With senior-rich Florida shaping up as a critical state in the 2012 Republican primary, two of the leading candidates are battling over the future of Social Security and whether one front-runner's inflammatory comments about the program could harm the party in a general election.

At stake are the 29 electoral votes up for grabs in Florida and perhaps more in other states where retirees have flocked in recent decades. The scuffle also shows where tea-party rhetoric could collide with electoral realities in the largest of swing states.

"NBC Nightly News" is the highest-rated daily news show in the morning or evening. In mid-August, the show had been ranked No. 1 for 100 straight weeks, pulling an average of 7.7 million viewers.

Declaring that "the world will pay a terrible price" if America does not actively champion the cause of freedom through moral and, if necessary, military strength, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said the country is at a historic crossroads.

Delivering his first foreign-policy address, the Miami Republican on Tuesday discussed "America's Role in the World" at the Jesse Helms Lecture Series at Wingate University in North Carolina.

Minimum math and English requirements in the state college and university systems could be further eased.

A minimum grade point average could be added to Florida law for students seeking associate's degrees.

And school districts would receive some compensation for high school students taking part in dual-enrollment classes at local colleges.

Michele Bachmann needed a home run at the CNN Tea Party debate. She hit a triple.

With four months until the first votes are cast in the Iowa caucus, the gloves are coming off in the Republican presidential race.

On Monday, the eight leading contenders for the Republican presidential nomination flocked to the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa to square off in a debate sponsored by CNN and the Tea Party Express -- and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who is leading in the national polls, came under heavy fire from his rivals.

Wolf Blitzer from CNN moderated the debate, which opened with introductions from the candidates -- before heading to Social Security.