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The Democratic congresswoman from Arizona said she will step down this week in order to focus on her health. Giffords was shot in the head and wounded last January as she was meeting with constituents outside a supermarket in Tucson, Ariz.

Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney are redoubling their efforts to appeal to the Republican Party's base, which ranges from somewhat to very conservative. To do so, they are sounding conservative themes that may boost their chances to win GOP primaries but could harm their ability to beat President Obama.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said Sunday he would release his 2010 tax returns on Tuesday. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports Romney is ceding to increased pressure that might have contributed to his loss in South Carolina's Primary. Guy Raz talks with NPR's senior Washington editor Ron Elving about Newt Gingrich's upset in South Carolina's primary and what it means for the GOP race.

From her public appearances, including her resignation video, it was clear that Giffords, even as a powerful symbol of the strength of human will and the advances in trauma medicine, would face significant challenges in dealing with the rigors of a re-election campaign. So her decision, though a sad reminder of what has been taken from her, was not a surprise.

When Republicans took over the majority in the House of Representatives, they had a strong sense of unity and purpose. Their mood is more sober a year later, after a series of partisan political fights throughout 2011 blocked their agenda and tarnished their image among voters. So this past weekend, the House GOP gathered in Baltimore to regroup and set out their priorities for 2012.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is expected to win the presidential election in March. But many Russians are angry over alleged ballot rigging during recent parliamentary elections and the way Putin has maneuvered to return to the office he held from 2000 to 2008.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman joined with other state attorneys general last year who were suing five large mortgage servicers. But he was disturbed by the shape of the agreement, and says banks wanted broad protection from lawsuits over other mortgage practices. So he started his own investigation.

The Florida primary on Jan. 31 is the next nominating contest in the GOP presidential campaign. On Saturday, Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary. On Sunday, he was saying it's now a two-man race between Mitt Romney and himself.

The fraud trial of Texas financier R. Allen Stanford is scheduled to begin Monday morning in Houston. Stanford is charged with running a $7 billion Ponzi scheme. Stanford's trial has been delayed repeatedly, in part because he's fired his legal teams multiple times.

The Arab League has launched a new plan to stop the crisis in Syria. The plan was announced in Cairo by the premier of Qatar. It comes after the Arab League's own observers completed a month-long mission in Syria.