"The Republican National Committee has started preparing for a contested national convention, which would follow the primary season should no GOP candidate for president win enough delegates to secure the party's nomination." [AP]
The winning numbers were 04, 08, 19, 27, 34, with Powerball coming in at 10. The three winning tickets were sold in California, Florida and Tennessee. Feel free to cut us in on the winnings, folks. [Nick Visser, HuffPost]
Islamic State militants set off at least six bombs and exchanged gunfire with police in the heart of Indonesia's capital. [Reuters]
The famed British actor has died of cancer. [Anuum Maroor, HuffPost]
Do you own the air above your house, or does the government? With the advent of drones, the question matters. [WaPo]
"In the inaugural episode of 'Candidate Confessional,' a podcast about those who ran for office and lost, the former governor and DNC chair revisits that incredible, tumultuous run for the White House and that night when he was reduced to a cable news caricature. It turns out, well, that caricature isn’t the whole story." Listen here, and subscribe here. [Sam Stein and Jason Cherkis, HuffPost]
China and oil fears are to blame. [WSJ | Paywall]
"Neither loan appears in reports the Ted Cruz for Senate Committee filed with the Federal Election Commission, in which candidates are required to disclose the source of money they borrow to finance their campaigns." [NYT]
WHAT’S BREWING
Try to tamper your excitement. [HuffPost]
"'Sesame Street' has been gentrified." [HuffPost]
"As part of an ongoing research project, Fadiman is collecting the self-reported testimonies of hundreds of people from around the globe who have experimented with psychedelic 'microdosing' to treat ailments from anxiety to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or simply to improve productivity or break through writer's block." [HuffPost]
But the search has resulted in the discovery of two ancient shipwrecks. [Quartz]
And it's totally normal. [Vox]
"Medical schools call them standardized patients, and their peculiar performances are crucial in training sharp, thoughtful doctors." [Wired]
That's it, we're headed to the Caribbean. [HuffPost]
WHAT'S WORKING
"New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) made an uncharacteristically emotional case for a paid leave program in his state on Wednesday, speaking about his father's final days and saying that he regrets not taking more time off from work to be with him." [HuffPost]
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ON THE BLOG
"Unfortunately, once we've fallen into the trap of hyper-vigilance, every attempt to create social connection can be sabotaged by our increased sensitivities to rejection -- unless we learn to become aware of this process and stop allowing it to control us." [HuffPost]
BEFORE YOU GO
~ Why the Rams moving means "every single NFL fan should be scared."
~ Bernie Sanders has raised over $1.4 million after Clinton ratcheted up attacks this week.
~ The CDC is weighing a travel advisory for pregnant women going to Brazil and Latin America after the rise of the Zika virus, which can cause brain damage in newborns.
~ Why you should wait to buy snazzy new headphones.
~ Oscar nominations will be announced here at 8:30 a.m. EST.
~ All the ways you're doing someone else's job.
~ And the location of the next new Disney park is...
~ Over-monitoring your employees isn't always the best move.
~ Winner, winner chicken dinner: what you learn in MIT's poker course.
~ NBC may have cracked the Netflix ratings code.
~ Pizza waffles are here to wreck your January diet.
~ Bad news for multitaskers.
~ Because we can't resist, here's every President Obama and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hug from each State of the Union.
Send tips/quips/quotes/stories/photos/events/scoops to Lauren Weber at lauren.weber@huffingtonpost.com. Follow us on Twitter @LaurenWeberHP. And like what you're reading? Sign up here to get The Morning Email delivered to you.