Faith in Florida

Today is decision day for Florida Republicans. Romney is surging ahead of Gingrich in the polls as his rival, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, tries to sway voters by going after Romney's character and religious beliefs. Gingrich is accusing the former Governor of Massachusetts of being no different than President Barrack Obama and stated to Fox News reporter Bret Baier, "I think Governor Romney is extraordinarily insensitive to religious freedom in America and the Obama administration is clearly engaged in a war on religion." Most believe that this recent attack on former Governor Mitt Romney's faith is the sign of Gingrich's "campaign "flailing" in the face of a collapse" as he struggles to hold onto the Republican nomination in Florida. Gingrich has already stated to the press that he will continue to the Republican Convention even if he does not take Florida in the primary. It is estimated that 2million people will turn out for the Sunshine State's primaries this evening. Voting begins at 7am Eastern. For this and more news on the Republican Presidential Campaigns please to go www.foxnews.com, www.cnn.com or www.msnbc.com.

Fumbling for Florida

Candidates for the 2012 Presidential election have bounced from Iowa, to New Hampshire then South Carolina and finally Florida. While Santorum saw a late victory in Iowa and Romney stole New Hampshire by just a few votes from Libertarian candidate Ron Paul, South Carolina seemed to be the promised land for former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Will the same be said of Florida?

I am sure everyone recalls the insanity that was 2000 when the Presidential election hung by a 'chad'. Will it be the same for the 2012 Presidential Primaries? Romney and Gingrich both received strong indorsements from various candidate and office holders over the weekend. Gingrich was backed by former candidate Herman Cane, and Romney found himself indorsed by former Presidential candidate Bob Dole who called the Gingrich a "one-man-band who rarely took advice." According to news reports the "Quinnipiac poll taken around the time of the South Carolina vote showed Romney’s Florida margin at only 2 points. At the beginning of the month, Romney led by 12 points. Eight weeks ago, Gingrich was up by 13 points." For the Republicans who remain undecided about which candidate they want to see run against President Obama, hang in there--just not like that pesky chad. For this and other news please go to www.foxnews.com, www.cnn.com or www.msnbc.com.

Tarmac Throw Down

When President Obama stepped off of Air Force One today he probably was not expecting to be greeted with an envelope from Governor of Arizona Jan Brewer that invited him back to the state to discuss the topic of immigration. Obama was in Arizona to carry out a plan stipulated in his recent State of the Union address on Tuesday. The President and Governor Brewer proceeded to exchange words about her recent book Scorpions for Breakfast. According to Brewer, who spoke with Fox News correspondent Greta Van Susteren about the matter, the Presidents actions, "I was trying to be very gracious to him and he reacted in a manner that took me back, kind of left me breathless, to tell you the truth." Governor Brewer also said that they were glad to have the President in attendance nevertheless. For this and more on the latest news about President Obama and Governor Brewer please go to www.foxnews.com, www.cnn.com or www.msnbc.com.

Back to the Future

Some of you are probably wondering why I titled this particular article/blog "Back to the Future". Well besides my love of Michael J. Foxx in the 1985 classic movie, it kind of sums up the weekend the NFL was having. The New England Patriots played the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday and, as expected by this Patriot fan, they're going 'back' to the 'Super Bowl' (aka the future!). Before the February 5th kickoff fans of both the New York Giants and the N.E. Patriots are asking questions like "who's better? Eli or Brady?" The truth is that they are both equally great players and have made sturdy careers out of football. Bottom line? It's anyone's game. The Patriots won against the Ravens 23-20 while the Giants took out rivals the 49ers 20-17. Until game day we can speculate on the outcome, taunt other NFL fans whose teams did not make it this year and we can also look forward to those one-of-a-kind Super Bowl commercials that are sure to kick off the end of a great season.

Lights Out!

Lights out for search engines Google and Yahoo, shopping website Amazon, and encyclopedia window to the world Wikipedia all in a 24 hour protest to a new anti-piracy bill that is currently circulating in Congress. According to news reports the bill titled Protect Intellectual Property Act will require "ISPs to block access to foreign websites that infringe on copyrights. Online piracy from China and elsewhere is a massive problem for the media industry, one that costs as much as $250 billion per year and costs the industry 750,000 jobs, according to a 2008 statement by Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). But how exactly the bills would counter piracy has many up in arms."

The bill has its supporters too. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and News Corp, to name a few, say that critics of the bill simply misunderstand its intentions. It is not a surprise that a bill to ban such information has been created and is now before Congress for a vote. To learn more about the Act and what it would mean for the above mentioned websites and the way we receive information please go to www.foxnews.com, www.cnn.com or www.msnbc.com.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/01/18/wikipedia-goes-dark-for-24-hours-to-protest-us-web-piracy-bills/?test=latestnews#ixzz1jpBN5iIE

A Golden Age

Statistics tell us that the likelihood of us living to 100 or close to it is often slim. In fact studies have shown that on average a male who reaches his 65th birthday has a 20% chance of living to age 90 and a female who reaches her 65th birthday has a 32% chance of seeing 90. Personally I believe it is genetic, or a strong sense of character that can pull one close to or at the century mark. No better example can be given than Betty White. Betty has had a career in television. The star of the Golden Girls and now one of TVLand's biggest hits, Hot in Cleveland, is preparing to celebrate her 90th birthday next week and launch her new show 'Off their Rocker'. Happy Birthday to the Golden Girl who has graced so many lives and has been a joy to watch on both the small and big screens all these years.

The Verdict is In

Joran Van der Sloot, suspected Natalee Holloway kidnapper and murderer, was sentenced to 28 years in Lima, Peru. Van der Sloot was being tried for the murder of Stephanie Flores, a young woman who was escorted by Van der Sloot back to his hotel room and supposedly witnessed material on his computer that would tie him to the Holloway case. Flores was brutally strangled and left for dead. The three judge panel also ordered Van der Sloot to pay $75,000 in reparations. According to news reports: "Due to time already served, the judges said Van der Sloot's sentence would end in June 2038. But under Peru's penal system, Van der Sloot could become eligible for parole after serving half of the sentence with good behavior, including work and study." Van der Sloot reserved his right to appeal the verdict. Although there is no justice in his arrest, trail or conviction for Natalee Holloway in this case, there is comfort in knowing that he will at least be held accountable for his actions against Stephanie Flores. For this and other news please visit http://www.foxnews.com/ or http://www.cnn.com/.

In the Case of Natalee

A Birmingham, Alabama judge will decide whether or not to declare Natalee Holloway, who went missing 6 years ago in Aruba, officially deceased. According to reports it is Natalee's father who is pushing forward to have his daughter declared legally dead. "Probate Judge Alan King is hearing a request by Holloway's father to have her declared dead. The judge ruled in September that Dave Holloway had met the legal presumption of death for his daughter and it was up to someone to prove she didn't die in Aruba. He set the hearing Thursday to allow time for anyone to come forward." No new evidence has emerged in the search for Natalee and the last person suspected to have seen her alive, Joran Van der sloot, appeared before a Peruvian court earlier this week and admitted his guilt in the case of Stephanie Flores. Flores was found murdered in her hotel room on May 10, 2010 when she saw evidence on Van der Sloot's computer that would tie him to the Holloway case. For more news on Natalee Holloway or Joran Van der Sloot's murder trail please go to www.foxnews.com, www.cnn.com or www.cbsnews.com.

Not Your Status Qou Candidate

For someone who does not seem like much of a political threat, status qou breaker and Congressman Ron Paul who is the author of such books as END THE FED and A Republic: If you Can Keep It, certainly made his debut in the race for the White House these last couple of weeks. From Iowa to New Hampshire his name and reputation has gained a following on both the internet and on the campaign trail. Paul's following is greater in number than the conservatives or liberals would like to admit. Television reporters, news anchors and newspaper outlets struggle to find ways to ignore the Congressman's message of fiscal responsibility, ending the Federal Reserve and supporting the return to the gold standard. But there is no denying that Ron Paul exudes a confidence about himself whether it is while he's discussing monetary policy or if it is simply in a back and forth between himself and fellow candidate for office Newt Gingrich. Last night during the New Hampshire primary Mitt Romney cleared a leading 39% of the vote. Meanwhile Gingrich and Santorum, who were expected to be big hitters, were hardly a 'blip' on the radar. Is this what is in store for Romney if he continues to hold onto first place? Or can he hold onto first place? It's up the South Carolina but it is certainly clear that Ron Paul is definitely nipping at the heels of what he calls 'the establishment'. For this and more news on Congressman Paul and the New Hampshire Primary please go to www.foxnews.com, www.cnn.com, or visit Paul's official website at www.ronpaul2012.com. (Photo by the New York Times).

Primary Kick-Off

The New Hampshire Primary is well underway with the first ballot for our nation's next Republican candidate for President of the United States cast at midnight. So it comes as no surprise when news outlets report the rise of Mitt Romney. The former Governor of Massachusetts has a home just up the road and held office in the neighboring state. But Gingrich and others have taken sharp aim at Romney throughout the past week with numerous campaign made-for-tv ads. However, Romney's supporters have backed him so far as to raise $1 million worth of air time to combat Gingrich's campaign to push Romney from the race. But perhaps it is the underdogs Romney and Newt should be worried about, and not so much each other or playing politics. Congressman Ron Paul from Texas has been known for his grand fundraisers as well and last night picked up several votes along the way in New Hampshire's first few open primary districts and is a close second to Mitt. For this and more news on the Republican Primaries for President please go to www.foxnews.com or www.cnn.com.

Honoring Arizona

One year after the bloody shooting that occurred in Arizona by a crazed gunman, Gabrielle Giffords returns to the site of the tragedy to remember and mourn the victims lost on that fateful day. Giffords, who had been among the crowd for a rally, was brutally shot in the head and quickly airlifted to the nearest medical facility for treatment. In the year that followed Giffords has went through several months of intense physical therapy to help her recover from the injuries she sustained. For Giffords her source of strength comes from various places, the country who has embraced her, her staff who worked closely with her and most of all her adoring family. Both Giffords and her husband published a book at the end of last year titled Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope. Her husband, Mark Kelly is a successful NASA astronaut, U.S. Naval captain and naval aviator who was scheduled to go back into space a final time before his wife was seriously injured at her January 2011 rally. According to FoxNews.com Jared Lee "Loughner has pleaded not guilty to 49 charges in the shooting. The 23-year-old, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, is being forcibly medicated at a Missouri prison facility in an effort to make him mentally ready for trial." For this and more on congresswoman Giffords, her heroic story of survival and the case against Loughner please go to www.foxnews.com or www.cnn.com.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/08/tucson-marks-one-year-anniversary-deadly-rampage/#ixzz1iss6DiXf

A Year in Re-View

Although most of us have by now put 2011 well behind us, it is the job of In View (formally The Globe) to report on some of the top news stories of 2011 before we kick off a new year.

Almost a year after being attacked at a rally in Arizona, her home state, Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D) is well on her way to recovery and is seeking re-election. Giffords will reportedly attend a candle light vigil that will mark the 1 year anniversary of the shooting.



Another large story that captured the nation's attention in 2011 was that of Tot-Mom, so named by HLN host Nancy Grace, or to the public Casey Marie Anthony. Anthony was said to be the most hated woman in America when the verdict to release her was handed down and the courts found her not guilty of her daughters demise. Anthony was facing charges of first degree murder in the case of her daughter Caylee Anthony. Caylee was missing for nearly 31 days before she was reported missing and her remains were later discovered in a wooded area near her grandparents Florida residence.




2011 saw its moments of despair but it also saw moments of happiness and of hope. Prince William and his long time girlfriend Kate Middleton tied the knot in an April ceremony amidst a large and supportive crowd of onlookers. The Prince and Princess toured parts of Canada and the United States during the summer. Catherine's wedding dress is currently on display for all to see in Buckingham Palace.






For four years Amanda Knox had waited patiently for her day of justice to come inside of an Italian prision. Knox, a Seattle native, was charged with the murder of Mereditch Kutcher and convicted of the crime in 2009 along with her then boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito. Knox was released due to lack of evidence in the case against her. Amanda was released on May 26th, 2011.











2011 instantly propelled several figures into the political spotlight. Amidst economic woes, high unemployment rates, and national spending issues it was the year of the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street Protestors and a reminder of the upcoming 2012 election season. Among those to step up to the plate and throw their hats in the ring were Hermann Cain, Michelle Bauchman, former Governor of Mass. Mitt Romney, Gov. John Huntsman, Rick Santorum, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Texas Governor Rick Perry and Senator Ron Paul. Needless to say, this is going to be a very interesting year for politics, our economy and our nation. This is hail and farewell to 2011.