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Developing now, Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019

The new Congress will convene on Thursday, with Democrats taking control of the House and promising to pass legislation to reopen the government without funding for President Trump's border wall

A Chinese aircraft makes the first-ever landing on the far side of the moon, state media reports

President Trump, in response to Mitt Romney's scathing op-ed, says he wishes Republican Utah Senator-elect would be more a 'team player'

Sen. Bernie Sanders says in a TV interview that he was too 'busy' to know about the sexual harassment allegations in his 2016 presidential campaign

All eyes will be on Wall Street after Apple downgraded its sales projections Wednesday, citing slowing Chinese growth

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THE LEAD STORY – NEW CONGRESS, SAME SHUTDOWN POLITICS - Democrats will take control of the House Thursday as the new Congress convenes and Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, who is set to once again become House Speaker, says they are refusing to give in on President Trump's demand for funding on a border wall ... "Nothing for the wall," Pelosi said in an interview with NBC's "Today" show set to air Thursday. "We can go through the back and forth. No. How many more times can we say no?" Pelosi said Democrats will quickly pass legislation to re-open the government — which has been partially shut down since Dec. 22 — without funds for the border wall.

A contentious, closed-door meeting on border security at the White House Wednesday ended without any progress. Several senior GOP officials said Democrats didn't seem interested in listening to what Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen had to say. Trump has called on congressional leaders return to the White House on Friday to resume talks.

A source inside the Situation Room told FOX News that it was the consensus of all participants that House Democrats would be able to negotiate once House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi is elected speaker of the House on Thursday, as expected. Sixty votes in the Senate are needed to pass a spending bill and reopen the government.

ONE GIANT LEAP ON THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON: China successfully landed a spacecraft on the far side of the moon Thursday, becoming the first country to ever land on the side of the moon that faces away from Earth, state news media said ... The official China Central Television said the lunar explorer Chang'e 4 had touched down at 10:26 a.m. Zhu Menghua, a professor at Macau University of Science and Technology who worked with Beijing on the mission, said the mission’s success is a major milestone for the country and establishes it as a pioneer in space exploration. - Reported by Edmund DeMarche

TRUMP FIRES BACK AT ROMNEY: President Trump said Wednesday he was surprised by Republican Utah Senator-elect Mitt Romney's blistering op-ed in the Washington Post that blasted Trump's character, but suggested his on-again, off-again rival would eventually fall in line behind him ... “He agrees with many of the things we’ve done, and many of the things we have in mind, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump told reporters at the White House.

The president endorsed Romney during his successful Senate campaign. He said Romney could have beaten President Obama during the 2012 presidential election if he had shown the kind of fire he shows today. “I wish Mitt could be more of a team player. I am surprised he did it this quickly. If he fought really hard against President Obama like he does against me, he would’ve won the election.” - Reported by Paulina Dedaj

Fred Fleitz: Romney flip-flops again -- Never Trump to pro-Trump and back again -- does he even know what he is?

WILL #METOO SINK BERNIE'S 2020 HOPES? - In an interview Wednesday night, Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders claimed he was too "busy" to know about the bombshell sexual misconduct allegations that internally rocked his 2016 presidential campaign, even as he apologized to any women who had not been "treated appropriately" ... Sanders, widely considered a possible candidate for president again in 2020, was responding to a question from CNN anchor Anderson Cooper hours after a report Wednesday in The New York Times outlined what one former Sanders delegate called an "entire wave of rotten sexual harassment that seemingly was never dealt with." - Reported by Gregg Re

SOUR APPLE ON WALL STREET: Equity futures were down around 300 points during the overnight session following Apple’s after-the-bell announcement that revenue for the holiday quarter would be lower than anticipated ... Dow Jones futures were falling by 1.4 percent. The S&P 500 dropped 1.4 percent and the Nasdaq Composite was down 2.5 percent.

Apple shares tumbled more than 7 percent in after-hours trading Wednesday, after the iPhone maker warned that quarterly revenue for the crucial holiday sales season would be lower than expected. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a letter to shareholders released after markets closed, attributed most of the revenue drop to lower iPhone sales, China’s slowing economy and trade tensions between China and the U.S. - Reported by FOX Business' Ken Martin

Trump trade war taking toll on China's economy?

THE SOUNDBITE

THE HEART OF THE SHUTDOWN MATTER - "None of this is really about the money. ... This is about who can claim victory and who can rile up their respective political base better." – Chris Stirewalt, FOX News digital politics editor, on "The Daily Briefing with Dana Perino," on what the partial government shutdown is really about. WATCH

TODAY'S MUST-READS

GOP letter reveals FBI divisions over Clinton case decision, conflicting claims on Rosenstein controversy.

Ocasio-Cortez announces she will defy Pelosi on first-day rules package vote.

Remembering Daryl Dragon, 'Captain' of pop band The Captain and Tennille.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Stocks end volatile first day of 2019 with small gains.

Oil prices fall on demand fears, market volatility.

Construction worker shortage tops sector concerns in 2019.

Cathay Pacific mistakenly sells $16,000 flight for $675.

California will force these companies to hire female board directors.

STAY TUNED

On FOX News:

FOX & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel on her uncle, Mitt Romney, and his op-ed against President Trump; Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Trump; plus "Breakfast with Friends" in Shelbyville, Ind.

The Story with Martha MacCallum, 7 p.m. ET: Maureen Faulkner, widow of police officer Daniel Faulkner, sounds off on a judge's ruling allowing her husband's convicted killer, Mumia Abu Jamal, to make another appeal.

On FOX Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Lanhee Chen, former policy director for Mitt Romney; U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich.; Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas governor; Michael Lee, Altium Wealth portfolio manager and market strategist; Lou Basenese, Disruptive Tech Research founder and chief analyst; Mark Luschini, Janney Montgomery Scott chief investment strategist.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, R-N.Y.; Sean Spicer, former White House press secretary under President Trump; U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich.; Anthony Wood, founder, chairman, and CEO of Roku, Inc.

Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Noon ET: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.

Making Money with Charles Payne, 2 p.m. ET: Herman Cain, chairman of America Fighting Back.

Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman, 3 p.m. ET: U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa.; U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark.

The Evening Edit, 6 p.m. ET: U.S. Sen.-elect Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

On FOX News Radio:

The FOX News Rundown podcast: Last week, U.S. citizen and former Marine, Paul Whelan, was arrested in Russia for alleged espionage. FOX News' Benjamin Hall has the latest update, David Whelan, Paul’s twin brother, discusses the ordeal. The 116th Congress will be sworn in Thursday as Democrats take control of the majority in the House of Representatives. U.S. Rep.-elect Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, part of this year’s freshman class of lawmakers, discusses his expectations and the government shutdown. Plus, commentary by Howard Kurtz, host of "Media Buzz."

Want the FOX News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: The latest in the government shutdown, the new Congress, the road to the 2020 election, Mitt Romney's op-ed and the volatile markets will be among the topics discussed by the following guests: U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y.; "FOX News Sunday" host Chris Wallace; Steve Doocy, "FOX & Friends" co-host; Charles Hurt, Washington Times opinion editor; retired U.S. Navy Adm. James G. Stavridis.

The Tom Shillue Show, 3 p.m. ET: Comedian Kris Fried and Fox Business' Jennifer Eckhart join Tom Shillue to discuss the most important stories of the day!

#TheFlashback

1977: Apple Computer is incorporated in Cupertino, Calif., by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Mike Makkula Jr.

1961: President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces the United States is formally terminating diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba.

1938: The March of Dimes campaign to fight polio is established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who himself was afflicted with the crippling disease.

FOX News First is compiled by FOX News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Have a good day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning.

