Mid-day Update

Congress reaches a deal to avoid a government shutdown -- and it hinges around light bulbs. Retired Americans are no longer shipping off to Florida when they are done working. On the front lines of the European debt crisis, Italy passes austerity measures proposed by new Prime Minister Mario Monti.

With the Iowa caucuses just a few weeks out, we take at closer look at the economic policies of Republican candidate Newt Gingrich. Federal student aid programs could be on the chopping block. Russia is about to get its invitation to join the World Trade Organization as ministers from the group's 153 members meet in Geneva. And our weekly Attitude Check, part of our partnership with Gallup, looks at how Americans feel about the crisis in Europe.

Conflict in Washington continues over the possible extension of the payroll tax cuts, as experts disagree whether the measures help or hurt the broader economy. The SEC is pushing for a rule that would disclose the income gap between the average American worker and CEOs. It is about to get a bit more difficult to be a cab driver in Chicago. And what kind of football team will make its home in Los Angeles?

The Federal Reserve officials meet today to discuss the slow domestic recovery, the ongoing crisis in Europe, and a plan for better communication surrounding its actions. In Russia, billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov announced he will run for president against Vladimir Putin in next spring's elections. Wall Street types can expect smaller bonuses this year, but many are thankful to just have a job.

Questions are being raised as to the economic future of England and the rest of Europe following Friday's summit. Demand for larger pickups is up, and Ford is discontinuing its Ranger line of smaller trucks. More and more young people are taking on full-time jobs as yoga instructors.

Brussels isn't the first city people may think of in Europe, but it is home to both the United Nations and the European Commission. Today, European leaders came to a tentative deal there to save the EU.

European leaders meet in Brussels for yet another summit to determine the fate of the EU, and Britain has announced it won't sign off on any fiscal union. Another summit wraps up in South Africa today, as the UN concludes its climate talks. Richard Cordray was blocked by Senate Republicans from an appointment as head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.