1. The Senate is scheduled to have a key vote at noon today on a bill to reopen the government and fund it for three weeks, though it’s unclear if this plan will win over enough Democrats to pass. (CNN)
2. The New England Patriots will defend their title in the big game after coming back to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 24-20 in the AFC Championship game on Sunday. While the Jaguars led 20-10 early in the fourth quarter, Patriots QB Tom Brady threw two touchdowns–including a momentum-changing, go ahead score from Danny Amendola with just under three minutes remaining. The Patriots will face the NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles, who dominated the Minnesota Vikings 38-7, in the Big Game on February 4. It’s the 8th appearance for Brady and coach Bill Belichick, who have won five times. (USAToday)
3. After a couple of cold weather delays, hundreds jumped into the ocean Saturday for the 30th annual Lobster Dip. A total of 277 people went into the water and raised more than $,116,000 for The Special Olympics. (WGME)
4. Amazon announced on Friday that it has increased the price of its Amazon Prime membership–but just for those customers who opt to pay for it every month. While yearly membership will stay at $99, monthly membership will increase from $10.99 to $12.99 a month. That’s an overall increase of $24 for a grand total of $156 per year. (TechCrunch)
5. Dozens of people dressed in inflatable Tyrannosaurus Rex costumes danced in Monument Square Saturday afternoon. Alison Cyr and Valerie Sanborn organized the event on Facebook, trying to see how many people in dinosaur costumes they could have meet in one location. (NewsCenterMaine)
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