Econ 101: The US economy contracted slightly toward the end of 2012. It’s attributed to a drop in military spending and jitters over the “Fiscal Cliff”. The stock market shook it off.

World: President Obama announced he’s sending $155 million in humanitarian aid to rebels fighting Bashar al-Assad. The White House has taken heat for not sending military aid but the US is in a difficult position with Russia backing the government in this fight.

• China shut factories, canceled airline fights and curtailed government auto driving to fight thick smog over the Eastern side of the country. Beijing has been shrouded in a ghostly caustic haze.
• The Israeli government admitted administering involuntary birth control to women of Ethiopian origin. The birth rate among Ethiopians in Israel has mysteriously dropped by half in the last ten years. A recent television report featuring interviews with Ethiopian women established that they had been intimidated into accepting shots of the long-acting contraceptive Depo-Provera. This is surprising news coming out of Israel because controlling what is deemed to be an undesirable population by such means is known as “eugenics”, which was also practiced on Jews by the Nazi regime during WW2.

National: Alex Rodriguez, the $29 million baseball player, has been the client of a Coral Gables clinic providing performance-enhancing drugs to players, according to an article published in Florida. The article in Miami New Times said the paper was given information about Rodriguez and other players by a former employee of Biogenisis of America, an anti-aging clinic that is now closed.

• Mass. Sen. John Kerry was easily confirmed by the Senate as Secretary of State. Kerry rose to prominence as a wounded and decorated Vietnam veteran protesting the war. He has been a senator since 1985.

We Love NY:  NY City has given up trying to discourage honking taxi drivers, truckers and frustrated commuters. The city is taking down its “Don’t Honk” signs, which have made no difference, in part because NY drivers pay no attention to plain English.

Sugar Rush: The bankrupt Hostess company is fielding offers from two investment firms for a deal that would bring Twinkies back. The bad news is that they would bring Twinkies back.

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