First, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi disinvited Donald Trump for the State of the Union. Then Trump barred her from using military aircraft to visit troops in Afghanistan, where he has yet to go. Now, Democrats allege he leaked her plans to fly on a commercial aircraft. The accusation that the president almost put Pelosi’s life in danger, as well as that of U.S. civilians and soldiers, added to the poisonous atmosphere surrounding the 28-day shutdown over Trump's border wall. —David E. Rovella

Here are today's top stories

Stocks rallied to their highest level in six weeks as signs the U.S. and China are closing in on a trade truce and stronger factory numbers boosted investor confidence.

China made a new offer to try and reduce its trade imbalance with the U.S. as both sides maneuver toward what might be an end game.

Some of the 800,000 federal workers going without pay might worry the rest of the country doesn't care about them. This three-day weekend, however, when many with means try to get away, that could change. When they see those TSA security lines, the shutdown will suddenly hit home. 

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is demanding that Wells Fargo be kicked off college campuses following a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report that it charged students the highest fees of 573 banks examined.

Jonathan Bernstein writes in Bloomberg Opinion that a news report that Trump allegedly directed his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress may mean the time for impeachment is near.

New Yorkers with homes on the market are starting to get the message: If you want to attract buyers, drop your price.

What's Luke Kawa thinking about? The Bloomberg cross-assets reporter is thinking investors debating the merits of credit versus equities in 2019 have to grapple with a big question: Do companies feel the need to improve balance sheets to assuage bondholders, or do they want to keep juicing stock returns? 

What you'll need to know tomorrow

• Europe's most important river is running dry.
• There's an ominous lack of consensus in markets.
• This $6 billion ETF trader just made some bullish bets.
• Snap elections are on Italy's mind, but not the calendar.
• Tesla fired 3,000 employees after its year of "production hell."
• Welcome to Jamaica, the world's best performing stock market.
• Three casino moguls bought a winery, ending their friendship.

What you'll want to read tonight

Luxury Watches Seek Fantasy in a Dark Reality

New watches at the Salon International de Haute Horlogerie were inspired by fantastical themes, from dreams to the moon and even candy. But given a troubling economic outlook, the global luxury sector is very much focused on making sure their success is a reality rather than a fantasy. 

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