(Image Source: NASA)

BY ANDREW CARTER

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

Queen Elizabeth II is nearing 60 years on the throne. The anniversary will be celebrated with a weekend of events called the Diamond Jubilee -- and planned gifts for the Queen include a £60 million yacht. The Guardian reports on Education Secretary Michael Gove’s idea.

"Michael Gove has brushed aside Britain's economic problems to propose the public donate a new royal yacht to the Queen as a mark of respect ... Gove at one point comes close to suggesting that Britain's dire economic climate means that a large-scale celebration is required to shift the country's spirits."

In a time of cutbacks and bailouts, Prime Minister Nick Clegg believes the £60 million gift -- that’s a little over $25 million -- is unrealistic. Sky News has words from Clegg.

"I suspect most people in the country would think that given that there is very little money around, that this probably isn't, wouldn't be at the top of their list of priorities of the use of scare, scarce, scarce resources."

Clegg shut down public funding of the yacht, so Gove says the gift should now be privately funded. Still the campaign may be rocky, according to the Telegraph’s Ed West.

“I have to say that in these times of financial austerity and belt-tightening, I would have imagined that a campaign to buy one of the world’s richest women a new pleasure boat would be a charity that might struggle.”

Queen Elizabeth may enjoy a new royal yacht, but Times Higher Education reports the National Union of Students proposed alternative spending for the £60 million.

“£9,000 university tuition fees for 6,500 students for one year; providing 45,000 students with the scrapped Education Maintenance Allowance for a year ... £1,000 bursary element of the National Scholarship Programme by two years for 30,000 students.”

But the BBC reports private funding for the gift may be successful. The network spoke with the business secretary for the Shadow Cabinet -- the leadership of the Labor party.

“The idea of the private sector essentially contributing to this gift for her majesty and the country I suppose, and I”m sure there would be many people in the country who may consider to donating to such a fund.”

And an interview with England’s First Secretary of State puts the Queen’s last 60 years in perspective.

“I think people will want to reflect on that as well and they will do that in many weird, wonderful, and wise ways.”

The Diamond Jubillee weekend will take place in June, before the start of the London Olympics.

(Image source: The New York Times)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign is parting ways with a debate coach — the man credited with the candidate’s recently improved on-stage performance. In Team Romney’s eyes, that might have been too much credit. POLITICO reports.

“After (debate coach Brett) O’Donnell was ... highlighted … as being one of the reasons behind the former Massachusetts governor’s improved debate performances, Romney campaign officials grew uneasy ... it was made clear that there was severe discomfort about how his role was being portrayed in the media ...”

O’Donnell formerly served as a debate coach at Liberty University, and also coached Michele Bachmann. Stories such as this one from Bloomberg last week labeled O’Donnell a “potential game-changer” for Romney.

“The call went out the night Mitt Romney lost the South Carolina primary ... O’Donnell was in Tampa the next day, and less than 48 hours later, a pithier and more combative Romney showed up Jan. 23 to debate Newt Gingrich ...  Romney’s feistier delivery and more aggressive style that night ... may have helped turn the tide for him in Florida ...”

The solid debate performances were much-needed for Romney after a huge loss to Gingrich in South Carolina. The frontrunner seemed to have a newfound energy — delivering attacks such as this one on Newt’s role as a historian for mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

“You could have spoken out aggressively. You could have spoken out and said ‘These guys are wrong, this needs to end.’ But, instead, you were being paid by them. You were making over a million dollars at the same time people in Florida were being hurt by millions of dollars.”

Afterward, the praise came flooding in for O’Donnell, with NPR calling him an MVP ...

… and Prospect.org naming him the real winner in Florida.

But it was this article from The New York Times, referencing O’Donnell’s role as part of Romney’s Florida surge, that became a large point of tension for the campaign — this, according to POLITICO reporter Jonathan Martin, appearing on CNN.

“One of the Romney advisers — Stuart Stevens — called Brett O’Donnell ... and had O’Donnell call Jim Rutenberg, one of the story’s co-authors, to have his — O’Donnell’s — role in the comeback downplayed in the piece.”

Team Romney has faced some backlash for not retaining O’Donnell. A political contributor to Yahoo! News writes:

“If people working for Romney fear being punished for being too good at their job, one cannot but fear for the success of Romney either in his campaign going forward or in his prospective presidency.”

O’Donnell himself has refused to comment on the story.

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

Image source: The New York Times

BY ZACH TOOMBS

GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney strolled to an easy win Saturday in the Nevada caucuses. The candidate took the vast majority of the vote in a state where his Mormon faith made him a solid favorite.

As always, Romney kept his sights on the president in his victory speech.

“We’re going to build an America where hope is a new job with a paycheck, not a faded word on an old bumper sticker.”

The win was no surprise in a state where Romney carried 51 percent of the vote in the 2008 caucus. But, as POLITICO notes, Nevada could serve as a launch pad for a series of Romney wins sure to damage his opponents.

“For Romney, Nevada and the next string of contests represent an opportunity to deny his opponents political oxygen. In addition to being favored in Nevada, Romney is the front-runner or is strongly competitive in all the other states voting between now and the March 6 Super Tuesday primaries.”

Gingrich also spoke from Nevada in a news conference. The candidate, who finished second in Nevada with 25 percent of the vote, went on the offensive against Romney for what he saw as inaccuracies in prior debates.

“I’ve never had a person stand next to me in a civil engagement and be as substantially dishonest as he was. I mean, go look at what he said. You had Larry Sabato in the middle of the debate Tweeting that Romney was being factually false.”

Finally, on CNN panelist Erick Erickson says Gingrich’s resilience could cause headaches for team Romney.

“This is Mitt Romney’s worst nightmare. You have a candidate who is conveying that he would rather beat Mitt Romney than be president of the United States. And there are a majority of Republicans still who agree with him on that.”

(AOC)
Both Ron Paul and Rick Santorum, who finished third and fourth in Saturday’s caucuses, spent the day away from Nevada, turning their focus to upcoming primaries in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado.

(IMAGE: Sodahead.com)

BY BLAKE HANSON

From her sitcom, to her nut farm, to the White House? Yup, believe it or not -- Roseanne Barr is running for president. Here’s KYW...

“Roseanne Barr says she’s running for president, and she say it’s no joke. The actress and comedian is seeking the Green party nomination.”

As for her platform? Barr says she’d launch European-style single-payer health care, forgive all credit card and mortgage debt and push for the legalization of marijuana. Media outlets like The Mary Sue are already speculating the move is symbolic, writing...

“Barr is really running … to get her point across, much the way Stephen Colbert did in South Carolina. Except Colbert actually had a lesson to teach us about why everything is wrong with campaign finance. Roseanne just has strong opinions on Twitter.”

But The Five host, Bob Beckel, thinks Barr’s move could play a role in the campaign.

“If she really does go on the ballot in some states, the Green party can siphon off 25, 30, 50,000 votes.”
“It’s not completely laughable.”

So will Barr rake in many votes? The Christian Science Monitor talks with a political scientist who says...

“In some previous elections … ‘[voters] look for an alternative like Ralph Nader or even Ross Perot.’ But this year … voters are more divided into camps, and many are keenly aware that a few votes made a difference in the 2000 election.”

A rising number of celebrities talk about running for President, but Mother Nature Network says -- if Barr is really running, she could shake things up.

“Of course, lots of people — comedians in particular — joke about running for president, but few ever follow through, so this announcement to turn the Green Party nomination into a four-way race certainly makes thing interesting.”

The Green Party will announce its nomination at a convention in July. Meanwhile, a recent poll by Green Party Watch already has Barr second in the polls behind Jill Stein.
 

(Image Source: WhiteHouse.gov)

BY TATIANA DARIE

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

President Obama’s views on religion seem to always draw attention.                                                                His latest foray into faith is no different. At the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, the President said his religious beliefs are helping to shape his policy proposals. Most recently -- his call for higher taxes for the wealthy. Fox News has the president’s explanation.

"For me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus's teaching that for unto whom much is given, much shall be required..."

No sooner had he uttered the words, than some media outlets reacted. In the New York Post, a writer sarcastically quips...

“Like Moses descending from Mount Sinai, Obama had a list of policies that God himself would endorse. Obama extolled the virtues of his Wall Street reforms, ObamaCare laws that stop insurance companies from ‘discriminating against those who are already sick,’ and proposed rules to crack down on mortgage lenders.”

Other media outlets asked -- what does the Bible say about taxes? Lexington Theological Seminary biblical scholar O. Wesley Allen tells CNN -- he thinks some commonly cited Bible passages about taxes are frequently misinterpreted.

“...there are many passages throughout the Bible that mandate the poor and widowed should be cared for. But it doesn't dictate the policies that should be pursued to accomplish that.”

Other media outlets believe the president's comments are an indirect jab at GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney, in response to remarks Romney made on Wednesday. The New York Daily News writes...

“... while Obama never uttered Romney’s name, the President’s stance stood in stark contrast to the Republican’s utterance to CNN the previous day that he was ‘not very concerned about the very poor."

And that observation is echoed by some conservative leaders who say the president politicized the event. Ralph Reed of the Faith and Freedom Coalition tells The Washington Post...

“I felt like it was over the line and not the best use of the forum. It showed insufficient level of respect for what the office of the president has historically brought to that moment.”

The Post also has a retort from a writer who identifies himself from the religious left saying the President hit the mark.

“...his speech quietly drove home many of the core-beliefs of the ever-mobilizing, ever-regrouping, ever-coming-in-second-place American Religious Left. Listening carefully to Obama’s sedate address, one could detect a rather tenacious, albeit sometimes disheveled, defense of the principles that Progressives of Faith live by...”

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
 

BY XIAONAN WANG

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO 

The tiff between novelist Paul Auster and Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan got started earlier this week. At issue: the 70 Turkish journalists that the group Set Turkish Journalists Free says are in prison there.

Auster told a Turkish newspaper that he refused to visit Turkey to publicize his new book  because they jailed journalists.  

The prime minister called Auster, who is Jewish, “an arrogant man”.  Erdogan says Paul has a double standard because he visited Israel in spite of its bombing Gaza. The prime minister also mocked the noted writer, saying he is just not interested in his visit.

“As if we need you! Who cares if you come or not? Would Turkey lose any grandeur?”

Paul picked up the fight. He defended himself Wednesday in his latest statement:

“Whatever the Prime Minister might think about the state of Israel, the fact is that free speech exists there and no writers or journalists are in jail. ”

Paul’s stand is applauded by Jewish Journal.  The Journal’s Shmuel Rosner says the author is admired for taking on this fight with Turkey’s P.M.    Rosner also speaks out against Erdogen for dragging down Israel.

“Suppose Israel is a terrible country, does it make Turkey better? Does it make Turkey’s imprisonment of journalists more justified?”

However, a blog post on Mondoweiss echoes Erdogan’s accusation against Paul. It quoted a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in January:

“the Committee to Protect Journalists expressed alarm over ongoing attacks on and detention of journalists in Occupied Palestinian Territory as well as over a recent series of developments that restrict freedom of the press in Israel.”

No matter where this ends up, a Wall Street Journal article points out that Auster will benefit by it.   

“......he certainly got some publicity for his latest book — “Winter Journal” — published in Turkey last month, ahead of the U.S. edition.”

(Image Source: The New York Times)

BY GINA COOK

Well, Trump is getting the media’s attention...again.  He chose to endorse Romney at a news conference in Las Vegas Thursday.  This comes after reports on Wednesday that he was going to endorse Gingrich.

A New York Times columnist says,

“when it comes to pure political comedy, he’s the best there is. Today, we had The Endorsement, a new reality show starring Mr. Trump.”



Trump went on Wolf Blitzer’s Situation Room Thursday where Wolf grilled Trump about the accusations he’s made about Romney in the past.

Wolf: “And this notion that when he was running Bain Capital and having all these firms there was a lot of outsourcing going to China and other companies that’s not a big deal anymore?
Trump: “Well he’s really saved a lot of companies though.”

Some reports say this endorsement might not be what Romney needs at this point especially after recent controversy surrounding a statement Romney made about the poor.


An article in the San Francisco Chroncile says it’s bad timing but also says,

“Coming off a win in Florida, his campaign is gathering traction even as he faces increasing criticism that [he] may be out of touch with the lives and problems of everyday Americans.”



The Democratic National Committee has already come out with an ad criticizing the endorsement.


Trump: “You’re fired.” “You’re fired.”
Romney: “I like being able to fire people that provide services to me.”



One question being asked though...Does Trump’s endorsement even matter?


USA Today cites a Pew Research Center poll that

“showed 64% of Republican and GOP-leaning voters said his backing would make no difference in how they vote in the presidential election.”


 

(Image source: The White House)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

It’s been talked about for months, but Wednesday marked the official Capitol Hill introduction for a proposed Buffett Rule — a law that would require millionaires to pay at least a 30 percent tax rate. Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse proposed the bill.

“With all the advantages that do come an enormous income, paying a lower tax rate than regular working families should not be one of those advantages.”

Investor Warren Buffett breathed life into the concept of a millionaire surtax last fall. But the bill’s official name, the Paying a Fair Share Act, borrows not too subtly from President Obama’s own language — much of it coming from last week’s State of the Union address.


“Fair shot...”

“Fair share...”

“Fair share of taxes...”

“Fair play...”

“Fair share of taxes...”

Republican Representative Paul Ryan provided a response to the president’s call for higher taxes on millionaires on Fox News Sunday, telling Chris Wallace the so-called Buffett Rule would only make a small dent in reducing the federal deficit.

“Let’s just look at the math. All these tax increases that the president’s talking about? They only cover 8 percent of his proposed spending increases. The other 92 percent of the nation’s spending increases are borrowed money.”

POLITICO notes, even if the bill doesn’t pass, it still highlights economic inequality — an issue that is sure to be an election year talking point for Democrats.

“Whitehouse’s legislation is almost certain to go nowhere in this Congress: Republicans generally abhor higher taxes and the Senate was unable to clear bills containing a millionaire’s surtax multiple times last year. But the bill could be a messaging tool for Democrats in this election year – particularly amid revelations that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney paid an effective tax rate of 14 percent in 2010.”

But on CNN’s Out Front, Sen. Whitehouse says the bill was not a political maneuver, but rather a piece of legislation that has a chance of passing through Congress.

“If it has difficulty passing on its own, bear in mind that at the end of this year all of the Bush tax cuts expire, and that’s going to motivate everyone in Washington to rethink tax policy.”

On the Senate floor Wednesday, Whitehouse also noted that Americans making between $1 million and $2 million annually would be phased in to the 30 percent tax rate to avoid what he called “a tax cliff.” As of yet, no date is set for a vote on the legislation.

(Image source: eBay)

BY DAVID EARL

President Obama has Air Force One, Marine One -- and Limo One. But what about a car he used to tool around in before becoming commander-in-chief? That’s a different kind of one.

“The price for history is not cheap...if you’re interested, it’ll cost you $1 million dollars. What?”

The car is up on eBay and the seller claims he’s got the title to back up the *first* owner. CNN reports Mr. Obama’s old car isn’t necessarily a beater...

“It’s a top-of-the-line Chrysler 300C with a powerful V8 engine. Basically what it is … it’s like a luxury hot rod.”

But a blogger for the Wall Street Journal isn’t impressed.

“Even with confirmation, the car doesn’t seem particularly attractive in part because there is no great story behind it. Obama is not known to be a car guy, so it is unlikely that he spent long hours in the garage changing the oil or modifying the Hemi engine for more horsepower.”

As a matter of fact, Right This Minute points out, Mr. Obama didn’t even like it enough to buy it...

“He leased the car when it had just 2 miles on it in July of 2004 and drove it until 2007, shortly before he was elected President of the United States.”

And it looks like, for a million bucks, no one else likes it enough to buy it either. There hasn’t been a single bid for the car. But the Chicago Tribune points out a princely price tag isn’t necessarily unprecedented.

“To assert that the ‘$1 million asking price is not a joke,’ the listing cites the $8 million once fetched for Adolf Hitler's Mercedes, the $690,000 for Pope John Paul II's 1975 Ford Escort and the $113,000 for the ‘Bartman baseball’ at the center of the Cubs 2003 playoff collapse against the Florida Marlins.”

Chrysler sold more than 140,000 300s in model year 2005, and the Kelly Blue Book Value for a 2005 Chrysler 300C? Between $14,000 and $17,000.
 

(Image Source: Flickr/Eddie S)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

In world news, public anger in Egypt after more than 70 people die in a soccer tragedy. Some Egyptians are blaming government security forces for failing to protect civilians.  Eyewitnesses say they saw police officers standing idly by as the violent clashes broke out. One NBC correspondent says the incident highlights one of Egypt’s biggest problems.
 

“...many people have lost confidence in the police and the security forces in being able to keep any kind of law and order. And when they try to do that, it often turns violent and angers and fuels more protests, so it is a very precarious situation.”
 

Still in world news, a ferry sinks off Papua New Guinea’s east coast with as many as 350 people on board. Rescuers have recovered more than 200 survivors. Reports say most of the passengers were students and teachers’ trainees. Here’s KING.
 

“This picture shows ships and helicopters are on the scene. So far officials say 238 people have been rescued. Right now it's unclear what caused the ferry to sink.”
 

In U.S. news, Mitt Romney’s Wednesday morning gaffe on CNN is still getting backlash. In an interview with Soledad O’Brien, the GOP presidential hopeful says he was, quote - ‘not concerned about the very poor.’ He has since clarified the remarks -- but his opponents aren’t missing the opportunity to attack. Here’s CNN, with Newt Gingrich on the campaign trail.

Gingrich: “I am running to be the president of all the American people, and I am concerned about all of the American people.”
 

Still in U.S. news, it’s Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and according to folklore, that means there will be six more weeks of winter. Fox News has that clip - with some in the audience booing the groundhog for a prediction he can’t even help! Come on guys - it’s not Phil’s fault.
 

Punxsutawney gentleman: “...many shadows do I see -- six more weeks of winter it must be.”
Audience: [cheering and booing]


Stay with Newsy for more analysis on news throughout the day.  For Newsy Now, I’m Jim Flink, highlighting the day’s top headlines to make you smarter, faster.
 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons) 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG 

You're watching multisource video news analysis from Newsy. 

The reports are out, and the results are in. The Federal Election Commission’s end-of-year fundraising reports for all 2012 presidential contenders came out Tuesday. MSNBC has a rundown of what those numbers show. 

“Mitt Romney raised $24 million in the fourth quarter. Ron Paul was second, Newt Gingrich third, and then Rick Santorum. ... President Obama raised a whopping $68 million in the fourth quarter.”

Many of the president’s campaign bundlers donated their cash late last year. Fox News explains how those A-listers - including stars like Eva Longoria - are helping the president’s reelection campaign.

“Bundlers are wealthy donors who give the legal maximum to the campaign, then get their friends and family and others to do the same thing.”

But the extra cash flow could begin to slow for the Obama team. Bloomberg reports Wall Street investors who donated to Obama in 2008, pulled back at the end of 2011...and fled to his Republican rival, Mitt Romney.

“Mitt Romney’s investment background, criticized by some of his Republican presidential rivals, is helping him build a financial advantage over them....After Obama championed new regulations designed to curb abuses blamed for the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, Wall Street put its money elsewhere.”

The Wall Street Journal adds, corporate donors could be the key to winning the race in 2012.

“The data show the super PACs have been funded primarily by a small group of wealthy donors, some of whom have donated $500,000 or more. The new data are the most dramatic evidence yet of the influence that wealthy donors can have on the 2012 campaign as a result of recent court decisions on campaign-finance law, superseding the efforts of established party and candidate organizations.”

But even though the president has raised more funds overall than Romney and Gingrich combined-- the National Journal says super PAC’s may give the GOP candidates more of a boost further down the line.

“This year, it's the Republicans' adept and aggressive use of super PACs to even the financial playing field, blunting the often-massive money advantages that an incumbent president has at his disposal.”

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY NIELS SCHACK NORGAARD

Mitt Romney was forced to clarify a controversial remark Wednesday morning.

First -- to the remark. Speaking to CNN’s Soledad O’Brien Wednesday morning, Romney said he isn’t concerned with very poor Americans.

“I’m in this race because I care about Americans. I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich. They are doing just fine.”

Only the night before, Romney won a crucial state -- Florida -- with 46 percent of the vote, beating rival Newt Gingrich by 14 points. But Wednesday morning, he was having to explain his remarks. Speaking with reporters while on a flight, The LA Times quotes him as saying:
 

”The area that I think is the greatest challenge that the country faces right now is not to focus our effort on how we help the poor, as much as to focus our effort on how to help the middle class in America, and get more people in the middle class, and get people out of being poor and becoming middle income.”


Even with the clarification -- The Hill’s A.B. Stoddard tells MSNBC Romney’s initial statement shows a big disconnect with most Americans.


”They will find all of this very hard to understand. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to do the right thing for the middle class and create more opportunities for economic growth. It just sounds like he doesn’t care about them at all.”


Yet Romney was defended by Derek Thompson, a senior editor at The Atlantic:


”Democrats are squealing in delight that the fabulously rich GOP frontrunner has ostensibly admitted ... he doesn't care about the poor. The line is tailor-made to be taken out of context, but if you read closely, Romney is absolutely not saying he has no regard for the very poor. He's saying he believes that the safety net we have is sufficient to protect them.”


And as Romney prepares for Saturday’s caucus in Nevada, Fox News’ political correspondent Carl Cameron predicts even though Romney explained himself, the issue will stick.

”It plays to the notion that he is a rich, out-of-touch Wall Street businessman elitist. And the Romney campaign and the Governor himself worked hard on the airplane to try to knock that down but he will deal with it for some time.”
 

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY CODY LAGROW & CHRISTINA HARTMAN

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Ron Paul is out to conquer the wild, wild west after coming in fourth with 7 percent of the vote in Florida’s primary. ABC has the next step.

“Both contenders have been campaigning in Colorado, which hold its caucuses a week from today. And both are hosting campaign events in Nevada tonight.”

Paul is looking to take the gold in the silver state this year. The Texas congressman took second behind Mitt Romney in Nevada in 2008. But The LA Times quotes University of Nevada political science professor Eric Herzik who says this time, Paul has a chance to pull a “W.”

“Let’s face it, we’re built on gambling. The bars never close. We have legalized prostitution. We’re not a big government state. Ron Paul has a kind of built-in base here.”

Paul didn’t really compete in Florida, aiming for caucus states that rely more heavily on an enthusiastic and committed following. Compared to primaries -- caucuses are typically a longer time commitment, and therefore have historically lower, but more energetic, turnouts. 

Paul touched on the importance of caucuses to his campaign in a speech after his Florida loss Tuesday night.

PAUL: “We will spend our time in the caucus states because if you have an irate, tireless minority, you do very well in the caucus states.”

And since Florida was a winner-take-all state -- it’s no surprise Paul didn’t invest much of his resources there. With the caucus states, Paul’s got a better shot at the delegate-collection game. And US News and World Report says -- that’s one advantage he has over Romney.

“The number of ‘Paulists’ may not be as large as the armies supporting the front-runner Mitt Romney, but Paul’s backers are passionate, and that means a lot in caucus states, where organization is vital.”

Then again, the article also notes: “Paul's problem is that Romney also has a strong base of Mormons and other conservatives in Nevada.”

(Image Source: Newsy Staff)
 

BY XIAONAN WANG

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Mitt Romney’s win in the Florida primary gives him a solid lead in the GOP race. But his heavy spending on attack ads drew criticism.

On Fox News -- Sarah Palin describes an uphill battle for Romney’s opponents.

Palin: “It was very, very difficult for Newt Gingrich and the other candidates to counter that bombardment of advertisements.”

It wasn’t just Romney that ran aggressive ads. The New York Times reported nearly all of the ads run in Florida leading up to the primary were negative. An op-ed writer for the Digital Journal says this is a regrettable new norm.

“Romney had outspent Gingrich by $16 million in attack ads, proving that lies, viciousness and negativity works more to manipulate the average American voter than what the candidate simply has to offer. ”

On MSNBC, former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele says the negative ads might be a useful tactic in the short run, but they don’t actually add anything to Romney’s campaign.

“16 million dollars on negative advertising, not about promoting a positive message for the future of the country, what he is gonna do as a president, but what he is gonna do to take down Newt Gingrich.”

But it wasn’t just advertising that won the race. An analyst tells CNN Gingrich wasn’t expecting a bolder Romney at the debate podium.

“He expected a Mitt Romney to come who was the same Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney finally decided in Florida to play to win and not play to lose.”

Amid the criticism, conservative pundit Rush Limbaugh says attack ads are here to stay -- and he’s sick of hearing people whine about it.

Rush: “What in the world is POLITICS! What is it, if not this. ”

The next stop of the campaign is Nevada and Maine. Romney won both states in the 2008 contests.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY KEVIN DONNELLAN ANDMALLORY PERRYMAN

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

An 80s rock band is turning down the volume on Newt Gingrich’s pump-up campaign tune.
 

Gingrich has been using ‘Rocky’ theme ‘Eye of the Tiger’ by the band ‘Survivor’ when he comes on stage for campaign appearances.

Now Houston’s KRIV reports-- the band is suing Gingrich for copyright infringement.

“A federal lawsuit filed Monday claims Gingrich has used the song since 2009 without permission from its authors. The suit asks for Gingrich to stop using the song and pay damages and attorneys fees.”

Frankie Sullivan, co-writer of the song, has been keen to stress this isn’t about politics. He’s quoted in the LA Times saying--
 

“ … it is strictly an artist protecting their copyright."

But The Washington Post adds-- it’s not about the moolah either.
 

“What’s at stake here? Probably pride more than money. Survivor rakes in thousands by licensing the song for movies or ads. But simply playing oldies to pump up a crowd only costs a host a few pennies per attendee if they’ve got a proper license from the music publisher...”

This isn’t the first time a musical artist has taken issue with a campaign-trail tune. NBC explains, the issue came up recently when Michelle Bachmann used Tom Petty’s song ‘American Girl.’ Petty asked the campaign to stop using it.  
 

“They also asked George W. Bush not to use any of his music but Hillary Clinton did use ‘American Girl.’”

So does Gingrich have to stop blasting his beat? The New York Times reports-- use of a song for public appearances falls into a legal gray area. The Times notes-- several cases where candidates used songs in their TV ads have been settled out of court-- but when it comes to political rallies...
 

“The courts still have not provided firm guidance on whether or not playing a song at a political gathering might amount to copyright infringement.”

So far-- the Gingrich campaign hasn’t responded to the suit.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons) 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG 

You're watching multisource video news analysis from Newsy. 

A Congressional Budget Office report says the U.S. is on track to rack up a $1.1 trillion deficit. Sounds like a hefty bill-- but the number isn’t as high as last year’s deficit figures. Minneapolis’ KMSP takes us through the trend.

“The government is on track to run a $1.1 trillion deficit this fiscal year. It will be the fourth year in a row the US spends at least a trillion dollars more than it brings in.”

That $1.1 trillion is less than the $1.3 trillion deficit the U.S. ran last fiscal year-- but lawmakers agree-- those numbers need to shrink. According to The New York Times, the solution comes down to politics.

“Republicans said [the CBO report] showed that President Obama’s policies were not working, as evidenced by the high deficit, the rapidly increasing debt and continued high unemployment. However, Democrats said the report confirmed their argument that new revenue, as well as spending cuts, would be needed to solve the nation’s fiscal problems, and that a stronger economy was the best way to reduce the deficit.”

So what are the proposed solutions?  Houston’s KTRK explains one of the Congressional Budget Office’s ideas.

“It’s for Congress to do nothing at all. Those Bush-era tax cuts are set to expire at the end of this year and the CBO says if Congress lets the tax cuts expire, the deficit will go way down.”

But Fox Business’ Stuart Varney explains what inaction from Congress, and allowing tax cuts to expire--  could mean for the U.S.

“Yes, you get the deficit down to about $600 billion a year. Down to $600 billion a year. But, you mess up the economy. You reduce growth to one percent and you get nine percent unemployment.”

BusinessWeek expands on that point, saying tax increases are a short-term fix, likely to turn disastrous in the long-run.

“If all of the scheduled tax increases and spending cuts are allowed to take effect, CBO said, the deficit would shrink to $200 billion by 2018. The agency said that would be a blow to the economy that would drive the jobless rate to 9.2 percent...”

While lawmakers work to figure out a solution to the nation’s fiscal woes, one thing is for sure: The decision likely won’t come easy. The Wall Street Journal sums up the long-term effects of both popular options.

“...With Bush-era tax cuts and other measures allowed to expire at the end of this year and the spending cuts left in place— the total federal debt would grow by roughly $3.1 trillion over the next 10 years...But under the second scenario—with tax increases and spending cuts reversed and other temporary policy measures continued—the debt would grow by $11 trillion over that time span.”

Lawmakers are expected to decide whether they’ll renew the Bush-era tax cuts by the end of this fiscal year, which ends September 30th.

(Image Source: New York Times)

(Image Source: Flickr/jam_90s)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR JIM FLINK

This is Newsy Now, and here are your latest headlines.
 

In world news, four British nationals have admitted to plotting al-Qaeda-inspired bomb attacks on the U.S. embassy and the Stock Exchange in London. The men were arrested in December 2010, after being put under surveillance. The BBC reports on one damning piece of evidence that was found in one of the men’s apartments: a handwritten list.

“On that list were the names and addresses of the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and two rabbis. As well as the words ‘American embassy’ and the initials LXC.”
 

In U.S. news, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney won what some have called a ‘resounding victory’ in the Florida primary Tuesday night. He had 46 percent of the votes, while runner-up Newt Gingrich had just 32 percent. On CNN, Florida Governor Rick Scott offers his analysis on why Romney came out on top.
 

“What Florida voters want, is they want a president that’s going to focus on reducing taxes, reducing regulations and gear our economy back to work. And last night, Governor Romney was that candidate.”
 

In tech news, sources familiar with the topic say Facebook could file for IPO as early as this morning. The company reportedly will file plans to raise $5 billion. It has picked Morgan Stanley to lead the process. Bloomberg talks to a venture capitalist who says once the documents are released, he’ll be looking for data on Facebook’s monetization per user.
 

“Because Facebook has an immense amount of traffic. Over 10 percent of the Internet traffic now, but how quickly that continues to grow as they grow their user base. They are already at 800 million people, and there are so many people on the planet...”
 

Finally, in health news, Pfizer is recalling one million packets of birth control pills. The company says the pills might not contain enough contraceptive to prevent pregnancy. KNXV has the details.
 

“The problem affects Lo/Ovral-28, and generic Norgestrel, and also Ethinyl Estradiol. ... the affected packets have expiration dates between July 31, 2013 to March 31, 2014.”



Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m ___, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.

(Image source: The Boston Globe)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

A bill put forward by Republican Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown aims to stop insider trading in Congress and the executive branch. And the proposal is finding few opponents on either side of the aisle.

Brown explained the need for his bill Monday on the Senate floor.

“With the bill before us today, we can take a small step to re-establishing the trust between the American people and Congress.”

Brown says it was a CBS 60 Minutes investigation last fall that prompted him to propose the new measure, called the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge, or STOCK, Act.

“If you are a member of Congress, and you are on the Defense Committee, you are free to trade defense stock as much as you want to. If you are on the Senate Banking Committee, you can trade bank stock as much as you want. And that regularly goes on.”

Brown introduced the proposal two months ago, but it wasn’t until President Obama highlighted Congressional insider trading in his State of the Union address that the bill gained traction. An exchange between Brown and Obama caught on camera after the speech might explain why.

BROWN: “The Insider Trading Bill is on Harry (Reid)’s desk right now. Tell him to get it ready. It’s already there.”

OBAMA: “I’m going to tell him. I’m going to tell him to get it done.”

But the bill’s effects are complicated. The use of insider information in making financial decisions is already illegal -- but laws focus on the private sector, not information gained through Congressional matters. CNN’s John King tells us what’s in the bill.

“Any member of Congress or their staff must report transactions within 30 days. Make sure insider trading laws apply to members of Congress. That’s the most ‘big duh’ to most people, but OK. And bars the use of non-public information for personal gain.”

The Huffington Post writes the measure would allow regulatory agencies and the Justice Department to prosecute any member of Congress who violates it. Despite broad bi-partisan support for the bill, Brown’s critics aren’t entirely pleased with his proposal. The Boston Globe writes:

“One of Brown’s Democratic opponents in this year’s US Senate race, Elizabeth Warren, has voiced support for a proposed Democratic amendment that would go even further, banning members of Congress form owning any stocks in the industries over which they have jurisdiction, citing Brown’s investments in Exxon-Mobil and Bank of America.”

This week, Brown boasted the bill might have set a legislative speed record -- it was introduced Nov. 15, and the Senate chose to move to a full vote Monday. As of yet, no date is set for a vote in the House.

(Image Source: WikiCommons)

BY BRIAN LEWIS

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

Mitt Romney may be the frontrunner in Florida, but he’s strictly backup vocals when compared to President Obama.  At least that’s what the pundits are saying after this video of the Republican hopeful singing “America the Beautiful” surfaced Monday.
 

Mitt Romney: “Oh, beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain. For purple mountains majesty...” (Video source: C-SPAN)

Gawker media blog Jezebel had this to say about Mitt’s performance:

“Have you ever wondered what it looks like to lose a presidential election in two minutes or less? This video is your answer.”

The Washington Post’s Opinions blog echoed that sentiment:

“If the November election were a sing-off, the Obamas wouldn’t have to bother hunting for moving boxes.”

Why are the media being so hard on Romney for his musical abilities -- or lack thereof? After all he’s a politician-- not a singer. Well, the answer may be that he’s competing against this:

President Obama: “And then to know that Reverand Al Green was here.  … I'm so in love with you…those guys didn’t think I would do it.”
 

(Video Source: CBS)

Still, Romney can at least carry a tune, which is more than you can say for other political figures the world over. Take Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who often sings during his marathon TV appearances in that country.

Chavez: Translation - “I’m not loved by Hillary Clinton and I don’t love her either.”

(Video Source: BBC)

Or Vladimir Putin singing Blueberry Hill on TV:

Putin: “I found my thrills on blueberry hill.  On blueberry hill.  When I found you.  The moon stood still, on blueberry hill.”

(Video Source: RT.com)

All of whom could learn a thing or two from former Attorney General and Singing Senator John Ashcroft, who’ll take us out:

Ashcroft: “Let the eagle soar…like she’s never soared before…From rocky coast to golden shore, let the mighty eagle soar.”

(Video Source: WBTV)

(Image source: Wired)

BY JESSICA SIBERT
ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

What may have been one of the worst-kept secrets in Washington is now out in the open after President Obama’s Monday night online town hall.

During the Google+ Hangout, Obama admitted to the use of “covert” drone strikes in Pakistan -- but also made a point to note the precision and caution that go along with each mission. (Video source: ABC)

“I think there’s this perception somehow that we’re sending in a bunch of strikes willy-nilly. This is a targeted, focused effort at people who are on a list of active terrorists.”

A blogger for CNN says it was an unusual discussion about the CIA’s very secretive drone program, even if the American drones were made pretty obvious to the public.

“U.S. officials rarely admit publicly to the active use of drones to hunt down Al Qaeda and Taliban in Pakistan. One reason is out of deference to the Pakistan, whose government relents to the drone flights even while publicly condemning it because the Pakistani populace is so against the strikes.”

But a blogger for the Telegraph says Mr. Obama’s admission of the obvious was probably not made with Pakistan in mind.

“The new openness is probably the result of a strike last year that killed Anwar al-Awlaki, the US citizen who rose to fame as an online propagandist for al-Qaeda. It left Obama with an awkward legal question about the rights and wrongs of killing Americans overseas and last night's admission may well be part of a new policy.”

In the Google+ town hall -- President Obama said drone strikes haven’t caused a quote “huge number of civilian casualties. But according to The New America Foundation -- drone strikes in Pakistan have actually killed as many as 2,700 people in the past eight years.

Still --  a BBC reporter based in Islamabad tells the The Takeaway Mr. Obama is more or less right -- he says the Pakistani government is just looking for excuses to form an opposition.

“I think it’s become a suitable policy option for the Pakistani security establishment as well to prop up some type of voice that would oppose these strikes.”

Following President Obama’s remarks, a Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman said the attacks are “unlawful, counterproductive, and hence unacceptable...”

(Image source: Comedy Central)

BY BLAKE HANSON

It appears the “Definitely Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC” is definitely coordinating again. The satirist took back control from Jon Stewart on his show last night...

Colbert magically takes back Super PAC
COLBERT: “Super PAC!”

While you might’ve chuckled over the skit -- the money the Super PAC raised was no joke. It reported raising more than $1 million.

“ … Colbert noted that he had gotten his money back just in time for the Jan. 31 deadline for super PACS to release donor information … Yes, you got it – he’s making fun there. That’s why he’s got a super PAC, to comically illuminate the faults and absurdities of the US campaign finance world.”

Some notable donors: former West Wing star Bradley Whitford & the Lieutenant Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. But now comes the question many in the media are asking, including the New York Observer...

“While we’re glad to have gotten a lesson on how super PACs work, we’re wondering where that million plus bucks is going now that it’s back in Colbert’s control.”

When posed with that question, a writer for ology isn’t laughing, writing...

“Colbert’s PAC risks angering voters, both Democratic and Republican, who do not appreciate the shenanigans that the comedian is playing with the presidential race. … emotions will run hot and the stakes will be high – people do take this stuff seriously, even if Colbert and his fans do not.”

So, will the Super PAC play a role in the campaign process? A panelist on CNN doesn’t think so...

“I don’t think Colbert is going to have a big effect on the campaign. The people he’s talking to really are people who are already checked out.”
“I really hope he can at least shame the other campaigns into behaving less badly.”

And take a look at some of the official filing to the Federal Election Commission. Politico has a portion written by the Super PAC Treasurer, Shauna Polk...

“‘Stephen Colbert, President of ABTT, has asked that I quote him as saying, ‘Yeah! How you like me now, F.E.C? I’m rolling seven digits deep! I got 99 problems but a non-connected independent-expenditure only committee ain’t one!’’ Polk wrote, adding, ‘I would like it noted for the record that I advised Mr. Colbert against including that quote.’”
 

(Image Source: MSNBC) 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG 

You're watching multi-source video political news analysis from Newsy. 

Social networking sites aren’t just for posting pictures and casual conversation anymore. Now it’s a campaign tool. President Obama took to Google Plus Monday night to talk with a handful of voters. KMSP in Minneapolis highlights some of last night’s conversation.

"He said his most important job right now is to grow the economy. He wants to do that by changing tax codes to benefit companies that keep jobs right here in the US.”

The president’s hangout wasn’t just an exclusive for those who participated. The video chat was also streamed on YouTube, and more than 130,000 questions were submitted for the president’s 45 minute chat. But as Fox Business explains, one part of the conversation is getting the most media attention: The president’s remarks to a woman whose husband can’t find work.

“He looks like he’s trying to rebuild the economy one job at a time. Because he was asking one of the questioners to send him her husband’s resume”

But CNBC wonders just how much follow-through there will be on the president’s end.

“Well, I want to know what they think of his resume, has she sent it in, are they going to help?...I’m guessing the president is a fairly well-connected man and he might be able to, when you hand someone your CV, you’re asking them to put it in front of other people.”

The Fox and Friends morning crew says while it might be a nice gesture, there could be some unintended consequences for the White House mail room... and some high expectations from more Americans.

“The president is now going to give people jobs individually? I mean, I think it’s a fantastic political move but beware, you’re going to have a huge pack of mail coming because there’s a lot of people unemployed.”

The use of social media isn’t new for the president or his campaign. The National Journal explains how the motivation from the 2008 election carried through to Monday night.

“Taking questions on Google+ is part of the White House strategy to reach out to young Americans in particular. The president has previously done a Twitter town hall, and taken other questions on Facebook and YouTube.”

But as Real Clear Politics explains, there are other reasons behind the president’s interest to “hang out.”

“The event was billed in advance as a citizen interview with the president -- the kind of leap-over-the-news-media discussion favored by the president since his 2008 campaign. The Q&A provided a business plug for Google, attracted plenty of attention in the mainstream and other media, and was designed to enhance Obama’s image of transparency and populism.”

The president discussed more than just employment with his new friends. Topics ranged from serious to silly and included the United States’ use of drones, the use of comedy to influence the election, SOPA.... and lighter questions like how the president plans to spend his 20th wedding anniversary.

(Image Source: CQ Roll Call Group)

BY BLAKE HANSON

Missouri, Missouri, Missouri. GOP Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum is skipping the Sunshine State in favor of the Show-Me-State. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has more...

“Eight days before the Missouri presidential primary, Rick Santorum brought his campaign Monday to Republican-dominated St. Charles County,[Missouri,] emphasizing his proposals to improve the competitiveness of American manufacturers.”

The change in strategy came just days before the Tuesday night Florida primary. So, why is Santorum changing tactics now? Politico’s James Hohmann offers some insight, writing...

“...the ex-senator is expected to focus on smaller, cheaper states that hold caucuses … He is focusing particular attention on Missouri because Newt Gingrich is not on the ballot and it offers Santorum a coveted chance to go head to head with Mitt Romney.”

Missouri’s primary is set for February 7th BUT many analysts call it little more than a “public opinion poll.” That’s because it’s non-binding, meaning delegates won’t actually be dealt until Missouri’s GOP caucus, which is set for March 17. Editor-in-Chief of the National Journal’s Hotline, Reid Wilson, finds Santorum’s tactics odd.

“Their primary next week doesn’t actually allocate any delegates. So, it’s sort of like competing in a contest that doesn’t matter, none of the other candidates are competing there, it’s curious why Santorum has decided to move there. Hard to see where his next big win comes.”

KTVI spoke with a pollster who says Santorum could nab votes from at least one group.

"Santorum wants to campaign to make a showing in order to influence the party elite in Missouri who will vote in the caucus.  Gingrich just ignored it …”

But before Missouri -- there’s Nevada and Maine’s caucuses -- set to start on Saturday.
 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In U.S. news, it’s Florida primary day. The state is breaking presidential primary rules by jumping ahead of the schedule set by the national GOP. Washington Post says officials want to make sure the state remains a relevant voice in the race to the nomination. No matter who wins there -- Fox News explains --- the move is costing Florida half its delegates to the national convention.
 

“It’s being punished. 101 delegates, or, 100 cut down to 50. So the total winner-take-all today is 50 delegates.”
 

Still in the U.S., Occupy D.C. tents are still up in the city’s McPherson Square, despite passing yesterday’s deadline, which would make it illegal to camp in the city’s parks. WTTG explains the new rules.
 

“The tents may remain in place as a symbol of the protest, but they must be free of any gear that would allow folks to sleep here overnight. That is the no camping rule that they are beginning to enforce.”
 

In world news, the head of the Arab League is set to address the UN Security Council on the Syria situation. The UN hopes to draft a resolution to push President Bashar al-Assad out of the way. One problem though - Russia will most likely veto it. CNN says the violence on the ground will not cease until Russia agrees to a resolution.
 

“Because at least in that case, the Syrian government will be getting a signal that its long time international ally Russia might be beginning to change its position.”
 

Still in world news, Italian officials have permanently called off the search and rescue effort on the submerged parts of the Costa Concordia. KIRO has the details.

“They’re calling of the search due to the dangers to rescue workers. Sixteen people are still listed as missing, 17 bodies are recovered.”


Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Megan Murphy, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.  

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY SAMANTHA KUBOTA

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

It ain’t easy being green, especially when you’ve caught the eye of Fox Business. After being accused in December by the network of being anti-oil, the Muppets held a press conference last week to address those claims.

KERMIT: “It’s a funny thing- they were concerned about us having some prejudice against oil companies and that I can tell you is categorically not true. And besides if we had a problem with oil companies why would we drive in around the whole film in a gas-guzzling Rolls Royce?”

And Time Magazine reports “Miss Piggy chimed in too, though a bit more confrontational, deeming the allegations ‘almost as laughable as accusing Fox News of being … news.’”

In the movie, the Muppets are up against an oil giant. All the drama started back in December, when FOX Business gave its take ...


“Let’s point this out, the oil rich giant man is called ‘Tex Richman.’”
 

“Yeah, it’s amazing how far the Left will go to just to stoop to you know, you’ll manipulate your kids to convince them, give the anti corporate message..."

So why all the fuss now? MSNBC reports the Muppets Movie is set to be released in the UK next month, hence the promotional conference.

And as the Atlantic Wire puts it -- the Muppets, are quote, “never ones to forget a slight.”

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

(Image Source: egyptianflag.org)

BY NIELS SCHACK NORGAARD'

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

Egyptian military leaders have barred a group of Americans from leaving Egypt --

...among the reported 10 Americans  -- the son of US Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood. White House press secretary Jay Carney told Fox News in a press conference:

“ ... in our discussions with the staff, the supreme council of the armed forces we've made clear our concerns about this issue, and our disappointment that these several citizens are not being allowed to depart Egypt. (...) We continue to work with the Egyptian authorities to resolve this issue”

The Washington Post reports that Egyptian authorities last month raided the offices of several U.S.-funded organizations, who promote transparency in governance, including the International Republican Institute. These organizations have for years operated openly, but unofficially, because the government has not allowed them to register as NGOs.

“A former IRI official who has followed the case closely said Sunday that his former colleagues had indicated they would take shelter at the embassy only as a last resort, if they had reason to believe their arrest might be imminent.”

According to the White House, a handful of Americans have taken refuge at the US Embassy in Cairo. Joby Warrick, Middle East writer for the Washington Post, tells MSNBC there’s a real possibility the Americans could be sent to jail. Warrick says President Obama has been on the phone with Egypt to send a clear message.

“The message that's being sent is this is not sustainable if you're going to want money from the U.S. We give them a billion dollars in military aid a year. If you want this to continue, this behavior has to stop.”

The dispute comes a year after the removal of former dictator Hosni Mubarak. New York Times’ correspondent in Cairo, David Kirkpatrick, writes the Egyptian government suspects American-funded organizations to be destabilizing the country.

“The military-led government … has often suggested that the United States was funding nonprofit groups that were behind street protests meant to destabilize Egypt or bring down the state, and generals on the ruling military council have said the investigation into the American-backed nonprofits would shed light on the origins of those protests.”
 

(Image Source: KIMA TV)

BY GARY GRIGSBY

ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

Fighting continues in the streets of the Damascus suburbs.  Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s troops have moved in attempting to regain control from the Free Syrian Army.  In just the last five days, more than 190 have been killed.  The Guardian notes there is a reason for the spike in violence.

“They say the aim of the weekend forays was to demonstrate the capital was no longer an impregnable regime stronghold, but buffeted from the escalating violence rife in many of Syria’s other towns and cities.”

More amateur footage collected by The Telegraph shows dozens of Army tanks moving in to Douma, just outside the city center, later accompanied by thousands of soldiers.

Ayman Mohyeldin reports on the affects of the violence after Syrian soldiers passed through Zabadani, just outside Damascus...

“The residents in this house have been showing us the damage caused by the Syrian soldiers. They also say the Syrian Army set up here a sniper’s nest from which they were overlooking the village and attacking the residents below.”

CNN says potential solutions to the violence are being evaluated.

“The U.N. Security Council is considering a draft resolution that would call on president Bashar al-Assad to step down and transfer power.”

The Security Council is expected to take up that resolution Tuesday.

(Image Source: CBS)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In U.S. news, one day before the Florida primary and GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has a significant lead over rival Newt Gingrich in the polls. Fox News has the numbers - saying even though Gingrich came in with a lead after his win in South Carolina, his momentum has stalled...
 

“The polls are all showing Mitt Romney with a comfortable lead here in Florida - where it’s 7 points in the latest PPP poll, or 14 in the couple of polls that came out Saturday and Sunday.”
 

Still in U.S. news, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta tells 60 Minutes he believes the Pakistani government must have had an idea that Osama bin Laden was hiding in the country. Still - he says he has no hard evidence. CNN has Panetta’s remarks.
 

“I personally have always felt that somebody must have had some sense of what was
happening in this compound. Don’t forget, this compound had 18-foot walls around it...”
 

In world news, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook the Peruvian central coastline early Monday. Another quake hit the region last October, leveling buildings and leaving some homeless.
 

Reports note the scale of this quake’s damage is not yet clear - but KXAS has info about the injured.

“We’re getting some reports now, about 60 people injured there. None of the injuries from what we’re hearing appear to be very serious, though.”
 

In tech news, U.S. prosecutors are saying all data stored on Megaupload could be deleted as soon as Thursday. The company’s lawyer says about 50 million users could lose their data - including ones that were legitimately uploaded.
 

CNET quotes one of its readers, who says: “Millions of people have their work and personal files on MegaUpload and depend on MegaUpload to provide service for them to make money to feed their family.”
 

Stay with Newsy for more analysis on news throughout the day.  For Newsy Now, I’m Nathan Byrne highlighting the day’s top headlines to make you smarter, faster.

(Image Source: CBS)

BY GINA COOK

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

It’s the story that won’t seem to die -- Donald Trump talking about a potential presidential run.

CBS says Trump, quote, “threatened” to run for president if the Republican party doesn’t pick a candidate able to beat President Obama. Here’s Trump’s announcement on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation’

Donald Trump: “Now, it’s not -- I love my business. I love what I’m doing. I love this whole thing of what Donald Trump does. It’s not something I want to do; I’d love to see a candidate come along who’s going to go up, but if I don’t see a person that, number one, is going to win -- that’s tantamount. I would certainly think about doing it after the show ends.”

Later in the show, humorist Dave Barry joined in on Face the Nation’s roundtable discussion. TV Newser quotes Barry.

“What a courageous patriot. The man is willing to maybe give up his TV show to run ... Thank you Donald Trump. America thanks you. Just like Abraham Lincoln, gave up his TV show…”

Mediaite joins in on the sarcasm, calling Trump media-shy, and adding:

“Of course, Trump would very much love to be part of the race no, but alas, a new season of The Apprentice is beginning this spring and someone needs to make sure Arsenio Hall and George Takei don’t spontaneously engage in fisticuffs!”

But as ABC points out -- Trump’s view on the state of the Republican party is shared by others.

“Obama advisor David Axelrod agreed, telling NBC’s David Gregory that the primary process ‘isn’t helping’ Mitt Romney, in particular … ‘I still think he is a weak frontrunner,’ Axelrod said on ‘Meet the Press.’ ‘He overpowered [Newt] Gingrich in Florida with a spending advantage and very negative campaign. He’s still under water nationally.’”

Trump told CBS he won’t know for sure if he’ll run until the latest season of The Apprentice ends in May.

(Image source: Palm Beach Post)

BY STEVEN SPARKMAN

Former GOP frontrunner Herman Cain surprised guests at a Republican dinner in West Palm Beach Saturday night. The one-time Godfather’s Pizza CEO took the stage to make an announcement. Here’s WPBF.

Herman Cain: “I hereby officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for president of the United States!”

Cain had previously only given his endorsement to -quote “the American people.” The LA Times reports, judging by the crowd’s reaction, Cain’s endorsement could give Gingrich a boost.

“The dinner attendees, who were scheduled to see Gingrich speak but did not receive word Cain would be at the event, rose to their feet and roared when he entered the ballroom, delivering sustained applause.”

But on Sunday morning -- a different story. A political analyst tells CNN, the endorsement would have helped Gingrich a lot more if it had come a week ago.

Patricia Murphy: “About half a million Floridians have already requested their early and absentee ballots, and half of those people have already voted. So if they were going to be influenced by Herman Cain, it’s too late for them.”

And Politico points out, while Cain was a Tea Party darling in his heyday, his fans may have all moved on by now.

“How sizable Cain’s following is now -- after a fairly ignominious withdrawal from the campaign -- is another question. Many of Cain's voters may already have settled on an alternative candidate without the former pizza executive’s help.”

But another analyst tells Fox News, while Cain’s support might not generate votes in Florida, it helps Gingrich’s message.

Shane D’Aprile: “But I think what’s important there is that the Gingrich campaign is taking that and using it to further the anti-establishment narrative -- that right now, Newt Gingrich is fighting against a Republican establishment.”

Finally, ABC points out Cain and Gingrich are no strangers -- Cain even hinted at a Cain/Gingrich ticket back when he was leading the polls.

“Gingrich and Cain also have a past that dates back 16 years in Washington. … In 1995, when Gingrich was pushing the ‘Contract With America,’ they stood together on the welfare reform issue and even made a joint speaking engagement.”

As of Sunday morning, polls show Romney leading Gingrich in Florida by at least 10 percent.

Image Source: Mitt Romney for President)

BY GINA COOK

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

Mitt Romney’s campaign is taking heat from NBC for using an old ‘Nightly News’ clip. The ad -- called ‘History Lesson,’ is a clip of Tom Brokaw reporting on Newt Gingrich in 1997.

Tom Brokaw: “Tonight he has on his own record, the judgement of his peers -- Democrat and Republican alike. By an overwhelming vote they found him guilty of ethics violations.”

Brokaw isn’t too pleased about being the star of the ad. In a statement released by NBC he says, quote:

"I am extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad...” "...I do [not] want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign."

And according to Politico, Romney’s senior campaign advisor responded to the newscaster’s request by saying:

"He's a very respected newsman but we believe that the use of that clip falls within fair use standards. We respect him as a newsman who has a lot of credibility ...”

News outlets besides NBC also have a lot to say about the issue. A blog for ABC criticizes the Romney campaign for Tweeting links to the ad …

“While news broke of NBC’s complaint ... several members of the Romney campaign were retweeting the link to the ad, seeming to capitalize on the free publicity.”

But the New York Times says it’s nothing new for campaigns to use news clips.

“...work that was never intended to be used for political purposes gets suddenly cast in a partisan light. The Romney campaign is hardly alone in using footage without permission.”

The ad is still running in Florida where a primary election takes place in two days.

(Image source: Newsy)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE AND VICTORIA CRAIG

The GOP candidates go round and round-- again.  With the Florida primary fast approaching, and no more debates until the end of February, candidates took to Sunday shows to defend themselves.

Newt Gingrich tells “Fox News Sunday” Romney’s attack ads focusing on his ethics violations as speaker are simply not true. He accuses Romney of knowing better.

“Romney knows all these things are true. He’s running an ad that’s factually false.”

There is no doubt the Tea Party carries a lot of weight in this race. But Ron Paul questions Gingrich’s attempt to paint himself as a Tea Party Republican.

“The Tea Party is not a tea party. I mean, it’s all over the place. Everyone’s claiming they’re Tea Party. How somebody like Newt Gingrich who’s been in politics all these years and insider and claim that he’s leading the Tea Party movement, that’s to me, a little strange.”

Ron Paul continued his attacks on his fellow conservatives saying money, not policy, could win the nomination.

“We can raise those millions, but we can’t compete with tens of millions of dollars for each individual state. And that’s what, you know, they did in Florida. You need a lot of money. So it’s a money game.”

Despite the bickering, Gingrich told ABC’s “This Week” the party is starting to coalesce behind one candidate.

“Gradually, conservatives are consolidating. I was very grateful to have Gov. Rick Perry’s endorsement. I was very grateful last night to have Herman Cain’s endorsement. Gov. Sarah Palin’s comments have been very helpful. Todd Palin’s endorsement has been helpful. Monday Mike Reagan is going to be campaigning with me here and Fred Thompson has endorsed me. So, as you look around, you see a lot more grassroots conservatives coming together.”

On policy, Paul took aim at the TSA -- saying it needs reform.

“When you look at some of these pictures of prodding groin areas and breast areas and all this. And old women having to take their clothes off. If we as a people are so complacent that we can look at this and say, ‘oh well that’s okay, they’re making us safe,’ It doesn’t make us safe.”

And Gingrich says he believes his ideas for space colonies are not much different from space programs of the past.

“Greta Van Susteren, I thought, had the most interesting insight. She said, ‘You know, in 1961, when John F. Kennedy offered a similarly big, bold idea, there was remarkably less skepticism, remarkably less doubt, remarkably less rejection.

When asked about President Obama’s plan to enact the “Buffett Rule,” Representative Paul Ryan said he didn’t think the president would follow through.

“We have learned already that the president, who’s had three years to try and propose real solutions to fix our fiscal crisis, is ducking it. He hasn’t put a plan on the table yet. He formed commissions and super committees, so he sort of outsourced the leadership only to decry their results.”

But politics doesn’t always have to be negative. House Speaker John Boehner praised Representative Gabrielle Giffords and Congress’ ability to come together to honor her service.

Boehner: “She’s been through an awful lot and her constituents, those who lost their lives about a year ago, and it was a, I’ve never quite seen a farewell in the House like this. A bi-partisan effort, all the members were there, sad day for the House.
Host: “Sad day for you personally?”
Boehner: “Yup. But a very brave lady.”

(Image source: San Francisco Chronicle)

BY NATHAN BYRNE

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.

Inspectors from the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency are in Iran today. CNN reports what they’re tasked with...

“The inspectors will attempt to examine Iran’s controversial nuclear program. The IAEA says it will try to clarify any military dimensions to that program.”

Police arrested more than 300 people at ‘Occupy’ protests in Oakland, California Saturday night. According to Fox and Friends, police officers used tear gas and flash grenades to stop protestors from throwing rocks and tearing down fences...

“So far, three police officers have been hurt. A group also broke into City Hall, reportedly damaging exhibits and burning an American flag.”

The search for missing toddler, Ayla Reynolds shifts to a criminal investigation. Maine State Police confirm they’ve found blood in the basement of the home where she was last seen. Boston’s WCVB reports...

“Whose blood was it? How long had it been there? Authorities say the crime lab is still working to answer those questions.”

GOP presidential hopeful, Rick Santorum has canceled his Sunday-morning campaign events. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer...

Santorum’s youngest daughter -- three-year-old Bella -- has been admitted to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. The three-year-old suffers from a chromosomal condition and was not initially expected to survive until her first birthday.

Hope you weren’t holding out for a Colbert-Cain GOP ticket. Saturday, the man with the 9-9-9 plan said Newt Gingrich is his number one. Here’s HLN..

CAIN: “Hereby, officially and enthusiastically endorse Newt Gingrich for President of the United States.”

REPORTER: “Now, Cain said that Gingrich isn’t afraid to propose big ideas that benefit the nation, even if he’s ridiculed for it.”

Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Nathan Byrne, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.

(Image source: Moviespad.com)

BY BLAKE HANSON

He’s been a solid talking point for former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s campaign for the GOP nomination, but now the media is starting to question: Just who is Saul Alinsky? Fox News has more...

BRET BAIER: “Why is he relevant now?”
REPORTER: “By the 90s, the young Barack Obama had been schooled and and taught others Alinsky’s techniques, which is why Newt Gingrich has made the name of this largely forgotten figure a daily mantra.”

Alinsky was a community organizer in Chicago -- and many know him from his book “Rules for Radicals.” The Washington Post’s Melinda Henneberger tells Chris Matthews: while Alinsky was a lefty -- many of his techniques were more extreme than President Obama’s.

“He had people come and dump garbage on the property of someone who had not been, an official in Chicago who had not been receptive to garbage pick-up. Is that Barack Obama? No.”

But a writer for the conservative Daily Caller takes odds with Henneberger’s comments, writing...

“ … nearly every political move Obama makes can be traced to ‘Rules for Radicals.’ He’s currently implementing Rule 13 as a central component of his re-election strategy: farcically blaming a Republican Congress for all of his administration’s woes. And therein lies the reason that Barack Obama is such an underwhelming president.”

The Examiner’s Philip Klein takes a completely different approach, saying Gingrich is not a “Reagan Conservative” but a “Alinsky Republican.”

“... if any candidate is using Saul Alinsky's playbook in this campaign, it's Gingrich himself … Gingrich's clashes against the establishment are classic Alinsky.”

So what is Gingrich’s plan in all this? WTSP talks with a political science professor...

“By mentioning Alinsky’s name over and over, Gingrich hopes perhaps to make Alinsky a buzz word. The thorn in Obama’s side during the 2012 campaign that ACORN and Reverend Jeremiah Wright were in previous elections.”

 

(Image Source: KPHO)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

A photo under fire -- of a T-shirt under fire. A picture of young men in Arizona holding a shirt filled with bullet holes is causing controversy, because the shirt has President Obama’s face on it.

“The Secret Service is now investigating this photo, posted on the Facebook page of a Peoria police officer. The photo shows several young men carrying guns and holding up a T-shirt of President Barack Obama that appears to be riddled with bullets.”

The picture has since been taken down from Facebook, and local police are investigating, too -- because the picture was posted by one of their own: Sergeant Pat Shearer. He remains on duty, but KPHO says the department is determining ...

“...if he violated social media policy. The policy says posting information regarding off-duty activity that may tend to bring an officer’s reputation into question is strongly discouraged.”

Shearer posted the photo with the caption “another trip to the ranch,” though his connection to anyone in the picture remains unclear. But, is the Secret Service investigation warranted? MSNBC has a statement from the agency.

“We respect the right of free speech and expression but we certainly have the right and obligation to speak to individuals to determine what their intent is ... We treat anything (any potential threat) seriously. We can't dismiss anything."

Still, KNVX spoke with Shearer, who says he is embarrassed, but doesn’t think shooting the t-shirt is a big deal.

“I don’t think that them shooting up the t-shirt was a big deal, no. It was more of a political statement obviously. It’s not like they were going to shoot the president or something like that, no.”

And KSAZ spoke with a former Secret Service agent, who protected presidents in the past. He says if the photo was meant as a joke, he’s not impressed. The station also examines what the law says.

“There’s nothing funny about that.”
“Under federal law, joking is allowed, but there is a line that can’t be crossed when it comes to the presidency. The law mentions that any document containing any threat to take the life of, to kidnap or to inflict bodily harm of the President of the United States is an item worthy of investigation.”

According to The New York Times, at least one of the men pictured in that photo is a high school student.




 

(Image source: Central Florida News 13)

BY EMILY SPAIN

You're watching multisource political news from Newsy. 

Some Republicans are fuming after the latest Republican primary debate in Florida.
Why?
Because of Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich’s discussion on immigration.

The two argued over one of Gingrich’s ads that describes Romney as “anti-immigrant”.  Gingrich withdrew the ad after Republican politicians called it offensive, but stood by it at the debate.

Blitzer: “Is he still the most anti-immigrant candidate?”
Gingrich: “I think of the four of us, yes.”
Romney: “Mr. Speaker, I’m not anti-immigrant.  My father was born in Mexico, my wife’s father was born in Wales. They came to this country. The idea that I’m anti-immigrant is repulsive.”

Republican leaders worry the pair’s banter could push away Latino voters in a state that has the (country’s) third-largest Hispanic population.
Ideas like curbing immigration in Arizona and Texas also have Florida voters looking the other way.
Republican leaders -- like former governor of Florida Jeb Bush -- are calling the frontrunners’ language inexcusable.

He wrote in the Washington Post:
“Like all voters, Hispanics respond to candidates who show respect and understanding for their experiences … we should echo the aspirations of these voters. The American immigrant experience is the most aspirational story ever told ... And on this score, Republicans have a winning message and record as the party of the entrepreneur.”

According to Bush, Hispanic voters represent the “margin of victory” in 15 states that typically decide the next President. Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio is also calling on the GOP candidates to check their rhetoric.

“For those of us who come from the conservative movement, we must admit that there are those among us who have used rhetoric that is harsh and intolerable, inexcusable, and we must admit, myself included, that sometimes we’ve been too slow in condemning that language for what it is.”

So far, Romney is leading the polls in Florida. A writer for the Christian Science Monitor notes Florida’s Latinos lean toward Romney, but explains Gingrich isn’t completely out of the race.

“In a word, it’s Romney’s career in the private sector, which appeals to entrepreneurial-minded Hispanics... But ... it is Gingrich’s emphasis on finding what he calls a ‘humane’ way to deal with illegal immigration – particularly law-abiding people who have been in the country a long time – that leads some of Florida’s Latino Republicans to back the former House speaker.”

Florida voters go to the polls Tuesday for the GOP primary.

Transcript by Newsy.



 

(Image source: ABC News)

You’re watching multisource global video news analysis by Newsy.

BY MARC STEIDLER

As the dust settles over “Brewer v. Obama,” each side attempts to explain what exactly happened. The president talked to ABC to give his side of the story.

“What I’ve discovered is I think it’s always good publicity for a Republican if they’re in an argument with me, but this was really not a big deal.”

Brewer has since described President Obama as “thin-skinned” and “tense” during their encounter. But TPM has a differing account after talking with mayors Greg Smith and Scott Stanton, other officials who were present.

“Out of the three officials who met President Obama on an airport tarmac near Phoenix earlier this week, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) is now the only one who has characterized the president as anything other than cordial.”

As for the book that started it all -- Brewer’s Scorpions for Breakfast ranks seventh on Amazon.com, a trend wry Fox News commentators saw coming.

“Earlier in the week it was the 285,568th ranked book. Back to you.”
“Thank you very much, Peter. Brian predicted that yesterday.”

If a rise in sales was predictable, the Christian Science Monitor wonders if the confrontation was intentional.

“We think probably not – in politics, as in life, happenstance usually explains more incidents than does conspiracy.”

The book’s meteoric rise also resonated with a writer for Hot Air, who thinks the president was in a lose-lose situation.

“That ascent is sharper and faster than Obama’s own rise from relative obscurity to the presidency. Half of me is pleased for Jan Brewer and half of me pities the president. The poor guy just can’t seem to help himself.”

Friday, Brewer released the letter she gave to the president on the tarmac.

Transcript by Newsy.


 

(Image Source: Disinformation)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

Remember the Jetsons? Well according to GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich -- life in space may not be as far off and futuristic as TV once made it seem.

“The program I envision would probably end up being 90 percent private sector. ((FLASH)) But I’ll tell you. I don’t want to be the country that having gotten to the moon first, turned around and said, ‘it doesn’t really matter. Let the Chinese dominate space. What do we care?’” (VIDEO SOURCE: CNN)

Now just a day after the last Florida GOP debate where he made those statements, news headlines ranging from “Space Cadet Gingrich” to “Fly Me to the Moon” show most in the media are writing off Gingrich’s idea as little more than ridiculous. CNN’s David Frum takes a look. (SOURCE: WASHINGTON POST AND LA TIMES)

“Then he should’ve dismissed the moon colony question with a joke and moved on. Instead, he allowed that conversation to take over. He could not control himself in the face of something he should’ve controlled himself in.”

TIME's Jeffrey Kluger suggests -- this is just one in a series of over-the-top statements from the former Speaker of the House.

“...Gingrich often doesn’t seem to get that merely being willing to say any damn thing is not the same as being able to do any damn thing, especially when the challenges you’re taking on don’t involve just political rivals and government policy, but the hard laws of engineering and physics...”

Although plenty of snark and mockery is floating through the media in response to Newt’s space projections, not everyone’s laughing. The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin writes...

“Really, the Earth is too small for the self-described ‘grandiose’ candidate. At some point, however, unless you’re a supporter of the president’s reelection, this ceases to be funny. It is simply the latest indication of the three-ring circus (colony?) that would ensue if Gingrich were the nominee, or heaven forbid, the president.”

But not everyone’s making jabs. A writer for News Australia says -- Newt might just be on to something.

“The basic idea is not actually as far-fetched as it sounds. NASA in 2006 announced plans to set up a colony on the south pole of the moon, in around 2020, as a base for further manned exploration of the solar system. The problem for Gingrich... is that the 2008 financial crisis came along and turned feasible projects into pipe dreams.”

Radio-host Laura Ingraham agrees. She tells Fox’s Bill O’Reilly -- now’s just not the time, even if you are in support of space exploration.

“If you’re a conservative and you’re concerned about our fiscal standing, you could make an argument that while this is a great idea, not when you have 15 trillion dollars of debt.”

Americans will get their chance to weigh in on Newt’s space plans during the Florida primary on January 31st.
 

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

A new wave of inner-party attacks is hitting GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich -- many of them casting a skeptical eye on his often-mentioned ties to Ronald Reagan.

The Drudge Report devoted the site’s first four links to revisiting past Gingrich comments that were critical of the Reagan administration.

Drudge’s top post linked to this article from The National Review -- written by Reagan’s former assistant secretary of state.

“[Gingrich’s] claims are misleading at best. As a new member of Congress in the Reagan years ... Mr. Gingrich voted with the president regularly, but equally often spewed insulting rhetoric at Reagan, his top aides, and his policies to defeat Communism. Gingrich was voluble and certain in predicting that Reagan’s policies would fail, and in all of this he was dead wrong.”

For the candidates, linking themselves to one of the most popular Republican presidents in history is a kind of strategy. Gingrich, in particular, has not shied away from touting a relationship with the 40th commander-in-chief. Just take a look at the footage from this week’s NBC debate.

“Ronald Reagan... Reagan... Ronald Reagan... Ronald Reagan... Governor Reagan... President Reagan”

Politico notes, the conservative blogosphere’s attacks on Gingrich reflect what political reporters say they’ve already heard from some GOP lawmakers.

“The conservative media is voicing what dozens of Republican lawmakers, governors and top establishment have told POLITICO in recent weeks in private conversations. ... Romney allies are putting pressure on conservatives to break their silence ... because a Gingrich win would virtually guarantee a very long, divisive race.”

And in last week’s CNN Southern Republican Debate, Romney challenged Gingrich on just how closely he had worked with Reagan.

ROMNEY: “I mean, I’ve looked at the Reagan diary. You’re mentioned once in Ronald Reagan’s diary.”

GINGRICH: “When I became speaker, we went back to the Ronald Reagan playbook -- lower taxes, less regulation, more American energy, and 11 million jobs showed up.”

Of course, Romney has his own troubled history with the Reagan administration. This comment -- made in a 1994 debate with Ted Kennedy -- has often landed him in the GOP doghouse.

“Look, I was an Independent during the time of Reagan/Bush. I’m not trying to return to Reagan/Bush.”

Although Gingrich has momentum coming off a huge win in South Carolina, he and Romney remain in a statistical dead heat in many polls approaching Florida’s Jan. 31st primary.
 

(Image Source: Antenna 3)


BY KEVIN DUBOUIS
ANCHOR LAUREN GORES
 

The late Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu would have turned 94 on Thursday. To mark the occasion, items from his private collection and family belongings are auctioned off in Bucharest. The National Web Inquirer reports, items include luxurious gifts to the late leader from other dictators.


“The auction is titled … The Golden Age, referring to how Communist party officials depicted life in Romania, despite the common citizens’ struggle with food and power shortages and the constant prospect of being arrested for unknown reasons by the secret police.”

Auctioneer Mihael Stomff explains the significance of the auction for Romanians. Euronews has his comments.

“It’s an age in Romania’s history that cannot be passed over and go unnoticed. … [W]e all lived and it’s normal to try to remember it as a stage in Romania’s development.”

Mr. Ceausescu was deposed in 1989 and executed on Dec. 25 with his wife after an expedited trial. In the past 20 years, Romania has taken the road of democracy, joining the the European Union and NATO. But the political and economic situation in Romania has become increasingly unstable because of a recent deep recession.

For two weeks, hundreds have gathered in Bucharest to protest against austerity measures. They have called on President Traian Basescu to step down. Video: BBC

The New York Times reports protesters say Basescu’s government has become increasingly authoritarian.

“They cited cuts to government salaries, frozen pensions and an increase in the value-added tax, as well as what they said was deep-seated corruption and a broader sense that the government served only its own interests and those of its richest constituents.”

On Wednesday, President Basescu delivered his first public address since the beginning of the turmoil -- hoping to calm protesters. The Associated Press reports President Basescu “acknowledged ... that some citizens lost faith in his leadership.”

The Romanian magazine Business Review explains.

“The president said he and the government will have to create the path to ‘a new country’ for Romanians, which will necessitate revising the Constitution and adopting a new election law. He also urged politicians to adopt ‘modest and decent conduct,’ and warned the parties that until they reform themselves, their claims of attempting to modernize the country will lack credibility.”

WebProNews reports on Thursday that the group Anonymous leaked Romania’s Nuclear Department database. They also posted a video to support the protests.

“We must stand united against our governments and make our voices heard, for we are the people of the world who want to put an end to the economic and monetary enslavement. Stand up Romania.”

So while Ceausescu’s belongings are up for auction, his memory is being used to attack the current president. But Basescu defends his government. The Associated Press quotes him saying “I am not a dictator.”

(Image source: Hypervocal)

BY BLAKE HANSON

President Obama hasn’t entered the debate realm quite yet -- but that didn’t stop him from getting into a testy exchange Wednesday with Arizona’s Republican Governor Jan Brewer. The Today Show reports...

“Wednesday afternoon when he touched down outside of Phoenix the President had a tense exchange with Gov. Jan Brewer about her book which characterized Mr. Obama as lecturing her over a 2009 meeting over immigration.”

Brewer says President Obama criticized her over her book -- saying it didn’t portray him well. But a writer for The Phoenix New-Times says regardless of what they talked about, Brewer needed to play nice.

“Leave it to Jan Brewer to humiliate Arizona -- yet again … President Barack Obama was in town today to tour an Intel factory getting built in Chandler -- and it took Brewer all of five seconds to make a g******** scene.”

A blogger for “Stop the ACLU” offers a different take, writing...

“Obama is not particularly happy when people write bad things about him, because he is the anointed one. He’s the only one that can say bad things about people and/or throw them under the bus. Everyone else is just supposed to sit there and take it when Obama bad mouths them …”

Hot Air notes, this is not the first time President Obama has gone head-to-head with a governor while visiting.

“He once surprised [Louisiana Gov. ] Bobby Jindal by whining about a letter Jindal had sent to [Ag. Secretary] Tom Vilsack regarding food stamps. O was in Louisiana that day for a visit related to the BP oil spill but turns out he was preoccupied with the idea that Jindal’s letter had made him look bad … ”

Finally a writer for the Arizona Republic says while there’s a problem, there’s also a solution.

“ … diplomatic protocol really does not give room for anger-venting tiffs on the tarmac. Especially with a president of the United States who is visiting your state. Especially in front of the world … So, apparently, a ‘margarita summit’ is now in order.”

There’s still no word from the Obama administration about its take about what happened.
 

(Image Source: NBC's Today Show)

(Image Source: ABC)

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You’re watching multi-source video political news analysis from Newsy.

A little more than a year after she was shot in the head at a campaign rally, Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords formally resigned from office Wednesday. Fox News explains what’s next for the congresswoman.

“She returns home yet again to continue her recovery and rehabilitation, which is not been easy by any stretch of the imagination. But just watch her walk and the way she looks and that smile...”

On her return to the hill Wednesday morning, Giffords had one last order of business to wrap-up her five years in office. The LA Times explains the details of Giffords’ final piece of legislation -- which the chamber passed unanimously.

“...Her colleagues approved her bipartisan border security bill … [which] would give the Homeland Security Department greater ability to go after ultralight planes believed to be smuggling narcotics from Mexico into the United States … Quick passage offers a gesture of good will from her colleagues as leaders held a brief ceremony celebrating her career.”

With Giffords out-of-office, what’s next for Arizona? MSNBC explains-- Giffords’ colleagues respect her decision to resign and they understand the need to move on.

“Many hoped she would be able to serve and finish her term FLASH and to allow for someone else to fill her seat -- that will all unfold separately when there will be a special election and so forth.”

A special election is likely to happen in the spring or early summer. The New York Daily News speculates who the most likely candidates are to fill Giffords’ now vacant seat.

“Giffords would have been heavily favored to win again. … Among those mentioned as potential candidates were several Republican and Democratic state lawmakers and the name of Giffords' husband, Mark Kelly, although he has publicly quashed such speculation.”

And the Arizona Capitol Times floats the idea of a possible future Giffords endorsement.

“Giffords and her camp will undoubtedly be asked to offer a valuable endorsement. They should hold out, but if the temptation, desire or pressure is too much, at least back a candidate who is intent on proving that politics doesn’t have to be smash-mouth, mean-spirited and reeking of desperation.”

Though she’s stepping down, Giffords says she hopes to eventually return to politics, once she fully recoverrs. 

(Image Source: New Jersey Governor's Office) 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching multi-source video news alaysis from Newsy. 

New Jersey’s Republican governor Chris Christie made a surprise announcement on gay marriage Tuesday, disappointing many of his Democratic supporters. Fox Business explains what’s at the heart of the issue.

“Says he’d veto any bill that would legalize gay marriage. He wants to put it to the voters. Here’s what he said, ‘Let’s let the people of New Jersey decide what’s right for the state. Let’s put the question of same sex marriage on the ballot this fall, in the hands of the people -- the time when the most people will be voting.’”

On Tuesday, a New Jersey judiciary committee voted 8-4 to allow a bill that would legalize gay marriage in the state. Philadelphia’s KYW explains why Democrats believe the issue is a constitutional right that lawmakers should implement -- quoting the state Senate president, a Democrat.

“Sweeny says this is a civil rights issue, one that should be handled by lawmakers, not the voters of New Jersey. He says the last civil rights issue put to New Jersey voters, giving women the right to vote, failed in 1915.”

Critics accuse Christie of punting on a political issue that’s not popular or favored by the governor’s party. A political analyst for New York’s WNYW explains.

“He doesn’t want it on his desk. So what does he do? He trumps them, he gets ahead of them, and he says, ‘Look, let the voters decide. It’s too important for me or the president of the senate or the legislature. Let the people decide.”

So, why would a Republican governor who opposes gay marriage be willing to put the issue up for a vote in a state likely to support it? One pollster tells New York’s WCBS -- the decision comes down to politics.

“There’s some consideration of him as a vice-presidential candidate. He may be thinking down the road to his own reelection in 2013. I think there’s a lot of political calculations as to whether he wants to make this a defining moment of his administration."

But, the governor might face an uphill battle for putting the issue up for a referendum. As the New York Times reports, many in the state will side with the Garden State’s Democrat lawmakers.

“A poll released by Quinnipiac University last week found that 52 percent of New Jersey voters believed that same-sex couples should have the right to marry, and 53 percent believed that denying them that right constituted discrimination.”

For Christie to be successful in getting the referendum on the ballot in November, he would need support from three-fifths of the state’s legislature.Democrats say they have the votes they need to pass the marriage equality bill and likely overturn a gubernatorial veto.

(Image Source: JFK's Presidential Library)

BY SCOTT MACDONALD

ANCHOR LAUREN ZIMA

More than 48 years after his assassination, the public now has new clips of the voice of President John F. Kennedy captured on recordings made in the months leading up to his death.

On Tuesday, his presidential library in Boston declassified and released the last 45 hours of recordings which have been classified until recently.  There are no history-rewriting bombshells, but these tapes reveal the daily tensions and goings-on of JFK’s Oval Office, which was quite busy during the last three months of his life.

During those months Kennedy squeezed in visits with dignitaries from around the globe in between meetings and public appearances. CBS News points out an interesting moment that landed on tape while Kennedy was scheduling one such visit with an Indonesian general.

“...at one point, he makes a haunting reference to the day on which his funeral will be held."
 

KENNEDY: “I will see him. When is he here?”

AIDE: “Monday and Tuesday.”

KENNEDY: “Well, that’s a tough day.”

AIDE: “It’s a hell of a day, Mr. President.”

That Monday in question was indeed a tough day but not for the reasons Kennedy expected. Iconic images from his funeral that day showed his children standing solemnly as their father’s casket was carried by. But, as the tapes show, the kids were a bright part of life in the White House before the assassination. USA Today has more.

The sound of the president's children, Caroline and John Jr., playing outside the Oval Office is part of a recording on which he introduces them to Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko.

"Hello, hello," Gromyko says as the children come in, telling their father, "They are very popular in our country.”

During that same meeting with the Soviet Minister, this recording from the JFK Presidential Library website demonstrates Kennedy’s efforts to improve US-Soviet relations.

KENNEDY: “...we’ve been pulling and hauling around the United States for the last three months in a couple, several directions. And we think, for us, we’ve made some progress in our relations with the Soviet Union.”

The president’s desk served as the center of planning and debate on important issues between JFK, his advisers, and other top world leaders. Vietnam comes into play on the tapes, which reveal how he fretted over the state of democracy there. The Daily Beast reports.

“During a meeting in September 1963, Kennedy vented his frustration with conflicting reports about the civil war in Vietnam.”

KENNEDY: “On the one hand, you get the military saying the war is going better, and on the other hand you get the political (opinion) with its deterioration is affecting the military … What is the reason for the difference—I’d like to have an explanation what the reason is for the difference.”

As Maura Porter, an archivist for the JFK Presidential Library, explained to WBUR Radio in Boston, this new sound bite exposes Kennedy’s disapproval with the intelligence coming out of Vietnam.

“It’s historically frustrating to know that the president was trying to come up with answers and that he wasn’t being given the pieces from his advisers. So I think a lot of historians will find it not surprising, but very interesting to hear all of this play out in the president’s own voice.”

 

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons) 

BY BRIAN BONDUS

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

The GOP Presidential nominee race is racking up a hefty bill and the candidates are now focusing those funds on Florida. Newt Gingrich’s Super PAC has narrowed the spending gap with Mitt Romney’s since the Iowa caucus.

CNN reports, Gingrich’s Super PAC just got another big boost.

That backer is reportedly Mariam Adelson, the wife of the casino boss, Sheldon Adelson, who has contributed $5 million to the super PAC known as winning our future.

That brings the total donation by the third-richest man in America to $10 million. The Daily Beast calls Adelson pro-Israel, and is concerned all that cash has changed Gingrich’s policies.

“Compared to the views he expresses now, which are a full-blown echo of Adelson’s, the Gingrich of six years ago was a moderate, endorsing Obama-like policies he now condemns.”

A former top Clinton administration aide and now public policy professor from UC-Berkley is also concerned about Adelson’s influence on Gingrich. Robert Reich says Gingrich would be indebted to Adelson should he win the White House.

“The Adelsons and their kids will have the run of the White House, including the Oval Office... Never before in the history of American politics has a single couple given more money to a single candidate and had a bigger impact ….”

Not everyone is convinced this donation will make a difference in the upcoming Florida primary.
The New York Times notes how far $5 million goes in Florida.  

“Florida is the most expensive state the Republican candidates have competed in so far. $5 million, which was enough to saturate the airwaves in South Carolina for a week, is going to buy less commercial time to compete in what is going to be a cacophonous political advertising blitz...”

Romney has already spent $13 million on advertising in Florida. Gingrich is expected to increase his spending dramatically leading up to the January 31st primary.

(Image source: New York Times)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

The polls have shifted. After weeks of double-digit leads, Mitt Romney is no longer number one. A new Gallup poll has Romney at 29 percent and contender Newt Gingrich at 28 percent -- a virtual tie. Florida state polls have Gingrich at a nine or eight-percent lead -- just days before the state’s primary.

An analyst told Fox Business Network Gingrich's rise is a result of the past two debates.

“... that’s how he initially began to pop, was showing that he can go after Obama.That proves my argument. People don’t think that Mitt Romney can defeat President Obama. That is why there are doubts about his electability.”

And a blogger for the Washington Post says the numbers may be more telling of Romney’s campaign than Gingrich’s.

“...the Gallup poll demonstrates that Romney has lost ground in the majority of the country where voters will host primaries and caucuses in the coming months.”

NPR reports the poll’s swing isn’t surprising -- and this isn’t the first time Romney’s faced tough competition.

“And there's nothing subtle about the shift. Romney has lost much of the lift under his wings while Gingrich has gained it. But this isn't the first time it's happened.”

Certainly, Romney’s campaign has already faced some tough competition and has been able to knock it down. But, a blogger for The Guardian says this time, campaign attacks may work against Romney.

“Romney can continue to go after Gingrich on the flaws that make him a dangerous nominee, but the GOP primary voters seem to like playing with fire.”

But New York Times blog “Five Thirty Eight” warns not to take the poll switcheroo too seriously just yet.

“ ... it is always good to bank actual votes, especially in a race as volatile as this one. There is some anecdotal evidence, also, that polling firms that do not carefully account for early voting may understate its impact.”

Around 225,000 Florida Republicans have already cast their ballots.
 

(Image Source: Washington Post)

 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching multi-source video political news analysis from Newsy.

President Obama took to the podium Tuesday night, delivering a message to the nation’s Congressional leaders. The subject of the president’s third State of the Union address was simple: Restoring the American economy.

“We can do this. I know we can, because we’ve done it before.”

The president didn’t waste time getting straight to the point. Just a few paragraphs into the speech, he emphasized the importance of economic equality for all Americans.

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot.”

But was the speech too much about politics? The New York Times’ Andrew Rosenthal says, without a doubt the president was speaking to more than just the nation’s Congressional leaders. He was reaching out to voters.

“If anyone had any lingering doubts about whether President Obama is ready to fight for his job, the State of the Union Address tonight should have dispelled them... Mr. Obama was in full-throated campaign mode by the second page of his prepared text.”

Mr. Obama also focused his attention on the federal deficit, saying the two trillion dollars in cuts and savings previously agreed to simply isn’t enough to solve the nation’s debt crisis. As for a solution, he took aim at America’s wealthy -- calling for those who make more than $1 million a year to pay 30 percent in taxes and forego deductions.

“Right now, Warren Buffett pays a lower tax rate than his secretary. Do we want to keep these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? Or do we want to keep our investments in everything else?”

The Washington Post suggests while the president’s message might have been deeply partisan, it resonated with a certain voting bloc the president needs in November.

“Obama struck the populist chords that his Republican presidential rivals have criticized as ‘class warfare.’ But he has seen his approval ratings rise on the strength of that message, particularly among the independent voters who helped elect him in 2008 but had grown disappointed by his leadership in office.”

Other issues the president touched on during the address: clean energy, Wall Street reform, and investment in education. Indiana governor Mitch Daniels gave the GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address.
In direct opposition to the president, Daniels offered suggestions for job creation that he believes would lead to economic recovery.

“That means a dramatically simpler tax system of fewer loopholes and lower rates. It means maximizing on the new domestic energy technologies that are the best break our economy has gotten in years.”

In keeping with last year’s tradition, a Tea Party response followed Daniel’s GOP rebuttal. Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain delivered that statement.

(Image source: The Flint Journal)

BY BLAKE HANSON

For many star athletes, it’s part of the routine after winning a national championship. You visit the White House, get a photo op with the President and get back to business. But for Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas it wasn’t a photo op … it was a political op. Here’s KOMO...

“Tim Thomas skipped the trip to the White House. He’s one of only two Americans on the team and he said the federal government is out of control. He is blaming both parties so he said he was not going to show up.”

Indeed -- Thomas posted on his Facebook page about the incident, writing:

“I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People."

The player’s deke of the White House is polarizing pundits on all sides of the issue. NBC’s Nancy Snyderman gets fired up on the Today Show.

“This is not about the person who is there for four or eight years, this is the office of the presidency and this is just rude!”

It isn’t the first time an athlete’s skipped out on a visit to the White House. NFL player Mark Chmura dipped out because of the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinksy scandal and Steelers linebacker James Harrison stayed home in 2006 and 2009 because he quote: “didn’t feel it’s that big of a deal”. A columnist for the Toronto Star says Thomas’ snub fits in with all the rest...

“...it's not a cultural catastrophone … Tim Thomas wasn't the first and he won't be the last.”

And Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Blog “Puck Daddy” is in full support of Thomas.

“... Good on Thomas … It's a moment in which a professional athlete uses his fame, his influence for something he believes in, and does something that won't be popular among fans or media.”

Next time you’ll see Thomas will be on Sunday in Ottawa for the 2012 All-Star game.

(Image Source: Charlotte Observer)  

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching multi-source polical video news analysis from Newsy. 

Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich continue their heated battle over releasing financial documents. HLN describes an explosive exchange between the two candidates over Freddie Mac during Monday’s GOP debate -- and how Gingrich is fighting back.

“He accused Gingrich of lobbying for mortgage giant Freddie Mac...FLASH...Gingrich not only denied that he lobbied for Freddie Mac, he’s released one of his contracts with the company and you’re gonna see how much money his consulting firm made at that.”

Romney’s made no bones about his beef with the former House Speaker’s relationship with Freddie Mac. Romney accused Gingrich of lobbying for the mortgage giant, but as Bloomberg explains, the Gingrich campaign has a different story.

“He consulted. That’s his official line, Margaret, is that he consulted and other services that he saw fit, or that his employer saw fit to do. The important part is that Newt Gingrich answered to the top lobbyist at Freddie Mac and he was at the call of that top lobbyist.”

And when he’s not calling himself a consultant--Gingrich refers to himself as a Freddie Mac historian.
The Huffington Post says-- that’s an interesting description.

“Gingrich had previously claimed that Freddie Mac hired him as a ‘historian,’ but he may be the first historian in history to have hired a consultant to make sure his historical work didn't accidentally drift into the legal definition of lobbying.”

A consultant? A historian? Something else?  Fox Business explains the difficulty in nailing down a specific definition for Gingrich’s association with Freddie Mac.

“There are strict technical and registration requirements to qualify as a lobbyist. Technically, Gingrich was not registered to lobby for Freddie Mac.”

But regardless of what Gingrich’s role was at the mortgage firm-- The Washington Post explains why any association with Freddie Mac has become a political sticking point.

“Many Republicans have criticized Freddie Mac because the company invested in risky mortgages and then needed billions of dollars in taxpayer money for a bailout after the housing market meltdown.”

Ultimately, Karl Rove tells Fox News, despite efforts, Gingrich didn’t settle the “lobbyist” argument in Monday’s debate.

“Look, there’s a reason why Freddie paid Newt Gingrich $1.6 million. It was so he would be on the payroll, they could point to his support of Freddie and Fannie as evidence that conservatives could comfortably continue to support them.”

The released contract covers just one of the three years Gingrich worked for Freddie Mac -- The Hill reports until more documents are released, Gingrich will continue to field questions from the media and other GOP campaigns.

(Image source: KSFM)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

A Democratic campaign manager comes home to a gruesome scene Sunday night.  Jake Burris and his family arrived at their Russellville, Arkansas home to find their family cat dead on their porch.  Just a warning, the image you are about to see is graphic.

Written on the cat’s fur in black marker was the word, “liberal.”  According to a statement released by the family, one side of the animal’s head had been bashed in and one of its eyes was barely in its socket.

Burris works for Arkansas Democratic Congressional candidate Ken Aden. Burris told KSFM he has never felt threatened because of his politics.

“Of course you get into arguments. Everyone is passionate about their politics and things like that but especially in this town, I mean everybody’s cordial with each other.” 

Even though no person’s life was threatened, a blogger for the Huffington Post says this kind of violence needs to be taken very seriously.

“Even if it's about a cat. If we don't speak now, when will the dehumanization stop? But if people can't see the common thread of life that binds human beings together -- liberal and conservative, immigrant and native-born, black and white -- how can they see the force that binds us to other life?”

But was the cat killing really about politics?  A blogger for Gather thinks maybe not.

“It has to be some really crazy person, and probably not political at all. Police should be on the lookout for a serial killer in the making.”

Politically motivated or not, liberal blogs have taken up the cause.  Blue Arkansas used the incident to call out local news outlets owned by the Republican opponent's father.

“I would also hope that Steve Womack’s father, owner of a local radio station, would stop giving out the names, phone numbers, and addresses of members of the Aden team or anyone else for that matter on his radio program when ranting about Aden. ... Clearly there is someone out there that doesn’t need anymore of that kind of information.”

Some are even questioning if the attack is all it appears. Blog HyperVocal says politically motivated violence always comes with a small side of doubt.

“While we’d never accuse Burris of faking the attack — and there’s certainly no evidence suggesting it — a politically motivated incident like this calls to mind the Pittsburgh woman who in 2008 carved the letter B (for Barack Obama) in her own face and filed a false police report, inventing a mugging.”

If the incident was indeed intended to be a threat to slow down Aden’s campaign, he tells CNN it won’t work.

“It’s very upsetting but we as a campaign are going to continue to move forward and do our job here in the third congressional district of Arkansas.”

Police have said the incident falls under an animal cruelty statute which is a felony in the State of Arkansas.  The FBI has also been notified.  

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)  

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You’re watching multi-source political video news analysis from Newsy.

It’s a conversation that’s surrounded Mitt Romney. But on Tuesday, after weeks of mounting pressure from critics and fellow Republicans, the GOP presidential hopeful released his most recent tax returns. Bloomberg breaks down the details.

“In 2010, Mitt Romney and his wife Ann earned 21.6 million dollars, putting them firmly in the nation’s one percent of income earners. Romney paid three million dollars in taxes, that’s an effective tax rate of just under 14 percent.”

Part of the debate about Romney’s returns is just how much he pays. Fox Business explains why the candidate pays a lower rate than average Americans.

“That’s because a majority of his income comes from capital gains on investments which are taxed at a lower rate than most wages.”

Further, as CNN Money reports, although Romney’s tax rate sits at just below 14 percent on his capital gains, the amount he pays in overall taxes is much higher.

“Nevertheless, and contrary to popular perception, Romney's effective federal income tax rate is still above that of many Americans -- 80% of whom have an effective rate below 15%. That tax rate is higher when other federal taxes -- such as the payroll tax -- are included.”

Romney’s critics say, because of his tax rate, the Massachusetts governor can’t relate to lower-income citizens. NBC’s chief White House correspondent says the timing might not work well for Romney, with President Obama set to deliver his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

“Now the picture, when the president talks about tax reform and talks about unfairness in the tax code, the most recent thing some viewers will have in their head is, ‘Oh yea, man, Mitt Romney made 40 million dollars campaigning for president.”

The Washington Post says the tax returns don’t show the full picture of Romney’s wealth.

“They don’t show the full extent of his net assets, which are estimated to be worth between $190 million and $250 million. Romney has an individual retirement account worth between $20.7 million and $101.6 million, according to his 2011 financial disclosure. He also has a blind trust for his wife, Ann, containing $10 million.”

But a writer for The Atlantic says while Romney’s income and tax rate are a turnoff for some, the political fallout may not be as severe. Adding, the Romneys have done good things with their wealth.

“Romney donated nearly $3 million to charitable causes in 2010 and more than $4 million in 2011, including at least $4.1 million to the Mormon Church. That's better than some politicians, whose tax forms show they didn't bother to give money to those less fortunate than themselves (Think Vice President Joe Biden, who gave an average of just $369 a year to charity...)”

In Monday night’s Florida GOP debate, Romney stood firmly against his critics saying he pays his fair share.

“I will not apologize for being successful. I did not inherit what my wife and I have. Nor did she. What we have, what I was able to build, I built the old fashioned way: By earning it. By working hard.

Donny Deutsch, former host of CNBC’s “The Big Idea” agrees. He told NBC’s “Today” it doesn’t matter what Romney earned -- or what he paid. The only thing that makes a difference is how he’ll govern the nation.

“Honestly, he’s a successful guy, guess what. He plays within the rules -- that’s the tax rate for a guy at that level. Now, if you don’t like the law, that’s one thing where your politics are. But we gotta stop punishing this guy because he’s successful, politics aside.”

Of the four remaining GOP presidential hopefuls, Romney and Gingrich are the only two to release income information. Rick Santorum says he will follow suit, but Ron Paul says unless pressured, he will not make his tax information public.

(Image Source: Senior Living)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In U.S. news, GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney released his tax records late Monday. The Wall Street Journal says he paid a 14 percent effective tax rate in 2010, on an income of about 21 million dollars. The average effective rate for an American taxpayer is 11 percent. CNN says the revelation won’t stop all the tax talk.
 

CNN: “I feel like in a way, this just brings another round of conversation... we haven’t even gotten the full release yet.”
David Frum, contributor: “It opens two conversations: the first conversation is one about Mitt Romney, the second is about the way the tax system works.”
 

Still in the U.S., President Barack Obama is set to deliver the annual State of the Union address at 9 p.m. Eastern Time tonight. CBS explains what’s at stake for the man developing a re-election strategy.
 

“There will probably be no other speech this year, where the president has the attention of tens of millions of Americans, where he can make his case for his vision in this election year.”
 

In world news, a group of armed pro-Muammar Gaddafi residents have captured a city near the Libyan capital of Tripoli. Reuters calls it the gravest challenge yet to the country’s new government. Fox News has more.
 

“Pro-Gaddafi forces recapturing now. The city of Bani Walid near Tripoli. Libya’s new leaders have struggled to unify the country, three months after Gaddafi was captured and killed.”
 

In entertainment news, nominations for the 84th Oscars have been announced. The ceremony will be held February 26. Nine films have been nominated for Best Picture -- NBC’s Today Show has some of the surprises.
 

“Pleasant surprise for Steven Spielberg, whose War Horse hasn’t had as much awards action as you would think it would have had. Tree of Life, which, you know, a small independent movie that did very well, but a lot of people thought it was incredibly confusing, a little bizarre, Academy loved it.”
 

List of nominations, courtesy of the AP. 

Stay with Newsy for more news analysis throughout the day. 

(Image Source: New York Times)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

GOP candidates faced off in the Sunshine state’s first debate Monday night. But it was a one-on-one sparring match that gained all the attention.

ROMNEY: “I think it’s about leadership. And the Speaker was given an opportunity to be the leader of our party in 1994, and at the end of 4 years he had to resign in disgrace.” 
GINGRICH: “I”m not going to spend the evening trying to chase Governor Romney’s misinformation.  “He just said at least four things that are false. I don’t want to waste the time on them.” (VIDEO SOURCE: NBC)

“Mitt Romney opened a searing attack of Newt Gingrich’s character and raised pointed questions about his rival’s ability to lead during a debate... For the first time in a long series of debates, the tables were turned and Mr. Romney was on the offensive. (SOURCE: New York Times)

And as NBC’s Chuck Todd points out... Gingrich’s behavior showed a turning point in the race.

“What struck me is what a marked contrast frankly to Gingrich’s speech Saturday night. His quote victory speech which had a lot of venom in it. Boy, it’s almost as if someone got to him and said, ‘don’t do that.’ You can’t do that if you want to be the frontrunner.”

Commentators for PBS Newshour pointed out -- the two candidates new attitudes might be telling for the future of the GOP race.

“This is a race now that boils down to a kind of two-and-a-half, two-and-a-quarter person race, with Santorum still in the background buzzing around and Paul there.”

Although most of the media focused on Romney and Newt’s head-to-head exchanges over Medicare, NASA, personal finances and more, others remind --- The L.A. Times John Hoeffel says Rick Santorum stood his own, though he didn’t get the attention of the two frontrunners.

“With Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich engaging in a dogfight, …Santorum soldiered on, trying to persuade some of Florida's reddest Republicans that the top two finishers in South Carolina's upending primary are convenient conservatives, while he is the real deal.”

And even if Romney and Gingrich stole the spotlight during NBC’s broadcast, the Daily Beast’s Howard Kurtz writes -- neither took the gold.

“The two men probably fought to a draw, neither looking particularly good in the process. And that, on balance, helped Romney, since as the longtime frontrunner his weaknesses are better known at this point. The only clear winner was Williams, who avoided the fate of John King and emerged unscathed.”

Florida’s primary will be held Tuesday, January 31st.

(Image Source: The White House)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

A show of good will after a whole lot of bad blood.

KABC reports, lawmakers are gonna mix it up at Tuesday night’s State of the Union address.

“Bipartisan seating. More than 120 members of Congress have agreed to sit side-by-side regardless of their political affiliation.”

But until then -- it seems the seating chart is the only thing bipartisan on Capitol Hill.

“...expected to be a politically charged State of the Union address.”

NY1

“Speaker John Boehner already said, quote, ‘I think it's pathetic.’”

MSNBC

“One Colorado congressman will not attend the State of the Union address tomorrow. Fifth District Republican Doug Lamborn says he doesn't support the policies of President Obama.”

KCNC

But plenty of others will probably be watching on TV.  43 million people watched last year in what many consider to be the most important speech the president gives every year.  Over the weekend, President Obama gave a preview of what he’s planning to say Tuesday night.

“I’ll lay out my blueprint for actions we need to take together – not just me, or Congress, but every American – to rebuild an economy where hard work and responsibility are rewarded.  An economy that’s built to last.”

The speech will be sandwiched between two GOP presidential debates -- and amid a fiery campaign for the Republican nomination. Fox Business points out -- it could be President Obama’s last State of the Union speech, and he’s expected to draw a distinction between himself and his GOP challengers.

“Wants to portray himself as the defender of middle class in America as opposed to Republicans. Happy to paint a contrast between different visions here. Take that to the election.”

In his 2011 speech, the president urged Congress to work together. That didn’t exactly pan out -- considering all the times you might remember hearing the phrase “government shutdown looming” last year. For USA Today, Richard Wolf takes a look at some of the president’s other goals.

He notes, last year the president proposed freezing domestic spending for the next five years.

“What happened: … domestic and defense spending will be cut by nearly $1 trillion over 10 years.”

On taxes, Mr. Obama said a permanent extension of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans was unaffordable. Wolf notes:

“What happened: He's still asking. The tax cuts ... were extended in 2010 for two more years... That's when the battle will be fought — after the elections.”

So -- a mixed record. But The Daily Political says -- that’s not entirely the President’s fault.


“The president’s promises were broken because of congressional opposition as well as being overshadowed by other priorities. These are the realities of a government full of bureaucracy.”


After President Obama delivers his speech, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels will give the GOP response. Former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, who dropped out in December, will rebut on behalf of the Tea Party. 

(Image Source:  Sage-Quest.com)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday police violated Fourth Amendment rights when they used GPS technology to track a suspect’s car without a search warrant. KCRA has the story.

“The justices heard arguments last year in the case of a nightclub owner convicted of drug conspiracy. Police in Washington, DC had attached a GPS to his car and followed his movements.”

That tracking led investigators to a stash of money and drugs. A federal appeals court had previously overturned the man’s conviction. The Supreme Court agrees with that ruling and it’s making waves. MSNBC calls it a first-of-its-kind ruling in a world of fast-changing technology.

“There’s language in this ruling that suggests a majority of the court is also sympathetic to the privacy implications of, for example, police trying to track you using a cell phone or other electronic devices.”

On the Boston Globe’s website, a guest blogger from the American Civil Liberties Union applauds the ruling, calling it “breathtakingly important.”

“ ... a major victory for privacy advocates and for all people who want to see a clear translation of basic constitutional rights in the digital age. … Since most people in the United States travel with their mobile phones 24/7 ... these questions could not be more important.”

But a writer for Forbes says the ruling is flat-out “wrong,” arguing safety should trump privacy.

“It’s a great day to be a criminal or terrorist, thanks to the US Supreme Court. … The Monday ruling … encourages criminals and terrorists to behave even more boldly knowing their movements are now more difficult to track without detection.”

Still, The Baltimore Sun reports in Maryland, at least -- the ruling doesn’t seem to be a major concern for criminal investigations.

“Brian Thompson, a lawyer who represents criminal defendants in both state and federal courts, said he doesn’t believe the new rules will put too much of a burden on police. ‘The police will just get warrants first,’ he said. ‘They don’t just put tracking devices on people randomly.’”
 

(Image Source: latimes.com) 

(Image Source: Flickr/Motiqua)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In world news, the European Union has officially banned all imports on Iranian oil. The move increases international pressure against the regime over its disputed nuclear program. Euronews has the details.
 

“Iran exports around 20 percent of its oil to the EU and the new embargo places an immediate ban on new contracts. Reflecting concerns, notably from Greece, all existing deals will be phased out by July 1.”
 

Still in world news, updates on the cruise liner disaster off the coast of Italy. The thirteenth body has now been found. Now, the UK’s Daily Telegraph says the ship’s owner is reportedly offering survivors - get this - a 30 percent discount on future cruises. CNN has more.
 

“One survivor tells the paper it is ridiculous, it’s insulting. So far CNN’s not been able to independently confirm that 30 percent number, but as you can expect, passengers want more than 30 percent...”
 

In U.S. news, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is now on the offensive after losing to Newt Gingrich in the South Carolina primary. Fox News explains Romney’s line of attack as the race gets closer to its next stop - the Florida primary.
 

“It’s gonna be against Newt Gingrich as a failed leader. He’s going to talk about how he had to resign in disgrace as Speaker of the House. And he’s also going to call on him now to release his records on his time at Freddie Mac.”
 

In tech news, the co-CEOs of Research in Motion have resigned, thanks to investor pressures. They will be replaced by the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Thorsten Heins. The BlackBerry-makers’ shares recently hit an 8-year low. CNBC says the company is depicting the move as an orderly transition.

“In fact, both those co-CEOs will stay on as members of the Board of Directors. Analysts though say that they are concerned that it may be only a figurehead change.”

 

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Just how bad was Mitt Romney’s week? In the span of three days, the candidate not only lost a blowout to Newt Gingrich in South Carolina -- he lost a caucus he had initially won in Iowa, meaning his record in nominating contests suddenly jumped from 2-for-2 to 1-for-3.

In his concession speech Saturday, Romney admitted defeat and delivered what could be a preview of his campaign strategy leading up to the Florida primary: going hard after Gingrich.

“Let me be clear: If Republican leaders want to join this president in demonizing success and disparaging conservative values then they’re not going to be fit to be our nominee.”

Sunday morning, Romney made a rare move, appearing on FOX News Sunday. The interview marked only the second time Romney had appeared on a Sunday show since March 2010. He announced plans to put to rest an issue that has dogged him in recent days.

“I’m going to make it very clear to you right now, Chris. I will release my tax returns for 2010, which is the last returns that were completed. I’ll do that on Tuesday of this week.”

Many analysts blame Romney’s blowout defeat on a fundamental misunderstanding of both primary voters and Gingrich’s legitimacy. The Washington Examiner’s Byron York had this to say:

“Mitt Romney's team of seasoned campaign professionals may not think Newt Gingrich has any business playing a deciding role in the race.  But they better believe it, and they better take seriously what the Gingrich challenge represents -- before it's too late.”

Exit polling data from South Carolina also showed the re-emergence of an old thorn in Romney’s side -- evidence the candidate’s Mormon faith turned off many evangelical voters. CNN takes a look.

“If the candidates’ religious beliefs mattered a great deal to you when you voted... Only 9 percent voted for Mitt Romney.”

“Religious beliefs don’t matter at all? Gov. Romney wins among this subset of the electorate 42 percent to 29 percent.”

Looking to Florida, many pundits, including POLITICO’s Jonathan Martin, agreed conservative coalescing around Gingrich while Romney falters makes the Sunshine State’s January 31st primary unpredictable.

“With three separate candidates taking the first three states, none of the contenders has a convincing hold ... A contest that appeared increasingly clear following New Hampshire is now scrambled to the point that a protracted delegate battle is a real possibility.”

Still, Romney has a strong presence in Florida. Although Gingrich led Romney in many polls there throughout December, the latest data has the former Massachusetts governor out ahead by 18 points.

(Image Source: YouTube)

BY LAUREN ZIMA

A big announcement from Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who was shot in an assassination attempt in Tucson a little more than a year ago. Here’s part of a video Giffords shared on YouTube this weekend.

“I have more work to do on my recovery so to do what is best for Arizona I will step down this week. ... I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country.”

Giffords also says she’s getting better -- and her spirits are high. CNN reports Giffords arrived at the difficult decision after visiting Tucson a few weeks ago for the one-year anniversary of the shooting -- she says the trip made her realize she needs to focus on recovery. The network also has the political take.

“Look, politically, Republicans would love the chance to pick up a seat in the house, as they may do here. But nobody -- as partisan as things get on capital hill - nobody wanted to see Giffords leave Congress this way.”

And WSVN reports on what exactly will happen to that seat -- and Giffords.

“Giffords will submit her letters of resignation to House Speaker John Boehner and Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, but she said she will attend the State of the Union address on Tuesday before she leaves Congress. A special election will be held to fill her seat through the end of her term this year.”

And Fox News reminds us of Giffords’ inspirational impact.

“The attack on Giffords led to calls for more civility in Congress, including from President Obama who attended a memorial service in Tucson for the fallen. … House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi issued a statement saying that Giffords ‘has been a true bright star.’”
 

(Image Source: TerryforPresident.com)

BY GINA COOK

ANCHOR ZACH TOOMBS

Watching the Superbowl this year? Some cities should get ready to see a graphic anti-abortion ad from Randall Terry -- who is challenging President Obama’s Democratic nomination. Here’s a clip from Terry’s Iowa campaign ad to serve as an introduction.

“The slaughter of unborn babies, defying the commandments of God, who will stop this mad man? ... I’m asking your vote in the Iowa caucus against Obama. I can defeat him here if you put principle ahead of party.”

But the ad Terry is paying to have air in dozens of cities around the country is far more graphic than that one. We’ve chosen not to show it to you because of its content -- the ad shows several dead fetuses and body parts.

Anti-abortion ads have been turned down in the past, but the reason Terry’s will pass is a loophole in the FCC’s rules that allows such ads to air if they are endorsed by a candidate for federal office.

And The Washington Post speculates Terry is making the most of that loophole -- meaning he doesn’t seem to be seriously considering a presidential run.

“Terry launched a non-serious campaign for president late last year so that he would be able to run gruesome ads of dead fetuses in key primary states.”

The ad is sparking intense debate. The Guardian says

“Terry is a remarkable man, in that he is so unpleasant, so mean-spirited and so fanatical in his egotistical anti-choice activism ...”

And some TV stations are even speaking out. KYTV, which will air the ad, posted on its site:

"‘If Randall Terry was a normal advertiser, this ad would not air.  It doesn't meet the community standards that we've established,’ said KY3 Inc. General Manager Brian McDonough

But a writer for the Bleacher Report says everyone -- pro-life or not -- should keep opinions out of football.

“ … We all have a right to our views. … My issue is that they should keep the political posturing out of the Super Bowl. … For one day—one beautiful, pigskin-oriented day—can't we just take a break from the politics?”

Terry says he has purchased air time in 13 markets -- including cities in Oklahoma, Colorado, Kentucky and Missouri. He chose the markets based on where he felt the ads would have the most impact.

(Image Source: Newsy)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE AND VICTORIA CRAIG

Third state. Third winner. Looks like it’s gonna be a long race for the GOP nomination. On Fox News Sunday, Mitt Romney praises Newt Gingrich for his first place win.

“Speaker Gingrich had a good week. I think his debate sparring with Juan Williams was a great opportunity for him to show some strength. It was not a great week for me.”

One of the strong points that helped Gingrich win the Palmetto State was his direct attacks on President Obama.  Gingrich told CNN’s Candy Crowley he won’t back down on the --- quote --  “food stamp president” line despite criticism.

“Do you want a paycheck president, in which case, my years in office, first with Reagan, and then as speaker, combine 27 million jobs created for the American people in those two periods. A pretty good test. Or do you want a food stamp president?”

But fellow candidate, Rick Santorum, told ABC’s “This Week” Gingrich will do more harm to the party than good if he wins the nomination.

“I think he’s a very high-risk candidate. I’ve said that from the very beginning. I get a lot of ideas, brilliant in that respect, but as far as focus, as far as being able to rely on him to come out and deliver that consistent strong message and not undermine our focus.”

Gingrich faced his fair share of press scandal this week when ABC aired an interview with his ex-wife. Gingrich tells CBS’ “Face the Nation” he believes ABC picked sides.

“The way they did it, was almost as though ABC were an arm of the Romney campaign, deliberately trying to set that stage and rig the game. I was amazed how intense the feeling was that night when people just repudiated that trash in a presidential campaign.”

But Romney isn’t taking his loss lying down. He took his fight to the Sunday shows -- taking direct aim at Gingrich.

“I do think conservative values play an enormous role and I think the Speaker has some explaining to do for sitting down on the sofa with Nancy Pelosi and arguing for climate change regulation.”

But Gingrich fired back, hitting at Romney’s record, too.

“I think it’s almost bizarre. Here’s a governor whose staff erased all of the computers for Romneycare. He has released no information about how they developed Romneycare."

Despite his best efforts, Romney couldn’t escape the issue of his tax returns -- but this time around, rather than defending himself, he made a long-awaited announcement.

“I will release my tax returns for 2010, which are the last returns that are completed. I’ll do that on Tuesday of this week. I’ll also at the same time release an estimate for 2011 tax returns.”

And for that, Gingrich praised his toughest competition.

“I think that’s a very good thing he’s doing and I commend him for it. I think it’s exactly the right thing to do. As far as I’m concerned, that particular issue is now set aside.”

With South Carolina in the bag and still no front-runner, the GOP candidates have their sights set on next week’s Florida primary.

(Image source: The New York Times)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE

Well it was an early night for those following the South Carolina primary.  Just minutes after the polls closed, the announcements began.

Gingrich isn’t wasting any time patting himself on the back.  He already has his sights set on the next race.

“We need to build on this victory by going to Florida. I need your help in reaching out to people in Florida.  I need your help in finding anyone who believes in what we’re doing.”

The New York Daily News writes Gingrich’s handling of his political scandals might have helped him get the votes.

“Gingrich surged back to life after a few strong debate performances - and his aggressive denial of his ex-wife's claims that the Speaker wanted an open marriage. He also may have been the recipient of some sympathy votes after a pair of fake emails … circulated Friday claiming that Gingrich pressured his former spouse into an abortion.”

The New York Times saw the primary results as a fleshing out of Romney’s flaws-- flaws that he may not be able to overcome.

“For Mr. Romney, the night presented the biggest challenge yet to his once-high-flying candidacy … Tea Party adherents and religious voters who have viewed him with suspicion over his Massachusetts health care initiative and past support for abortion rights.”

Political blogger Ezra Klein tweeted the win by yet another candidate may just hurt Republican’s chance at winning the White House.

HUGE win for Obama in South Carolina tonight. And I don't mean in the Democratic primary.

With the GOP nomination still having no clear front-runner after three primaries, all eyes will be on Florida.  One reporter for CBS points out Florida might be rough for Gingrich because he has lost steam after earlier rises in the polls.

“One of Gingrich's problems is his lack of discipline. He's going to have 10 days in Florida with this momentum kind of being the front-runner, and he's shown he's had difficulty holding on to the momentum, and so Romney's going to try to take that away from him.”

More than anything, Gingrich’s victory seems to suggest there will be months more of intense campaigning, instead of the zipped up Romney victory some were predicting just weeks ago. The Huffington Post explains.

“The GOP calendar this year is more spread out than it was four years ago, which means that the contest was going to last until at least late April even if Romney had buried Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul long ago. But now that South Carolina has given a boost to Gingrich -- and a small but important cache of delegates -- it's clear how long the campaign will last.”

The Florida Primary is on Tuesday, January 31st. 

(Image Source: Post and Courier)

BY BLAKE HANSON

He isn’t on the ballot -- and there aren’t any write-ins, but that won’t stop satirist and now GOP presidential candidate Stephen Colbert from playing a role in the race for the party’s nomination. On Friday, the comedian drew droves of people to a campaign event featuring former candidate Herman Cain. CNN has more...

“A very unusual campaign rally in South Carolina.”
“Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert who’s supposedly exploring a possible White House run and former presidential candidate Herman Cain who dropped out of the race.”

Colbert tossed his name into the hat too late for qualification to get his name on the South Carolina ballot. But, he’s not letting that stop him -- instead he’s asking people to vote for Cain to show their support for him. A writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer says the recent rally tells us a lot about current U.S. politics.

“The biggest political rally of the primary season was hosted Friday by a fake Republican who is running for president even though he's not on the ballot and a real Republican who is not running for president even though he is on the ballot. And that pretty much tells you everything you need to know about how the masses … view the American political system in the winter of 2012.”

Hundreds attended the rally at the College of Charleston campus, and a writer for Salon tells MSNBC’s Chris Matthews his take...

“I think the prevailing interpretation of it will probably end up being, if he does well, this is how bad and unimpressive this field was to the voters of South Carolina.”

A writer for the Globe and Mail says jokes aside -- Colbert’s actions raise some tough questions.

“... Mr. Colbert has sparked a serious debate about whether his use of comedy to draw attention to money in U.S. politics – he has formed a so-called super political action committee named Making a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow – is turning young people into cynics before they cast their first ballot.”

And some commentators, including the Washington Post’s Colbert King -- say it’s not even a question that Colbert should stop...

“...disgust with the corrosive effects of super PAC money and coolness toward the likes of Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum are no excuse for trying to disrupt the presidential election system, as it appears Colbert has tried to do.”

But the LA Times’ David Horsey points to a different question, asking why so many more people are attending the fake candidate’s event, than the real ones’.

“ … the four remaining Republican candidates are not drawing crowds as big and adoring as Colbert’s … four years ago at this point in the campaign, both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton were pulling in crowds as big or bigger … This year’s candidates are avoiding big events because they do not want to be photographed in half-empty halls.”


So what’s the word on how he’s polling? A new Public Policy Poll found Stephen Colbert has a higher favorability rating than any other candidate.

 

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Amid continued violence in Syria, President Obama’s administration is preparing to close the U.S. embassy in the embattled nation’s capitol. CNN has the report.

“The United States, we are told, is asking Syria to provide more security around the embassy. BUT the big issue now is they’re not sure the Syrians are going to follow through...”

The Washington Post broke the story Friday afternoon, citing State Department officials who say unless it sees increased security for the embassy, the Obama administration has no choice but to pull staff out of the country.

“The move follows a recent spate of car bombings. Although the administration has not ruled out Syrian government responsibility for the attacks, officials said signs point to Syrian and Iraqi militants that have been affiliated with al-Qaeda.”

And Foreign Policy magazine writes:

“Unlike newer embassy designs, the U.S. facility in Damascus sits right on the street, dangerously exposed... The embassy staff remains the administration's best eyes and ears on what's going on inside Syria, U.S. officials argue, as they maintain links with both the government and the opposition.”

As ABC News reports, the embassy closure would have an especially large impact in diplomatic ties with Syria because the U.S. ambassador there has played a very public role.

“(Ambassador Robert) Ford has been targeted by pro-government groups that have thrown rocks at his convoy and once trapped him inside the office of an opposition leader... Ambassador Ford has been one of (President Bashar al-Assad’s) most vocal critics inside Syria. He has defied government bans on travel by diplomats and has visited several restive cities.”

The situation in Syria has rapidly deteriorated over the past few months, as nationwide protests triggered a violent government crackdown from Syria’s military. Arab League monitors were supposed to have brought a watchful eye to the country where an estimated 5,000 citizens have been killed. But, as Al Jazeera reports, those monitors have had a minimal effect.

“Syrian opposition groups say the killings in the country have been on the rise, despite the presence of Arab League monitors.”

“They also say thousands of prisoners remain behind bars, despite the authorities agreeing to an Arab League peace plan that calls for their release.”
 

(Image Source: ISAF Media)

BY SAMANTHA KUBOTA

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

You're watching multisource global video news analysis from Newsy.

France suspends its training operations in Afghanistan and threatens to withdraw its entire force from the country. This comes after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French troops Friday and wounded seventeen others.

Euronews reports that President Nicolas Sarkozy is sending the defense minister and the head of the armed forces to Afghanistan and until they arrive, French armies in Afghanistan will not be helping Afghan forces.

“We are friends with the Afghan people, we are the allies of the Afghan people, but I cannot accept that Afghan soldiers shoot French soldiers,” said Sarkozy.

The French foreign minister is quoted in the Telegraph as saying it a question of "responsibility to adapt our timetable for withdrawal by taking into account these new circumstances."

France has 3,600 troops in Afghanistan, and the withdrawl could hurt the NATO plan to build and train Afghan forces.  CNN reports the US Department of Defense is worried about the possible pull-out.

Congressional blog The Hill is reporting the White House is reacting “cautiously.”

“The White House press secretary said Friday he didn't want to ‘get ahead’ of a possible decision made by France.”

The Daily Telegraph and USA TODAY reports this is the second attack of its kind in two months.

The killings Friday during a training exercise followed a similar attack last month when an Afghan soldier shot and killed two members of the French Foreign Legion.

                 
France is worried these aren’t isolated incidents.  It is raising questions of infiltration into the new Afghan army.  And this could make Sarkozy even more likely to bump up the date to  pull out of Afghanistan.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

If it ain’t dirty, it ain’t South Carolina primary politics.

The state’s voters head to the polls Saturday -- amid a barrage of negative campaigning.

GINGRICH AD: “Massachusetts moderate Mitt Romney. He can’t be trusted. I’m Newt Gingrich and I approve this message.”

RON PAUL AD: “Rick Santorum. A record of betrayal. … I’m Ron Paul and I approve this message.”

And then there’s this:

A fake email CNN says was sent to state GOP activists as a so-called “Breaking News alert.”

It reads in part, “A source close to Marianne Gingrich tells CNN that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich forced her to abort a pregnancy conceived during the affair that preceded (sic) her marriage to Gingrich.”

But CNN’s Peter Hamby reports, the network did NOT send out that alert, saying it, “appears to be a last ditch attempt to halt Newt Gingrich's late momentum in South Carolina...”

CNN notes, the network doesn’t know how many people got the fake alert, but that it has confirmed two unnamed members of the state’s GOP Executive Committee were among them.

In recent days the Gingrich campaign was rocked by allegations from his ex-wife Marianne, who told ABC in an exclusive interview...

GINGRICH: “He said yes, but you want me all to yourself. Callista doesn’t care what I do.”
REPORTER: “What was he saying to you, do you think?”
GINGRICH: “Oh, he was saying he wanted an open marriage.”

Gingrich the candidate is now married to the woman with whom he admits he cheated on ex-wife Marianne. And while critics have gone on the attack over the “open marriage” allegations -- observers say the fake email alert alleging Gingrich forced his ex-wife to have an abortion -- is just par for the course in South Carolina.

MSNBC: “South Carolina has a history of being a laboratory for dirty tricks.”

BLOOMBERG: “...the rough and dirty South Carolina primary?”

FOX NEWS: “...that is a place that historically there has been a lot of dirty politics.”

Marianne Gingrich hasn’t publicly made the abortion claim -- so where did it come from? New polls have Gingrich leading or running neck-and-neck with Romney in South Carolina, and The Daily Kos asks...

“If it walks like Karl Rove and it talks like Karl Rove ... it couldn't be Mitt Romney, could it?”

Then again, conservative activist and RedState blogger Aaron Gardner speculates...

“I'd wager this fake CNN email came from either Paul or Obama.”

No one has claimed responsibility for the email, and the former Speaker himself made no mention of it at a campaign stop Friday.
 

(Image Source: Newt.org)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

The GOP field is narrowing-- and as the remaining candidates fight for front runner status-- tax return fever takes hold.

The topic emerged when Mitt Romney was asked to release his tax returns. He’s delayed his response... and now someone’s beat him to the punch. NBC’s Chuck Todd explains. (VIDEO SOURCE: Fox News)

“Speaker Gingrich very cleverly last night released it during the debate to almost force the issue on the debate stage.”

Now, Gingrich’s fiscal history is drawing some attention of its own. Politico sums up the results.

“...Gingrich revealed Thursday that he and his wife earned $3.1 million in 2010 and paid more than 30 percent of that in taxes.”

According to NPR, figures from the IRS show Gingrich paid more in taxes than most of his fellow 1 percenters... and he paid more than double what rival Mitt Romney paid.

“The difference is between the two men's tax rates appears largely because most of Romney's income came in the form of investment income which is taxed at a lower rate than regular income which is what Gingrich, like most taxpayers, report. Gingrich's tax rate, if not his income level, certainly gives him more of a claim on feeling the pain of middle-income Americans than Romney has.”

But Romney and Gingrich aren’t the only candidates in the race. The Hill’s Jonathon Easley writes...

“Ron Paul diffused the issue of not releasing his tax returns with a dose of humor... [saying] ‘I don’t have any intention of releasing it – but for a different reason... I’d probably be embarrassed to put my financial statements next to (the other candidates') income...”

According to the Huffington Post, Rick Santorum has led the media to believe he’ll soon release his return as well-- to join the effort of shaming front runner Romney.

 

(Image Source: Diverse Education)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

To the critics who say Congress never listens -- Exhibit A:

BLOOMBERG: “Senate Majority leader Harry Reid has announced that a vote on SOPA, he is pushing it off.”

MSNBC: “Reid says the recent events with all of the online protests raised legitimate issues...”

And all it took was, ohh, thousands of websites moving to blackout the web in a day of protest.

Controversial anti-piracy legislation known as SOPA in the House, PIPA in the Senate -- even took a beat down Thursday night by the GOP presidential candidates at the CNN debate in South Carolina.

NEWT GINGRICH: “I favor freedom.”
MITT ROMNEY: “The law as written is far too intrusive.”
RON PAUL: “This bill is not going to pass, but watch out for the next one.”

CNN’s Kate Balduan notes -- despite Harry Reid’s optimism both sides could eventually work something out -- it’s really back to the drawing board for the controversial legislation.

“It was clear that top Democrats really have known for days that it was going be a pretty tough climb to stare down the Internet in light of the protests and difficult to win support...”

So with Friday’s announcements from House and Senate leaders -- Politico says SOPA and PIPA are effectively dead. At least for now. As for winners and losers, Jennifer Martinez suggests,

“The decision to delay the vote strikes a fierce blow to Hollywood, which has been lobbying the Hill hard for months to pass anti-piracy legislation. But it also signals the burgeoning strength of the tech industry, which said the legislation threatened the very openness of the Internet and would thwart innovation.”

The bill’s opponents are celebrating -- with many crediting Wednesday’s blackout protests. But on Thursday -- Anonymous attacked sites of some of the bill’s supporters, like RIAA and the MPAA. Forbes’ Kashmir Hill says -- that was a step too far.

“...this builds on what can only be called political thuggery by these particular advocates. … In fighting for the rights of the Internet ‘to be free,’ Wednesday’s black-out protesters are to Anonymous what Martin Luther King, Jr. was to Malcolm X.”

Both sides do seem to agree something needs to be done about online piracy. But Rolling Stone’s Scott Steinberg worries -- given the world of differences between both sides on how to do that -- will we ever see something meaningful?

“For the foreseeable future, any actions aimed at restricting online sharing … will likely emerge so mangled from impending clashes that they'll have scant impact on one's ability, legal or otherwise, to download favorite songs and albums.”

(Image Source: New York Times)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

Til now -- all signs have pointed to Mitt Romney as the GOP front runner. But a new poll released Thursday suggests-- it ain’t over till it’s over. Here’s CNN.

“Ahead of Saturday’s primary, Newt Gingrich is gaining momentum. American Research Group, they have a new poll out and it’s showing a dead heat. 33 percent of likely Republican voters are backing Newt Gingrich. 32 percent say they back Mitt Romney.”

According to a panel on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Gingrich has recent debate performances to thank for his surge...

“Gingrich was the momentum candidate before the debate. I think he only accelerated that. And Romney really exacerbated some of the problems that he has.”

Missed the moment the media’s calling a win for Newt? See it for yourself -- when host John King asked about allegations brought by his ex-wife.

JOHN KING: “She says you asked her, sir, to enter into an open marriage. Would you like to take some time to respond to that?”
NEWT: “No. But I will.” (FLASH) “I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.”

Politico’s Jonathon Martin and Alexander Burns agree the debate was a winning moment for Newt.

“By twice castigating one of the right’s perennial boogeymen — the press — Gingrich made a gut-level connection with conservatives who think they get a raw deal from the news media... Gingrich is finding his voice by appealing to the mad-as-hell wing of the GOP that has been searching for a candidate to match and articulate its anger.”

But an opinion writer for New York Daily News suggests-- Gingrich’s apparent debate win was tarnished in short order. According to S.E. Cupp-- ABC’s interview with Gingrich’s former wife dampened his post-debate glow.

“The interview was not an ideal way to punctuate what was a pretty good day for a guy whose campaign has been resuscitated more times than a CPR dummy. Because it was the last thing we saw, and it managed to eat up some of Gingrich's airtime today, it knocks a point off his score.”

So what’s the big deal if Newt does win? NBC’s political team writes...

“Forty-eight hours ago, we all believed that Romney was about to make history, going 3-for-3 in the first three contests. But come Saturday, there’s the potential for another kind of history -- having three different Republican winners in the first three contests. That has never happened before.”

South Carolina’s primary will be Saturday, January 21st. Next up-- Republican candidates will move to the sunshine state for Florida’s January 31st primary.
 

(Image Source: Times of Ummah)


BY XIAONAN WANG
ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN ROMERO

The government of Bangladesh announced that it has stopped another coup de’tat plot. That brings the total number for aborted plots to around 20 since the country’s independence in 1971. So what happened? Let’s take a closer look.  

IBN reports, the army claimed on Thursday it had foiled an attempt to topple Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government.

NewsX from India has details.

Royden: “It was a group of at least 16 hardline Islamic military officers within the Bangladesh rivals who were directly engaged in this coup plan, and there were a couple of retired officers.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has enacted a series of reforms to crack down on Islamic extremists, and some speculate that led to some friction within the military.

An IBN reporter analyzes the cause of the coup.

Chakrabarty: “Remember, Bangladesh is going through a time when for the 1st time ever, the war crimes of 1971 when Bangladesh began independence from the India, those war crimes of criminals have been tried for the first time.”

In a coup in 1975, most of Hasina’s family members were killed -- including her father Sheik Mujibur  Rahman.

He was Bangladesh’s founding leader. Since then there have been nearly 20 abortive plots, two during Hasina’s government.

But there are also doubts about whether it even happened the way the government is describing it. The LA Times quotes Golam Hossain, a professor of government in Bangladesh.

“Critics of the government say this is an attempt by the government to make a plan against its critics in the military, that it’s a government-made plot... It’s difficult to know the exact situation now.”

But the Times also spoke to a political science professor who warns...

“This may be the beginning of something. If the military can’t handle it properly, it may turn more difficult in coming days.”

Bangladesh restored its democracy in 1991, after eight years under military dictatorship. According to Reuters -- Sheikh Hasina said those behind the rebellion were trying to “disrupt democracy.”

(Image source: The New York Times)

BY BLAKE HANSON

They were just out of the starting blocks for Thursday night’s GOP debate in South Carolina -- when analysts speculated Newt Gingrich had already clinched a win.

The first question? About a recent ABC News interview with his ex-wife Marianne -- who claimed Gingrich asked her for an “open marriage.” The answer was fiery.

KING: “She says you asked her to enter into an open marriage. Would you like to take some time to respond to that?”
GINGRICH: “No, but I will ... I am appalled that you would begin a presidential debate on a topic like that.”

Both the Gingrich and Santorum campaigns got boosts earlier in the day. With Rick Perry dropping out and endorsing Gingrich -- and news that Rick Santorum had actually won the Iowa Caucuses in the most recent count. The LA Times reports it had the two candidates scrambling to become the alternative to Mitt Romney.

“Rick Perry’s exit from the GOP race allowed for some consolidation of the anti-Mitt Romney vote. But clearly not enough, as evidenced by a debate exchange between Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich.”

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow offers a unique take on the bizarre day for Gingrich...

“It was probably Newt Gingrich’s best day on the campaign trail, at least his best day in a very very long time. But because the gods of politics have evil sense of humor, even into Mr. Gingrich’s very sunny day today, a little rain had to fall. So even though as today was Newt Gingrich’s best day yet on the campaign trail, it was also his worst possible day.”

During the live broadcast, Newt Gingrich released his 2010 tax returns showing he paid a 31% tax rate. When moderator John King asked if he’d follow in his father’s footsteps and release 12 years worth of tax returns -- Romney said “maybe.” He got boos from the crowd for that, and Politico’s Maggie Haberman offers this analysis...

“...it was the second time he has struggled with the tax question in a debate in the past week.
Earlier he said he didn’t want to release his taxes ‘drip by drip’ because it would give the Democrats something to attack on, and he would do the last year's in April ‘and probably for other years as well.’”

NBC’s Chuck Todd tweeted early in the day saying if the 2012 campaign has a book -- this Thursday will have its own chapter. Writers for the Miami-Herald offered a similar sentiment wrapping up the day.

“To call Thursday the most turbulent day of an already volatile presidential primary would be an understatement. South Carolina suddenly is a neck-and-neck race between [Romney and Gingrich]. And, as a result, Florida’s Jan. 31 primary looks like less of a cakewalk for Romney.”

The candidates must now prepare for Saturday’s South Carolina Primary. Voters head to the polls Saturday.

(Image source: ABC)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Newt Gingrich’s second wife once said she could end the candidate’s political career with a single interview. As CNN reports, that interview comes Thursday on ABC.

“ABC News is about to hit the airwaves with an interview with Marianne Gingrich -- that’s his second wife -- on whom he is reported to have cheated and is now with his third wife, Callista.”

Gingrich tried to get out in front of the story, speaking to The Today Show Thursday.

“I’m not going to say anything negative about Marianne. My two daughters, Kathy and Jackie, have sent a letter to the president of ABC News saying, from a family perspective, they think this is totally wrong.”

The Drudge Report broke the story Wednesday and reported on another big controversy surrounding the interview -- conflict within ABC over when to air the sit-down with Marianne Gingrich.

“… a ‘civil war’ has erupted inside of the network, an insider claims, on exactly when the confession will air! ABCNEWS suits determined it would be ‘unethical’ to run the Marianne Gingrich interview so close to the South Carolina Primary, a curious decision, one insider argued, since the network has aggressively been reporting on other candidates.”

Talking to The Huffington Post, ABC News staffers downplayed that report but acknowledged there has been some debate over when to air the interview.

“ABC staffers were caught by surprise at the news, telling The Huffington Post that if there was a ‘civil war,’ they hadn't heard about it. That doesn't mean there wasn't any debate among ABC executives over when to air the interview, but simply that the war certainly wasn't raging through the newsroom.”

Still, ABC’s timing has many pundits asking, “why now?”

That includes Poynter’s Al Tompkins, who writes:

“The time for these kinds of interviews, if there is a time for them at all, is when the candidate announces for office not days before a pivotal primary.”

But on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Mark Halperin offers this defense of ABC’s decision.

“It’s always true that you have to work on stories, and you can’t air them until they’re ready. Sometimes, by just happenstance, they’re only ready on the eve of a political event... The alternative is to wait until after. Let’s say Newt Gingrich wins the South Carolina primary and they air it next week. Somebody would say, why didn’t you give voters all the information they needed?”

Thursday morning, ABC released this 30-second preview of the interview -- a sign of allegations to come against Newt Gingrich.

MARIANNE GINGRICH: “He was asking to have an open marriage, and I refused.”
BRIAN ROSS: “He wanted an open marriage?”
GINGRICH: “Yeah, that I accept the fact that he has somebody else in his life.”
ROSS: “And you said...?”
GINGRICH: “No.”

How the interview will affect South Carolina’s sizeable evangelical voting block could decide the fate of Gingrich’s campaign. The interview will air on ABC’s Nightline tonight at 11:35 Eastern.
 

(Image Source: Conservative Daily News)

BY BLAKE HANSON

GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry abandoned his campaign Thursday, throwing his support behind Newt Gingrich. He made the announcement from North Charleston, South Carolina....

“I have come to the conclusion that there is no viable path forward for me in this 2012 campaign. Therefore today, I am suspending my campaign and endorsing Newt Gingrich for president of the United States.”
(Video: CNN)

The announcement came on the day of the final pre-South Carolina primary debate. Analysts are already speculating how this could impact the outcome in South Carolina, the Los Angeles Times notes -- he was running fifth in the polls in South Carolina.

“With Perry out of the race, his support, though only in the mid-single digits, could prove helpful to Newt Gingrich, who has been surging in recent opinion surveys.”

A pair of ABC News bloggers say more important than helping Gingrich -- the move doesn’t help Romney in South Carolina.

“This is a state that still talks about the battle at Fort Sumter as if it happened a few years ago. It’s a place that chafes under the bridle of the ‘establishment.’ And right now, the establishment — the media, the pundits, the polls — is telling them that Romney is going to be the nominee.”

Fox News’ Martha MacCallum reminds people the Perry campaign had high hopes out of the gates...

“There was so much promise for him to get into this raise, so much momentum. It did not go well for him in the campaign and there will be a lot talked about in regard to that in the next hours today.”

So why’d Perry drop now and not after he hinted at it after the Iowa Caucus? The Atlantic Wire offers this analysis...

“Like Jon Huntsman who dropped out himself two days ago, Perry had fallen behind faux candidate Stephen Colbert in Public Policy Polling’s numbers in South Carolina numbers released yesterday.”

The announcement leaves four GOP candidates vying for the nomination ahead of South Carolina’s Saturday night primary: Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum.
 

(Image Source: Flickr/Rick Santorum)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In U.S. news, Texas Governor Rick Perry is dropping out of the GOP presidential nomination race. A press conference is expected at 11 a.m. U.S. eastern time. One Fox News anchor calls the announcement -- unbelievable.
 

“Because when you think about Rick Perry, governor of one of the biggest states in the country, so much promise for him to get into this race, and so much momentum, it did not go well for him, in terms of the campaign...”
 

Still in U.S. politics, the latest caucus numbers from Iowa show Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum had 34 more votes than front-runner Mitt Romney. The executive director of Iowa GOP is now calling the caucus result a ‘split decision.’ MSNBC explains what the revelation could mean for the ongoing presidential race.
 

“It hurts Romney and helps Newt, because Newt is closing in a lot of these polls. But secondly, maybe it keeps Santorum in the race another week or two...”
 

In world news, search and rescue efforts at the capsized Italian cruise liner have resumed. The ship’s captain, who is under house arrest, is now saying he did not mean to abandon ship. Here’s CNN, quoting an Italian newspaper.
 

“...Not yet independently verified by CNN, I should mention. The captain is claiming that he tripped and fell into a lifeboat. And this is after he handed off his own life jacket to another passenger...”
 

In business news, Eastman Kodak is filing for a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. CNBC says the 131-year-old film photography pioneer has had a difficult time keeping up with digital photography technology.
 

“Eastman Kodak one of the most storied names in American industry. But a prime example of creative destruction -- if technology leaves you in the dust, you can be left in the dust...”

Stay with Newsy for news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Christina Hartman, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.

(Image Source: New York Daily News) 

(Image Source: Wikipedia)

BY MADISON MACK

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

It’s the great Internet blackout of 2012.

On Wednesday more than 7,000 websites protested the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act. Participating websites included Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, Mozilla and Flickr.

Newsy previously reported the tide was turning against the intended anti-piracy legislation after the White House joined opposition to the bill. So why the huge backlash for a bill that aims to stop digital piracy? The San Francisco Chronicle explains, from the critics’ perspective.

“Everyone agrees piracy is rampant and we all want to find ways of combating it. Neither SOPA nor PIPA will actually solve that problem. … Tim O’Reilly, founder and CEO of O’Reilly Media ... puts it simply: ‘[t]he solution to piracy must be a market solution, not a government intervention.’”

Reddit has been one of the loudest voices in the SOPA protests. On G4, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian  says the legislation is too vague, and would have critical effects.

"We would have to be responsible for monitoring all of the content on the site produced by the users because should any of it connect to illegal material, the site Reddit would be deemed illegal and action could be taken against us.”  

The Atlantic says the blackout has successfully raised awareness of SOPA to the public.

“The blacked-out websites successfully created a news event today in all media, old and new. Millions more Americans will have at least a passing knowledge of what Internet companies think the problem with SOPA is.”

Problem is, according to SOPA supporters, some of that knowledge is misinformation. That’s what NBC Universal CEO Rick Cotton charges on PBS’ Newshour.

“There’s alot of misinformation and misunderstanding about what t’hese bills provide. But there really is no lack of clarity in the way the bills are written. Foreign websites overwhelmingly dedicated to illegal activities and third a requirement of a court order.”  

On the other side, even some who are anti-SOPA are also anti-blackout, including Gizmodo’s Mat Honan. Hollywood has largely supported SOPA because it’s losing money over pirated movies and TV shows. Honan says the tech industry needs to step up efforts.

“Going dark is cute, but, the only way SOPA dies is if the tech industry starts lobbying just as hard as the entertainment industry...”

And Gawker Media’s Joel Johnson.

“Is it possible to appreciate protest blackouts and also think that they're mostly preaching to the choir?"

Since the blackouts started, several of the bills’ co-sponsors have dropped their support. The Guardian reports.

“ … senator John Cornyn, a Texan Republican … expressed his views via Facebook. ‘SOPA: better to get this done right rather than fast and wrong’. … Two other Republican representatives, Ben Quayle from Arizona, and Lee Terry from Nebraska, also pulled their names … ”

A vote on PIPA is expected in the Senate on January 24 and a vote on SOPA has been delayed until at least next month. For a more technical, in-depth break down of the SOPA and PIPA bills, check out the link in our transcript section.



 

Image Source: European Dialogue

BY JONATHAN KETZ

Days after President Obama warned Iran against closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz -- he’s reportedly ready to negotiate.

One-sixth of the world’s oil flows through the Strait. If Iran closes it, analysts say the price of oil is likely to spike.

An Iranian lawmaker says President Obama asked for the two sides to talk in a letter to Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khomeini. Politico’s MacKenzie Weinger looks at what the National Security Council said.

“Obama offered to engage with Iran and warned the country against closing the key shipping route in the Middle East. … the U.S. has a number of ways of communicating with the Iranian government and remains ‘committed to...this issue if Iran is willing to move in a different direction.’”

Wednesday morning, the Associated Press quoted an anonymous White House official that no letter existed. But in a press conference just a few hours later, Press Secretary Jay Carney seemed to acknowledge a letter. He would not expand on its contents though. Here’s CSPAN:

CARNEY: “If the Iranians are serious about restarting talks then they need to respond to that letter. That is the channel by which the -- the mode by which the restarting of those talks would take place.”

But direct talks with Iran could prove controversial. Fox News’ Megyn Kelly talked to former Israeli Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman. Kelly notes -- when President Obama was running four years ago, he got flack for saying he’d talk to Iran without preconditions.

KELLY: “At the time Hillary Clinton called him irresponsible and frankly naive.
AMB. GILLERMAN: “I think it's a dangerous and ugly world we live in. Even the perception of weakness is very dangerous.”

Gillerman told Fox News that talking to Iran could hurt the Israeli-US bond. But an opinion columnist for the Gulf News suggests the U.S. weigh its options carefully.

“One would think Obama would do anything to avoid this Israeli trap after his predecessor ... got involved in the fruitless and costly war in Iraq.”

Politico says Iran’s considering replying to the letter. The letter reportedly says closing the Strait of Hormuz would be Washington’s “red line.” For Newsy, I’m Jonathan Ketz, multiple sources, the real story.

(Image Source: CNN Money) 

BY VICTORIA CRAIG

You're watching multi-source video news analysis from Newsy. 

The US State Department announced Wednesday the Obama administration will reject the highly controversial Keystone XL pipeline -- a project that would transport oil from Canada to refineries in Texas. For months the effort has pitted environmentalists against those who say the effort would help create US jobs. Fox News' Shepard Smith quotes the President.

"This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people," Obama said in a statement. "I'm disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my Administration's commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil."

The administration didn’t have to make a decision about the pipeline until February 21st. Fox News explains the state department’s reason for making an early decision.

“There is simply not enough time in the 60 days Congress has given the administration to run an environmental-impact statement necessary to start the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to bring oil from Canada to the refineries in Texas.”

But a Bloomberg reporter says-- the fight ain’t over yet.

“Now the question is: Will the company here, TransCanada, be allowed to apply again once it’s more firmly established an alternative route around some sensitive areas in Nebraska. That’s the question mark, Margaret, this is not over with to be sure.”

Many say this decision is a win for environmentalists who have opposed the project from the start. The LA Times explains why those groups have been so vocal in their opposition, saying they argue...

“...that the transportation of petroleum from Canada’s oil sands would profoundly damage the environment. They also contend that much of the gasoline and other products refined from the Canadian oil would be exported, doing little for American energy security.”

But as The Wall Street Journal explains-- those who support the pipeline argue it will give the U.S. an economic boost, and...

“...create thousands of jobs, break a supply logjam in Cushing, Oklahoma, and carry the oil to refineries along the Gulf Coast.”

Just one day before the announcement to reject the pipeline, the president’s jobs council advised the president to focus on investing in energy infrastructure -- and the pipeline was one way to do that. But CNBC’s Jim Cramer says this big decision comes down to pure politics.

“There’s a lot of people who, I think, have decided this is a make or break issue for the president. And that the way he wants to win this is to be able to say he wants to be environmentally sound, and let’s scrap it.”

Politico reports Congressional Republicans are already working to craft contingency plans to keep the pipeline issue relevant.

(Image source: Open Secrets)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

His critics say -- mad at the 1 percent? How ‘bout the .001 percent?

GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney’s got a taxing dilemma: To release or not to release his tax returns?

It all started at Monday’s Fox News debate.

ROMNEY: “If that's been the tradition, I'm not opposed to doing that. Time will tell. … I have nothing in them that suggests there's any problem and I'm happy to do so. I sort of feel like we are showing a lot of exposure at this point.”

On Tuesday -- that stuttered response got a little more specific when the former Massachusetts governor was asked about his effective tax rate. Here’s the video from HLN:

ROMNEY: “It's probably closer to the 15% rate than anything, because my -- the last ten years, I've -- my income comes overwhelming from investments made in the past rather than ordinary income...”

15 percent. How’s that stack up? The Christian Science Monitor reports...

“In 2010, Barack Obama paid … an effective tax rate of 25 percent. … Texas Gov. Rick Perry … paid 23.4 percent...”

Romney has not had a regular paycheck since 1999 -- like he said, he’s been making most of his money from investments. That means he pays at a lower rate than most American wage earners. According to the Associated Press -- after all federal taxes, the average American household pays close to 20 percent on average. Now Romney’s GOP opponents are moving in for the kill over Romney’s 15 percent.

PERRY: “This is a job interview. You need to know everything about us. You need to know what my returns look like. …  Including Mitt.”

Romney says he’d be willing to release his returns around April, though he hasn’t said how many years back he’ll go. Still -- smart timing, notes Time’s Adam Sorenson.

“Romney might have hoped to delay his tax disclosures until April to soften the political impact–the nomination race will be wrapped up by then and the general election won’t yet be in full swing.”

Then again, Politico’s Reid Epstein suggests the political damage might already be done -- especially because Romney said in the same interview he makes money from speaking engagements, but, quote “not very much.” Media did some digging, and turns out that ‘not very much’ is about $375,000 a year.

“The awkwardness with which Romney is handling the question … is proving to be a serious distraction, and a contrast to the generally smooth fashion by which his campaign has dispatched most controversies...”

Presidential candidates aren’t required by law to release their returns -- but it’s sort of tradition. In fact, Romney’s father released 12 years’ worth in 1967. NBC spoke with Romney supporter and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie -- who says while he should release the returns “sooner rather than later” -- the tax issue isn’t going to hurt the campaign.

“The most relevant information is the most recent. He'll release when he files in April. I think -- that's going to be personally up to him.”

According to a New York Times estimate, Romney is worth more than $200 million. ABC reports, the Romney family charity has given more than $4 million to the Mormon church in the last 5 years.


 

(Image Source: Flickr/Gage Skidmore)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In U.S. news, after days of criticism on his record as a private businessman, presidential hopeful Mitt Romney revealed his surprisingly low tax rate yesterday. Here’s MSNBC, reporting Romney, who’s worth an estimated $250 million...
 

“...revealed that he is paying a lower tax rate than most middle class Americans.”
Romney: “What’s the effective rate I’ve been paying? Well it’s probably closer to the 15 percent...”

 

Still in the U.S., a security scare in the White House Tuesday night forced the Secret Service to briefly put it on lockdown. The First Family wasn’t home at the time, and no one was arrested. CNN has the update.
 

“All clear at the White House this morning. After a smoke bomb was tossed over the fence. It happened during an Occupy Wall St. protest where more than 1,000 people were demonstrating.”
 

In world news, chances of finding any more survivors from the cruise ship disaster are dwindling. Rescuers have found eleven bodies, and about two dozen more remain missing. As of Wednesday, search efforts have been suspended as the ship continues to shift and may drift to deeper waters. Fox News reports.
 

“That vessel, now tilting in turbulent water and there is new concern that it may slip into the open sea and that is exactly what they do not want.”
 

In tech news, Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang has resigned from the company’s Board of Directors and all other positions he holds with the company. CNBC reports investors are applauding the decision, sending stock prices up.
 

“Shareholders had blasted Yang for pursuing an ineffective personal vision and getting in the way of investment deals that could have transformed the struggling company and boosted their stock prices along the way.”
 

Stay with Newsy for more news analysis throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Nathan Byrne, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.

(Image Source: Wikipedia/Google)

BY EVAN THOMAS AND GARY GRIGSBY

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Geographically -- they’re not that far apart. But trying to bridge the differences between Hollywood and Silicon Valley is proving no small task. Add DC to the mix -- and you’ve got a bridge to nowhere. Here’s Bloomberg.

“It seems in the last few days, the tide has turned against SOPA. Even the White House has come out saying they did not support parts of this bill.”

Despite increasing pressure from critics -- lawmakers are publicly saying a deal is possible for the bill, which would hold websites accountable for copyright infringement Here’s CNBC.

“Congressman Darrell Issa putting out a statement late Friday night saying they have reached a deal on SOPA that the bill will not actually move forward until there’s consensus among Republicans in terms of supporters and opponents of that bill.”

California Republican Issa says it will be at least a month before any action is taken on SOPA. In Hollywood, the bill has many supporters. The entertainment industry is frustrated with losing money over pirated movies and TV shows online. But according to GigaOm, SOPA critics should still be worried.

“Government watchers say this move could be just a delaying tactic, and note that an equally unfavorable bill called PIPA is going ahead in the Senate.”

In a news release issued Tuesday, House Judiciary Committee Chair and SOPA sponsor Lamar Smith says he fully expects the bill to be brought up again next month -- and that the legislation is much needed.

“To enact legislation that protects ... from foreign thieves who steal America's intellectual property, we will continue to bring together industry representatives and Members to find ways to combat online piracy.”

Bringing the bill back is not much of a surprise to techdirt.  

“This really is zombie legislation. It will not die... because some businesses that don't want to adapt want to make sure it never dies.”

Meanwhile, despite the postponed hearing, scheduled protests on sites including Reddit and Wikipedia will proceed as planned -- those pages will be blacked out for 24 hours starting at midnight Wednesday. New York Public Media’s THIRTEEN News looks at critics’ concerns.

“Critics of SOPA and PIPA say the legislation will force companies like Google to censor the Internet. The search giant is fighting back..."

Negotiations continue behind the scenes, but Politico points out -- supporters have already made concessions. Killed last week -- a provision allowing court orders to block access to alleged pirate sites. Then again, Politico suggests, that might not be enough for lawmakers who have a career to worry about.

“For politicians ... there’s not much percentage in getting on the wrong side of those [tech] companies. That goes not just for House members and senators seeking reelection, but also for a president whose 2008 campaign made revolutionary use of social media...”
 

(Image source: Wisconsin State Journal)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Leaders of the effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker took a huge step Tuesday. Organizers submitted more than 1 million signatures to recall Walker, his lieutenant governor and four state senators -- that’s 460,000 more than the required number.

One of those organizers spoke to MSNBC.

“We have exceeded the number of signatures that were needed. I can tell you that we don’t have an exact count to provide you, but we know that it weighs a ton. Literally, a ton.”

First -- some background.

Walker entered office only a year ago -- but anti-union legislation he introduced in February sparked massive protests that filled the state capitol building for weeks.

14 Wisconsin Senate Democrats left the state a few days later to protest Walker’s proposal. And in March, with many of their opponents gone, Senate Republicans pulled the trigger -- voting to strip workers of their right to collective bargaining.

(CHANTING) “It certainly wasn’t pretty. Union supporters tried to shout down what Republicans were finally able to do last night. Is there a second? (‘Take a moment! Take a moment!’)”

By November, the recall effort was underway, with state Democrats starting their campaign for signatures.

“We’re going to begin activities in all 72 counties. This is a state-wide effort.”

But as leaders of the recall effort celebrate the massive signature haul, The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel points out Democrats have no clear challenger for Governor Walker.

“State Sen. Tim Cullen (D-Janesville) has said he will run against Walker if a recall election is held, and other Democrats are expected to get in the race. Potential candidates include Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who lost to Walker in 2010; former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk; and (former U.S. Rep. Dave) Obey.”

Taking to Rush Limbaugh’s radio program Tuesday, Walker had this to say about the recall effort:

“The bottom line is the big government unions in Washington more than anything want their money… People who legitimately worked hard every day for both their state and their local government in Wisconsin, I gave them the right to choose, which means they don’t have to be part of a union anymore, and their union dues can’t be forcibly taken out of their paycheck.”

POLITICO writes the recall election won’t take place until at least June, but would likely have some impact on a national scale.

“Given the timing of the special election, and the fact that Wisconsin is a critical Midwestern electoral battleground, the contest is sure to seep into the presidential election between President Barack Obama and the Republican presidential nominee.”

If the effort to replace Walker is successful, he’d become only the third recalled governor in U.S. history.

(Image source: WMBF News)

BY BLAKE HANSON

Satirist and now-GOP Presidential Candidate Stephen Colbert’s Super PAC -- excuse me -- “The Definitely Not Coordinating with Stephen Colbert Super PAC” is out with a new ad endorsing Herman Cain -- well, kind of -- check it out....

“A vote for Herman Cain is a vote for America. He’s not a career politician. He’s such a Washington outsider, he’s not even running for President.”
“On January 21st, vote Herman Cain.”

The joke being -- well, Herman Cain suspended his campaign more than a month ago. Jokes aside -- Colbert sat down with Rock Center correspondent Ted Koppel to talk PAC v. Super PAC -- and how he thinks the word “super” has changed elections.

COLBERT: “It would be stupid to be in the 2012 campaign or want your voice heard in the 2012 campaign and not have a Super PAC.”
KOPPEL: “Indeed you are correct because the Super PACs have already spent more money than the campaigns.”
COLBERT: “They’ve spoken more money.”

In fact, The Washington Post says Super PACs are outspending the actual campaigns 2-1 in South Carolina. The Philadelphia Inquirer talks about the impact of Citizen’s United, which allowed for the creation of Super PACs.

“In essence, the court weakened the power of all but the wealthiest to determine elections' outcome.
A once-surging Newt Gingrich became the first casualty of Citizens United in the current presidential race after a Mitt Romney-supporting-super-PAC spent millions on three weeks of negative advertising that turned Gingrich into a fourth-place loser in the Iowa Republican caucuses.”

But a writer for The Atlantic says super or not -- the money flow remains the same.
 

“If we didn't have super PACs we'd have 527 groups. If we pass laws to clamp down on 527 groups, some new organization would emerge. Money flows regardless of whatever leaky, legal dams we erect. Closing one loophole merely opens another. “

And a fun fact: Saturday’s South Carolina Primary will be the second anniversary of the Citizen’s United decision.
 

(Image Source: euronews)

BY EMOKE BEBIAK

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

Hungary’s government is under fire from the European Union. On Tuesday, the EU launched infringement proceedings against the country. Euronews reports.

“Brussels has begun legal action against Hungary and get forcing it to undo changes to its new constitution.”

The new legislation undermines the Hungarian Central Bank’s independence in an effort to control the country’s debt problems, which have been worsened by fluctuations in exchange rates. The BBC explains,

“Critics say the new central bank law puts the bank's independence at risk. It allows [Prime Minister Viktor] Orban to install a new deputy governor.”

The European Commission has launched the infringement proceeding on three counts. Origo.hu has an explanation of those counts from President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso’s announcement. Barroso specifies the following issues:

“...the independence of the National Central Bank, the retirement age of judges and the independence of the Data Protection Authority.”

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty explains the procedure against Hungary saying...

“In a so-called infringement procedure, the European Commission formally requests changes to the national laws in question. If those requests are ignored it can take the country to the European Court of Justice and levy fines.”

Hungary is an EU member but not part of the Euro-zone. The Telegraph explains Hungary needs to act quickly to avoid getting into a financial deadlock saying...

“Failure to comply with the EU means that Hungary is also stalled in its efforts to negotiate financial assistance from international lenders as it tackles the threat of insolvency.”

In an answer to threats by the European Union, pro-government groups held rallies over the weekend. According to The Wall Street Journal, government sympathizers spoke up against foreign involvement in the country’s domestic politics and some groups even called for Hungary to leave the EU. (Video credit: YouTube/Jobbikvideok)

Hungary’s Prime Minister is scheduled to meet Barroso in Brussels next week.
 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY ALYSSA CARTEE
 

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

Occupiers shift their focus from Wall Street to Capitol Hill.  The movement hopes for its biggest showing ever today, demonstrating on the opening day of the new Congressional Session.

The protests come as the Congressional Approval rating has hit a record low.  
Analysts for CNN think the demonstration isn’t going to help.

“They’ve made appointments with their representatives and I think that’s going to send the Congressional approval rating down lower.”

But is this a strategic shift for the group known for taking over parks and public squares?  MSNBC notes, it appears to be shifting the bar.

“The event has raised questions about whether Occupy is becoming politicized, especially with an event focused on politicians. But some of those helping put together the day dismiss that idea. … ‘the answer is ‘absolutely no.’ We’re not supporting any candidate at all.”

When asked about the event, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi seemed to think the time has come for a demonstration like Occupy Congress.

“But I do think that it’s important to note what they have said and that is the status quo is not acceptable.  If I were they, I would have vetted this directly to the role of money in politics.”

A blogger for Examiner.com says the protest could help to focus Congress more on making progress, rather than squabbling and bickering.

“What better way to welcome them back than to have a huge demonstration that will drive the conversation on the ground and in the media. It’s time we start holding their feet to the fire to get something done for the people.”

But a blogger for The Washington Post disagrees, saying the Occupiers are known for literally making messes of public parkways, and not cleaning them up.

“Right about now, Newt Gingrich’s advice to the inchoate occupiers to go home, take a bath and go find a job is looking pretty mature and wise.”

The Occupy Congress event also comes at a time when pressure to evict Occupy DC protesters is mounting.  The Wall Street Journal reports the political implications of their eviction.

“The White House has deferred to local authorities in New York and elsewhere as they have evicted ‘Occupy’ camps. But unlike other cities, the federal government is managing the demonstrations because the park service oversees many D.C. park lands, leaving the decision in the hands of President Barack Obama's administration.”

Lawmakers have several controversial issues to tangle with this session including the payroll tax issue sidelined in December and the Keystone pipeline.  It’s sure to be a busy day on the Hill. 

 

(Image Source: CNN)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In U.S. politics news, GOP presidential candidates were on the offensive in the South Carolina debates last night — their target? Front-runner Mitt Romney and his record as a venture capitalist. Still, an analyst on CNN says the attacks weren’t effective.
 

“I thought the opponents of Mitt Romney, who are running out of time, two polls are out this week with him with a double digit lead in South Carolina, where if he wins on Saturday he might effectively end this race... and yet they’ve failed to make a systematic, coherent case against him...”
 

In world news, another update on the cruise ship that capsized off the west coast of Italy. Rescuers have now used controlled detonations in their quest to find survivors. euronews reports four crew members and 25 passengers are still missing.  
 

“A total of eight microcharges were used. The explosions were to allow firefighters and scuba divers to get to parts of the ship that they were previously unable to access.”

 

In tech news, online encyclopedia Wikipedia is going ahead with the 24-hour blackout of its English version today. The shutdown is in opposition of SOPA and PIPA, two anti-piracy bills under consideration in Congress. Critics say if passed, the legislation would undermine the free and open Internet. HLN has more.
 

“Here’s a tweet from its founder that says: ‘Student warning! Do your homework early! Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday.’”
 

In science news, a cabinet full of fossils, including some collected by Charles Darwin, has been re-discovered in the U.K. Darwin’s collection is said to have come from his famous Voyage of the Beagle -- a trip where he first started to develop his theory of evolution. The BBC talks to the paleontologist who found the cabinet.  
 

Dr. Falcon-Lang: “And almost the first fossil I found inside, held it up to the light, and there were the words ‘C. Darwin Esq.’ That was the moment I realized that I’m caught at something rather incredible.”
BBC: “Pinch me, I’m dreaming.”

 

Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Christina Hartman, highlighting the top headlines, making you smarter, faster.

(Image Source: Mitt Romney)

BY CHRISTINA HARTMAN

It’s a shrinking GOP field, but the polls are already looking toward a general election match-up.

A Fox News poll released Monday pits incumbent President Barack Obama against frontrunner Mitt Romney and finds -- the race would be tight. Like -- 46 percent for Obama, 45 percent Romney tight.

But the poll finds -- President Obama’s support is quote “stronger and more positive.” What that means is, there seem to be Romney supporters who say they’re voting “against Obama” rather than “for Romney.”

CNN’s hypothetical general election poll played out similarly but adds Ron Paul to the mix for a statistical tie with the president.

And how does Obama compare with the other candidates? CNN’s poll has the president holding a more than 5 percent lead over Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum. And, WBAL notes, though Republicans themselves are pretty split -- Romney’s looking pretty inevitable.

“Candidates admit, if Romney wins conservative South Carolina, it will be hard to stop him from winning the nomination.”

MSNBC’s Chuck Todd goes as far as to say, Romney is the biggest threat to the Obama reelection team. Then again, this isn’t his first rodeo. And Todd says -- compared to 2008...

“He seems to be more capable of not being taken off message. He seems to have grown a little bit of a thicker skin.”

And is thicker skin all it takes? According to Gallup -- President Obama’s approval rating is averaging about 44 percent -- and USA Today notes, that number is LOWER than presidents who have LOST re-election in the past.

“Other numbers -- Americans' satisfaction with the economy, unemployment, economic growth, and confidence in the economy -- are on the low end for presidents seeking re-election...”

But at the end of the day, a guest on C-SPAN says the obvious, a lot of voters don’t know which way they’ll go yet. As political reporters tend to forget -- the election is still about ten months away.

“They are waiting for the Republicans to nominate a candidate. They are waiting to see will happen. They are unhappy about the economy and they are just waiting to see. They are not sold on Barack Obama' s reelection but they have not decided absolutely...”

 

(Image Source: New York Times)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

With South Carolina primary voting just five days away, the GOP candidates turned up the heat on frontrunner Mitt Romney. It’s a move that left many pundits crowning Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry the winners of the Fox News debate Monday night.

PERRY: “Mitt, we need for you to release your income tax, so the good people of this country can see how you made your money.”

GINGRICH: “Governor Romney, as governor, raised taxes, and Massachusetts was 47th in job creation.”

SANTORUM: “Actually, I’m asking you to answer the question. That’s how you got the time. It’s actually my time.”

On Twitter, Romney’s responses received harsh reviews. Fox used a social media meter to gauge the public opinion.

“On his record, the green is the people who thought he gave a good answer. The red, the people who thought that he dodged the question. Again -- the majority is below the line.”

POLITICO’s Alexander Burns also sighted Romney’s weak points in the night, writing:

“...there were a few rare moments when the former Massachusetts governor appeared to stammer and grasp for balance. And after weeks of declining to promise to release his tax returns, Romney relented — mostly — under persistent questioning from moderators.”

But Romney had his lighter moments as well. When the candidate fielded a question on his claim in 2007 that he had been a lifetime hunter of small varmints, The Washington Post had this to say:

“You can bet the Democratic National Committee will have fun with Romney’s in­cred­ibly awkward answer on hunting. And we quote: ‘I am not the great hunter.’”

Online, it was Perry’s harsh rhetoric that drew much attention, especially on the Obama administration’s reaction to a video showing U.S. Marines urinating on dead bodies in Afghanistan.

“When the Secretary of Defense calls that a despicable act... Let me tell you what’s despicable -- cutting Danny Pearl’s head off and showing the video of it.”

Perry’s words on Daniel Pearl -- a reporter killed by militants in 2002 -- prompted this response from journalist John Harwood.

“As someone who was a friend and colleague of Danny Pearl...Perry's reference to Danny was irrelevant and gross”

On Time Magazine’s The Page blog, Mark Halperin gives Romney an average grade, saying the frontrunner neither lost nor gained ground.

Halperin writes, Paul, on the other hand, had a rougher night and was:

Marbled-mouthed on defense cuts and the assassination of bin Laden. The crowd was ready to cheer for him but he didn’t give them sufficient cause.

POLITICO called Santorum Romney’s most formidable verbal challenger of the night. He, Gingrich, Perry and Paul will have one more debate to take shots at Romney before the South Carolina primary Saturday. The latest polls have Romney leading Gingrich in the state by about seven points.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY HARUMENDHAH HELMY

ANCHOR LAUREN GORES

This is Newsy Now and here are your latest headlines.
 

In U.S. news, today marks what would have been the 83rd birthday of civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. This federal holiday was first celebrated in 1986, nearly twenty years after King was assassinated. Congress designated it as a day of service in 1994. Here’s CNN.
 

“Many people are going to celebrate the day by visiting the new memorial in D.C. dedicated to him. It’s the first MLK day, by the way, since it was completed.”
 

And in U.S. politics, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. is dropping out of the GOP presidential nomination race. Fox News reports Huntsman will endorse another candidate he believes will have a better chance to beat President Barack Obama.
 

“He’s expected to endorse Mitt Romney. Keep in mind... I guess you could say this for most of the candidates. They have been attacking one another, here and there, and now, he’s going to support Governor Romney...”
 

In world news, the latest update on the cruise ship disaster off the coast of Italy. A sixth body has been found-- and the ship’s owner Costa Cruises is citing “human error” as the reason for the deadly disaster. MSNBC reports the ship’s captain is currently under investigation.
 

“Well just this morning, his company says he made an unauthorized deviation in the course of the ship. Brought it to close to shore then made mistakes in handling it.”
 

Still in world news, union leaders have suspended strikes in Nigeria after President Goodluck Jonathan announced the government will partially reinstate its fuel subsidies. The decision will push fuel prices down, but not as low as its initial price of about $1.70 a gallon. euronews says more negotiations are expected.
 

“The dispute has cost the country billions in lost revenue and will continue until the government and unions thrash out the details.”

 

And in entertainment, Hollywood kicked off its self-congratulatory awards season last night with the Golden Globes ceremony. Big winners included the film The Descendants, which won Best Drama, while its star George Clooney won Best Actor in a Drama.
 

And the black-and-white silent film The Artist won for Best Comedy or Musical. Meryl Streep won her 8th Golden Globe for her portrayal of Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher, while Michelle Williams won for her role as Marilyn Monroe. (Video: NBC's Today Show)
 

Stay with Newsy for more news analyses throughout the day. For Newsy Now, I’m Lauren Gores, highlighting the top headlines making you smarter, faster.

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

BY CHARESSE JAMES

ANCHOR CHRISTINA HARTMAN

No more than 24 hours after the White House criticized the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, media mogul Rupert Murdoch took to the internet to voice his opinion.
 

The twitter “rant,” which started Saturday evening and continued through Sunday afternoon, accused the Obama administration of caving into lobbyists who oppose SOPA and Senate version PIPA (the Protect IP Act) and called out websites like Google for aiding piracy saying...



“So Obama has thrown in his lot with Silicon Valley Paymasters who threaten all software creators with piracy, plain thievery.”



“Piracy leader is Google who streams movies free, sells [advertisements] around them. No wonder [they’re] pouring millions into lobbying.”



One Forbes blogger calls Murdoch’s argument “baffling” and suggests, rather than fighting piracy, he should use this time to figure how to get around it.


“Murdoch wants paywalls and anti-piracy legislation and whatever other dams he can put up against the inevitability of change. What he should be doing is working to find ways to make traditional media available on the internet. If it’s convenient and consumers can either pay a rental or subscription fee (see, e.g. Amazon or Netflix or Hulu) I believe consumers will do that instead of illegal downloads.”


Murdoch owns Hollywood studio 20th Century Fox, which is among the companies calling for stronger legislation against the piracy of copyrighted material.


But many, like this columnist for The Register, find Murdoch’s criticism of Google influencing politics for cooperate gains -- well -- ironic.

“Murdoch, who is currently under investigation in the UK over phone hacking by his newspapers, is a longtime critic of what he sees as Google's role in enabling piracy. However, for a man made infamous by the extent to which politicians would go to woo him for the support of his media empire, this complaining about corporate influence in politics may strike some as a bit rich.”


But Murdoch is not alone in his sentiment. SOPA and PIPA still have a large following in Congress, some of the members of which are trying to get it passed into law.  Among them, Senate Majority leader Harry Reid told NBC’s Meet the Press...


Reid: “...We need to work on this, and I hope we can have a managers amendment when we get back in a week or ten days, and it's important that we try to do this on a fair basis and I will do everything that I can to get that done...”


Reid told NBC -- he hopes an amended version of the bill will be a quote “winner for everyone.”

 

(IMAGE: OpenSecrets.org)

BY BLAKE HANSON

Some might argue you can buy your way to the Oval Office -- but could you do it using cold hard cash? It’s how Mitt Romney won the heart of at least one South Carolina woman. The hosts of Fox and Friends describe what happened when one of Romney’s jobless volunteers came up to him at an event...

“Came up to him, basically said ‘I’m out of work, I’ve been out of work for a while.’ So what’d Mitt Romney do? He reaches into the ol’ pocket, pulls out his wallet and he fumbled through and handed her about $50, $60 in cash.”

The woman was 55-year-old Ruth Williams. South Carolina state treasurer and Romney supporter Curtis Loftis also chipped in to pay Williams’ electric bill.
(Video: ABC News)

So could this be an attempt by the Romney campaign to appear more down to earth? NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd says there’s plenty of evidence of that strategy...

“And you know, he is trying little things, not wearing a tie, he wears jeans, you know he is trying those little things to try and sort of not look like that guy that might wear wing tips on the beach.”

The New York Times ties the event to Romney’s opponents’ latest attacks, writing...

“The exchange came as Mr. Romney’s rivals try to cast him as out of touch with average people in South Carolina. Mr. Romney’s personal wealth is estimated at between $190 million and $250 million.”

A reporter for the Washington Post says there’s no way to tell what his motive was...

“There was no indication that Romney’s cash gift was calculated or anything more than a spontaneous reaction to one woman’s story of personal struggles. But it comes as Romney’s rivals are trying to portray him as a cold, heartless businessman who became fabulously successful by prioritizing profits above workers.”

But a writer for conservative-leaning blog Hot Air says regardless of whether or not there was political profit -- it was a good gesture.

“Was Romney aware that making such a generous, spontaneous gesture might be good PR for him? I don’t doubt it. But that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t sincere either.”

 

 (Image source: Newsy)

BY ZACH TOOMBS

Sunday talk shows featured plenty of hits on Mitt Romney’s private sector experience at Bain Capital.

Among his critics was Texas Governor Rick Perry, who has characterized Romney’s record as “vulture capitalism.”

CROWLEY: “Governor, a lot of things are said in the primaries that crop up again in the Fall. Should Mitt Romney become the Republican nominee. Are you comfortable that quote will end up in an Obama commercial?” (FLASH) I’m talking about the rhetoric -- you called him a vulture capitalist.”

PERRY: “If this is a fatal flaw, we need to be talking about now. Not in September or October.”

Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod also took shots at Romney on CNN’s State of the Union, providing what might be a preview of the case the president would make against the GOP frontrunner in the general election.

“Again, he’s entitled to do that. That was his business practice. He’s entitled to do that. Nobody is begrudging him that. The question is, is that the philosophy that you want in the White House? Is that the economic vision for this country? Outsourcing, offshoring, stripping down companies, lowering wages, lowering benefits. I don’t think that’s the future for this country.”

Axelrod also expressed concern with the role unrestricted super PACs will play in funding campaigns in this election cycle.

AXELROD: “Frankly the other thing that worries me are these big super PACs that we see Gov. Romney and others benefitting from right now. I think there’s going to be a ton of money aimed at the president.”

CROWLEY: “Democratic ones too...”

AXELROD: “Not nearly of the scale that we’re seeing on the Republican side.”

And on NBC’s Meet the Press, GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich announced plans to release his tax records this week and called on Romney to do the same.

GREGORY: “There have been questions about whether Gov. Romney should release his tax records, in terms of how he profited over the years. Is that part of what you’d like to see now?”

GINGRICH: “Well, he’s got to make his own decision. President Obama is releasing his records. This coming Thursday, I will release my income tax records. Callista and I have discussed it and we agree. This is part of the process of the American people having trust in the candidates.”

And on ABC’s This Week, comedian Stephen Colbert discussed his newly formed exploratory committee for a potential presidential campaign.

COLBERT: “This is an exploratory committee. When you’re exploring, you don’t know what you’re going to find.”

STEPHANOPOLOUS: “The voting is in six days in South Carolina.”

COLBERT: “Well, George -- I mean -- just because something’s difficult doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be worth doing. You know, I’m exploring right now. I’m a one-man Lewis and Clark. And I’m just looking for my Sacajawea.”

A recent poll has the Comedy Central funny man at five percent in South Carolina, but -- as George Stephanopolous points out -- Colbert hasn’t qualified for the official ballot.

STEPHANOPOLOUS: “Here’s what Matt Moore had to say about it. ‘There is no blank space on voting machines to write-in a candidate. Stephen Colbert has about as much a chance at being elected President in South Carolina as he does of being elected Pope. Zero.’”

COLBERT: “First of all, I’m a Roman Catholic, and I teach Sunday school. So, I say I have a pretty good shot of being pope.”

Speaking with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, GOP candidate Rick Santorum touched on an issue that hasn’t received much play in the primary season -- concern over declining birth rates.

“The federal government has year by year decreased supports for families. And guess what’s happening, year by year by year, birth rates are going down. This is not social engineering. This has robbed families of the benefits they used to have in the tax codes.”

Unrelated to election news, Arizona Senator John McCain gave his opinion on the video showing U.S. Marines urinating on dead bodies in Afghanistan.

“You have to respect the body. And we’re trying to win the hearts and minds, and when something like that comes up, it obviously harms that ability.”

Be sure to follow Newsy for full coverage of the South Carolina primary Saturday, January 21st.

(Image Source: BET)

BY NATHAN BYRNE

(Image Source: Opposing Views)

BY ALLIE SPILLYARDS

A Kansas politician is in hot water again just one week after issuing an apology for calling First Lady Michelle Obama “Mrs. YoMama” in an e-mail. Now, it’s controversial e-mail -- round two.

This time the accusations are more serious-- Kansas House speaker Mike O’Neal is said  to be praying for President Obama’s death. (Video Source: KSN)

The Daily Mail has details...

“The most recent email by ... O'Neal quotes a Bible verse for President Barack Obama that points readers to a scripture in the Bible titled 'a cry for vengeance.' Psalm 109, referred to in the email to fellow lawmakers, prays that 'his days be few ... his wife be widowed and his children be fatherless.'”

This isn’t the first time the verse has been referenced. O’Neal is said to have drawn inspiration from bumper stickers referencing the verse that read, “Pray for Obama.” And according to the Huffington Post...

“In some circumstances, endorsement of Psalm 109 with regards to Obama has been dealt with seriously. Last year in Florida, a corrections officer was suspended after highlighting the passage and referring to it as the "Obama prayer."

O’Neal is receiving criticism nationwide. A blogger for Orlando’s Liberal Examiner writes...

“While citizens have a First Amendment right to be vocal about their opposition toward President Obama and his policies, elected officials should be held to a higher standard. Mike O'Neal, the Republican House Speaker of Kansas, has crossed a line that even in politics shouldn't be crossed. “

But, KSN reports lawmakers have defended him -- saying people need to move on. Still, the station also reports a grassroots organization is calling for O’Neal to step down.

“While the group has thousands of signatures to oust O’Neal, about a thousand of those are from Kansas. While no one at the the statehouse is calling for O’Neal to resign, behind the scenes many lawmakers are calling it a distraction.”

O’Neal has back-tracked, claiming the message was not a death threat. According to Kansas’ KWCH...

"O'Neal said it's unfair for people to make the leap.  He called the email "political commentary about his hope for a change in administration."