1:06pm: The GOP presidential candidates have left Florida, after Mitt Romney trounced Newt Gingrich 46 to 31 percent in that state's primary. The candidates aren't just leaving sunny skies and palm trees behind; they also left some scorched earth. The race turned nasty, with Romney carpet bombing Gingrich with thousands of negative TV ads. Gingrich attacked Romney for everything from his record as the head of Bain Capital to the healthcare reform law he passed while governor of Massachusetts. Where does the Republican party go from here—and are they providing President Obama with a ready-made campaign strategy?1:35pm: Last week, in his State of the Union address President Barack Obama laid out his administration’s commitment to creating jobs in the energy sector. And U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says his agency is already working toward that goal in rural communities across the country. He spoke with WFPL reporter Erica Peterson about the USDA’s progress in Indiana. 1:40pm: There are lots of headlines this week about which millionaires donated big money to super PACS, the political action committees that a 2010 Supreme Court decision freed to raise unlimited cash for candidates. Three hedge fund managers each gave million-dollar contributions to the pro-Mitt Romney superpac "Restore Our Future." In contrast, "Winning Our Future" the super PAC that supports Newt Gingrich, outside of a $10 million dollar donation from casino magnate Sheldon Adelson last month, "Winning Our Future" has only raised $2 million dollars to keep Gingrich in the minds of voters. But the non-profit arms of super PACS don't have to disclose their donors. So who is giving to whom?
Laura is LPM's Director of Podcasts & Special Projects.
Email Laura at lellis@lpm.org.