World: The US claims a drone strike killed a senior Taliban leader inside Pakistan. Eight other people also died when the missile hit a house.

Jersey Sore: New Jersey’s Republican Gov. Chris Christie is mad at House Speaker John Boehner and the Republican crew for delaying a vote on $60 billion in aid to areas damaged by Hurricane Sandy.  Politicians all along the coast are PO’d. Christie described the move as calloused and was joined as well by Democratic politicians. Some Republicans were reluctant to go deeper in debt the same night taxes went up. Rep. Peter King of New York described it as being stabbed in the back before having a conciliatory meeting with Boehner, who promises to make good by putting up $9 billion for a vote as early as tomorrow.

National:  Auto sales for 2012 are expected to be up 13%, the best year for the carmakers since 2007.

•   Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was discharged from a NY hospital last night after treatment for a blood clot in her head. The clot was discovered during a follow up visit to check a concussion Clinton suffered in a fall. She is expected to make a full recovery.
• The Westchester County, NY newspaper that put online the names and addresses of all permitted gun owners in its area has hired armed guards for its headquarters and some satellite offices. The newspaper got a huge reaction, but would not say whether they were threatened.

TubeNews: The Al Jazeera network has bought Current TV, the fledgling and struggling cable network started by former VP Al Gore and fellow investors. This gives Al Jazeera a direct pipeline into American living rooms for an English language channel to be called “Al Jazeera America”.

Going, Gone: The house and 170 acres of land belonging to the financially creative former treasurer of Dixon, Ill. Has been auctioned for $3 million, adding up to a total of $11 million recovered by US Marshalls. Rita Crundwell had pleaded guilty to bilking the small town of $53 million over 22 years, and no one had asked how she could afford to own 400 horses.    

Passing: Singer Patti Page, who made a sentimental favorite out of “The Tennessee Waltz”, has died at age 85. Page sold more than 100 million records. Some other hits: “Old Cape Cod” and “(How Much Is That?) Doggie In the Window”.  

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