No wall? That's an emergency, Trump says
A border wall, a perp walk and a whole lot of awards made up Mondays' top news. We're reporter Josh Hafner and editor John Riley, bringing you this week's Short List.
But first: Visit a Sears while you can. The iconic American retailer is on the edge of liquidation and could fizzle out within weeks.
Trump claims declaring an emergency could get him wall funding. Is he right?
With the partial government shutdown now tied for third-longest on record, President Trump says he might declare a national emergency to secure funding for a border wall. "We're looking at a national emergency because we have a national emergency," he said Sunday. Can Trump really do that? The answer's unclear, experts say. The National Emergencies Act lets presidents declare emergencies, but requires them to cite specific powers and statutes. But any declaration by Trump will likely face legal challenges, House Democrats say. Trump plans to address the nation on his wall plan Tuesday night and visit the nation's southern border Thursday.
Kevin Spacey takes a perp walk
Kevin Spacey encountered a massive scrum of cameras on his way to a Massachusetts courtroom Monday to face a sex-crime charge that he groped a teenage busboy in a Nantucket Island bar in 2016. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. Spacey's next court date is March 4.
Three people on top of the world Monday
This couple — an ER nurse and a firefighter — who became instant millionaires with a sale on ABC's "Shark Tank" and this mysterious Fiji water woman who epically photobombed celebrities at the Golden Globes.
And speaking of the Globes ...
Awards season is upon us. Forget all you thought you knew
The Golden Globes, often seen as a roadmap to the Oscars, proved pundits wrong over and over Sunday night. "A Star Is Born" and "Vice" led nominations going into the night, but Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" and period comedy "Green Book" were the big winners. Lady Gaga for best actress in a drama? Nope, it was Glenn Close for "The Wife." Rami Malek was another shocker, winning best actor in a drama for his portrayal of Queen singer Freddy Mercury. The Globes also broke the mold in stuff you didn't see on TV: Security was especially strict, and few celebs were seen at the Globes' famously free-flowing open bar.
Real quick:
She killed a man at 16 and got a life sentence. Tennessee's governor just granted her clemency.
Bears kicker Cody Parkley missed a game-winning field goal, but the NFL says it wasn't his fault.
A multimillionaire raised three sons before learning he isn't their father. Now his ex-wife must pay $400,000 for the lie, Yahoo reported.
An arrest for the drive-by shooting of a 7-year-old black girl has eased racial tensions in Houston.
Ginsburg misses SCOTUS arguments, a first
Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Monday missed oral arguments as the Supreme Court associate justice recovers from surgery for lung cancer, a first in her 25-year career on the court. The 85-year-old had two cancerous growths removed on Dec. 21, and her absence was not unexpected. Ginsburg "will participate" in deciding two cases from afar via by reading briefs and transcripts, Chief Justice John Roberts said. Ginsburg appears in a film about her life now in theaters, "On The Basis of Sex." Dive into the period piece's historical (in)accuracies.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is betting big on the Supreme Court to revive controversial policies in 2019, counting on the justices – including two he picked – on issues of immigration, border security and transgender soldiers.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No wall? That's an emergency, Trump says
