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Developing now, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019

PUSHBACK AGAINST 'INFANTICIDE' ALLEGATIONS - Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam is pushing back against Republican accusations that he supports infanticide following backlash over his comments on a controversial new state abortion bill ... "Republicans in Virginia and across the country are trying to play politics with women's health, and that is exactly why these decisions belong between a woman and her physician -- not legislators, most of whom are men," Northam spokeswoman Ofirah Yheskel said in a statement.

Northam appeared on a Washington radio station to discuss the Repeal Act, which seeks to repeal restrictions on third-trimester abortions. Virginia Democratic Del. Kathy Tran, one of the sponsors, sparked outrage from conservatives when she confirmed at a hearing that a woman about to give birth could still request an abortion under the new bill. When asked about Tran's comments, Northam, a former pediatric neurologist, said that third-trimester abortions are done in extreme cases where a fetus may be severely deformed or "not viable' with the consent of the mother and often multiple physicians.

“So in this particular example if a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen," he said. "The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”

The intent of Northam's comments was not clear. But some conservative commentators and lawmakers believed he was discussing the possibility of letting a newborn die and was possibly endorsing "infanticide."

The proposed legislation in Virginia follows New York passing a bill last week loosening restrictions on abortion. New Mexico, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington state also have passed new laws expanding abortion access or moved to strip old laws from the books that limit abortions.

• Trump slams Virginia Democrats over 'terrible' abortion stance
• Ind. Attorney General Curtis Hill: New York's extreme pro-abortion law is backward and barbaric

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TRUMP INTERVENTION 101: President Trump on Wednesday called chief intelligence officials "naive" and suggested they "go back to school" after they told Congress that North Korea is unlikely to dismantle its nuclear arsenal and that the Iran nuclear deal is working. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called on the director of national intelligence and the FBI chief to intervene and tutor the president ...  Schumer, D-N.Y., called on Dan Coats, director of national intelligence, to stage an intervention with Trump after the president took the unusual move Wednesday of criticizing Coats, CIA Director Gina Haspel and FBI Director Christopher Wray after their Tuesday appearance before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"President Trump's criticism of the testimony you and other intelligence leaders provided to Congress yesterday was extraordinarily inappropriate," Schumer wrote to Coats, adding later that "I believe it is incumbent on you, Director Wray and Director Haspel ... to impress upon him how critically important it is for him to join you and the leadership of our Intelligence Community in speaking with a unified and accurate voice about national security threats."

• Howard Kurtz: Trump at war with his own intel chiefs

BIPARTISAN COMMITTEE REMAINS DIVIDED OVER THE WALL: A bipartisan committee of House and Senate lawmakers met for the first time Wednesday, aiming to work out a deal on border security and avoid another government shutdown in a few weeks. But it was clear that Democrats and Republicans remain very divided over President Trump's long-promised border wall ... Both sides expressed optimism they could reach a deal that would stop the government from shutting down again Feb. 15. However, Democrats dismissed President Trump's call for a physical border wall and argued that smart border security technology would be more effective and cost-efficient. Republicans argued that a barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border is needed in some places and that smart technology alone does not stop anyone from crossing into the U.S. illegally.


• Trump: Negotiators wasting time without funding for wall

POLAR VORTEX TURNS DEADLY: A University of Iowa student has died after being found unresponsive on campus grounds early Wednesday as a polar vortex gripped the Midwest in arctic temperatures that have been linked to at least seven other deaths ... Campus police found Gerald Belz, 18, was found behind an academic building on the Iowa City campus just before 3 a.m., KCRG-TV reported. Police haven’t released a cause of death, but believe the frigid temperatures played a role, FOX28 Cedar Rapids reported. Meanwhile, an 82-year-old Illinois man was found dead outside several hours after he fell trying to get into his home, the Peoria Journal Star reported. His cause of death was recorded as related to cold exposure.

In Indiana, a 22-year-old police officer and his wife were killed in a crash on an icy road, South Bend station WBND-TV reported. Ligonier police Officer Ethan Kiser's SUV spun into the path of another SUV, killing the couple and the driver of the other vehicle, 21-year-old Shawna Kiser, officials told the station. Other deaths included a man struck and killed by a snow plow in the Chicago area and a Milwaukee man found frozen to death in a garage.

ATTACK ON ‘EMPIRE’ ACTOR PROBED: Chicago police released photos of "people of interest" Wednesday night in connection with the attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett ... Smollett, 36, told investigators he was brutally attacked early Tuesday by two unknown men who yelled out "racial and homophobic slurs."

Police said earlier Wednesday that they reviewed hundreds of hours of footage from downtown surveillance cameras, but had yet to find footage of the attack. But hours later the Chicago P.D.'s chief communications officer, Anthony Guglielmi, released on Twitter two photos of those possibly connected to the beating. The photos appear to show two people, dressed in dark clothing, walking along a sidewalk next to a building.

THE SOUNDBITE

TRUMP-INTEL 'DIRTY LAUNDRY' - "He's correct in principal about Iran, they're still a threat ... I just don't like putting this, call it dirty laundry or whatever, this disagreement with intelligence ... It is not helpful to put that out on Twitter." – Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., on "America's Newsroom," calling out intelligence officials and voicing his disagreement with their assessment on Iran over Twitter. WATCH


TODAY'S MUST-READS
Secret underground tunnel discovered in Florida under investigation by FBI.
Ranking Judiciary Committee Republican wants FBI to explain use of force in Roger Stone arrest.
Why Russia, China are fighting U.S. push against Venezuela's Maduro.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
Federal Reserve keeps interest rates steady, will be 'patient' going forward | Dow surges.
Daughters of American imprisoned in Venezuela plea for their father's release.
Lee Carter: Jeff Bezos' scandalous divorce and Amazon: Sometimes business is personal.
Keeping an accidental Venmo could become a crime in New Jersey.
Credit card shopping? Five things to know.

STAY TUNED

On Fox Nation:

Available now: A new episode of "The Wise Guys" - A West Coast panel takes on California’s biggest issues. Bill Bennett, along with local politicians and professors, examine the stifling of free speech on campuses, issues surrounding immigration, and much more during this can’t-miss and compelling roundtable discussion.

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On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Tomi Lahren, Fox Nation host, talks about "Medicare for All"; Judge Andrew Napolitano, Fox News senior judicial analyst, talks about the recent new controversial abortion bills; Erika Katz, parenting author; Michelle Malkin, syndicated columnist; Lawrence Jones, CampusReform.org editor in chief and Fox News contributor, talks to Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris’ constituents in Los Angeles; Ben Mainka and Jim Kitchen, talk about the viral video “Hallelujah”; Dana Loesch, radio host; Marshall Faulk, NFL Hall of Famer, on Super Bowl LIII.

The Daily Briefing, 2 p.m. ET: Derek Maltz, former special agent in charge at the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4 p.m. ET: Special guests include: U.S. Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., on the latest in shutdown negotiations.

The Ingraham Angle, 10 p.m. ET: Tim Ballard, founder and CEO of Operation Underground Railroad.

On Fox Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Special guests include: Bill Richardson, former governor of New Mexico and U.S. ambassador to the U.N.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Gary Kaltbaum, owner and president of Kaltbaum Capital Management.

Making Money with Charles Payne, 2 p.m. ET: Gordon Chang, author of "The Coming Collapse of China."

Countdown to the Closing Bell with Liz Claman, 3 p.m. ET: Derek Scissors, resident scholar at American Enterprise Institute

Lou Dobbs Tonight, 7 p.m. ET: Tammy Bruce, Fox News contributor and president of Independent Women's Voice.

On Fox News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcast: Former FBI investigator William Daly and Las Vegas shooting victim and attorney Brian Claypool on the FBI's final findings in the 2017 Las Vegas massacre weigh in on the FBI’s findings. Fox News' Steve Harrigan is in Caracas with the latest on the political unrest in Venezuela. Plus, commentary by Ed Henry, Fox News chief national correspondent.

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: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Chris Wallace, "Fox News Sunday" host, on shutdown negotiations and Democratic 2020 hopefuls; Adm. James G. Stavridis on the public rift between Trump and his intel chiefs; Doug Schoen, former Clinton adviser on the unrest in Venezuela; Mark Leibovich, New York Times national correspondent, and former NFL great Fred Dryer preview Super Bowl LIII.

The Todd Starnes Show, Noon ET: Todd Starnes speaks with Maxim model and former Trump campaign staffer Elizabeth Pipko about the threats she has received online after revealing her support for the president.

The Tom Shillue Show, 3 p.m. ET: Britt McHenry, Fox Nation host and former ESPN personality, previews the Super Bowl and the controversy over the halftime show.

Benson & Harf, 6 p.m. ET: Special guests include: U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. and chair of the House Republican Conference; Allie Stuckey, author of the "Conservative Millennial" blog.

#TheFlashback
2005: Jury selection begins in Santa Maria, Calif., for Michael Jackson's child molestation trial
1958: The United States enters the Space Age with its first successful launch of a satellite, Explorer 1, from Cape Canaveral.
1950: President Harry S. Truman announces he has ordered development of the hydrogen bomb.

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.