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Happening Today: Budget Bill, Government Shutdown, Turpin Home, Opioids, Ellen Pompeo, ‘The Situation'

What to Know

  • Congressional Democrats aren't backing down to reject any government funding bill that isn't paired with protection for young immigrants
  • Walmart is helping customers get rid of leftover opioids by giving them packets that turn the addictive painkillers into a useless gel
  • For Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey's exit from "Grey's Anatomy" was a turning point, she said in The Hollywood Reporter

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“Very Strong” Democratic Sentiment to Oppose GOP Budget Bill

Congressional Democrats aren't backing down from their threats to reject any government funding bill that isn't paired with protection for thousands of young immigrants, as hard-line liberal groups shrug off risks of a government shutdown. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said there's "very, very strong" sentiment among his party's lawmakers to oppose GOP-drafted legislation that would only keep the government's doors open for four weeks past a looming deadline. Schumer did not say his caucus was entirely unified, but the rhetoric signaled growing chances that a stop-gap measure could come up short of votes in the Senate and federal agencies could begin closing their doors. The hardening stance reflects the influence of an emboldened Democratic base clamoring for a showdown with a president many on the left view as racist and untrustworthy. The fight over the fate of the "dreamers" is increasingly becoming a test of Democrats' progressive mettle, surpassing health care or taxes as the top year-two priority for the liberal base.

13 Siblings Held Captive Were Likely Coerced to Remain Quiet

When a 17-year-old girl jumped out a window from the house where her parents allegedly starved and tortured their 13 children, she broke a silence that had likely lasted years. It's not clear why the teenager waited so long to act, but psychiatrists say such behavior is not uncommon even in cases of extreme deprivation. Most people would recognize milder forms of the same inaction that is a coping mechanism, whether it's failing to speak out against off-color jokes, enduring sexual harassment or staying in an awful marriage, said Dr. Bruce Perry. The vulnerable girl might have been shamed, beaten or threatened with violence and only after many missed opportunities did she probably work up the courage to act, Perry said. David Turpin, 56, and his wife, Louise Turpin, 49, were arrested Sunday after authorities found the malnourished children in their home in suburban Perris, 60 miles southeast of Los Angeles. They were jailed on $9 million bail each.

52 People Die in Bus Fire inKazakhstan, Officials Say

A bus fire in Kazakhstan killed 52 people in a vast snow-covered steppe, officials said. The tragedy happened near the village of Kalybai in the northern Aktobe region, the Emergencies Department of the former Soviet nation in Central Asia said. Authorities said that only five of 57 people on the bus managed to escape the blaze. They are being treated for injuries. Officials said that according to preliminary information all of the victims were citizens of neighboring Uzbekistan. Of the survivors, two are citizens of Kazakhstan who were taking turns to drive the bus and three others are from Uzbekistan. The bus was driving up north from Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan near the border with Uzbekistan.

Walmart Offers Way to Turn Leftover Opioids Into Useless Gel

Walmart is helping customers get rid of leftover opioids by giving them packets that turn the addictive painkillers into a useless gel. The retail giant announced it will provide the packets free with opioid prescriptions filled at its 4,700 U.S. pharmacies. The small packets, made by DisposeRX, contain a powder that is poured into prescription bottles. When mixed with warm water, the powder turns the pills into a biodegradable gel that can be thrown in the trash. Research has shown that surgery patients often end up with leftover opioid painkillers and store the drugs improperly at home. Walmart says the powder also works with other prescription drugs. The company says its pharmacy customers can request a free packet at any time.

Ellen Pompeo Talks Pay Equality and Dempsey's “Grey's Anatomy” Exit

For Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey's exit from "Grey's Anatomy" was a turning point. The move, which happened in season 11, was a "defining moment, deal-wise," Pompeo said in The Hollywood Reporter. "They could always use him as leverage against me --'We don't need you; we have Patrick'--which they did for years. I don't know if they also did that to him, because he and I never discussed our deals. There were many times where I reached out about joining together to negotiate, but he was never interested in that," Pompeo told The Hollywood Reporter. "At one point, I asked for $5,000 more than him just on principle, because the show is 'Grey's Anatomy' and I'm Meredith Grey. They wouldn't give it to me."

Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino to Plead Guilty to Tax-Related Charges

Former "Jersey Shore" reality TV star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino is expected to plead guilty to federal tax charges this week. A letter filed with the court says Sorrentino and his brother, Marc, plan to plead guilty at a court hearing in Newark. The pair was charged in 2014 with filing bogus tax returns on nearly $9 million in income. Additional charges were filed last April. Sorrentino's lawyer didn't comment on what charges his client would plead guilty. "The Situation" appeared on all six seasons of the MTV reality show, which followed the lives of rowdy housemates in a New Jersey beach town. It ran from 2009 to 2012.

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