News· Forecasts for the January Consumer Price Index suggest inflation remained stubbornly high, with prices expected to rise 0.3% month-over-month and 2.9% annually, Morningstar reports. With a strong labor market and new tariffs adding uncertainty, markets see little chance of a Federal Reserve rate cut in March.
News· The Senate is set to vote late Tuesday or early Wednesday on Tulsi Gabbard's confirmation as director of national intelligence after her nomination advanced in a 52-46 procedural vote, CBS News reports. Despite past controversies and limited intelligence experience, Gabbard secured key GOP support and vowed to refocus intelligence efforts on national security.
News· OpenAI CEO Sam Altman dismissed Elon Musk's $97.4 billion takeover bid, suggesting Musk is driven by insecurity rather than genuine competition, Bloomberg reports. Speaking at the Paris AI summit, Altman said he doesn't believe Musk is 'a happy person' and accused him of using lawsuits and other tactics to slow OpenAI down.
News· Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cut $881 million in Education Department contracts, including $101 million in diversity, equity, and inclusion grants, Newsweek reports. The cuts come as President Trump is expected to issue an executive order shutting down the department.
News· Sean Baker's 'Anora' won top honors at both the Producers Guild and Directors Guild Awards, solidifying its status as the favorite for Best Picture at the Oscars, The New York Times reports. The film's PGA victory is particularly significant, as the guild's winner has gone on to claim the top Oscar nearly every year since 2009.
News· The Trump administration is urgently challenging a court order that bars top officials from accessing the Treasury Department's payment system, calling it an unconstitutional overreach, Politico reports. The Justice Department is pressing for the order's immediate reversal, arguing that it hinders Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's ability to run the department.
News· Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) warned that Democrats are prepared to shut down the government in response to the Trump administration's actions, The Hill reports. Citing concerns over agency closures and federal payment access, Kim said his party won't support funding efforts that enable what he called 'lawlessness.'