U.S. President Donald Trump and Democrats continued trading blame as the partial government shutdown dragged into its second weekend, but did little to make any headway in the standoff that has disrupted federal services and public employees' pay. As he called for Democrats to negotiate on the wall, Trump brushed off blame that his administration bore any responsibility for the recent deaths of two migrant children in U.S. Border Patrol custody. "We are far apart," White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told CBS on Friday. Democrats said the White House offered to accept $2.5 billion for border security, but that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Pence that it wasn't acceptable. "For the White House to try and blame anyone but the president for this shutdown doesn't pass the laugh test," said Justin Goodman, a spokesman for Schumer.

Source: CBC News December 29, 2018 19:07 UTC