10 things you need to know today: January 5, 2013

An earthquake strikes Alaska, Congress finally passes a bill for Sandy aid, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion

Congress passed legislation on Jan. 4, that will provide $9.7 billion to cover insurance claims for homes like this one that were damaged or destroyed by Sandy.
(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

1. JOBS REPORT: STEADY GROWTH DESPITE FISCAL CLIFF

The Labor Department reported on Friday morning that the economy added a solid 155,000 jobs in December, and that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.8 percent — tied for its lowest level in four years. The report is the latest evidence that the labor market — after years of periodic setbacks — is now on a steady, if slow, climb out of the deep hole caused by the Great Recession. In addition, the economy created 161,000 jobs in November, up from an initial projection of 146,000. [Washington Post]

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Samantha Rollins

Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.