1. ROMNEY TRIES FOR A CPAC COMEBACK
Following Rick Santorum's three-state victory on Tuesday, Mitt Romney is trying to "reconnect" with the GOP base at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., where he'll attempt to convince skeptics on the Right that he should be their presidential nominee. The former Massachusetts governor is set to deliver a speech at CPAC on Friday, where, he says, he'll reassure voters of his commitment to conservative issues and ideology. [New York Times]
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2. WOUNDED GIFFORDS AIDE TO RUN FOR HER SEAT
On Thursday, Rob Barber, a top aide to former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), announced he would run for the congressional seat she held until last month, when she stepped down as she continues to recover from a gunshot wound to the head. Barber was also injured in the January 2011 Tucson shooting, sustaining gunshot wounds to the face and leg. He says Giffords and her husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, asked him to run and gave him their "full support." [Bloomberg]
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3. SYRIANS PROTEST RUSSIA
Across Syria, tens of thousands of people filled the streets Friday to protest against Russia for vetoing a U.N. resolution that would have urged President Bashar al-Assad to stop his violent crackdown on the pro-democracy uprising and step down. Meanwhile, government troops and tanks continued their assault on opposition-controlled areas in Homs, Syria's third largest city, and state media reported two bomb blasts and dozens dead in the northern city of Aleppo. [CNN]
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4. GREEK DEAL IN LIMBO
Greek political leaders have agreed to a new series of drastic spending cuts to secure a 130-billion-euro ($173 billion) bailout and avoid default, but European finance ministers say they need more reassurance from Athens before they'll approve the new aid package. Labor unions in Greece have called for a 48-hour strike to protest the new austerity measures. [Los Angeles Times]
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5. CHANGING RULES FOR WOMEN IN COMBAT
On Thursday, the Pentagon recommended to Congress that women in combat be allowed to serve closer to the front line, a move that could potentially open up 14,000 more jobs to women. When asked about the Pentagon plan on CNN, presidential candidate Rick Santorum said that "other types of emotions" could interfere with military missions if women were allowed in combat. [Associated Press]
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6. ARAB SPRING IMAGE WINS 'PHOTO OF THE YEAR'
The 2011 World Press Photo of the Year award has been given to Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda for a "painterly" picture he took in Yemen of a burqa-clad woman holding a wounded relative after a demonstration. Aranda shot the image on assignment for The New York Times. [New York Times]
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7. IPAD 3 ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED IN MARCH
Apple reportedly plans to announce a new version of its vaunted tablet in early March. The speculation pushed Apple stock to an all-time high of $496.75 in intra-day trading Thursday, before it closed at $493.17, up 3.46 percent from its opening price. [Wall Street Journal]
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8. CANCER DRUG REVERSES ALZHEIMER'S
Scientists have "serendipitously" found that a drug used to treat skin cancer reverses Alzheimer's disease in mice. Seventy hours after receiving a large dose of bexarotene, the mice had substantial improvements in memory and dramatically lower amounts of amyloid plaque, a key signifier of Alzheimer's, in the brain. [CNN]
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9. ZEBRA STRIPE MYSTERY SOLVED
It's long been wondered why zebras have stripes. Now, European researchers say the have the answer: The stripes make the animals "unattractive" to pesky, blood-sucking flies because of the unique way their pattern reflects light. [BBC]
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10. TESLA UNVEILS ITS FIRST SUV
On Thursday night, luxury electric car company Tesla showed off its third car, and first SUV, the Model X. Unique features include falcon-wing doors and dual electronic motors — one to power the front wheels, one to power the rear set. [CNBC]
