China Syndrome: More people died than were born in China last year for the first time in 60 years, the government announced yesterday in what may be an irreversible trend for the world’s most populous country … a shrinking population. 

  What that means is that one day China will one day no longer have the youthful population of working age that has made it the manufacturing center of the world.

  The Chinese government said that the birth rate has been declining for at least six years. Last year, 9.56 million people were born in China and 10.41 million people died. 

  Wang Feng, a professor of sociology at the University of California at Irvine who specializes in the demographics of China, told The NY Times, “It will no longer be the young, vibrant, growing population. We will start to appreciate China, in terms of its population, as an old and shrinking population.”

The War Room: Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, today challenged heads of state and other global leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to use their influence to help in the fight against Russia.

  Speaking in an effort to rally the world to Ukraine’s side, Zelenska outlined a 10-point peace plan previously announced in November that includes complete withdrawal of Russian forces.  

  In the war of words, Russia claims that the missile that collapsed a third of an apartment tower in Dnipro was an errant Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile, despite all evidence to the contrary. Anti-aircraft missiles don’t have the power to do the kind of damage in this incident that killed at least 40 people. Ukraine says it was an anti-ship missile fired from the Black Sea, delivering about a metric ton of explosives.

  The Dnipro explosion is one of the single greatest losses of civilian life behind the lines since the start of the war. Among the dead are two young mothers and a 15-year-old girl who was a ballroom dancer. One man who was a boxing coach died when he stayed at home as his wife and two daughters went for a walk. The United Nations said yesterday that it has confirmed the deaths of more than 7,000 Ukrainian civilians in the 11 months of war.

Driving While Black: Protests are growing over the death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols, a young Black man who died in the hospital after being arrested January 7^th in a traffic stop by the Memphis police.

  A picture of Nichols under intensive care in the hospital shows that his face was seriously bruised and beaten. The officers involved have been suspended and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said, “We want citizens to know that we are prepared to take immediate and appropriate actions based on what the findings determine.”

  An initial statement had said that, “As officers approached the driver of the vehicle, a confrontation occurred and the suspect fled the scene on foot.” There’s video of the incident that has not been released. The statement went on to say, “Afterward, the suspect complained of having a shortness of breath, at which time an ambulance was called to the scene. The suspect was transported to St. Francis Hospital in critical condition.” He died January 9^th.

  Family members said they want the officers involved to be charged with murder, not just fired. 

Sore Loser: Police in New Mexico have arrested a 39-year-old former Republican candidate for state representative, charging him with a series of drive-by shootings at the homes of Democratic lawmakers.

  Solomon Pena had claimed that the election was “rigged” against him.

  Pena lost in November to state Rep. Miguel Garcia by 48 percentage points, or roughly 3,600 votes. After the election, Pena claimed to have documents proving he had won his race. 

  Election denying has become a kind of cult among a segment of extreme Republicans and the emerging leader is Kari Lake, who claims to be the winner of the race for governor in Arizona. She has said without proof that elections are rigged and, “If we don’t stand up and fix it now, we will be living in a communist country.” 

Gridiron Blues: The Dallas Cowboys last night beat Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, eliminating the 45-year-old future Hall of Fame quarterback from Super Bowl contention. Having reversed his decision to retire last year, Brady goes home … wherever that is now … divorced to an empty household.

The Spin Rack: Italy’s most-wanted Mafia boss, Matteo Messina Denaro, has been arrested in Sicily after 30 years on the run. He was tried in absentia back in 2002, found guilty of a number of murders, and sentenced to life prison. — The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline received over 1.7 million calls, texts, and chats during its first five months in operation. That’s nearly half a million more than the old 10-digit Suicide Prevention Lifeline that preceded it. — Six people, including a 6-month old baby, her teenage mother, and an elderly woman, were killed early yesterday in a California Central Valley farming area in what the local sheriff said was likely a targeted attack by a drug cartel. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux told The LA Times, “The level of violence … this was not your run-of-the-mill low-end gang member.” — The Buffalo area man who broke into a school to give shelter to 20 people trapped in the December blizzard, has been thanked with the award of Super Bowl tickets.

Below the Fold: Britain’s advertising regulator has banned a poster promoting Demi Lovato’s most recent album because it is “likely to cause serious offence to Christians.”

  The poster featured Lovato sprawled across a large, cushioned crucifix in a leather bondage outfit with the name of the album, “HOLY FVCK.” The Advertising Standards Authority noted that the poster was “likely to be viewed as linking sexuality to the sacred symbol of the crucifix and the crucifixion”.

  They seemed to think Christians might be the only people offended by seriously bad taste. 

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