President Trump is to address the nation tonightThe president plans to speak from the Oval Office at 9 p.m. Eastern to discuss what he calls a crisis at the border with Mexico, and the need to address it before a partial government shutdown can end. Mr. Trump’s demand of $5.7 billion for a border wall is at the heart of a budget impasse that has led to the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history. Notable: In making his case for a wall, Mr. Trump has said his predecessors in the Oval Office had admitted to him that they should have built the barriers themselves. But all of the living former presidents say that’s not true. Explainer: The White House has raised the idea of invoking emergency powers to build the wall without lawmakers’ approval.

Source: New York Times January 08, 2019 10:31 UTC