Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren took a fateful step toward a White House run Monday, one where she would seek to become the nation's first woman president. Like potential rival Senator Bernie Sanders, Warren has spent decades attacking policies that concentrate wealth among the few while leaving the rest with stagnant wages and vanishing mobility. Her prescription of financial equality, given the current distribution of wealth in America, arguably borders on the quaint. But she isn't alone: several heavyweight progressives, including Sanders, are likely to join the race for an election that's just 22 months away. —David E. Rovella

Here are today's top stories

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, missing in action since Donald Trump's demand for border wall money triggered the shutdown, reappeared just in time for New Year's—right behind the president. McConnell's spokesman said the Senate will ignore Democratic House bills to reopen the government if Trump doesn't approve of them.

It's official: 2018 was the worst year for markets since the financial crisis. Curiously, one sell-side analyst managed to predict it. He doesn't have a silly nickname, and more importantly, his strategies have implications for 2019.

Wondering what the Fed will do in the new year? So are we. Take a look at our QuickTake on the central bank's fight to control its key interest rate.

Trump said the U.S. is pulling out of Syria, triggering widespread condemnation for giving Islamic State, Russia and Iran a free pass. But a key Republican senator says the president, with some prodding from the Pentagon, may be reconsidering.

For the richest man on earth, 2018 ended quite nicely. Amazon shares gained Monday after a report that the company plans to expand its Whole Foods grocery stores in the U.S.

U.S. electricity use rose almost 2.3 percent in 2018, by far the biggest increase since 2010, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. Why? Could by crypto mining, could be climate change.

Before we ring in 2019 , it’s time to take a look at eight of 2018’s hottest social trends , and what they tell us about the state of America’s economy.

What you'll need to know tomorrow

• Stocks closed higher on the last day of a very unpleasant year.
• It was especially grim for those analysts who got it all wrong.
• Russia arrested an American in what it called an espionage probe.
• Here are the biggest billionaire winners, and losers, of 2018.
• China ends its freeze on video-game licensing.
• The race toward driverless cars is still stuck in first gear.
• Pot short-sellers made $432 million in December.

What you'll want to read tonight

Which Rolex, Omega or Grand Seiko Is for You?

We’re back with another installment of Three On Three, our series of comparative reviews of three watches in a single category. This time around, we’re going head to head to head with entry-level, in-house automatics from three of the biggest brands in luxury watchmaking. 

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