Janine Herbst

New research suggests a little mental exercise can reduce the risk of dementia for at least 20 years.

NPR's John Hamilton reports on a study in the Alzheimer's and Dementia Journal.

At the Winter Olympics in Italy, U.S.

cross-country skier Ben Ogden won silver, becoming the first U.S.

man to win a medal in that sport in 50 years.

This is the 25-year-old from Vermont's third Olympics.

Meanwhile, the American women's team, Jackie Wiles and Paula Molzen, won bronze in the Alpine team event, although Michaela Schifrin missed the podium by just six hundredths of a second.

She's won seven World Cup slalom races this season and 71 in her career.

That event pairs two skiers, one racing the downhill while the second races the slalom as a way to marry the two sides of competitive alpine skiing, speed and technical, together.

I'm Janine Herbst, NPR News in Washington.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst.

The government is heading toward another partial shutdown unless there's a deal on paying for the Department of Homeland Security.

NPR's Luke Garrett reports the top House Democrat, though, says negotiations have stalled.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he's taking a sudden trip to Washington to meet with President Trump this week.

And Pierce Daniel Estrin has more.

Exposure to wildfire pollution is being linked to more than 24,000 deaths in the U.S.

a year.

And climate change is making large wildfires more likely.

NPR's Jeff Brady has more.

U.S.