Orlando, the entire city, is one of nine global destinations that a CNN panel of travel experts considered the hot spots of 2012. The metropolis most people breeze by as they head to Disney World will transform into celebrity central as it hosts the 61st NBA All-Star Game in February, CNN reported. Robert Reid, U.S. travel editor for Lonely Planet and a member of the CNN panel, advised travelers to check out the city's lakes, museums and scenic neighborhoods, including the bohemian Milk District, in the CNN piece. He also praised Orlando's food scene.

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Miguel A. Rodriguez and Jonathan A. Toppe to the Board of Architecture and Interior Design. According to a release from the governors office: Rodriguez, 54, of Coral Gables, is the president of Rodriguez Architects. He succeeds E. Wendell Hall and is appointed for a term beginning Dec. 15, 2011, and ending Oct. 31, 2015. Toppe, 65, of St. Petersburg, is the president of Toppe Consultants Inc. He succeeds Johnstone N. Reid and is appointed for a term beginning Dec. 15, 2011, and ending Oct. 31, 2013.

Gov. Rick Scott has reappointed Stephen Swindal, chairman of Marine Towing of Tampa, to the Tampa Port Authority. According to a release from the governors office: Swindal, 57, of Tampa, is the chairman of Marine Towing of Tampa and co-owner and operator of Swindal International LLC. Swindal is a member of the Propeller Club of Tampa and a board member of the Salvation Army-Tampa Chapter. He is reappointed for a term beginning Feb. 6, 2012, and ending Feb. 6, 2016. The appointment is subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate.

RPOF Chairman Lenny Curry has announced that the University of North Florida in Jacksonville will serve as the venue for the Jan. 26 Republican Presidential Debate. The debate is co-sponsored by RPOF and Hispanic Leadership Network and will air internationally on CNN. "This is a great event for Jacksonville and for UNF," Curry said. "This venue will highlight how important Jacksonville and the First Coast region are to Florida and the nation by hosting a debate that includes our next president."

Florida could receive $14.7 million as part of a $538 million price-fixing settlement with makers of LCD panels. But no refunds will be available until ongoing litigation is completed. The attorney generals office announced the settlement Tuesday between eight states and a number of electronic manufacturers that include Hitachi, Sharp and Samsung.

Florida Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood, wants to repeal a 2010 state law that allows tickets to be issued by those caught on camera running red lights. On Tuesday, Plakon filed a bill that would remove the provisions that allow the Florida Department of Highway, Safety and Motor Vehicles, along with counties and municipalities, to use traffic infraction detectors to enforce when drivers fail to stop at traffic signals.

Gary Johnson is dropping out of the GOP presidential campaign and will consider a third-party run, the former New Mexico governor told Fox News on Tuesday night. Johnson's libertarian agenda never got traction in the Republican race, and he was excluded from most debates because he barely registered a pulse in the public opinion polls. Johnson told Fox he may seek the Libertarian Party nomination or pursue an independent bid instead.

With a state investigation continuing into the death of a Florida A&M band member, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami, plans to bring her fight against college hazing to the federal level. Wilson announced Tuesday she is working with the president of historically-black colleges and universities, along with band members and Greek-letter organizations, to craft a federal anti-hazing bill that will be filed when Congress reconvenes next month.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has released a statement on the death of Seminole County sheriffs office Deputy Matt Miller. My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends of Seminole County sheriffs office Deputy Matt Miller, who lost his life in a fatal motorcycle accident while on duty. We will remember Deputy Miller for his lifelong service to Floridians and his dedication to making our state a safer place, Bondi stated in a release.

On Tuesday, Republican presidential hopeful former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts announced that he had won the endorsement of New Hampshire state Sen. Sharon Carson who serves as part of the legislative leadership as majority whip. Romney is leading in polls of New Hampshire which will hold the first presidential primary.

Nearly one of every four federal workers makes more than $100,000 annually, a USA Today study shows. Twenty-two percent of federal employees earned more than $100,000 last year, up from 12 percent in 2006. The average federal salary in 2011 was $75,296, plus $28,323 in medical, pension and other benefits -- about 60 percent more than the private-sector average. Some additional findings:

Ron Paul became the fifth Republican presidential candidate to sign the Personhood Presidential Candidate Pledge, but that may not be good enough for Personhood USA. In an accompanying statement to the group, the Texas congressman said, "You can't have liberty without life." I don't just believe life begins at conception; I know it as a scientific certainty, he wrote.

The first of the more than 360,000 absentee ballots that have been requested for the Republican Presidential Preference Primary in Florida hit the mail Tuesday. County supervisors of elections are required by Florida Statute to mail the requested absentee ballots -- also known as vote-at-home ballots -- 35 to 28 days before the primary, which for the Jan. 31, 2012, primary date runs Dec. 27 through Jan. 3, 2012.

Positive news about the U.S. economy has driven crude prices up near $100 a barrel, but prices at the pump have remained stable for now, AAA reported. Across Florida, a gallon of regular unleaded cost $3.25 on Friday. The same gallon cost $3.27 a week earlier and $3.33 a month earlier. "Although the national average for a gallon of gasoline rose 1 cent, state prices in the Southeast remain stable with no increase," Jessica Brady, AAA spokesperson of The Auto Club Group, stated in a release.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Miami, will introduce a resolution to honor former Czech Republic president and human rights leader Vlav Havel. Rubio has posted on his website a copy of the resolution that will be introduced when the Senate reconvenes after the holidays. Whereas under the leadership of Vlav Havel, the Czech Republic became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on March 12, 1999, and today remains a valuable ally of the United States, the resolution states.