…And the World:

We begin today in Indonesia, where the government has begun to crack down on airlines after the loss of an AirAsia flight in the Sea of Java among the nation’s islands. Flight QZ8051 disappeared December 28 of last year and Indonesia officials now say the flight crew did not follow orders about dealing with foul weather. Nevertheless, the nation’s air safety has come under fire and new weather rules have been put in place. Recovery workers believe they found the plane’s tail section, where the black boxes are located.

The African National Congress, South Africa’s governing party celebrates 103 years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to freeze tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority in retaliation for its application to join the International Criminal Court is getting the Bronx cheer from all quarters. The Isaac Herzog-Tzipi Livni bloc has panned it and now the country’s president, Reuven Rivlin, who as a member of Knessett was part of Netanyahu’s Likud party, has also condemned the move.

In Isareli election news, the religious party Shas and its leader’s political career face an existential crisis. While Moshe Feiglin, who briefly challenged Netanyahu as leader of Likud, will form his own party for the March elections.

As British elections begin to kick into high gear, one Guardian columnist considers whether the launch of Labour’s campaign may be what gets voters to listen to leader Ed Miliband’s message.

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny breaks his house arrest calling his detention “illegal.”

French President Francois Hollande has lent his voice to the argument that sanctions against Russia are not working. However, no change in policy is likely until Germany—and its fluent in Russian Chancellor—shifts its and her attitude.

The Feds:

As Republicans take power in Washington this week, Democrats have released early details about their own autopsy of last November’s results. An early prescription is more competition on the state level, where Democrats have suffered the worst losses over the last few elections.

Meanwhile the extremists in the House Republican caucus, namely Texas Rep Louis Gohmert and Florida Rep Ted Yoho plan to challenge John Boehner for the speakership. Good luck with that.

The AP checks into the hype over Illinois’s new Republican governor.

Tributes and honors for former governor Mario Cuomo who died New Year’s Day. His speech to the 1984 Democratic convention went viral that day. The New York Times’s obituary is here. The Times also considers the impact the 1977 mayoral race had on Cuomo’s later indecisiveness and his melding of religious beliefs and public persona. The New York Post, with whom Cuom often sparred, thanks him for saving the paper.

Returning to an item from last week, the idea of cutting PATH service is very unpopular, but Second Avenue Sagas, a transit blog in the city, cautioned that this is only a proposal. It should not be used as a way to take eyes off of Governors Christie and Cuomo’s veto of port authority reform legislation.

California Governor Jerry Brown is sworn in for a fourth term and gives his Inaugural address.

Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra announces his reelection bid. Former gubernatorial counsel Luke Bronin is said to be mulling a bid, too, among other challengers.

The State of Things:

Over the weekend former Massachusetts Senator Edward Brooke died, aged 95. He served from 1967 to 1979 and was a somewhat outspoken liberal within the Republican party. He was the first popularly elected black US Senator (previous African-American senators, elected during Reconstruction, were chosen when senators were appointed by state legislators). The Boston Globe’s obituary is here. Adrian Walker remembers Brooke’s lasting impact

Charlie Baker appoints Linda Spears to lead the Department of Children & Families. Spears worked for the organization that criticized the departments and filed a suit which was at issue during the campaign.

Gov. Deval Patrick’s portrait was unveiled yesterday. This weekend, The Globe also reviewed Patrick’s legacy.

Jury selection begins in the Tsarnaev trial.

“Mahty” has some turnover. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s press secretary Kate Norton steps down for a job as a consultant. Martha Coakley campaign spokesperson Bonnie McGilpin is joining the Walsh comms team.

Worcester Magazine names Ed Augustus, Jr the person of the year. Originally expected to just hold an interim role as City Manager, Augustus has taken the job on a permanent basis.

City Slickers:

Springfield City Council President Mike Fenton was sworn in for another year as head of the chamber. Our story soon.

Among the new business the Council is expected to address this term is a new solicitation ordinance.

Twitter Chatter:

We’re going wonky today for the tweet prize. With Congress coming into session and little expected to happen over the next two years (though you never know), one issue that in theory should be bipartisan is transportation funding. Left and right, despite reservations seem okay with a gas tax increase, but it is unlikely to happen because many on the right find it abhorrent and wants the feds to stop paying for transportation projects and leave it to the states (How’s that going?). Today we award the tweet prize to Dave Weigel, the irreverent reporters from Bloomberg who poses a very simple question. How can conservatives oppose the gas tax, but demand consumption-based taxes? As a bonus, some of the replies are actually thoughtful responses and not just mindless invective.