OBAMA REPORTEDLY TO NOMINATE HAGEL FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY: Reports out Sunday (January 6th) said that President Obama will nominate former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska as early as today to be his next defense secretary, setting up a
potentially contentious confirmation fight. The 66-year-old Hagel, a decorated Vietnam
veteran and GOP moderate who left the Senate in 2009, was an early Republican critic of the Iraq War who built a strong relationship with Obama during their overseas travel as senators, including to Iraq, and has been critical of own his party since leaving office. Since his name was floated for the defense secretary post, several Republican senators have criticized Hagel over his positions on Israel and Iran, including for having opposed discussion of a military strike on Iran and for his critical reference to a, quote, "Jewish lobby" in the U.S. Questions have also been raised about his criticism of the size of the U.S. military, having called the Defense Department "bloated" in a 2011 Financial Times interview, saying it needed, quote, "to be pared down."

SYRIA'S ASSAD GIVES DEFIANT SPEECH, VOWS TO CONTINUE FIGHTING: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad delivered a defiant address on Sunday (January 6th), his first public speech in six months, vowing to continue to fight the nearly two-year-old uprising against his authoritarian rule that has turned into a civil war and left 60,000 Syrians dead. As he spoke to cheering supporters at the Opera House in Damascus, Assad laid out terms for a peace plan
that would keep him in power, ignoring international demands that he step down, and dismissed any chance of dialogue with the opposition, which he called "murderous criminals." His offer included a national reconciliation conference, elections and a new constitution, similar to concessions he's offered previously during the uprising that have been rejected as too little, too late.  Assad also demanded that regional Arab and Western nations stop funding and
arming the rebels trying to overthrow him, charging the uprising is a foreign-backed plot.

PRELIMINARY HEARING BEGINS TODAY IN AURORA MASSACRE: A week-long preliminary hearing will begin today (January 7th) in the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater massacre case, at which prosecutors will outline their case against suspect James
Holmes, who's charged with killing 12 people and injuring 70 when he opened fire in a movie theater last July, in the first official public disclosure of their evidence. The judge will then determine whether to send the case to trial. Legal analysts say the evidence appears so strong that Holmes could very likely accept a plea deal and avoid a trial. Holmes' mental health is expected to be a major factor in either a plea agreement or a trial, with
his lawyers already having told the judge that he is mentally ill.

CLINTON RETURNING TO WORK TODAY: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be returning to work today (January 7th), five days after being released from a New York City hospital where she was treated for a blood clot in a vein behind her right ear, the State Department said Sunday. Clinton suffered the blood clot after she fainted and hit her head, sustaining a concussion, when she became dehydrated from a stomach virus. The State Department said she has been keeping up with her work by talking to her staff and receiving memos.

RICHARDSON, GOOGLE'S SCHMIDT HEADING TO NORTH KOREA TODAY: Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt will reportedly begin their private trip to North Korea today (January 7th), which they're taking despite the opposition of the U.S. government. The White House has criticized the timing of the trip, which comes as the U.N. Security Council considers how to respond to North Korea's long range rocket test last month. The purpose of the trip and the reason for Schmidt's involvement aren't clear, however South Korean media are reporting that Richardson, who's also a former ambassador to the U.N., is expected to try to win the release of imprisoned
Korean-American tour guide Kenneth Bae, who was detained last year.

SENATOR RAND PAUL'S SON ARRESTED AT AIRPORT ON INTOXICATION CHARGE: The 19-year-old son of Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and grandson of former Texas Rep. and GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul was arrested Saturday (January 5th) at
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport for allegedly being intoxicated.  According to local police, William Hilton Paul was intoxicated when he arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina, on a U.S. Airways flight from Kentucky, and was possibly served alcohol on the flight. Paul was arrested and charged with misdemeanors for underage drinking, disorderly conduct, and being intoxicated and disruptive. Rand Paul's communications director released a statement Sunday night to ABC News that said, "Senator Paul is a national public figure and subject to scrutiny in the public arena, however, as many parents with teenagers would understand, his family should be afforded the privacy and respect they deserve in a situation such as this."

SEARCH CONTINUES FOR PLANE CARRYING CEO OF ITALIAN FASHION HOUSE MISSONI: The search in Venezuela for a missing plane carrying the CEO of iconic Italian fashion house Missoni continued for a third straight day Sunday (January 6th) with no sign of the aircraft. Vittorio Missoni, his wife, two friends and two Venezuelan crew members were onboard a small, twin-engine plane that was reported missing hours after it took off Friday from a string of islands off the coast that are a popular tourist destination, headed for the capital of Caracas. Venezuela's government said the search won't be called off until the plane is found.

OBAMA FIRST SINCE EISENHOWER TO WIN AT LEAST 51% OF POPULAR VOTE TWICE: Bloomberg News reported late last week that the latest tally of the November 6th election results show that President Obama is the first president since Dwight Eisenhower to get at least 51 percent of the national popular vote twice, when they were first elected and
then re-elected, and the first Democrat to do so since Franklin Roosevelt.  Obama's national tally was boosted on December 31st, when New York submitted its final vote count, which added about 400,000 votes, most of them from provisional ballots in New York City that were counted late, in part because of complications caused by Superstorm Sandy. Nationally, Obama won 51.1 percent of the vote to 47.2 percent for Mitt Romney, a four percentage point
popular vote win. In 2008, Obama won by seven percentage points over Senator
John McCain, 52.9 percent to 45.7 percent.

POLL: FEW AMERICANS KNOW ALL THE RISKS OF OBESITY: A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that few Americans know all the risks of obesity, which go beyond just heart disease and diabetes. While more than 70 percent of those surveyed could name those two diseases, only seven percent knew that obesity can increase the risk of certain cancers, including of the colon, breast, prostate and uterus. Similarly, just 15 percent knew it can contribute to arthritis, and a mere five percent knew about respiratory problems, with obesity upping the risk of sleep apnea and asthma. Obesity can even play a role in infertility, which none of those surveyed knew.

NHL PLAYERS, OWNERS REACH DEAL TO END LOCKOUT: It came down close to the wire, but it looks like there will be an NHL season after all -- albeit a shortened one -- after the league and the players finally reached a deal early Sunday morning (January 6th) to
end the 113-day lockout, agreeing to the framework of a 10-year labor contract.  Three months of the season have already been wiped out, and the deal came just  five days before the deadline set by the league for the cancellation of the entire season.

'CRIMINAL MINDS' STAR ARRESTED FOR DUI: Thomas Gibson, star of Criminal Minds and Dharma & Greg, was arrested in downtown Los Angeles for driving under the influence. Gibson reportedly tried to drive through a part of town that was sectioned off for a half marathon even after law enforcement stopped him.

HULK HOGAN REFILES SEX TAPE LAWSUITS: Hulk Hogan has consolidated his lawsuits and refiled in Florida state court against Gawker media and Heather Clem. Bringing both
of his suits under the same roof will mean less paperwork and less attorney fees for the former wrestler.

PATRICK DEMPSEY WINS BID FOR COFFEE CHAIN: Patrick Dempsey's bid to buy out Tully's Coffee has been accepted. Dempsey beat out Starbucks and other competitors to gain ownership of the chain and save hundreds of jobs.

SCIENTISTS NAME BEE SPECIES AFTER 'BIG BANG THEORY' CATCHPHRASE: Brazilian biologist Andre Nemesio has named a new bee species he discovered after Sheldon Cooper's 'bazinga' catchphrase from The Big Bang Theory. Producers for the show have commented that Sheldon Cooper would be honored to learn that he was the inspiration for the Euglossa Bazinga.

COURT RULES YOU CAN'T BE ARRESTED JUST BECAUSE YOU FLIP OFF A COP: A federal appeals court has ruled that a police officer cannot pull you over and arrest you just because you gave him the finger. The ruling comes after John Swartz and his wife sued two police officers after Swartz was arrested for flipping off an officer who was using a radar gun at an intersection in St. Johnsonville, New York.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that the "ancient gesture of insult is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic
violation or impending criminal activity." (Huffington Post)

LOOKING AT SKINNY MODELS COULD DERAIL YORU DIET: A new pair of studies from the Netherlands reveals that taping a photo of a skinny model to your fridge does not provide extra motivation to diet. In the first study, female participants who wished to lose weight were given food journal to write down daily food intake. Some participants were given a journal with a photo of a fashion model on the front, and others were given a journal with a
neutral logo on the front. In the second study women were given either the neutral image or a photo of the fashion model that was digitally altered to appear of an average weight. Researchers found that participants exposed to the thin model perceived their dieting goals as less attainable, and engaged in behavior that was inconsistent with reaching their goal, such as eating unhealthy snacks. Ultimately those who had the journal with the thin model on
the cover gained weight. (Huffington Post)

STUDY SAYS HEELS MAKE WOMEN MORE ATTRACTIVE: A new study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior finds that women wearing heels are considered more attractive than women wearing flats by both men and women. Researchers from the University of Portsmouth say heels change how the body moves- including the pelvis, hips, legs, knees, feet and shoulders- in a way that exaggerates femininity. Researchers say the
high heel has stood the test of time because of evolution. One researcher says, "If wearing high heels emphasizes some sex-specific aspects of the female form they may make women more attractive, and one motivation....for wearing heels is that it is part of mate selection." (YourTango)

SMARTPHONE APP TO HELP WITH RESTAURANT SEATING: A U.S. developer says a smartphone app is in the works that would have the ability to text a restaurant patron when their table becomes available. The app is called NoWait, and founder Robb Myer says
it allows the restaurant to track how long people have been waiting, and how long it takes them to get back when they are alerted. Myer says it appeals to costumers who would no longer have to worry about being out of range for a restaurant pager. The app is currently available to restaurants on a monthly subscription, and ZDNet reports more than 1,200-locations already use the service, despite the fact that it only runs on Apple iOS tablets and
smartphones. (UPI)

LEADED GASOLINE LINKED TO VIOLENT BEHAVIOR? Researchers say that exposure to high levels of lead has been known to cause birth defects and hearing problems, and now they are beginning to find evidence that it may cause aggressive behavior. Tulane University toxicologist Howard Mielke says childhood exposure to high levels of lead in the 1960s and 1970s resulted in an uptick in crime two decades later. Meilke says that the use of leaded gasoline declined in the 1980s, and crime rates dropped off at corresponding rates.
Meilke says that in six major cities, including Chicago and San Diego, for every one percent increase in the number of tons of lead released into the atmosphere resulted in a half percentage point increase in the aggravated assault rate 22-years later. (Daily Mail)