BostonGlobe.com Political Headlines - January 7, 2013

• Senate turbulence prompts questions about pensions, candidates, confirmation dates: No sooner had former Representative Barney Frank publicly declared his interest in an interim appointment to replace Senator John Kerry than did members of the public begin asking if it wasn't really just some secret gambit to boost his congressional pension. Boston.com political editor Glen Johnson writes.

• The real plight of the orphan-hostages: Now that the initial gasp of horror following Vladimir Putin's adoption ban is over, it is painfully clear that this is a simple hostage story. Globe columnist Juliette Kayyem reports.