Every Friday, The Takeaway convenes a panel to look back at the week’s big stories. This week North Korea held a funeral for deceased dictator Kim Jong-il, Arab League monitors arrived in Syria, Sears announced they were closing more than 100 stores after poor holiday sales figures, Republican presidential candidates campaigned heavily in Iowa, and Americans around the country crafted new year’s resolutions. This week’s panel is Takeaway sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin; Farai Chideya, journalist and blogger at Farai.com; and Ron Christie, Republican political strategist and political contributor for the Takeaway and WNYC’s It’s A Free Country.