These are the headlines you Need 2 Know. * **Pelosi Elected:** Rep. Nancy Pelosi was elected speaker of the House, as expected, as the new Congress was sworn in. Democrats quickly passed measures to reopen the government without funding the border wall, which the Senate is unlikely to even take up. That means the shutdown will continue without an end in sight. Read more [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-democrats-prepare-vote-to-reopen-government-as-cracks-appear-in-gop-opposition/2019/01/03/24151490-0f96-11e9-8938-5898adc28fa2_story.html?utm_term=.28dce1c0b340). * **Troops to Border:** Troops are being sent to the Southern border in order to construct or upgrade fencing that’s already in place, as negotiations over the border wall remain at an impasse. The construction and deployment would be paid for by the Pentagon out of its current budget. The troops will also provide medical care to migrant families regularly arriving from Central America. Read more [here](https://www.npr.org/2019/01/03/681971323/troops-to-be-deployed-to-border-to-build-160-miles-of-fencing). * **Spy Games:** An American citizen detained in Russia has been formally charged with espionage. Paul Whelan was detained a week ago and has been held without bail in an infamous Russian prison on charges of spying, though his family maintains that he was in Moscow to attend a wedding. Read more [here](https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/us/russia-paul-whelan-espionage-charge/index.html). * **Travel Advisory:** The State Department is warning Americans traveling to China that they may not be allowed to return home. According to the advisory, U.S. citizens are at an increased risk of being subject to “exit bans” and arbitrarily enforced local laws as a form of harassment. Dual citizens and those of Chinese heritage are at particular risk. Read more [here](https://www.businessinsider.com/us-china-travel-advisory-2019-1). * **TSA Dogs:** The head of the TSA wants to expand its canine program and officials have determined that floppy-eared dogs like Labrador retrievers are a better fit than pointy-eared dogs like German shepherds. Floppy-eared dogs apparently have a more calming effect on passengers. Read more [here](https://abcnews.go.com/beta-story-container/Politics/tsa-thinks-floppy-eared-working-dogs-airport-welcoming/story?id=60141736). * **Apple Woes:** The Dow plunged 660 points after Apple’s surprise announcement that its sales had slowed. Apple shares tumbled 10 percent. The iPhone maker has lost $430 billion in market cap since its peak, more than the entire value of Facebook. Read more [here](https://www.cheddar.com/videos/apple-shock-sends-markets-tumbling). * **Historic Run Over:** UConn’s historic win streak is over. Baylor women beat the No. 1 Huskies, 68-57, handing them their first regular-season loss in 126 games, or more than four years. Read more [here](https://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-womens-basketball/hc-sp-uconn-vs-baylor-201931-20190104-4isoc2yiprehvgw4nzxlha6mum-story.html). * **Kevin & Ellen:** In an interview to air today on Ellen, Kevin Hart says he is "evaluating" his decision to walk away from the Oscar hosting gig. DeGeneres says she personally lobbied Academy members to invite Hart back, and they are considering. The ceremony will be broadcast on Feb. 24, and is still without a host. Read more [here](https://variety.com/2019/film/news/kevin-hart-oscars-ellen-1203099143/). * **Spotted:** Former President Barack Obama on the Billboard charts, thanks to a collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda in a Hamilton remix. Obama made it to number 22 on the “Hot R&B Songs” for the song One Last Time (44 Remix). Read more [here](https://ew.com/music/2019/01/03/obama-billboard-chart-lin-manuel-miranda-hamilton-remix/?utm_source=twitter.com). * **Leftovers:** The Louvre had more than 10 million visitors last year — more than any museum ever has — and Jay-Z and Beyonce’s music video for “Apesh*t” set at the famous museum is credited with boosting the number of visitors. Read more [here](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-tourism-louvre/beyonce-and-jay-z-help-paris-louvre-to-record-number-of-visitors-idUSKCN1OX1B3). Cheddar's Hena Doba gets into the latest. Subscribe to the Need 2 Know newsletter [here](https://theneed2know.com).
