UPDATE: Since this piece was published, the Yahoo News story it referenced has been changed to remove some of the details cited below. An earlier version of the Yahoo News story can be found here containing the original claims. Back in June, CBS reported that White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders and her deputy Raj Shah were already planning to leave the administration by the end of the year. Sanders never denied the report. But with January just around the corner, no official announcements of their departures have been made, even as other top officials are shown the door or scramble for the exits of their own accord. So why are they hanging on? According to Yahoo News, Sanders and Shah are struggling to find work elsewhere. A stunning development, given the low unemployment rate. Sanders reportedly declined to respond to specific questions about her plans but said she is currently "traveling." Yahoo News pointed out that Sarah has all but stopped delivering press briefings. What were once called "daily" briefings have now essentially become "monthly" briefings — with emphasis on the "brief." The outlet also observed that Shah has removed the title "deputy white house press secretary" from his Twitter bio. Meanwhile, it seems the press shop itself has been nearly abandoned. This is not much of surprise — Trump has long considered himself to be his best spokesperson, and he has proven incapable of sticking to any coherent media strategy. And part of the problem, an anonymous source told Yahoo News, is that no one credible wants to work for the White House press office. “No professional in good standing will even interview for a job," the source said. “It’s a zombie comms shop. Night of the living dead.”<doc-sep>When Sarah Sanders was asked what advice she would give to federal workers who are worried about another shutdown told reporters: "My advice would be to call your Democrat members of Congress and ask them to fix the problem." Sanders was also challenged on whether or not the border is an emergency or half an emergency, since President Trump has yet to declare it. Sanders told reporters they were missing the point. "It's not just an emergency. It's a crisis at the border," she said. The press secretary added that the administration still believes the best fix would be to do it legislatively and that Trump wants to "exhaust" all other options.<doc-sep>Dana Bash: This is so telling about where the Republican party is NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 24: Trump Tower stands on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on August 24, 2018 in New York City. Following new allegations over hush money that former Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid to an adult-film actress, the Manhattan district attorneyÕs office in New York City may seek criminal charges against the Trump Organization in the coming days. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Why GOP is standing in the way of Capitol riot investigation WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 08: US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-VA) remarks on the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the US Capitol November 8, 2006 in Washington, DC. Warner said he supports President George W. Bush's nomination of former CIA Director Robert Gates for Secretary of Defense. Warner said he anticipates Gates' confirmation before the end of the year. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), joined by Senate Assistant Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (L) and Senate Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO), speaks following a Senate Republican Policy luncheon at the Russell Senate Office Building on May 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. (CNN) — For the first time in 41(!) days, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders took questions from reporters. She got asked about whether we are headed for another government shutdown (she hopes not) and why President Trump’s clubs employed undocumented workers (she can’t get into specifics). So, the usual stuff. The only question – and answer – that mattered on Monday was when Sanders was asked whether Trump was considering a pardon for the recently indicted Roger Stone. “I’m not aware of that. I haven’t had any discussions with him on that matter,” she responded. Then, when pressed on whether Trump had ruled out the possibility, Sanders said: “I’m not going to talk about hypotheticals that are just ridiculous. I’m not aware of anybody here ever working with WikiLeaks in any capacity.” Which, if you are keeping track at home, isn’t: “No, the President will not pardon Mr. Stone under any circumstances.” That’s not by accident. Stone is a longtime Trump adviser who was allegedly tasked by someone in the Trump campaign – known only as a “senior Trump campaign official” in the indictment of Stone – to make contact with WikiLeaks during the 2016 campaign and see if he could anticipate the organization’s planned releases of hacked emails. Stone is expected to plead not guilty to the charges in his court appearance Tuesday. Not ruling out a pardon for Stone sends a very clear signal to him: A pardon is on the table. At least for now. The Point: That is the point. And, trust me, Stone got the message loud and clear.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON—Three years after fighting a surprisingly competitive Democratic primary race against Hillary Clinton, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, is making another run for the White House. Two sources with direct knowledge of his plans told Yahoo News that Sanders, an independent and self-described “democratic socialist,” plans to announce his presidential bid imminently. While Sanders has been considering a bid for months, one of the sources said he was emboldened by early polls of the race that have consistently showed him as one of the top candidates in a crowded Democratic primary field. In particular, the source said Sanders was heartened to see numbers indicating he is one of the leading candidates among African American and Latino voters, two groups he was perceived as struggling with in 2016. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, in the Capitol on Jan. 24, 2019. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images) The source also alluded to a spate of recent polls that show Sanders as the most popular politician in the country. They attributed Sanders’ strength in the polls to the base and name recognition he built with the prior presidential bid. “What the senator has this time that he didn’t have last time is he is the most popular elected official in the country right now,” the source said. “That’s light years away from 2016, when very few people knew who he was.” A third source said Sanders’ bid will begin with an exploratory committee. Sanders’ campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story. In addition to these two sources, a former Sanders staffer who had not been briefed on the imminent announcement plans nevertheless said many recent signs suggest he is set to pull the trigger on a presidential campaign. Specifically, the former staffer said Sanders has been building out the infrastructure he would need for a White House bid. “He’s already talking to staff and there are people he’s hiring. They’re nailing down contracts with vendors. … All the movement is there for him to run,” the ex-staffer said. Story continues Although Sanders was ultimately defeated by Clinton last time around, his upstart campaign reshaped the Democratic Party. Sanders ran on a progressive platform that included a focus on eliminating income inequality, on campaign finance reform and an ambitious “Medicare for All” health care proposal. Those principles have become centerpieces for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and several Sanders-backed candidates won elections last year. But Sanders’ impact on the Democratic Party went beyond his political vision. The primary battle between Sanders and Clinton was contentious, with Sanders allies contending that Clinton’s campaign was working in conjunction with the Democratic Party establishment to prevent a Sanders victory. These battles cemented divisions in this party that linger on as the 2020 election approaches. After President Trump’s victory over Clinton in 2016, Sanders and his allies pressed for reforms to the Democratic National Committee that would make the party’s primary process more open and inclusive of what Sanders termed “the working people and young people of our country.” Amid Sanders’ push for reform, the DNC assembled a “unity commission” to recommend changes that included members chosen by both Sanders and Clinton. Ultimately, the DNC made rules changes that included one of the main items on Sanders’ agenda, curbing the role of unelected superdelegates in choosing the party’s presidential nominee. At the same time, the DNC also adopted a rules change that would make it more difficult for independents like Sanders to seek the party’s presidential nomination. In spite of this, Sanders’ allies consider that this new rule does not hurt his chances, because the Vermont Democratic Party passed a resolution last year recognizing him as a full member. A source who discussed Sanders’ 2020 plans with Yahoo News confirmed that he will be running as a Democrat. Although he will be entering an extremely crowded Democratic field, Sanders is starting from a formidable position. Early polls of the race have consistently showed him to be one of the top candidates, probably due to the base of support he established in 2016. Sanders allies also believe his prior run could give him a head start organizing in key early primary states. Last October, Pete D’Alessandro, Sanders’s Iowa state coordinator for the 2016 race, told Yahoo News he was confident the senator would be able to build on the grassroots support and infrastructure he established in 2016 if he made another run. “This was a movement. It still is a movement,” D’Alessandro said.<doc-sep>
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders plans to hold her first press briefing in 41 days on Monday, returning to the podium after President Trump said he had instructed her “not to bother” giving briefings for a while, citing inaccurate coverage. Sanders’ last briefing from the James S. Brady press room was on Dec. 18, just days before the government ran out of funding for key agencies and went into the longest partial shutdown in U.S. history. The 41-day stretch without a press briefing is the longest in the Trump administration, topping the previous record of 29 days. But she returns to the briefing room now that the shutdown crisis has eased -- at least temporarily -- after Trump agreed to sign a three-week spending package. TRUMP SAYS HE TOLD SARAH SANDERS 'NOT TO BOTHER' WITH PRESS BRIEFINGS, BLAMING INACCURATE COVERAGE The shutdown, which lasted more than a month, was triggered over the issue of border security. Trump requested $5.7 billion in funding for border security and construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats vowed to block any spending package that included wall funding. It remains unclear whether the two sides can come together on a long-term package before the next Feb. 15 funding deadline. If not, a new shutdown could be triggered. Last week, the president defended Sanders’ time away from the podium. “The reason Sarah Sanders does not go to the ‘podium’ much anymore is that the press covers her so rudely & inaccurately, in particular, certain members of the press. I told her not to bother, the word gets out anyway! Most will never cover us fairly & hence, the term, Fake News!” Trump tweeted last week. FEDERAL EMPLOYEES RETURN TO WORK AFTER LONGEST-EVER SHUTDOWN-BUT FOR HOW LONG? Olivier Knox, the president of the White House Correspondents Association, said last week in a statement that the “retreat from transparency and accountability sets a terrible precedent.” “Being able to question the press secretary or other senior government officials publicly helps the news media tell Americans what their most powerful representatives are doing in their name,” Knox said. “While other avenues exist to obtain information, the robust, public back-and-forth we’ve come to expect in the James A. Brady briefing room helps highlight that no one in a healthy republic is above being questioned.” Monday's briefing could be tense, with Trump battling tough coverage throughout the government shutdown. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP This would also be the first briefing with Sanders since former Trump adviser Roger Stone was indicted last week as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe.