Donald Trump accepts the endorsement of South Carolina Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster during a campaign stop last night in Gilbert, S.C. (AP Photo/Rainier Ehrhardt)

THE BIG IDEA:

Tonight we could theoretically see what the Republican race would have looked like if Donald Trump had not run. The debate on Fox News has the potential to be like the scene in “It’s a Wonderful Life” when Clarence the angel shows George Bailey how different Bedford Falls would be if he never lived.

But that won’t happen.

The Republican frontrunner is holding firm to his boycott, driven by his poisoned relationship with the cable channel and anchor Megyn Kelly. He is bracketing the final showdown of the candidates before Monday’s caucuses with his own event across Des Moines to raise money for veterans.

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Still, his shadow will loom ominously over the hall. It will not be like he never existed. Some of the GOP presidential candidates will be asked to weigh in on what Trump has said about this or that -- or his decision not to debate. Others will highlight their differences without being asked. Aand, whether he wins the nomination or not, Trump has already remade the Republican Party in his image, at least to some degree.

Ahead of the debate, every other candidate has contrasted himself with The Donald. Expect a lot more of this tonight:

Ted Cruz, who challenged Trump to a one-on-one debate, set a time and a place for the challenge. "I propose a venue. Western Iowa Tech. Saturday night in Sioux City. We already have it reserved ... A two hour, one-on-one debate," Cruz said at an anti-abortion rally in West Des Moines last night.

Last night, two wealthy families that have poured millions into super PACs supporting the Texas senator offered to give $1.5 million to veterans' charities if Trump agreed to the one-on-one debate, Matea Gold reports.

The Cruz campaign has even created merchandise:

Rand Paul, back on the main stage, illustrated the difference between him and Trump with a cartoon:

Chris Christie recalled being bumped to the undercard debate last fall. He noted that he was unhappy but still showed up. “What leaders do when things go sideways—and they go sideways all the time in these jobs—is stand up and fight,” he said in Iowa. “You don't walk away. … So, if you don't like the debate moderators, stand up and fight. You don't like the networks, stand up and fight, show up and fight. What's that tell you about what we can expect if things go sideways when you go into the Oval Office?”

Jeb Bush, hoarse and on the verge of losing his voice, whacked Trump during a town hall in Des Moines: "Poor little Donald, being mistreated. If you think he’s going to be mistreated now? ... How do you think the general election’s going to work out? Or dealing with Putin?"

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Marco Rubio criticized Trump's "theatrics" and lumped in Cruz as he tried to portray himself as a more "serious" alternative.

Rubio speaks with Sean Hannity at the Sheraton in West Des Moines. (Reuters/Aaron P. Bernstein)

Ben Carson yesterday accused Trump of spreading "rumors" about his past that contributed to "unprecedented attacks" on his character and his decline in the polls.

Carson at a meet-and-greet in Des Moines. (Reuters/Scott Morgan)

— ZIGNAL VISUAL: Trump received 2.5 times as many mentions as all the GOP candidates COMBINED yesterday.

These word clouds from our analytics partners at Zignal Labs show the degree to which Trump has filtered into social media mentions of every other candidate:

Trump tried to shift the narrative, blaming a snarky Fox press release more than Kelly, even though the release was sent in response to him threatening to pull out.

It was the childishly written & taunting PR statement by Fox that made me not do the debate, more so than lightweight reporter, @megynkelly. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 27, 2016

Moderators Chris Wallace, Megyn Kelly and Bret Baier warm up the crowd before the GOP debate in August. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Trump had an interesting, 15-minute back-and-forth last night with Bill O'Reilly about his refusal to debate on Fox News. O'Reilly said Trump "should be the bigger man" and show up. Trump replied, "It's called an eye for an eye." O'Reilly shot back, "That's Old Testament. ... You're the Christian; the eye for the eye rule goes out. Here's what it is: turning the other cheek." Here's the most compelling minute-long clip:

WAS THE BOYCOTT A GOOD IDEA? There is not consensus.

What's Donald thinking? "Trump believes momentum has been on his side, and his strategy is to effectively run out the clock," Philip Rucker, Robert Costa and Jenna Johnson report. "By backing out of the debate, he avoids facing scrutiny from the Fox moderators — not to mention confrontations from his rivals — over his past positions on social issues, which have been the subject of negative TV advertisements in Iowa. Trump hopes he shows strength by standing up to a network.

Rush Limbaugh backed him up: "Everything he's doing goes against the book," Limbaugh said on his show yesterday. "Everything that any analyst or consultant or professional would tell you not to do, Donald Trump is doing it, and he's leading the pack. This creates its own set of emotions and feelings and thoughts that run from person to person. ... Trump is functioning totally outside this structure that has existed for decades. As such, the people who are only familiar with the structure and believe in it and cherish it and want to protect it, feel threatened in ways that you can't even comprehend."

Attendees at Trump's events think skipping the debate will help, not hurt. "I think he thinks he has the Iowa caucus in the bag. That's why he's skipping it," said Don Leigh, a meat manager at a grocery store who lives in Iowa City and attended Trump's rally at the University of Iowa on Tuesday night. Leigh plans to caucus for Trump on Monday and said, at this point, there's little that could sway him.

The pundit class splits:

Post columnist Mark Thiessen calls it "Trump's first major misstep."

Post media columnist Erik Wemple says it's actually "backfiring big-time on Fox News."

Conservative talk radio host Mark Levin said Trump is just trying to avoid debating Cruz:

My advice, Donald, stop evading, stop the excuses, and debate Cruz https://t.co/mUbrdy8kql — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) January 27, 2016

The head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America says Trump's fundraiser for vets tonight is a gimmick.

If offered, @IAVA will decline donations from Trump's event. We need strong policies from candidates, not to be used for political stunts. — Paul (PJ) Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) January 27, 2016

FOUR SMART TAKES ON TRUMP:

-- "For Trump, it’s always about control," by Jenna Johnson: "Trump is obsessed with being in control. He picks and chooses which journalists get interviews, often calling into news shows so that it’s easier for him to talk through follow-up questions. All but two of his top campaign aides are forbidden from talking to the media, a rule that’s strictly enforced. And he seems to relish throwing liberal protesters out of his private rallies. At every turn, the front-runner tries to be the top boss. He rarely puts himself in situations where he’s not in control — and the debate in Des Moines was shaping up that way. So he backed out. ... Trump once again became the boss."

-- "Trump, remade by reality TV," by Marc Fisher: "Trump’s agent told him (appearing on 'The Apprentice') was a terrible idea — business shows never work on TV, he said. Trump disagreed. Indeed, he fired the agent shortly thereafter. 'If I would have listened to him,' Trump told The Washington Post, 'I wouldn’t have done the show.' Not halfway into that first, hour-long meeting with Mark Burnett, Trump made up his mind. He sensed that 'The Apprentice' had enormous potential to introduce him to a broader audience, and especially to younger people. 'My jet’s going to be in every episode,' he told Jim Dowd, then NBC’s publicity director and now head of a PR firm, Dowd Ink. 'Even if it doesn’t get ratings, it’s still going to be great for my brand.' Burnett walked out of the meeting with a handshake deal. Trump secured not only a starring role on a show made by TV’s hottest producer but also a 50 percent ownership stake in “The Apprentice.” The man who now seeks to be commander in chief had consulted no one, done no research. He liked the idea. He bought it. It was a classic Trump moment, an example of the gut-instinct decision-making that he proudly touts ... He didn’t run for president because of 'The Apprentice,' but according to the show’s executives and producers, without 'The Apprentice' there would be no candidacy."

-- "Republicans prefer a religious candidate. But they're willing to give Trump a pass," by Michelle Boorstein and Sarah Pulliam Bailey: "Call it the Trump God gap: A lot of Americans who are religious and say they want to elect someone who shares their beliefs are this year supporting Trump, whom they don’t see as very religious at all. The gap is spelled out in new data released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center that shows religiously observant GOP voters are just as interested in Trump as less religious ones – and in some cases more so. In the new poll, Americans describe Trump as the least-religious presidential candidate, even more than Clinton and Sanders."

-- Trump's ground game is lagging, Philip Bump explains: Buried in a new Monmouth poll is this question, "Have you personally been contacted by a campaign?" Nearly half of poll respondents said they had. And who had contacted them? Monmouth allowed multiple answers here: A quarter had been contacted by Cruz. Seventeen percent had been contacted by Marco Rubio. And 13 percent — about half the level contacted by Cruz's campaign — had been contacted by Trump. "It may not matter," Bump writes. "Trump may be up enough that if his turnout game isn't strong he'll still walk to victory. The weather forecasts, which predicted cold and snow on Tuesday, have shifted slightly in the eastern part of the state, probably meaning that turnout will be higher. But it's not what I'd want to see as a campaign manager."

Note to readers: Thanks so much for bearing with us as we roll out a new software system intended to make the 202 more visually engaging and reader-friendly. We sincerely appreciate all of the helpful feedback we've received so far. And our team of engineers continues to tinker. We hope today's edition is easy on the eyes -- if not, please let us know at powerpost@washpost.com.

Michael Smith contributed research to this report.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING:

-- Trump leads in all three early primary states – Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina – with Cruz placing 2nd and Rubio coming in 3rd, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll released this morning. The race is closest in Iowa, where The Donald has retaken the lead over Cruz among likely Iowa GOP caucus-goers, with Trump topping Cruz by 7 points there by 32 to 25 percent, gaining 8 points since last month while Cruz dropped 3 points. Rubio spiked 5 points and stands at 15 percent. The businessman has gained ground in Iowa among tea-partiers, white evangelical Christians and conservatives.

Meanwhile, The Donald continues to handily beat the competition in New Hampshire, leading by 19 points, with 31 percent, compared to 12 percent for Cruz, with Rubio and John Kasich tying for 3rd at 11 percent. Christie’s support declined from 12 to 7 percent from one month ago, and he now places behind Jeb, who takes 8 percent of likely GOP primary voters. In South Carolina, things are much the same, with Trump leading Cruz by 16 points, 36 to 20 percent, and Rubio placing 3rd at 14 percent (he’s the only other candidate with double-digit support). Read the full results here.

-- Three more armed occupiers of the wildlife refuge in Oregon turned themselves in to police after group leader Ammon Bundy urged them to give up the fight. The FBI has also blockaded the compound. (Sarah Kaplan and Carissa Wolf)

-- Federal offices in D.C. will open today after a three-hour delay. Employees also have the option to telecommute. Prince William and Loudoun County schools will be closed for the remainder of the week. (A full list of area closures is here.)

GET SMART FAST:​​

The Federal Reserve voted to keep interest rates unchanged. (Ylan Q. Mui) Scientists discovered the molecular process in the brain that triggers schizophrenia, a potentially pivotal genetic breakthrough. (Amy Ellis Nutt) A report from the Center for a New American Security highlights the vulnerabilities the U.S. military has in space and calls for a shift in strategy to prepare for conflict with China and Russia. (Dam Lamothe) A Florida doctor who was caught on camera hitting, kicking and screaming profanities at an Uber driver has apologized and says she feels “ashamed.” The fourth-year neurology resident has been placed on administrative leave from her job and removed from all clinical duties. (Peter Holley) John McCain introduced legislation to again limit the use of Russian-made engines in American intelligence and military operations. (Christian Davenport) Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s approval rating has fallen to 39 percent in the wake of the Flint crisis. Seven in 10 think the Republican is handling the water problems poorly, according to a poll conducted by EPIC-MRA. (Detroit Free Press) Sweden could deport as many as 80,000 asylum seekers. (AP) Ferguson's poilce department will increase training for officers on how to de-escalate confrontations and avoid using force except when necessary, as part of a Justice Department consent decree. (Sari Horwitz) An Illinois grand jury indicted the wife of the police officer who faked his suicide after years of stealing cash from his department. His wife was charged with theft. (Mark Berman) Texas executed a man who was convicted of killing a game warden in a shootout when he was caught poaching. (AP) Duke University suspended all sorority functions after one student was hospitalized in critical condition due to excessive drinking. (Susan Svrlulga) Stanford once again beat Harvard in annual donations, raking in $1.63 billion last year, a record for an individual school. (Bloomberg)

Hillary campaigns the at Adel Family Fun Center in Iowa yesterday. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

THE DEMOCRATIC RACE:

-- Hillary has pivoted away from direct attacks on Sanders. "Clinton has largely abandoned a strategy that appears to have done little to improve her standing with voters here: trying to directly discredit Sanders and his unstintingly liberal proposals," Anne Gearan and Abby Phillip report. "Clinton is still making comparisons with her late-surging opponent. But she is refraining from attacks that cast Sanders, and by extension his loyal, liberal followers, in a negative light. She has debuted a sunnier, more optimistic version of herself here this week while lacing her campaign appearances with some of the populist anger that animates Sanders. And she is asking humbly for caucus votes ... In a state where Clinton held a huge advantage until recent weeks, many Clinton allies have concluded from the lack of movement in recent polls that attacking Sanders didn’t help. And although they are now focused on merely squeaking to a victory here, they say they are more confident this week that she will do so."

Bernie speaks in Des Moines. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

-- Bernie called for three more debates: "In a television interview, Clinton called on Sanders to agree to participate in a debate next week in New Hampshire that hasn’t been sanctioned by the DNC ... Sanders initially balked at the idea after news surfaced that the Feb. 4 debate was being planned by the New Hampshire Union Leader and MSNBC, saying he did not want to take part in an event not blessed by the DNC," John Wagner reports. But the Vermonter changed his tune last night, with his manager putting out a statement saying they would like to see additional debates in March, April and May -- and none of them on Fridays or Saturdays or holiday weekends, as has previously been the case. "If the Clinton campaign would commit to that schedule, Weaver said, Sanders would join Clinton in asking for the DNC to arrange a debate in New Hampshire next week.

-- Sanders also continued to manage Iowa expectations. “Look, at the end of the day, in terms of delegate selection, if you get 52% or you get 48%, it'll mean very few delegates,” he said on the NBC Nightly News. “Psychologically, obviously, it's important.” He noted that the higher the turnout, the more likely he is to win. (Watch.)

-- More blowback on Bernie from HRC allies:

Nancy Pelosi, criticizing Sanders' tax and health-care plans, said Democrats aren't "running on the platform of raising taxes." She also said at a congressional retreat in Baltimore that his agenda could never pass through Congress. (Paul Kane)

She also said at a congressional retreat in Baltimore that his agenda could never pass through (Paul Kane) “According to analysis from Emory University professor Kenneth Thorpe, a former Clinton administration advisor who has also done paid work for health industry clients, Sanders has wildly underestimated the cost of providing such comprehensive benefits to all Americans," The Huffington Post reports. "Either his plan would blow a giant hole in the deficit, Thorpe predicts, or the new payroll and income taxes to finance the proposal would be more than twice as high as the Sanders campaign has projected."

-- Post Fact Checker Glenn Kessler writes that "the math generally adds up" when Sanders says in a TV ad that, "The fifteen richest Americans acquired more wealth in two years than the bottom one hundred million people combined."

Bernie continues to step up hits on Hillary for her ties to Wall Street:

Bernie Sanders: speaking tonight in Mason City, Iowa.

Hillary Clinton: at investment firm fundraiser in Philadelphia. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) January 27, 2016

The Clinton campaign released what it said are its final two "closing" ads before the caucuses. The underyling message: "Hillary is the one candidate who will make a real difference."

MORE ON THE REPUBLICAN RACE:

John Kasich will have the chance to sign a bill in Ohio this week to defund Planned Parenthood, giving him credibility with social conservatives. (Columbus Dispatch) Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), after appearing with Cruz and Rubio, joined a Carly Fiorina town hall at a steak house in Waukee, Iowa. "Wouldn't it be wonderful to see Carly Fiorina taking on Hillary Clinton in a debate?" he asked the crowd. Jeb said George W., likely to join him ahead of South Carolina, will be a valuable validator. "He's the most popular Republican alive," the former Florida govenror said of his brother. "It may go against the conventional wisdom outside of the Republican world," Bush told Bloomberg. But he said activists are clamoring for it: "The anecdotes just accumulate—people saying, 'How's your brother doing, How's your father doing?’ It's part of who I am." Jeb and Hillary are disclosing their bundlers, but Rubio and Cruz still refuse to do so. (USA Today) South Carolina Lt. Gov Henry McMaster endorsed Trump. (Jose A. DelReal) Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) backed Cruz.

With Kasich rising in New Hampshire, a dark-money group called the American Future Fund launched an attack ad with pictures of the governor with the president. “John Kasich — Not a conservative. Not even a moderate. An Obama Republican," a moderator says. (It's a $1 million buy, per the New York Times' Alex Burns.)

The Kasich campaign replied with a cease-and-desist letter to the TV stations running the spot.

WAPO HIGHLIGHTS:

-- "The admiral in charge of Navy intelligence has not been allowed to see military secrets for years," by Craig Whitlock: "For more than two years, the Navy’s intelligence chief has been stuck with a major handicap: He’s not allowed to know any secrets. Vice Adm. Ted 'Twig' Branch has been barred from reading, seeing or hearing classified information since November 2013, when the Navy learned from the Justice Department that his name had surfaced in a giant corruption investigation involving a foreign defense contractor and scores of Navy personnel. Worried that Branch was on the verge of being indicted, Navy leaders suspended his access to classified materials. They did the same to one of his deputies, Rear Adm. Bruce F. Loveless, the Navy’s director of intelligence operations. More than 800 days later, neither Branch nor Loveless has been charged. But neither has been cleared, either. Their access to classified information remains blocked. ... Branch can’t meet with other senior U.S. intelligence leaders to discuss sensitive operations, or hear updates from his staff about secret missions or projects. It can be a chore just to set foot in colleagues’ offices; in keeping with regulations, they must conduct a sweep beforehand to make sure any classified documents are locked up. Some critics have questioned how smart it is for the Navy to retain an intelligence chief with such limitations, for so long, especially at a time when the Pentagon is confronted by crises in the Middle East, the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula and other hotspots."

-- “In Oregon siege, troubling signs of a movement on the offensive,” by Joe Heim: "Whatever happens next, supporters and critics agree that the Malheur occupation marks a dramatic turn in a long-simmering relationship between the federal government and radicals who view it as overreaching and corrupt. ‘I think this is going to galvanize people’s concerns that the government is taking actions that it’s not supposed to,’ said B.J. Soper, a member of the Pacific Patriots Network, an umbrella organization of regional militia groups. ‘I believe it’s going to galvanize people into the movement.’ Government officials and leaders expressed sadness and concern about the outbreak of violence but reaffirmed their support of law enforcement’s approach in handling the crisis. Meanwhile, the incident seemed to intensify anti-government sentiment among militia members and their sympathizers, who reacted with rage and calls for retribution.”

SOCIAL MEDIA SPEED READ:

— Pictures of the day:

Huma photo-bombed a Hillary selfie in Iowa:

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) found a snow plow with Massachusetts plates helping out in D.C.:

IJ Review's Benny Johnson bumped into Martin O'Malley on a flight:

Yum, we guess? House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) found a late dinner in NYC:

— Tweets of the day:

Next time you're on jury duty, hope to be serving with Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) -- she brings brownies:

Last day of jury duty.Baked brownies for my fellow jurors.Great people. I love my country. #senatorinthebox pic.twitter.com/oFuoc7WhO8 — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) January 27, 2016

Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.) is getting Capitol Hill in the Super Bowl spirit:

Laura Ingraham called out Jeb for his comment on Trump and religion (We don't remember this outrage when Scott Walker said he was unsure if Obama is Christian...)

Former Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) celebrated Australia Day in spite of the snow:

#AustraliaDay in snowy Washington DC at the Embassy pic.twitter.com/TM6ElsI44Y — Rush Holt (@RushHolt) January 27, 2016

A Democratic pollster live-tweeted a train ride:

Someone shouting on my train says God told him Hillary is to blame for Benghazi. Just thought you guys would want to know. — Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) January 27, 2016

— Instagrams of the day:

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.) had some luck trout fishing this week:

Lawmakers marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day:

GOOD READS FROM ELSEWHERE:

-- Politico, “The steep cost of Cruz's 99-county Iowa strategy,” by Shane Goldmacher: “Cruz is racing to visit all 99 of the state’s counties. But the pursuit is diverting him far from the state’s voter-rich population centers, major media hubs, and socially conservative northwest region — detours that could prove costly. … ‘You don’t want to be squeezing in 10 to 15 counties in the last week of the caucus just for the sake of putting a pin on the map. You want to be going where your campaign has identified the largest swath of persuadable voters,’ said Jeff Patch, an Iowa Republican operative unaligned in 2016. … … If Cruz loses narrowly in Iowa, there will likely be much second-guessing about his schedule, including his late push in sparse Iowa counties and 13-straight-day absence from the state in mid-January.”

-- New York Times, "What Happened to Jane Mayer when she wrote about the Koch Brothers?", by Jim Dwyer: "A blogger asked Jane Mayer, a writer with The New Yorker, how she felt about the private investigator who was digging into her background. Ms. Mayer thought the idea was a joke, she said this week. At a Christmas party a few months later, she ran into a former reporter who had been asked about helping with an investigation into another reporter on behalf of two conservative billionaires. ... As it happened, Ms. Mayer had published a major story in the magazine that August about the brothers David and Charles Koch, and their role in cultivating the power of the Tea Party movement in 2010. ... Ms. Mayer began to take the rumored investigation seriously when she heard from her New Yorker editor that she was going to be accused — falsely — of plagiarism, stealing the work of other writers. ... There was more. Ms. Mayer would learn that these same dark forces had dug into a friend from her college years, with some notion of using the friend’s later problems against her. ... Who was behind this? Figuring that out took three years, Ms. Mayer said, and she writes that she traced it to a 'boiler room' operation involving several people who have worked closely with Koch business concerns. But the private investigation firm may be of particular interest to New Yorkers. 'The firm, it appears, was Vigilant Resources International, whose founder and chairman, Howard Safir, had been New York City’s police commissioner under the former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani,' she writes in 'Dark Money.'"

HOT ON THE LEFT California Gov. Jerry Brown wants voters to overturn a strict criminal sentencing law ... that he signed. From the Huffington Post: "The proposal would reverse the 'determinate sentencing' law that Brown, now in his fourth term as governor, signed during his first term in 1977. That law set strict sentencing guidelines for judges and ended the practice of allowing many convicted felons to appeal to parole boards. The law had 'unintended consequences,' Brown conceded Wednesday. Experts and prison reform activists have blamed it for ballooning the state's prison population." HOT ON THE RIGHT A Republican lawmaker in Arizona wants to give a tax credit to citizens who get a concealed carry gun permit. From the Washington Examiner: "Republican Rep. Steve Montenegro, the House majority leader, is offering a bill to give applicants a tax credit up to $80 to cover the $60 permit fee and for training."

DAYBOOK:

-- On the campaign trail:

The Fox debate is at 9 p.m. ET. The undercard is at 7 p.m. ET. Rubio, Cruz, Bush, Paul, Carson, Christie and Kasich are on the main stage in Des Moines. Santorum, Fiorina, Gilmore and Huckabee are in the undercard.

Rubio, Cruz, Bush, Paul, Carson, Christie and Kasich are on the main stage in Des Moines. Santorum, Fiorina, Gilmore and Huckabee are in the undercard. Trump's rally in Des Moines will start at 9 p.m. too.

rally in Des Moines will start at 9 p.m. too. Hillary campaigns in Newton and Keokuk.

campaigns in Newton and Keokuk. Sanders is in Des Moines, Ottumwa, Fairfield and Burlington.

is in Des Moines, Ottumwa, Fairfield and Burlington. Santorum makes stops in Des Moines, Indianola before the undercard debate.

makes stops in Des Moines, Indianola before the undercard debate. Paul hosts a rally in Des Moines in the afternoon.

hosts a rally in Des Moines in the afternoon. Fiorina speaks in Ankeny and Marshalltown before the undercard.

-- At the White House: President Obama will attend an Ambassador Credentialing Ceremony in the Oval Office this afternoon before traveling to the House Democratic retreat in Baltimore. Vice President Biden speaks before him, at 12:45 p.m. After, he will head to Wilmington, Delaware.

-- The Senate meets today at 9:45 a.m. House Democrats are in Baltimore for their retreat.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I occasionally partake." -- Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson, discussing marijuana with Yahoo

NEWS YOU CAN USE IF YOU LIVE IN D.C.:

-- “The skies are mostly sunny until late in the day,” the Capital Weather Gang forecasts. “The sun is at odds with some fairly stubborn cold air parked over us. That colder air should at least keep showers well to our south. Highs hold in the low-to-mid 40s. Minimal breezes keep the chill factor down.”

-- The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Capitals 4-3 in overtime. (Isabelle Khurshudyan)

-- Alex Ovechkin will miss this weekend’s all-star game in Nashville due to a lower-body injury. As a penalty for missing the event, Ovechkin must sit out the team’s first game back after the break. (Isabelle Khurshudyan)

-- Terry McAuliffe vowed to veto a bill advanced by a Virginia Senate panel that would let court clerks who have religious objections to gay marriage send the marriage applications to the DMV instead. (Laura Vozzella)

VIDEOS OF THE DAY:

What did Zach Galifianakis refuse to ask President Obama on "Between Two Ferns"? Here's what he told Conan O'Brien:

Seth Meyers moderated his own Demopublican late night debate:

Fox News host Greta Van Susteren criticized the creator of the undercover Planned Parenthood videos for making "phony records":

Watch a timelapse of winter storm Jonas from the south lawn of the White House: