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--> A midday take on what's happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.*

*Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha--breaks down crying hysterically.

The Hill's 12:30 Report: Funding fight, round two | Border wall fight gets tougher for Trump | Trump says another shutdown 'certainly' possible | Federal employees return to work | Trump says Starbucks CEO 'doesn't have the guts' to run in 2020 | Clinton reportedly not ruling out bid | US, Taliban agree to peace framework | Man saves woman's life thanks to 'The Office'

ROUND 2 OF THE BORDER WALL FIGHT -- DING, DING

Maybe just don't get the Metro's unlimited commuter pass this month...:

Hundreds of thousands of furloughed federal employees came back to work today after the longest shutdown in U.S. history. https://fxn.ws/2SaAFX9

Yeah, but: The government has only been funded through Feb. 15.

When furloughed workers will receive back pay: By the end of the week.

The ironic part -- one estimate: According to S&P Global Ratings, the shutdown cost the U.S. economy at least $6 billion. That's not far from the $5.7 billion in question for the president's border wall. https://reut.rs/2Wp0kL7

And according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office: The economy lost $3 billion from the shutdown. How so: "The economy lost $11 billion during the course of the shutdown, which began Dec. 22, but some $8 billion of that will be recovered as the government reopens and workers receive back pay." http://bit.ly/2DFxDlP

Tidbit from the end of the shutdown: "This is how the shutdown ends. Not with a bang but with a dozen tired reporters waiting for Pelosi as a vase of fresh flowers and eight personalized pens look on." Photo: http://bit.ly/2Bi2FPh

Don't get too cozy with the government being open -- here's the situation:

Via The Hill's Alexander Bolton, the post-shutdown negotiations are looking brutal for President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE. Both Republicans and Democrats are skeptical Trump will get his border wall funding based on the negotiations in the past month. http://bit.ly/2SaGeox

What would likely need to happen for Trump to get his border wall funding: "Democrats seem unlikely to budget any money for a border wall, and even if they did, lawmakers say such a deal would likely require Trump to include significant immigration reforms, such as giving immigrants known as Dreamers a pathway to citizenship or permanent residency."

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Speaker(D-Calif.) set the tone for the next shutdown when she declared her position on border wall funding will not change.

From the chief deputy whip in the House Democratic caucus: Rep. Dan Kildee Daniel (Dan) Timothy KildeeLawmakers fear voter backlash over failure to reach COVID-19 relief deal Democrats set to hold out for big police reform More than 100 Democrats press Trump to extend jobless benefits MORE (D-Mich.) said on CNN's "New Day": "My advice to our conferees, Democrats and Republicans, House and Senate, is to ignore the president and ignore the talking heads who try to characterize the president, and just put our heads down and do our job." Watch: http://bit.ly/2RVq9DO

TRUMP EVEN SAID ANOTHER SHUTDOWN IS 'CERTAINLY' POSSIBLE: In an interview with The Wall Street Journal over the weekend, President Trump said he is doubtful Congress will come to an agreement. https://on.wsj.com/2Sgohoy

HAPPENING WEDNESDAY: The bipartisan group of lawmakers from both chambers of Congress who will work on a border security deal are meeting for the first time to negotiate a deal to keep the government open. http://bit.ly/2FUEQkn

WHAT ABOUT THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS?: The address, scheduled for tomorrow evening, was postponed because of the shutdown. Pelosi hasn't given the new date, but sources told Fox News that Feb. 5 is being floated as a new date. http://bit.ly/2Tj0q5d

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN CONGRESS THIS WEEK: "The Senate will try to take up a Syria policy bill after Democrats blocked the measure three times arguing that the chamber should be focused on ending the partial government shutdown." And in the House: "The House is expected to take up legislation to increase the pay of federal civilian employees, with Democrats arguing it would counter a pay freeze 'forced upon them by the Trump administration.'" Full preview of the upcoming week: http://bit.ly/2Tj0q5d

It's Monday. It's still January, diary. I worry it will never end. I'm Cate Martel with a quick recap of the morning and what's coming up. Send comments, story ideas and events for our radar to cmartel@thehill.com -- and follow along on Twitter @CateMartel and Facebook .

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NEWS THIS MORNING

A peace agreement with the Taliban:

Via The New York Times's Mujib Mashal, the United States has reached a preliminary peace agreement that could lead to American troops pulling out of Afghanistan. What that would mean: https://nyti.ms/2DDIpZV

2020 NEWS

Free idea: 2020 candidates are having a hard time differentiating themselves. What about running on the platform of free coffee for all?:

In a "60 Minutes" interview with Scott Pelley, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said he is "seriously thinking of running for president."

Schultz's reasoning: "I will run as a centrist independent, outside of the two-party system. We're living at a most fragile time, not only the fact that this president is not qualified to be the president, but the fact that both parties are consistently not doing what's necessary on behalf of the American people and are engaged, every single day, in revenge politics." https://cbsn.ws/2Uh9is2

Keep in mind: Schultz describes himself as a "lifelong Democrat," but has said he would run as an independent candidate. Why: He thinks both parties can be "reckless."

Watch a few of the interview highlights: https://cbsn.ws/2G6XDYL

Transcript: https://cbsn.ws/2HJb8ka

Getting traction -- from HuffPost's Ariel Edwards-Levy: "Good morning, 'independent' still does not mean 'centrist.'" http://bit.ly/2G6TLY4

^ NBC's Benjy Sarlin chimed in: "Even 'moderate' doesn't meant 'centrist' in the polling sense" http://bit.ly/2S9kNo6

This morning -- it's always campaign SZN in Trump World:

President Trump reacted to former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz's "60 Minutes" appearance. Trump tweeted: "Howard Schultz doesn't have the 'guts' to run for President! Watched him on [60 Minutes] last night and I agree with him that he is not the 'smartest person.' Besides, America already has that! I only hope that Starbucks is still paying me their rent in Trump Tower!" http://bit.ly/2TiUZ6j

Over the weekend -- the debate stage is getting a little cozier:

Sen. Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHarris honors Ginsburg, visits Supreme Court The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump and Biden vie for Minnesota | Early voting begins in four states | Blue state GOP governors back Susan Collins Kamala Harris: Black Americans have been 'disproportionately harmed' by Trump MORE (D-Calif.) announced she is running for president in 2020. From her announcement speech in Oakland, Calif.: "I'm running to fight for an America where the economy works for all people. For an America where you only have to work one job to pay the bills." http://bit.ly/2MA27IE

Tidbit -- the song she played at the end of her campaign speech: "My Shot" from "Hamilton." http://bit.ly/2sODwXJ

HERE'S A LIST OF WHO IS (AND ISN'T) RUNNING IN 2020: http://bit.ly/2TicdAH

I've had literal nightmares about this rematch:

Via CNN's Jeff Zeleny, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonJeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Momentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Warning signs flash for Lindsey Graham in South Carolina MORE has told people that she isn't "closing the doors to the idea of running in 2020." How recently Clinton said that: This past week! In Zeleny's words on CNN's "Inside Edition": "I'm told by three people that as recently as this week, she was telling people that look, given all this news from the indictments, particularly the Roger Stone Roger Jason StoneOur Constitution is under attack by Attorney General William Barr Justice IG investigating Stone sentencing: report Romney says Trump's protest tweets 'clearly intended to further inflame racial tensions' MORE indictment, she talked to several people, saying 'look, I'm not closing the doors to this.'" http://bit.ly/2B7mZ5v

Op-ed: http://bit.ly/2G2RPj0

NOTABLE TWEETS

I really appreciate the enthusiasm:

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happy to all be back at work providing our customers with the services they rely upon — Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) January 28, 2019

ON TAP

The House and Senate are meeting today. President Trump and Vice President Pence are in Washington, D.C.

33 years ago today: The space shuttle Challenger exploded. https://cnn.it/2RUpnqZ

Noon: The House meets. The House's full schedule today: http://bit.ly/2Ms1W2e

12:30 p.m. EST: President Trump has lunch with Vice President Pence in the White House's private dining room.

3 p.m. EST: The Senate meets. The Senate's full schedule today: http://bit.ly/2BhXnmT

5:30 p.m. EST: The Senate holds a procedural vote.

6:30 p.m. EST: Votes postponed in the House.

WHAT TO WATCH

Happening now: The Heritage Foundation is holding an event, "The Inequality of the Equality Act: Concerns from the Left." Livestream: https://herit.ag/2sQtV2t

3 p.m. EST: White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders gives an on-camera press briefing (!) Why the exclamation point: White House press briefings are rare these days. Livestream: http://bit.ly/2zl0CZY

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF...

Today is National Blueberry Pancake Day.

Wow -- 'The Office' literally saved someone's life:

A man with no CPR training saved a woman's life based on what he learned from the NBC series "The Office." The scene he recreated: When a first aid trainer told employees to perform CPR to the tune of "Stayin' Alive." The full story: http://bit.ly/2DEuqTm

Watch the first aid scene in "The Office": http://bit.ly/2sMKaxE