January 1, TRUMP: DENUCLEARIZATION MEANS ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR NKOREA

(AP) – President Donald Trump says Vietnam, the site of his second round of nuclear talks with Kim Jong Un, is thriving economically and that North Korea could, too, if it would give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

House Dems, With 13 Republicans, Vote to Block Trump’s Border Emergency

(Reuters) – In a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump, the House of Representatives on Tuesday brushed aside veto threats and passed legislation to terminate the emergency he declared at the U.S.-Mexico border in order to build a wall there.

By a vote of 245-182, the House passed the resolution, setting up a vote in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Only 13 Republicans supported the move to stop the president’s declaration.

General: Pentagon’s Drug Funding Shouldn’t Go for Wall

Air Force Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy said Pentagon funds for preventing drug trafficking should not be diverted to help pay for wall construction on the southern border, a top general said Tuesday.

In remarks before a Senate panel, Gen. O’Shaughnessy said the U.S. Northern Command, which he leads, uses such funding for its Joint Task Force North in Texas to stop transnational threats, including drug trafficking, Stars and Stripes reported.

Trump’s Fmr. Lawyer Cohen: Let America Decide ‘Who Is Telling The Truth’

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney Michael Cohen on Tuesday said he was looking forward to Wednesday’s open hearing in the House where he plans to make his case for why people should believe him over Trump.

“I’m going to let the American people decide exactly who is telling the truth,” Cohen said.

Prosecutors: 81-Year-Old Wearing MAGA Hat Attacked

An 81-year-old New Jersey man was assaulted during an attack stemming from a dispute over his “Make America Great Again” hat, reports CBS New York.

The victim had minor injuries but refused medical treatment, the news outlet reported, citing local prosecutors.

Woman at Biden Event: ‘Just Say Yes’ to 2020 Run

Former Vice President Joe Biden should “just say yes” to a 2020 presidential run, a woman in the audience at a University of Delaware event shouted Tuesday.

“Oh my god, just say yes,” she said after Biden said he was “very close” to making a decision.

“The first hurdle for me was deciding whether or not I am comfortable taking the family through what would be a very, very difficult campaign. No matter who runs, it’s a very difficult campaign,” he said during a discussion with presidential historian Jon Meacham.

Report: Methodists Reject Easing Same-Sex Restrictions

United Methodist Church leaders have rejected a measure that would have eased restrictions on gay clergy and same-sex marriages, NPR reported.

Delegates twice voted against the “One Church” plan at a special session of the church’s General Conference in St. Louis, the news outlet reported.

The Sporting News: Kaepernick Sought $20M From XFL

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick held talks with executives at the new XFL about joining the league for its 2020 debut season, The Sporting News reports.Sources claim the quarterback sought a $20 million contract, the same amount he reportedly wanted from the Alliance of American Football, a direct competitor to the XFL, to play in their league, according to the Associated Press.