A's Cow Calendar will be gone
Come Jan. 1, Chick-fil-A fans will have to moooooooove to another method of keeping track of the date. The fast-food giant is nixing its Cow Calendar, a two-decades-old favorite, after 2018. USA TODAY's Zlati Meyer takes a look at some notable products that are taking their final bows.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A total shut show in Washington
