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Manti Te'o, who nearly won the Heisman Trophy, is at the center of what Deadspin calls a "hoax," in which the story of lost love was created to bolster his personal myth. The site is questioning the existence of a girl Te'o has said inspired him to new heights. He has not yet responded to the story; we'll update this post with any new information as it emerges.

Jihadi groups have stepped in to provide fuel and generators to get Aleppo bakeries running again. [Please see full story/text for a post-broadcast correction.]

The State Department said Americans are reported to be among the hostages taken by militants at an Algerian gas plant. The total number of hostages is unclear, as are the number of Americans. The attack is seen as retaliation against France's intervention against Islamists in neighboring Mali.

Influenza is especially intense this year, and people are flooding into hospitals and doctors' offices. But the flu is just one of a triple whammy of respiratory viruses — plus the nasty norovirus — that are making lots of people sick.

NPR's David Greene talks with a group of young adults who've struggled with the role of faith and religion in their lives. They do not speak of emptiness without religion, but recognize that it fills needs. They talk of having respect for religion, but say that it's not something they identify with now.

The day's economic news is on the positive side: 37,000 fewer people filed claims for unemployment benefits last week; and home construction surged in December and last year.

Notre Dame says its football star was the victim of an elaborate hoax and that he never actually met the "girlfriend" who supposedly died last year. But an Indiana newspaper says it has a recording of an earlier interview with Te'o's parents in which they talked about how their son met the woman.

Prawns will rub themselves when dabbed with acid. And hermit crabs show stress-related behavior after getting shocked out of their shells. Now scientists find that British shore crabs can learn to avoid an electric shock — a key sign that crustaceans really do experience pain.

Bangkok has seen spectacular growth in recent decades, but this has created a city divided by wealth and poverty. As part of a series on income inequality worldwide, GlobalPost looks at the disparities in Thailand's capital.

Also: 787 Dreamliners grounded; Notre Dame's Manti Te'o at center of bizarre "hoax;" jobless claims fall and housing starts soar; Olympics asks Lance Armstrong to return his bronze medal.