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All the news stories mentioned in today's episode are listed with links below, so you can spend as much -- or as little -- time as you want perusing the latest happenings...

Shutdown Latest:  The Senate will vote on two competing bills tomorrow. One would give President Trump the $5.7 billion he wants for a border wall in exchange for some protections for Dreamers (undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children). The other would reopen the government until early next month while talks about border security continue. Both are likely to fail as each party supports a different bill. As the shutdown continues, federal workers are turning to side-hustles as delivery drivers, waiters, babysitters and substitute teachers try to make up for lost pay. TSA is also now asking agents to volunteer to move to the airports struggling with callouts.
Read more: NYT, USA Today, AP, CNN, NBC News

State of the Union Address:  President Trump is moving forward with his State of the Union address next Tuesday, despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plea to postpone it. He's reportedly preparing two versions of his speech, though. One could be delivered in Washington, and another could work somewhere else in the country. Pelosi is supposed to formally invite the President to speak in the House chambers, but so far, she hasn't.
Read more: AP, Washington Post

Supreme Court Rulings:  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Trump’s policy to ban most transgender people from serving in the military can go into effect. The 5-4 decision would allow the ban to be put in place while the policy is being challenged. The ruling says transgender troops already serving must serve as the gender they were born as. Also, The Supreme Court announced it will hear a case challenging a New York gun law – the first time the nation’s highest court has accepted a case involving gun rights in nearly a decade.
Read more (Transgender Ban):  CNN, TIME, FOX News
Read more (Gun Case): NYT, WSJ

Stocks Down:  Stocks are down in the U.S. and around the world, likely as a result of this week’s news that the global economy is weakening. The Dow was down more than 300 points yesterday. Trade tensions between the U.S. and China continue, and the IMF reported the global economy will grow slower in 2019 than originally thought.
Read more: WSJ, CBS News

L.A. Teachers Deal:  More than half a million students and their teachers in Los Angeles are scheduled to go back to school today. The public school teachers and the school board made a deal, ending a week-long strike in the second-largest school district in the country. Teachers will get a six percent pay raise and new caps on class sizes. The district will also hire additional school nurses and counselors and limit the number of charter schools allowed.
Read more: LA Times
 
BMW Ride Hailing:  BMW is reportedly launching a new ride-hailing and car-sharing service called "Jurbey." German companies BMW and Daimler hope to compete with Uber in the U.S and a similar service in China. Jurbey is expected to offer taxi, parking, riding and charging services and will be likely be unveiled next month.
Read more: Reuters, TheDrive
 
Marijuana Ad:  CBS rejected an ad for medical marijuana that would have aired during the Super Bowl, citing its broadcast standards. The commercial apparently shows people suffering from health issues, who then explain their lives were made better with medical marijuana. An average 30-second spot during the Super Bowl can cost $5.2 million. This year’s game is on Sunday, February 3.
Read more: USA Today
 
Viacom Buys Pluto TV:  Viacom is getting into video-streaming, and instead of starting a new service, it's buying Pluto TV for $340 million. Viacom owns MTV, BET, Comedy Central, and more. Pluto is free and ad-supported.
Read more: CNBC
 
Oscar Nominations:  The 2019 Oscar nominations have been announced, and for the first time, a Netflix film is up for Best Picture. It’s the first time a streaming service original is up for that top award. Netflix is also the first internet company to join the Motion Picture Association of America, reflecting the company’s move to become a major player in the film industry. The Netflix original Roma is tied with The Favourite for the most Oscar nominations overall, with ten each. The 91st Academy Awards will air Sunday February 24.
Read more: NYT, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety