Vox Sentences: A Congress walled against itself cannot stand

Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the Vox Sentences newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the Vox Sentences archive for past editions.

Trump gives a big speech on the wall; Kim Jong Un goes to China.

Tonight’s Sentences was written by Nicole Fallert.

Shutdown showdown, day 18

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

• President Trump will make a speech from the Oval Office at 9 pm EST to address the 18-day government shutdown and reiterate his demand for funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border. [Washington Post / Felicia Sonmez, Josh Dawsey, and Paul Farhi]
• Trump was reportedly considering declaring a national emergency to circumvent Congress if it wouldn’t approve the $5 billion he demands for the wall’s construction. The latest reports now suggest he’s backing away from that plan, but who knows what will happen once the cameras start rolling. [WSJ / Michael C. Bender and Rebecca Ballhaus]
• The federal government has now been shut down for 18 days, and 800,000 federal workers are about to go without their first paycheck. [NYT / Jim Tankersley, Matthew Goldstein, and Glenn Thrush]
• The Trump administration’s offer on the negotiating table includes the wall funding as well as $800,000 to address the “humanitarian crisis” at the border. [Vox / Dara Lind]
• In the speech, the president will make his case to the public for the wall — which might include some dubious or factually wrong claims he’s made in the past. [Washington Post / Salvador Rizzo, Glenn Kessler, and Meg Kelly]
• Major networks, including NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, and Fox, as well as cable networks CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, will air the speech, even though they refused to air a 2014 speech on immigration by President Obama. [NYT / Michael Grynbaum]

Kim Jong Un goes to China

• North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled by train to China for a four-day visit with President Xi Jinping. The goal of the meeting was not announced by either country’s state media, but Kim might be coordinating a strategy for a possible upcoming summit with President Trump. [NPR / Matthew S. Schwartz]
• The visit is supposedly unconnected to the US-China trade war. But it could serve as a reminder to the US that China has the power to undermine other American priorities in Asia. [NYT / Keith Bradsher and Choe Sang-Hun]
• The meeting could also send a message to Trump that even if the summit goes badly, North Korea has ways to improve its diplomatic position without US support. [Washington Post / Anna Fifield]

Miscellaneous

• What would have to happen for Trump to face a primary challenge? There are two paths that could weaken his support. [FiveThirtyEight / Perry Bacon Jr.]
• Does CBD cause munchies? Experts say no, but it could still make you hungrier. [Washington Post / Cara Rosenbloom]
• Inmates in the Manila City Jail are suffering overcrowded conditions since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has increased drug arrests. Guards are outnumbered, leaving gang members to keep the peace. [NYT / Aurora Almendral]
• A storied French art burglar nicknamed “Spider-Man” reveals how he made a lifestyle of impulsion and imagination. [New Yorker / Jake Halpern]

Verbatim

“What we have at CBS is a legacy and history. The mission never changes. It deepens. It widens.” [Incoming CBS News chief Susan Zirinsky to NBC / Claire Atkinson]

Watch this: How the US outsourced border security to Mexico

In 2017, Johnny Harris traveled to Mexico to investigate the developing border crisis for the international series Vox Borders. [YouTube / Johnny Harris]

Read more

Despite an opiod crisis, most ERs don’t offer addiction treatment. California is changing that.

The US always picks the World Bank president. It’s time for that to end.

The government isn’t letting the shutdown get in the way of Arctic drilling.

Avengers, Jordan Peele’s latest, and a sleuthing Pikachu: noteworthy movies to watch for in 2019

A smart baby bed has stirred controversy for its $1,300 price tag. Now parents can rent it.

Explanatory journalism is a public good

At Vox, we believe that everyone deserves access to information that helps them understand and shape the world they live in. That's why we keep our work free. Support our mission and help keep Vox free for all by making a financial contribution to Vox today.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$95/year

$120/year

$250/year

$350/year

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $120/year

Yes, I'll give $120/year

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via