FROM THE STATE IMPACT / NPR: Mem­bers of Penn­syl­va­nia Gov. Tom Corbett’s admin­is­tra­tion rou­tinely insist their Mar­cel­lus Shale drilling pol­icy is based on science. But doc­u­ments obtained by StateIm­pact Penn­syl­va­nia, as well as inter­views with more than a dozen peo­ple who work both inside and out of state gov­ern­ment, high­light top-level deci­sions to dimin­ish or defund drilling-related sci­en­tific research in the com­mon­wealth.

A comment posted at NewsLanc reads: “Had this story been ‘buried’ on page 4 or 5 of the front section, or been ‘buried’ on page 1 of the second section, you might have a semi-legitimate gripe. This story was on PAGE 1 of the FRONT SECTION!!!! Geeze……….what a whiner!!!!!!!!!!!!”

From USA TODAY / AP: U.S. factory output surged in December by the most in any month in 2011, offering the most visible evidence yet that manufacturing is roaring back from the recession’s depths even as declining prices at the wholesale level shows inflation remains in check, according to two reports out Wednesday.

An article “Critics question Corbett’s PSU probe.” appeared at the bottom two inches of the front page of the Intelligencer Journal / New Era. The two paragraphs on the front page state: “Tom Corbett’s handling of the Penn State child sex abuse investigation as attorney general has raised numerous questions…

From the FINANCIAL TIMES: Developing countries should take steps to plan for a global economic meltdown on a par with 2008-09 if the European sovereign debt crisis escalates, the World Bank warned on Wednesday in its latest economic forecasts.

A one sentence Order by the Pennsylvania Supreme court denied former judge Wilson Bucher’s request to appeal a Superior Court validation of his son’s Thomas W. Bucher’s bequest of his estate to the Lancaster Public Library.

From the NEW YORK TIMES: The wave of online protests against two Congressional bills that aim to curtail copyright violations on the Internet is gathering momentum. Wikipedia is the latest Web site to decide to shut on Wednesday in protest against the two Congressional bills, the Stop Online Piracy Act, often called SOPA, and the Protect IP Act, which is often called PIPA.

From the SACRAMENTO BEE: …Obtained by The Philadelphia Inquirer under the state’s Right to Know law, the letters offer a glimpse of the reaction in the days after a statewide grand jury in November accused Sandusky, Paterno’s former assistant, of molesting eight boys over a decade and two university officials of turning a blind eye…

From THE HILL: House Republicans want to embarrass President Obama with a vote on the debt ceiling this week but they may get some heartburn courtesy of rank-and-file conservatives. House Republicans on Wednesday will vote to disapprove a request by Obama to add $1.2 trillion to the $15.2 trillion debt.

From the NDNATION.COM: Take note, Pennsylvania residents, as Attorney General, Governor Corbett stalled the investigation of Sandusky in an effort to avoid any negative backlash in the gubernatorial campaign. If Corbett didn’t pull a Paterno, Sandusky might have been arrested long ago.

From the HUFF POST: … Congressional Republicans are cautiously embracing President Barack Obama’s proposal for shrinking the size of the federal government, although many are watching to see if his actions will match up with his words.