President Donald Trump traveled to Texas as part of his struggle to build support for a border wall. While the trip may delight his base, it's unlikely to sway Democrats. Back in Washington, hopes to reopen the government hit a new low. "I think we’re stuck," said Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina. About 800,000 federal workers will miss their paychecks tomorrow, which will be Day 21 of the shutdown. —Josh Petri

Here are today's top stories

One man has largely abstained from the skirmishes around the funding impasse: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Some on Capitol Hill were shocked when Trump stormed out of a meeting with congressional leaders Wednesday. But those who have done business with him said it's one of his usual negotiating tactics.

Michael Cohen has agreed to testify publicly next month before the House Oversight Committee, potentially providing explosive details about the inner workings of Trump’s business, personal life and political campaign. A media circus is almost guaranteed.

The U.K.'s departure from the European Union is fast approaching. These nine charts show just how deeply Brexit has divided Britain.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank can be patient before adjusting interest rates again, as it waits to see how global risks impact the domestic economy.

While billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos captivate the public with rocket launches, asset managers are offering their own rides into space.

What's Joe Weisenthal thinking about? The Bloomberg news director is contemplating Friday's Consumer Price Index report for December, which is expected to come in at 2.2 percent, the same as November. If it comes in higher, markets may get worried. 

What you'll need to know tomorrow

• Americans trust the military more than Facebook to develop AI.
• The U.S. Air Force accepted flawed Boeing tankers.
• United's aggressive expansion has made it the world's No. 2 airline.
• Air France-KLM will kill its airline for millennials.
• BlackRock will cut 500 jobs, or 3 percent of its global workforce.
• Trump cancels his trip to Davos.
• The cruise ship has finally gone overboard.

What you'll want to read tonight

Hot-Rod Your Vintage Car With an Electric Motor

There are about a dozen boutique garages around the world that specialize in “EV conversions,” the process of turning an automobile with a combustion engine into one powered by electricity. The cars they churn out tend to be far faster and more reliable than the originals. And who wouldn't like taking a 40 horsepower Volkswagen bug and boosting it to 400?

Like Bloomberg's Evening Briefing? Subscribe to Bloomberg.com. You'll get our unmatched global news coverage and two premium daily newsletters, The Bloomberg Open and The Bloomberg Close, and much, much more. See our limited-time introductory offer.

Even before Trump's trade war, China was the world's biggest story. It's reshaping modern industries and has the most billionaires in the world— but its ascent hasn't come without major problems. Sign up to get our new China Rising email, a weekly dispatch starting this month on where China stands now and is headed next.

Download the Bloomberg app:  It's available  for iOS  and Android.