U.S. Economy Unexpectedly Contracts in Fourth Quarter  —  Private-Sector Hiring Rose by 192,000 in January, ADP Reports  —  WASHINGTON—U.S. economic momentum screeched to a halt in the final months of 2012, as businesses pared back inventories and government spending fell sharply …

William ‘Mo’ Cowan is Governor Deval Patrick's pick to serve as interim US senator  —  William “Mo” Cowan is Governor Deval Patrick's choice to serve as the interim US senator until the successor to John F. Kerry is chosen by the voters June 25, according to a source in the governor's office.

Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly vs Wayne LaPierre of NRA at Gun Violence Hearing  —  Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will testify at a Senate hearing on gun violence alongside her husband Mark Kelly Wednesday morning.  —  Testimony given by the former congresswoman, who was shot by a gunman …

President Obama's popularity surges to three-year high  —  President Obama is riding a wave of personal popularity into his second term, with his highest favorability ratings since his first year in office, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.  —  Fully 60 percent of Americans …

Girl who performed at Obama inaugural events slain on South Side  —  A 15-year-old girl who got the chance to perform in Washington for the President's inauguration was shot to death after leaving school yesterday.  —  After taking their exams Tuesday, Hadiya Pendleton and a group …

FBI raids West Palm Beach office of doctor tied to U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez  —  The FBI raided the office of a South Florida eye doctor who last year was accused of providing prostitutes to longtime ally Sen. Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat.  —  MCAPUTO@MIAMIHERALD.COM

MSNBC ‘reviewing’ Newtown ‘heckled’ video  —  Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy  —  MSNBC is reviewing its portrayal of the testimony of Neil Heslin, the father of a Sandy Hook victim, at a legislative hearing in Hartford on Monday.

Fox News ratings hit 12-year low  —  Fox News had its worst ratings since 2001 in January, according to the latest figures.  —  The network had a 12-year low in the coveted 25-54 demographic in primetime and fell to its lowest total day ratings since 2008, a press release from rival cable channel MSNBC stated on Tuesday.

Israel hits target in Syria border area: sources  —  (Reuters) - Israeli forces attacked a convoy on the Syrian-Lebanese border overnight, a Western diplomat and regional security sources said on Wednesday, as concern has grown in the Jewish state over the fate of Syrian chemical and advanced conventional weapons.

GOP's Electoral Vote Scheme Already On Life Support  —  Four states down, and just two remain.  —  Key Republican officials in Virginia, Ohio, Florida, and Michigan are coming out against a RNC-backed scheme to rig the electoral vote in Democratic-leaning states in order to boost Republican presidential candidates.

Graham Says ‘Clinton Got Away With Murder’ On Benghazi, Will Hold Hagel Unless Panetta Testifies  —  Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is still searching for the silver bullet, that one piece of testimony that will prove once and for all that the Obama administration lied during the aftermath of the Benghazi attack.

Strict Gun Laws in Chicago Can't Stem Fatal Shots  —  CHICAGO — Not a single gun shop can be found in this city because they are outlawed.  Handguns were banned in Chicago for decades, too, until 2010, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that was going too far, leading city leaders …

North Carolina governor joins chorus of Republicans critical of liberal arts  —  By  —  North Carolinians might have seen this coming when they elected Patrick McCrory governor in November.  He's a Republican and the second half of his name is “Rick,” and these days …

Reid declines to endorse Feinstein's assault-weapons ban  —  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday declined to voice support for Democratic legislation that would ban assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips.  —  Reid said he would bring gun-violence legislation …

Deep spending cuts are likely, lawmakers say, with no deal on sequester in sight  —  Alex Wong/Getty Images - “I think [the cuts are] more likely to happen.  And I'm ashamed of the Congress, I'm ashamed of the president, and I'm ashamed of being in this body, quite frankly,” said Sen. Lindsey O. Graham …