On eve of primary, rivals intensify attacks on Mitt Romney

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

Romney’s rivals put the typically unflappable front-runner on the defensive for a second day, even as he charged toward a potentially pivotal victory in the N.H. primary today.

Sheldon Adelson made his millions as a casino  developer in Las Vegas and Macao and will spend $5 million  on ads and an online video that seek to halt Mitt Romney in South Carolina.

Casino mogul fuels Gingrich’s offensive

The financial lifeline for Newt Gingrich’s 11th-hour attack on Mitt Romney comes from Dorchester native Sheldon Adelson, an old friend and one of the world’s wealthiest men.

‘Mass. moderate’ insult has local GOP wincing

During this presidential primary season, Massachusetts moderate has become a curse in conservative circles almost as vile as calling someone a Democrat or, even worse, a liberal.

Cadillac

Cars’ Internet connections may change driving life

About 40 percent of the cars sold in the US last year can already connect to wireless data networks; the next step will be cars that constantly monitor online data.

Scott Brown’s campaign said the Republican senator raised $8.5 million in 2011, a robust tally that signals that the GOP is again ready to rally behind Brown.

Brown’s big quarter boosts total to $12.8m

Senator Brown has raised his campaign war chest to $12.8 million, the most that any Massachusetts candidate has accumulated at this stage of a statewide race.

‘‘Vacant homes have been sitting around for quite some time now,’’ Rosengren said. ‘‘That is an impediment to the recovery.’’

Boston Fed chief seeks more help for housing

Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, cautions against too much austerity while housing woes and unemployment plague the economy.

Gym regulars bemoan annual influx of new members

Business is booming at health clubs, spurred by New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and get into shape, but gym regulars are left feeling crowded.

“I’m an old-fashioned, center-fielding Republican. And I don’t know that Governor Romney quite qualifies.”

John W. Sears,  a longtime GOP activist and former chairman of the Mass. state party

Metro

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Business

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Friendly’s shuts 37 more eateries, exits bankruptcy

The chain has shuttered about 40 percent of its locations in Mass. and 20 percent overall — about 100 restaurants in total — since filing for Chapter 11 protection.

Nation & World

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Iran orders death in US spy case

Iran’s judiciary sentenced to death an imprisoned American convicted of espionage for the CIA, a punishment imposed against a backdrop of increasingly bellicose relations with the US.

Sports

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Brad Marchand’s hit was deemed neither defensive nor instinctive, but rather a “predatory low-hit’’ by a repeat offender resulting in a concussion to Canucks defenseman Sami Salo.

Brad Marchand suspended five games

The Bruins left winger won’t be eligible to return until Jan. 19 and he will forfeit $152,439.02 in salary for his clipping penalty on Canucks defenseman Sami Salo.

Arts

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STAGE REVIEW

In ‘Superior Donuts,’ actors deliver a tasty treat

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston uses the right ingredients to make the dated Tracy Letts play, “Superior Donuts,’’ work for modern audiences.

Lifestyle

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Alex Beam

They shoot coyotes, don’t they?

Apparently the answer is “no” if you live in Greater Boston, where local and state officials shrug despite howls for action.