National: The Pentagon has revealed that military aid to Syrian rebels could cost billions of dollars and still fail to tip the balance against President Bashar al Assad. A letter to Congress from Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey says air support alone would require a massive seaborne effort. Supplies of small arms are already in the pipeline and expected to reach Syrian rebels next month.

>New York’s LaGuardia Airport is up and running again today after an incident yesterday with a Southwest Boeing 737. The nose gear on the Southwest jet collapsed on the runway and several people were injured.

World: As many as 500 prisoners, some of them senior Al Qaeda leaders, broke out of Baghdad’s Abu Graib prison in a violent jailbreak over the weekend. Suicide bombers and gunmen blasted their way into the prison and freed inmates, many of whom were facing death sentences. The pace of bombings and attacks has picked up in Iraq in recent weeks. Sunni  Muslims are rising up against the mostly Shi’ite government, in an escalating conflict.

Name That Baby: Royal watchers are waiting to hear the name of Kate and William’s new baby. For now he’s, “His Royal Highness Prince (TBA) of Cambridge”. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Even without a first name they’ve already got more name than baby.

The Hugger: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner was sued Monday for sexual harassment by his own former director of communications, Irene McCormack Jackson. She said, “The past six months turned out to be the worst time of my entire working life.” Her complaint  says that Filner said to her only recently, “When are you going to get naked? Come on and give me a kiss.” Filner describes himself as merely “a hugger”, but other women also have complained, anonymously. Jackson is represented by Gloria Allred, the nuclear option for women who have been wronged.

The Pastime: The Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun without pay for the rest of the season for drug violations. He was the National League’s MVP in 2011. Braun said in a statement, “I have made some mistakes.” Some reports say the suspension is related to Biogenesis, the Miami clinic suspected of juicing as many as 20 major players.

The Obit Page: Dennis Farina, a former Chicago cop who played tough guys in television and the movies, died at age 69 after suffering a blood clot in a lung. Farina was a Chicago detective before he turned to acting in his 40s. He played a detective in the “Law and Order” series and his movies included “Saving Private Ryan”.  

-30-