In economic news, the nation’s official unemployment rate has dropped to 8.5 percent, its lowest level since early 2009. On Friday, the Labor Department said that employers added 200,000 jobs in December. But at least 42,000 of the so-called new jobs were courier positions hired ahead of the holiday shopping rush. President Obama hailed the jobs figures and announced a new initiative to support American business owners to shift work back home.

President Obama: “We’re heading in the right direction. And we’re not going to let up. On Wednesday the White House will host a forum called 'Insourcing American Jobs.' We’ll hear from business leaders who are bringing jobs back home and see how we can help other businesses follow their lead… Because this is a make-or-break moment for the middle class and all those working to get there, we’ve got to keep at it. We’ve got to keep creating jobs. And we’ve got to keep rebuilding our economy, so that everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.”