House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Vice President Mike Pence, President Donald Trump, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., argue during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Developing now, Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018
- Neither President Trump nor Democrats are backing down after Trump threatened to shut down the government over border security funding in an on-camera clash with Dem leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi
- Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen will be sentenced Wednesday for tax evasion, making illegal hush-money payments and lying to Congress about Trump's business dealings
- Attorneys for former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn have asked that he receive probation and community service for lying to federal investigators in the Russia probe
- Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company has no plans launch a project in China and fired back at allegations of anti-conservative bias in a House hearing on Tuesday
- Five people have been arrested in connection with a manhunt for gunman who killed three people and wounded 11 in Strasbourg, France on Tuesday. The suspected gunman was still on the run.
- A magnitude 4.4 earthquake rocked Tennessee early Wednesday, and it could be felt in Atlanta, according to the U.S. Geological Survey
- TUNE IN: FOX News will have two must-see interviews Wednesday - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo talks to 'FOX & Friends' in the morning and first lady Melania Trump will sit down with Sean Hannity for an exclusive interview at 9 p.m. ET
THE LEAD STORY – CHRISTMAS SHUTDOWN STANDOFF: In the wake of the unexpected, dramatic on-camera dust-up between President Trump and Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi in the Oval Office on Tuesday, top Republicans are rallying behind the president's calls for funding a southern border wall -- even if it could mean closing the government just days before Christmas ... "If we don't have border security, we'll shut down the government," Trump told Schumer and Pelosi in a tense White House photo op. Afterward, Pelosi reportedly mocked the president in a private meeting on Capitol Hill with fellow Democrats, saying "it's a manhood thing for him -- as if manhood could ever be associated with him."
FOX News has confirmed that, in a deliberate show of support for Trump following the nationally televised showdown, House Republican leaders are considering sending a bill that would provide $5 billion in funding for the wall to the floor for a vote. A senior House GOP aide separately told Fox News that Republicans are confident the measure would pass, which would force Schumer and Senate Democrats to either approve the funding or risk being blamed for any ensuing government shutdown. The question is, which side will blink first? - Reported by Gregg Re (@gregg_re on Twitter)
- Kayleigh McEnany: On border security, Pelosi and Schumer play politics while Trump fights to protect us
- Migrant group demands Trump either let them in or pay them each $50G to turn around: report
- Tucker on border wall fireworks: 'Schumer never hated anything in his whole life more than that moment'
- Pelosi may win speakership on term-limit deal with House Democrats: reports
JUDGMENT DAY FOR TRUMP'S EX-'FIXER': A federal judge in New York is set to decide whether President Trump's former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, gets leniency or years in prison for crimes including tax evasion, making illegal hush-money payments to protect Trump during the campaign and lying to Congress about the president's past business dealings in Russia ... In a sentencing memo last Friday, federal prosecutors recommended a "substantial term of imprisonment" for Cohen. On Nov. 29, Cohen pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about a Trump real estate project in Russia in the latest development in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Last August, he pleaded guilty to five counts of tax evasion, one count of making false statements to a financial institution, one count of willfully causing an unlawful corporate contribution, and one count of making an excessive campaign contribution.
- Stormy Daniels ordered to pay President Trump $292G in legal fees
FLYNN SEEKS LENIENCY: Lawyers for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn argued Tuesday that their client deserved to receive no more than a year of probation and 200 hours of community service for making false statements to federal investigators ... In a document filed in federal court in Washington, Flynn's attorneys said their client's cooperation with Special Counsel Robert Mueller "was not grudging or delayed", but "preceded his guilty plea or any threatened indictment and began very shortly after he was first contacted for assistance by the Special Counsel's office." Prosecutors working for Mueller said last week that Flynn had offered “substantial assistance” in “several ongoing investigations" and was entitled to avoid prison when he is sentenced next week. - Reported by Samuel Chamberlain (@SChamberlainFOX on Twitter)
- Flynn says FBI pushed him not to have lawyer present during interview
GOOGLE CEO UNDER OATH: Speaking in front of the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday amid allegations of anti-conservative bias and privacy violations on the platform, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said the company had "no plans to launch search in China" ... Pichai responded to the question by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, when she said she was concerned about the company's controversial Project Dragonfly and asked what the company is doing to minimize the efforts. China was just one of the key issues Pichai was forced to address. He disputed the notion that his company is biased against conservatives under questioning by lawmakers. - Reported by Chris Ciaccia (@Chris_Ciaccia on Twitter)
- Google could be collecting this data without you realizing
SHOOTER ON THE LOOSE IN FRANCE: French authorities have detained five people in connection with a manhunt for a suspected extremist who fatally shot three and wounded 11 near a Christmas market in Strasbourg on Tuesday evening before fleeing the scene, according to reports ... The gunman, who is believed to be injured, remained on the loose. The suspect is a 29-year-old who was on a watch list of potentially radicalized people and had convictions in France and Germany for crimes unrelated to terrorism and served time in prison, French officials said. Authorities did not name him publicly or provide further details. - Reported by Bradford Betz (@bradford_betz on Twitter)
EARTHQUAKE IN TENNESSEE: A 4.4-magnitude earthquake was reported in Tennessee early Wednesday, officials said ... The quake hit about six miles north of Decatur, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The shaking was felt by residents as far as Atlanta -- about 162 miles south of the epicenter. The Center for Earthquake Research and Information reported that a 3.3 earthquake occurred near Decatur about 10 minutes after the initial 4.4 quake. - Reported by Stephen Sorace and the Associated Press
POMPEO, MELANIA TRUMP IN EXCLUSIVE FOX NEWS INTERVIEWS: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to appear on "FOX & Friends" on Wednesday morning for a must-see interview ... Pompeo could address a variety of issues, from the tariff truce with China, to Russia, to recent unrest in France, to the migrant crisis at the southern border to recent Trump administration shakeups and more. Don't miss this interview and tune in at 6 a.m. ET.
First lady Melania Trump will sit down with Sean Hannity on Wednesday for an exclusive interview aboard the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier ... Hannity will also take viewers behind the scenes with Mrs. Trump as she visits military bases and speaks with personnel. The first lady visited Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in the nation’s capital on Tuesday for the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Program. Tune in to "Hannity" Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.
THE SOUNDBITE
DON'T GIVE IN, MR. PRESIDENT - "If I were the president, I would dig in and not give in" - U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on the Oval Office clash between President Trump and Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi over border security and a possible government shutdown.
TODAY'S MUST-READS
Adam Levine addresses controversial 'Voice' elimination after fans slam judge's plea.
FOX News Special Report - Confronting the U.S. Opioid Crisis:
Part 1: As doctors taper or end opioid prescriptions, many patients driven to despair, suicide.
Part 2: Doctors caught between struggling opioid patients and crackdown on prescriptions.
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
Market volatility should lead investors to a diversified portfolio: CME Group CEO.
Inside business in China: Motorola Solutions CEO details Huawei theft.
Things that will cost more in 2019.
Kennedy: College and comedy no longer perfect together.
USPS may franchise your mailbox: What that means for you.
STAY TUNED
On FOX News:
FOX & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Jim Hanson, the president of Security Studies, discusses possible terror attack in Strasbourg, France. Tomi Lahren previews her Fox Nation special "The Migrant Stand-Off." Dr. Oz shares tips on de-stressing at Christmastime. Tom Shillue tests viewers' knowledge of Christmas TV show characters.
On FOX Business:
Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Sheila Bair, former chair of U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC; Andrew McCarthy, former federal prosecutor and FOX News contributor; U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky.; Charles Plosser, former Philadelphia Fed president; Susan Story, president and CEO of American Water; Hogan Gidley, White House deputy press secretary.
Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Ben Carson, secretary of HUD; Mike Rowe, former "Dirty Jobs" host; Adam Brandon FreedomWorks president; Thomas Homan, former acting ICE director; Christian Whiton, senior fellow for strategy and public diplomacy at the Center for the National Interest; U.S. Rep. Keith Rothfus, R-Pa.
Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: Oscar De La Hoya, boxing legend and Golden Boy Promotions founder; U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo.
Making Money with Charles Payne, 2 p.m. ET: Jeff Ballabon, Trump 2020 campaign advisory board member; Ford O'Connell, republican strategist and political analyst; Steve Hilton, host of "The Next Revolution."
Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman, 3 p.m. ET: Jeff Sica, president, CEO and chief investment officer of Circle Squared Alternative Investments; Amb. Stuart Eizenstat, former deputy treasury secretary; Scott Stringer, New York City comptroller.
On FOX News Radio:
The FOX News Rundown podcast: Chad Pergram, FOX News senior Capitol Hill producer, breaks down the details of possible deals to avoid a government shutdown after the on-camera clash President Trump and Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is set to move on criminal justice reform after mounting pressure from President Trump and other supporters of the "First Step Act." FOX News contributor Gianno Caldwell is a proponent of the bill, and he discusses why it is so important. Plus, commentary by former Utah congressman and FOX News contributor Jason Chaffetz.
Want the FOX News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.
The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: The possibility of a Christmas government shutdown, immigration and border security, prison reform and anticipated sentencings in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation will be discussed with U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah; Mike Allen, executive editor and co-founder of Axios; "FOX News@Night" host Shannon Bream and Andrew McCarthy, FOX News contributor. XFL CEO and Commissioner Oliver Luck discusses the revival of the Vince McMahon-inspired football league.
The Todd Starnes Show, Noon ET: Todd Starnes will have the latest on the fallout from President Trump's meeting with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer.
The Tom Shillue Show, 3 p.m. ET: Retail analyst Hitha Herzog and actor Bill Lobley join Tom Shillue to discuss the top headlines of the day.
#TheFlashback
2000: George W. Bush becomes president-elect as a divided U.S. Supreme Court reverses a state court decision for recounts in Florida's contested election.
1997: Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, the international terrorist known as "Carlos the Jackal," goes on trial in Paris on charges of killing two French investigators and a Lebanese national. (Ramirez would be convicted, and is serving a life prison sentence.)
1977: "Saturday Night Fever," starring John Travolta, premieres in New York.
FOX News First is compiled by FOX News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday morning.
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