Axios

Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro announced his bid for the presidency on Saturday, the New York Times reports.

"When my grandmother got here almost a hundred years ago, I’m sure she never could have imagined that just two generations later, one of her grandsons would be serving as a member of the United States Congress and the other would be standing with you here today to say these words: I am a candidate for president of the United States of America."

As 2020 inches closer — with Sen. Elizabeth Warren spending a weekend in Iowa, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard throwing her hat in the ring and former Vice President Joe Biden telling friends he's "definitely running" — Sen. Kamala Harris is getting closer to making a decision.

The big picture: The New York Times reports that Harris is believed to be "well positioned to create electoral coalitions among Democrats desperate" to beat Trump in 2020. But some worry that in a crowded field of Democratic candidates, Harris may not be liberal enough for voters, and could be in a tough spot if other progressive challengers "try to to move the debate to the left in ways that could force difficult choices for her," the Times explains.

In a tweet Saturday morning, President Trump incorrectly cited criminal statistics from the state of Texas and federal data on immigration.

"23% of Federal inmates are illegal immigrants. Border arrests are up 240%. In the Great State of Texas, between 2011 & 2018, there were a total of 292,000 crimes by illegal aliens, 539 murders, 32,000 assaults, 3,426 sexual assaults and 3000 weapons charges. Democrats come back!"

Reality check: When Trump says "there were a total of 292,000 crimes by illegal aliens," he's actually citing the number of charges filed against undocumented immigrants. The number of actual convictions is much lower, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Trump is correct, however, in his claim that border arrests are up 240%. The timeframe for that statistic is December 2017 to December 2018, CNN reported this week.

Joe Biden has told some top Democrats he’s definitely running for president, and even threw out Jan. 15 as a target announcement date.

"If I’m walking, I’m running," he has told friends winkingly.

What they're saying: His youngest brother, Frank Biden, thinks the former vice president is in. Ditto for some advisers. Several Democrats, including Michael Bloomberg and Terry McAuliffe, are watching him as their most formidable potential competitor.

President Trump unleashed a Twitter tirade Saturday morning in a response to a bombshell New York Times' story Friday night, which reported that the FBI opened an investigation into whether Trump was secretly working for Russia after he fired James Comey in May 2017.

Wow, just learned in the Failing New York Times that the corrupt former leaders of the FBI, almost all fired or forced to leave the agency for some very bad reasons, opened up an investigation on me, for no reason & with no proof, after I fired Lyin’ James Comey, a total sleaze! Funny thing about James Comey. Everybody wanted him fired, Republican and Democrat alike. After the rigged & botched Crooked Hillary investigation, where she was interviewed on July 4th Weekend, not recorded or sworn in, and where she said she didn’t know anything (a lie), the FBI was in complete turmoil (see N.Y. Post) because of Comey’s poor leadership and the way he handled the Clinton mess (not to mention his usurpation of powers from the Justice Department). My firing of James Comey was a great day for America. He was a Crooked Cop

Reality check: Trump's assertion that the FBI opened an investigation of him "for no reason & with no proof" is false. According to the Times, the FBI had its suspicions during the campaign about Trump's relationship with Russia, but only formally opened an investigation after two key moments in which Trump explicitly tied the Comey firing to his desire to end the Russia investigation.

Go deeper: FBI probed whether Trump was secretly working for Russia in 2017

After President Trump fired former FBI director James Comey in May 2017, the FBI opened an investigation into whether Trump was secretly "working on behalf of Russia against American interests," the New York Times reports.

Details: Intelligence officials had their concerns about Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign, but held off on opening an investigation because of the sensitive and potentially explosive implications that it came with. It was only after Trump twice tied the firing of Comey to his desire to put an end to the Russia investigation that officials decided to launch an inquiry into "whether the president’s own actions constituted a possible threat to national security," per the Times.

Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is running for president, she told CNN's Van Jones in an interview to air Saturday.

The big picture: Gabbard, one of the first female combat veterans in Congress, joins a crowded field of potential candidates. She plans to make a formal announcement "within the next week."

Last month, President Trump announced the immediate and complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria. Then he backtracked, declaring that the U.S. withdrawal is contingent on benchmarks set by national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Pompeo: destroying ISIS and security guarantees for the Kurds in Syria. Now, the current course is unclear.

Why it matters: Although U.S. forces cannot stay in Syria forever, withdrawing them too hastily could create a vacuum for ISIS to fill. While Turkey has pledged to fight ISIS, Erdogan's agenda is eradicating Kurds, whom he calls "terrorists." If Turkey attacks, many Kurds would be killed or displaced.

Republican Sen. Tim Scott criticized the GOP's response to racism in a Washington Post op-ed, specifically calling out Republican officials' silence on Rep. Steve King’s comments in a New York Times article that questioned why terms like "white supremacist" are considered offensive.

What he's saying: "Some in our party wonder why Republicans are constantly accused of racism — it is because of our silence when things like this are said. ... When people with opinions similar to King’s open their mouths, they damage not only the Republican Party and the conservative brand but also our nation as a whole."

Speaking at a roundtable Friday, President Trump reiterated that he has "the absolute right" to declare a national emergency in order to secure border wall funding, but said he does not want to do so "right now" and urged Democrats to vote again.

Details: Trump admitted that if he does invoke emergency powers, the decision will likely be appealed to the 9th circuit and subsequently the Supreme Court, where "hopefully we'll win." He also said he would sign a bill passed by the House and the Senate that ensures backpay for federal workers affected by the government shutdown. The shutdown is set to break the record tonight for longest in U.S. history, with both the House and the Senate adjourned for the weekend.

The government shutdown is taking a political toll on freshman House Democrats, who entered office in the early days of a near-record breaking lapse in federal funds, Politico reports.

Why it matters: Many of the new Democrats won in districts carried by President Trump in 2016, but perceptions of border security and the 3-week political stalemate are angering their new constituents. Freshman Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) said at a caucus meeting this week that Democrats "were losing the messaging war in her district."

Michael Bloomberg has indicated he would self-fund a 2020 presidential campaign if he were to declare a bid, claiming his wealth would keep him from needing to curry favor with special interests

What they're saying: "I ran three times. I used only my own money so I didn’t have to ask anybody what they wanted in return for a contribution," Bloomberg said in Texas, the AP notes.

Both the House and Senate have adjourned for the weekend, all but ensuring that the government shutdown be the longest in U.S. history.

The big picture: 800,000 federal workers didn't receive their paychecks Friday, on Day 21 of the shutdown. At least three federal employee organizations are suing the Trump administration for unlawfully depriving workers of earned wages without due process. President Trump has suggested that if he is unable to strike a deal with Congress to reopen the government, he is likely to declare a national emergency in order to build his border wall.

Go deeper: Shutdown, Day 21 — "Payday without pay"

The House voted to approve backpay for federal workers affected by the government shutdown 411-7, a day after the Senate unanimously passed the same resolution.

The big picture: Seven Republicans voted against the bill. It will now go to President Trump, who told Mitch McConnell Thursday that he would sign the bill to assure government workers will ultimately be compensated.

The State Department is flying every U.S. ambassador from around the world to Washington next week, regardless of whether the government remains shut down, according to two internal emails leaked to Axios.

Why it matters: The State Department has been under financial strain during the shutdown, with employees on unpaid furlough and some resources halted.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved more than 8,000 visa requests involving minors married to or engaged to significantly older spouses in the past decade, according to data obtained by the AP.

Why it matters: There is no minimum age requirement to qualify for the fiancé or spouse visa. Marriages between minors and adults are not uncommon in the U.S. or elsewhere, but the data raises the question of whether immigration laws could exacerbate the issue of forced marriage.

Trump signaled changes to the H1-B visa program in a tweet Friday morning, telling highly-skilled foreign workers that he will bring "certainty to your stay, including a potential path to citizenship."

Between the lines: H1-B holders are already qualified to apply for green cards. Homeland Security is expected to roll out a series of changes to the H-1B program, including ending work permits for some spouses and giving visa preference to graduate students.

The U.S. military has begun the process for withdrawing its 2,000 troops in Syria, Col. Sean Ryan, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State, told the AP.

Details: A defense official told the AP that no troops have been withdrawn yet, but equipment is being pulled out. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which covers the Syrian war from the ground, says a convoy of armored vehicles left a northeastern town in Syria on Thursday night.

Many Republicans tuned out the Democratic response to President Trump's Oval Office address while Democrats tended to watch both speeches, according to a SurveyMonkey poll.

By the numbers: Trump's speech drew an estimated 43.3 million viewers (compared with 25 million for the college football championship). The initial estimate from Nielsen had omitted CBS viewership. (AP)

Another ominous clue that the shutdown could be prolonged: President Trump tweeted yesterday, "I am respectfully cancelling my very important trip to Davos." He had been scheduled to leave Jan. 21 — 10 days from now.

The big picture: The shutdown sets a new record today, matching the longest stoppage yet: a 21-day closure that ended Jan. 6, 1996, under President Bill Clinton. Tomorrow sets a new record for longest shutdown.

Instagram Live is a way for politicians to answer questions while trying to appear authentic and down-to-earth. They invite you into their kitchens, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. They're drinking beer, like Sen. Elizabeth Warren. They're getting a dental exam, like Beto O'Rourke.

Why it matters: Instagram is the new hotness for politicians trying to communicate with younger voters in an authentic way — but the more they use it, the lamer the content is going to get.