Here are some of the key stories CNBC is following this hour:
Senate Democrats have been mounting a marathon Senate session to derail the confirmation of Betsy DeVos as the secretary of Education. The Senate is slated to vote at noon ET. Two Republicans are expected to join all 48 Democrats to vote against DeVos, which would force Vice President Mike Pence to cast the tie-breaking vote. You can watch the DeVos vote live.
Twitter is taking more steps to clamp down on abuse and hate. The social media company said it has begun identifying people who have been banned for abusive accounts and stopping them from creating new accounts.
Israel's parliament passed a law to legalize thousands of West Bank settlement homes built unlawfully on private Palestinian land. This follows a debate in which opposition lawmakers shouted their displeasure. The United Nations' Mideast envoy said the move crossed a very thick red line, while Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said the legislation is "putting the last nail in the coffin of the two-state solution."
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson invited former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, to his private island in the British Virgin Islands for some sun and fun. The two set up a challenge: Could Obama learn to kitesurf before Branson learned foil-board surfing? The winner? Obama.
—The Associated Press contributed to this report.