High-stakes political negotiations began Wednesday in Washington that could determine whether the U.S. government will be plunged into another partial shutdown come the middle of February.

ON THIS DAY IN AMERICAN HISTORY On Jan. 31. 1971 Apollo 14 successfully launches from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on its way to the moon. The mission was manned by astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa. Shepard and Mitchell landed on the moon on Feb. 5 while Roosa remained in the command module. Shepard and Mitchell spent over 30 hours on the lunar surface conducting experiments and collecting over 50 kilograms of lunar samples. In a moment of levity, Shepard hit some golf balls with a club he’d brought along. The crew returned safely to Earth on Feb. 9.

U.S.-imposed oil sanctions on Venezuela, announced this week, are part of a larger strategy to both pressure and entice the country’s military to help oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro, according to analysts.

VIDEO: Whether it’s haggling for a better price or negotiating for a higher salary, there is a skill to getting the most of what you want. Researchers at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies are conducting research on how a virtual negotiator may be able to teach you the art of making a good deal.

As millions make the trek home in China to celebrate the Lunar New Year Holiday, news about layoffs at big companies, the slowing economy and the rising cost of goods has added a layer of uncertainty at a time that is typically marked by festivity.

A Turkish court on Wednesday convicted a translator for the U.S. Consulate in Adana of a terrorism charge but then ordered him released. Turkey’s state-owned Anadolu news agency said the court in Mardin province convicted Hamza Ulucay of “knowingly and willingly aiding an armed terror organization” without membership in the group. Ulucay denied those allegations and demanded his acquittal.