1. Vice President Joe Biden meets with the National Rifle Association today as the White House looks at ways to curb gun violence. Biden has promised urgent action in the wake of last month's elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. 

 

2. President Obama is expected to nominate White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew as Treasury secretary as early as today. Lew is a top budget expert and an administration insider. If confirmed by the Senate, he would replace Tim Geithner.

 

3. Regional leaders are gathering in Caracas today to pay tribute to ailing Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, on the day he was supposed to be inaugurated. Chavez is undergoing cancer treatment in Cuba. He hasn't been seen in more than a month. 

 

4. Minneapolis-area residents and tourists who shop at the Mall of America are getting an added treat this month; a giant ice castles display. The castles are built from icicles instead of traditional ice blocks.