Hey there, it’s Thursday! And I live in constant fear that I will lose my wedding ring, which might come as a surprise to my friends who think I’ve already lost it. Here’s what you need to know today. (PS: You can have this delivered to your inbox by subscribing here.)

1. The Trump administration illegally withheld aid to Ukraine, watchdog says

The federal government’s watchdog agency said the Trump administration violated federal laws when it withheld military aid to Ukraine last year. That freeze is at the center of President Donald Trump’s impeachment. [NPR]

In Ukraine, authorities are investigating whether Trump’s allies had U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch under surveillance in Kyiv. Trump’s allies saw Yovanovitch as an obstacle in their pressure campaign in Ukraine and sought her removal.

The investigation comes after House Democrats released text messages from Lev Parnas, an associate of Rudy Giuliani, that suggested the ambassador was being monitored in an apparent breach of diplomatic security. [NPR]

Parnas, who has pleaded not guilty to allegations of campaign finance violations, says Trump was directly involved in an effort to get Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden. [AP]

2. The Senate’s impeachment trial is set to begin

In what NPR called a lot of “pomp and circumstance,” the Senate today prepared for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, which is expected to begin next week.

Today’s preparations included the swearing in of Chief Justice John Roberts as the presiding officer of the trial. Roberts then swore in senators to act as jurors. [WBEZ]

Here’s a look at how the Senate trial could play out in the coming days. [Washington Post]

The Senate also took care of other business today by giving bipartisan approval to Trump’s new trade deal with Mexico and Canada. [NPR]

3. Cops in Chicago schools will now serve in a more limited role following complaints

Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department have agreed to prohibit officers from intervening in discipline or situations that could be handled by school staff. The deal comes after students and parents raised concerns over the lack of rules and guidelines on the roles cops play in public schools.

The agreement also provides school officials a way to file complaints against officers that would trigger a “swift review” by the Police Department.

The Chicago Board of Education approved the agreement last year as it greenlighted a one-year $33 million contract with the Police Department. [WBEZ]

4. The Warren-Sanders feud worries party leaders

The disagreement between Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, which includes allegations of dishonesty and sexism, has raised concerns from party leaders of a repeat of the bitterness from the 2016 Democratic presidential primary that they believe helped President Trump win the election.

The dispute is centered around a private 2018 meeting in which Warren claims Sanders said he believed a woman could not win the presidency. Sanders has said that account is not true.

The split between the two prominent presidential candidates intensified last night when CNN released audio of a tense exchange after this week’s debate in Iowa. Minutes after the debate concluded, Warren approached Sanders onstage and said, “I think you called me a liar on national TV.” [Washington Post]

5. Have an idea for reducing Chicago’s violence? City Hall is offering $6 million

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration is accepting proposals from nonprofit groups on how to expand street-outreach programs that identify and provide services to people who are deemed more likely to shoot someone or get shot.

The winning agency would receive a $6 million contract so they “have the resources to sustain their efforts towards keeping our residents safe,” Lightfoot said. Proposals are due by Feb. 20, and the city wants to start the contract on May 1, 2020, just ahead of the summer months when violence typically spikes. [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan spent more than $445,000 from his political campaign account on legal fees. [Chicago Tribune]

• In-state students will have to pay more to attend the University of Illinois schools. [Chicago Tribune]

• Chicago could see “several inches” of snow on Friday. [Chicago Sun-Times]

• The place that makes downtown Chicago smell like chocolate will close next month. [Chicago Tribune]

Oh, and one more thing …

It turns out that wolf puppies can also be good girls and boys.

Swedish scientists studying the differences between wolves and dogs accidentally discovered that some wolf puppies are willing to play fetch, which is common for dogs but not for wolves, who obviously haven’t gone through thousands of years of domestication.

And yes, there’s a video of a cute wolf puppy fetching a ball in the link. [NPR]

Tell me something good …

We’re in the movie awards season, and I’d like to know what movies you enjoyed over the last year.

Irene Bermudez writes:

“My favorite film? Knives Out with Daniel Craig. It is an old fashioned, Agatha Christie-like mystery that delivers a superb ending.”

And @leighdelhotal tweets:

“My favorite movie of 2019 was Little Women. As a writer and a former English teacher, I’ve always thought of myself as a “Jo,” but Florence Pugh’s masterful performance had me rooting for Amy!

What’s your favorite movie from the last year? Feel free to email at therundown@wbez.org or tweet to @whuntah.

Have a nice night! I’ll see you tomorrow. And if you like what you just read, you can subscribe to the newsletter here and have it delivered to your inbox.