Former U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel (R) walks past U.S. President Barack Obama (L) at the White House in Washington on January 7.
Obama Nominates Chuck Hagel for Defense Secretary. Though the former Republican senator may face some opposition from the GOP due to his positions on Israel and social issues, his confirmation is expected. (Battleland)
An Uncharacteristic Choice. The President usually avoided contentious confirmation battles during his first term — is it possible that the Hagel nomination represents a departure from that practice? (New York Magazine)
The Expected Outcome: Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14. The Crimson Tide jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back. It got so bad, even model Kate Upton took a moment to bury the Fightin’ Irish. (Sports Illustrated)
The Game’s Other Bigshot: The camera seemed gratuitously trained on Katherine Webb, the girlfriend of Crimson Tide quarterback A.J. McCarron, all evening — oh, did we mention she happens to be Miss Alabama 2012, as well? And with the constant cutaways to her, she quickly earned the affections of commentator Brent Musberger on live TV and NFL lineman Darnell Dockett on Twitter. (Deadspin, BuzzFeed)
That’s One Way of Doing It. A father in China hired an online “hitman” to kill his son’s virtual character in role-playing games in an attempt to curb the 23-year-old’s gaming habit. (The Daily What via Kotaku)
How the French Made the 10-Hour Day. Spoiler alert: Nope. (mental_floss)
The Most Important News of the Day: Justified returns tonight on FX. It is a very awesome show. Watch or we can’t be friends. (Tuned In)
Need More Reason to Be Excited About the Return of Justified? Here are some GIFs of the show’s two main characters, Deputy U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens and criminal mastermind Boyd Crowder. (UPROXX)
The All-Time Weirdest Guest Appearances on The Simpsons. This is also about television, albeit slightly less important television. (Flavorwire)
Well That Explains It. Family Guy reveals the secret to the popularity of Breaking Bad and The Wire. (Warming Glow via YouTube)
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