Here are some of the key stories CNBC is following this hour:
Defense secretary Jim Mattis is meeting with his German counterpart in Washington ahead of a gathering of NATO defense ministers next week and the Munich Security Conference the week after. Mattis has reassured allies that the U.S. is committed to NATO.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill have hired Hollywood agents, announcing that Creative Artists Agency will represent them. They did not specify what projects the CAA would work with them on.
Moving north, heavy snow and bad road conditions contributed to a horrible accident in New Hampshire on Thursday. A man lost control of his SUV and plowed into a local home. The driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. Three people were inside. None of them sustained injuries, but the house is temporarily uninhabitable.
And finally, millennials are showing less interest in buying lottery tickets. Ticket sales rose 9 percent in 2016, but the number of adults in their late teens to early 30's declined. The demographic shift has lottery officials worried about the odds of future growth.