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Happening Today: Shutdown, Nancy Pelosi, Bernie Sanders, Fish Odor, Coachella, Daryl Dragon

What to Know

  • No one budged at Trump's closed-door meeting with congressional leaders, so the partial government shutdown persisted through Day 12
  • Authorities are investigating the apparent sudden food allergy-related death of an 11-year-old boy in Brooklyn
  • The highly anticipated lineup for the 2019 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was finally unveiled

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No Deal to End Shutdown; Trump Says 'Could Be a Long Time'

No one budged at President Trump's closed-door meeting with congressional leaders, so the partial government shutdown persisted through Day 12 over his demand for billions of dollars to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. They'll all try again Friday. In public, Trump renewed his dire warnings of rapists and others at the border. But when pressed in private by Democrats asking why he wouldn't end the shutdown, he responded at one point, "I would look foolish if I did that." A White House official, one of two people who described that exchange only on condition of anonymity, said the president had been trying to explain that it would be foolish not to pay for border security. In one big shift, the new Congress will convene Thursday with Democrats taking majority control of the House, and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they'd quickly pass legislation to re-open the government — without funds for the border wall. "Nothing for the wall," Pelosi said in an interview on "Today.” "We can go through the back and forth. No. How many more times can we say no?"

Nancy Pelosi Poised to Become House Speaker, Making History Again

Nancy Pelosi knew this moment would come, even if others had their doubts — or worked to stop her. Pelosi is poised to be elected as House speaker, the only woman who has held the office and now one of few elected officials who will be returning to it. The last time a speaker regained the gavel was more than a half-century ago. The California Democrat has spent her political career being underestimated, only to prove the naysayers wrong. In this case, it was by winning back the Democratic majority and amassing the votes for the speaker's job. "None of us is indispensable," Pelosi told The Associated Press on the campaign trail last fall, "but I do know that I'm very good at what I do." In accepting the gavel, Pelosi will give a nod to the new era of divided government with a pledge to "reach across the aisle in this chamber and across the divisions in this great nation," according to excerpts of her prepared remarks.

Bernie Sanders Allies Contrite, Defiant Amid Harassment Allegations

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and his chief lieutenants are offering contrition and defiance as they face allegations of sexual harassment that plagued his last presidential campaign and now threaten to derail a second White House bid before it begins. Hours after a New York Times report detailed allegations of unwanted sexual advances and pay inequity on his first campaign, Sanders apologized "to any woman who felt that she was not treated appropriately." "Of course, if I run again, we will do better next time," Sanders told CNN. Yet there were immediate signs that the allegations, which did not directly involve Sanders, could hurt the self-described democratic socialist's 2020 ambitions in the midst of the #MeToo era. In the wake of the report, some Democratic activists and operatives complained about the aggressive culture during the first campaign when male staffers and supporters were sometimes labeled "Bernie bros."

Fish Odor Eyed in Sudden Death of 11-Year-Old Boy, Sources Say

Authorities are investigating the apparent sudden food allergy-related death of an 11-year-old boy in Brooklyn, and law enforcement sources confirmed to News 4 that detectives are looking into whether the smell of cooking fish could have triggered a reaction. Cops were called to the 82nd Street home of Camron Jean-Pierre around dinner time on New Year's Day. They found the boy unconscious. He was taken to a hospital, where he was found dead. The medical examiner's office will conduct an autopsy to determine how he died, but police say it appears to be the result of some sort of food allergy and they suspect no criminality. Sources confirmed to News 4 that authorities were looking into whether the reaction was triggered by the smell of cooking fish.

Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande to Headline Coachella

The highly anticipated lineup for the 2019 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival was finally unveiled, with Childish Gambino headlining Friday night and Ariana Grande set to headline Sunday night. The three-day festival that repeats on back-to-back weekends is set to be held on the weekends of April 12 and April 19, with over 100 acts performing, ranging in styles from Weezer to YG. The annual festival is held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California and started in the early 1990s. Passes for the event will go on sale Friday at 11 a.m. Pacific Time, with general admission passes set to sell for $429 without shuttle service and VIP passes selling for $999 each.

Daryl Dragon of Captain and Tennille Dies at 76

Daryl Dragon of pop duo Captain and Tennille, more widely known as the "Captain," died at the age of 76 due to renal failure at a hospice in Prescott, Arizona, his publicist said. Dragon, known as the keyboard-playing husband in the group, died with his former wife of nearly 40 years, Toni Tennille, by his side. The couple separated in 2013 and divorced the following year. But they remained close, according to spokesman Harlan Boll, and Tennille even moved to Arizona to help care for Dragon. The duo, who had hits like "Do That To Me One More Time" and "Love Will Keep Us Together," officially split in 2014, but remained good friends. Their other songs included "Muskrat Love," ''Shop Around" and "Do That to Me One More Time."

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