From Autoblog. "The Italian supercar manufacturer decided to show off some of their non-automotive offerings in Detroit. Specifically, Lambo brought examples of its Ad Personam personalization program. A white 560 Spyder was flanked by a satin blue LP640-4 and LP560-4 coupe that were both simply mesmerizing. We're huge fans of these new satin paints, because aside from lending an air of understated luxury to the Lambo's lascivious lines, they're remarkably easy to photograph" (Read the article by Frank Filipponio)

From Autowewk. " Maserati is unveiling a higher-performance version of the Quattroporte at the Detroit auto show--the Sport GT S (...) Maserati says the GT S marks the 70th anniversary of the automaker's first Indy 500 win" (Read the article by Greg Migliore)

From Marketwire. Prominent political, religious, and communal leaders joined American Jewish leaders today outside of the Israeli Consulate in New York City to support Israel's right to self-defense and to fight the terrorism waged by Hamas in Gaza. Besides Governor David Paterson, featured speakers included a host of New York politicians and the leaders of several ethnic organizations. Italian Americans were represented by John Calvelli, chair emeritus of the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations and board member of the National Italian American Foundation.

From the New York Times. "The story of La Befana has been told in Italy since around the time Leonardo da Vinci painted the “Mona Lisa.” Origins of the legend, some say, are far older and rooted in a pagan goddess. (...) La Befana is a character in Italian folklore, sometimes referred to as the Italian Christmas witch. A soot-covered old woman, she is said to fly on a broom to the homes of sleeping children, entering through the chimney and bearing gifts." (Read the article by James Angelos)

From The New York Times. In an editorial that appeared on January 10, entitled "Not a Company Man," the daily notes that "Mr. Panetta may not be an intelligence professional, but he is honest and sensible and not easily cowed. Those sound like good credentials for a very hard job."

From IFC.com.  "One of the most prominent Italian-American actors working today, Palminteri currently stars as the titular Vegas shark in 'Yonkers Joe,' an entertaining drama about a con man whose seedy world of palming dice, cheating casinos, and conning any poor sucker is uprooted when he's forced to look after his adult son with Down's syndrome." In this interview to the Independent Film Channel, Palminteri talks about his last movie, his father, and his Italian-American heritage.

From The New York Times. The College Board will drop its Advanced Placement Italian exam at the end of this academic year, just four years after it began offering it. The A.P. Italian is not attracting enough students; last May, 1,930 took the Italian test. There are no plans to eliminate any other A.P. programs, even though the Japanese exam also has few takers — 1,538. But A.P. Japanese, like several other exams, was devised to be much less costly as it is given via computer, unlike the paper-and-pencil Italian exam. (Read the article by Tamar Lewin)

From the New York Times. "Like many of the Italians who frequently visit the Amico senior center in Borough Park, Brooklyn, Salvatore Amato, 78, who arrived here from Sicily in 1958, speaks little English. Some, like Luigi Buonincondro, 91, a former Italian soldier who came to New York from Naples in 1961, understand English, but have a hard time reading or writing it."  (Read the article by Fernanda Santos...)