Romney opens 21-point lead in South Carolina: Reuters/Ipsos poll  —  (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has opened a wide lead over his rivals in the South Carolina primary election race, trouncing Newt Gingrich and gaining momentum in his march toward the party's nomination, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows.

Romney Gives Unemployed Woman Cash on Ropeline  —  SUMTER, S.C. — Amid shaking hands and signing campaign posters, Mitt Romney did something he has never done before on the ropeline: He took out his wallet and handed a wad of cash to a woman waiting to shake his hand.

Obama Administration Responds to We the People Petitions on SOPA and Online Piracy  —  The White House has responded to two petitions about legislative approaches to combat online piracy.  In their response, Victoria Espinel, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator at Office of Management and Budget …

Police arrest Italian captain of cruise ship that ran aground, killing 3  —  Cruise ship runs aground off Italy  —  Porto Santo Stefano, Italy (CNN) — The Italian captain of the cruise ship that ran aground — killing three people, injuring 20 and leaving dozens unaccounted for …

S&P On Europe  —  S&P's downgrade of a bunch of European sovereigns was no surprise.  What was somewhat surprising — and which went unmentioned in almost all the news stories I've read — was why S&P has gotten so pessimistic.  From their FAQs: … And today we read about the response:

Unreal: Obama Regime Condemns Assassination Of Iranian Nuke Scientist...  In other words, Obama condemns Israel's Mossad for doing something we should be doing.

Mitt Romney's new problem: A rising sun  —  Mitt Romney was on the campaign trail in South Carolina yesterday, and brought up the issue he expects to ride into the White House: the U.S. economy.  Unfortunately for the former governor, the message isn't quite the same as it was a few months ago.

U.S. Warns Israel on Strike  —  Officials Lobby Against Attack on Iran as Military Leaders Bolster Defenses  —  WASHINGTON—U.S. defense leaders are increasingly concerned that Israel is preparing to take military action against Iran, over U.S. objections, and have stepped up contingency planning …

How the Wall Street Journal Misleads About Federal Jobs  —  The editorial board of Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal has a simple game.  They want to cut taxes for the rich and government services for the rest, and end regulations of banks and the environment.