Here's what you missed this weekend: Shutdown grips parks and courts as talks stall, arrest made for Jazmine Barnes, and Warren tours Iowa

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Here's what you missed this weekend: Shutdown grips parks and courts as talks stall, arrest made for Jazmine Barnes, and Warren tours Iowa

dc trash shutdown

ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty Images

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  • Statements from President Donald Trump and senior administration officials indicated that no end is in sight for the partial government shutdown.

  • Trump said he could "relate" to government workers her are currently furloughed or working without pay.

  • An arrest was made in the case of the shooting of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes, but police say there is a second suspect.

The news that dominated the first full weekend of 2019 had much in common with the national issues that were brewing up until the new year.

The partial shutdown of the federal government entered its second week of overwhelmed departments, unpaid employees, and gridlock between the White House and Congress.

A gunman killed three and injured four in a shooting at a Torrance, California bowling alley in 2019's most damaging incident of gun violence yet.

A week after second-grader Jazmine Barnes, who was killed in a drive-by shooting, a 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with capital murder. Barnes' death sparked national headlines, garnering attention from celebrities and mobilizing a community who called themselves her "army."

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The government shutdown reached its 16th day on Sunday, marking more than two weeks of around 800,000 federal employees going without pay and further strain on the affected departments.

The government shutdown reached its 16th day on Sunday, marking more than two weeks of around 800,000 federal employees going without pay and further strain on the affected departments.
  • The partial government shutdown affects several federal departments, making a mess of a slew of services including national park toilets and immigration courts.
  • Some services were restricted during the shutdown, including national campgrounds that are either closed or overwhelmed with trash, and the National Zoo, in addition to the 17 museums run by the Smithsonian Institution.
  • National Park Service said it would begin using admission fees to help fund maintenance of parks during the shutdown, a move that some lawmakers say is illegal.
  • Couples looking for a license or to get married in Washington, DC are also currently out of luck.
  • As for the hundreds of thousands of federal employees who aren't getting paid, Trump, whose pay is unaffected, says he "can relate."

Even as employees and departments suffer, the Trump administration is giving off a frazzled public image amid gridlock with lawmakers.

Even as employees and departments suffer, the Trump administration is giving off a frazzled public image amid gridlock with lawmakers.
  • Vice President Mike Pence and other top Trump administration staff met with Democratic Congressional leaders in an attempt to find a middle ground on a spending bill.
  • Pence's office called the discussions "productive," less than an hour before Trump tweeted "Not much headway made today."
  • Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney echoed Trump's grim statement on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday morning, saying "We're back at square one."
  • This is the third-longest shutdown on record, and with no end in sight, could get close to the 21-day all-time record.
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Senator Elizabeth Warren kicked off her 2020 presidential campaign with a trip to Iowa.

Senator Elizabeth Warren kicked off her 2020 presidential campaign with a trip to Iowa.
  • Warren stopped in four Iowa cities, where she faced tough questions from residents.
  • One of the first questions she had to answer pertained to a DNA test she took in response to questions surrounding her claimed Native American heritage.

A 20-year-old man was charged with the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes.

A 20-year-old man was charged with the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes.
  • Eric Black Jr. was charged with capital murder in the death of second-grader Jazmine Barnes, who was killed in a drive-by shooting on the morning of December 30, 2018.
  • Hundreds of mourners had gathered in Houston on January 5 near the site where Barnes was killed to declare themselves an "army" in finding her killer.
  • Reports of Barnes' death received national attention, with activist Shaun King offering a $60,000 reward for information.
  • Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal also reportedly teamed up with a local Houston police officer to cover the expenses for Barnes' funeral, which is set for Thursday.
  • There is still an ongoing investigation as Harris County Sheriff's Office said the shooter was not targeting the family, but likely mistook them for his original target.
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A gunman killed three and injured four at a bowling alley in Torrance, California.

A gunman killed three and injured four at a bowling alley in Torrance, California.
  • Several shots rang out at Gable House Bowl Saturday night after a fight escalated in the busy neighborhood institution.
  • In a tweet, California Sen. Kamala Harris called for "more to address gun violence," adding that "Americans should be able to go to a bowling alley and be safe."
  • Experts have proposed a series of strategies to slow gun violence.
  • The shooting was the most damaging gun violence incident yet in 2019.

Nearly 50,000 people across France in the yellow vest movement's first action of 2019 to keep up pressure on President Emmanuel Macron.

Nearly 50,000 people across France in the yellow vest movement's first action of 2019 to keep up pressure on President Emmanuel Macron.
  • A peaceful protest in Paris descended into chaos Saturday as French security forces fired tear gas and flash-balls.
  • The first yellow vest protest of 2019, it served as a litmus test for the movement's staying power after Macron promised last month to address concerns of working-class French citizens, including canceling the fuel tax hikes at the origin of the protests.
  • January 2019 is the third month that has seen weekly protests that sometimes descend into vandalism, looting, and chaos.
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Finally, in the weekend's lighter news:

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