Robert Siegel talks to David Johnson, former executive director of Florida's Republican Party, about the state's political landscape — and what that means for the GOP presidential candidates.

When the Taliban controlled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, their hard-line policies included a ban on music tapes and videos.

Yet now, the Taliban are producing their own CDs in an attempt to win the hearts and minds of Afghans.

In bustling downtown Kabul, Mustafa, 22, works in an electronics store selling music CDs to 20-something customers.

The issue of immigration reform, which simmered mildly during the first three Republican presidential contests, appears ready to boil over now that the candidates have reached Florida for the state's Jan. 31 primary.

Florida, with its large and influential Latino population, provides the earliest gauge of the difficulty facing any eventual GOP nominee in courting Hispanic voters, who increasingly view Republicans' rhetoric about immigration as anti-Hispanic.

Life came full circle for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords today. A little more than a year after she was shot in the head at a community meet-and-greet she organized, she met with others who survived the rampage.

At her office in Tucson, the Arizona congresswoman met with Daniel Hernandez, her former intern who is credited with helping to save her life by containing her bleeding.

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died Sunday at the age of 85. The legendary coach's reputation was deeply tarnished after sex abuse charges were filed against a former assistant coach. Writers and fans continue to debate how Paterno should be remembered.

In a piece in Gizmodo, staff writer Sam Biddle called password sharing "a lynchpin of intimacy in the 21st century." The practice has become a romantic symbol of trust, but also carries a number of social and legal risks.

President Obama rejected Wednesday a proposal to build the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast — generating intense debate in both countries. Murray Mandryk, political columnist for the Leader-Post of Sasketchewan, offers a Canadian perspective on the controversy.

President Barack Obama delivers his third State of the Union speech in the House chambers Tuesday night. In his 2012 address, he is expected to focus on jobs and the government's efforts to boost the economy and reduce economic inequality.