It’s Thursday, Jan. 3, 2019. Here’s what you need to start your day:
1. House Democrats to vote on ending shutdown
It’s a New Year and a new Congress as Democrats are set to take control of the House today.
Democrats are expected to elect Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., as the next speaker and vote on a plan to end the government shutdown that won’t include funding for the border wall.
“We’re asking the president to open up government,” Pelosi said after a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday. “We are giving him a Republican path to do that. Why would he not do it?”
The White House has called the proposal a “non-starter.”
ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce and ABC News Senior National Correspondent Terry Moran join us from Washington to discuss the new balance of power in Washington.
2. Tear gas fired on migrants at southern border
The Department of Homeland Security said border agents found themselves under siege on Monday night as the president continues to say the situation at the border is an emergency.
Officials say they fired tear gas across the border from San Diego into Tijuana at what they called a “violent mob of migrants,” who were trying to cross the border. The group then threw rocks when they were stopped.
ABC News Chief National Correspondent Matt Gutman tells us why a unique set of circumstances has led to a surge in people trying to cross.
In other news:
Mystery continues: Idaho nurse under investigation in case of missing Colorado mother: Sources: A woman being investigated for her role in the case of missing Colorado mother Kelsey Berreth has been identified as a 32-year-old nurse from Twin Falls, Idaho, two of the woman’s family members and a law enforcement source told ABC News. ABC News is withholding reporting the woman’s name because she has not been publicly identified by law enforcement investigators.
Deadly prank: 14-year-old charged with murder in fatal crash after egg prank, police say: A Houston teenager was charged with murder on Wednesday after he crashed into a woman’s truck at an intersection while allegedly being chased by another driver a day prior, police said. The 14-year-old driver said he was fleeing from a motorist who flashed a semi-automatic weapon at him on Tuesday afternoon when he ran a red light and slammed into 45-year-old Silvia Zavala’s Ford F-150 truck, according to police.
And if the cloud bursts…: Chinese probe makes first-ever landing on dark side of the moon: China’s ambitious space program made history on Thursday when its Chang’e-4 lunar probe made the first-ever landing on the far side of the moon — the side perpetually facing away from Earth — and sent back the first images of the previously unexplored region. The pioneering achievement is another demonstration of China’s ambitions to be a space power. The country aims to land a crewed flight on the moon in the coming decade.
This is America: Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino to headline Coachella 2019: Music fans, rejoice — the lineup for the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has been released, and there’s a little something for everyone’s taste. Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino and Tame Impala will headline each night of the weekend event. Other performers at this year’s festival include Janelle Monáe, Diplo, Jaden Smith, Solange, Kid Cudi, Khalid, Zedd, Dillon Francis and Pusha T, to name a few.
He Got it Bad: Man arrested in series of celeb home burglaries including Usher, Jason Derulo: It sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie: A man posing as a high-end real estate buyer or broker tours open houses in posh neighborhoods, then returns later, blacking out surveillance cameras and taking millions of dollars worth of items. Detectives announced the arrest of 32-year-old Benjamin Ackerman on Wednesday, although he had been arrested in September and released on $1 million bond, according to jail records.
From our partners at FiveThirtyEight:
How Elizabeth Warren Could Win The 2020 Democratic Primary
Last ‘Nightline’:
‘No company which can’t be hacked’: The remote Romanian town dubbed ‘Hackerville’: Ramnicu Valcea, Romania, has earned a reputation for being a hacker breeding ground, both those who break into systems and steal information, as well as those trying to stop them.
Remembering Tyler Trent, the inspiring Purdue fan: The former Purdue University student and Boilermakers fan passed away Wednesday from bone cancer at the age of 20.
On this day in history:
Jan. 3, 1990 — Manuel Noriega surrenders to U.S. forces.
Today’s must-see photo:
Pope Francis twirls a soccer ball he was presented by a member of the Circus of Cuba, during his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican. (Photo credit: Andrew Medichini/AP)
For more great photos from around the world click HERE.
What’s hot on social:
Starlings put on a dazzling display for birdwatchers — and some farm animals — in southern Israel, where they spend part of the winter.
All right, you’re off and running. You can always get the latest news on ABCNews.com and on the ABC News app. Details on how to subscribe to the “Start Here” podcast are below. See you tomorrow!
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