With five weeks to go until Iowa voters take part in the nation's first caucus, former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich is surging in polls of the early states that will shape the race for the Republican presidential nomination.

Gingrich is leading two new polls of Iowa released Tuesday.

Despite reported record spending for Black Friday, consumer confidence remains at historic low levels, a new University of Florida study reported Wednesday.

The National Retail Federation reported Black Friday sales took in $52.4 billion, 16 percent more than a year earlier for the traditional start of the holiday shopping season.

However, it remains to be seen if shopping will continue through December for the end-of-year holidays or if the high post-Thanksgiving sales were simply a reflection of enticing sales.

On Tuesday, almost 18 years to the day the National Football League announced that Jacksonville had obtained the 30th franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars announced the team has a new owner and a new interim coach.

Wayne Weaver, the majority owner of the team, announced that his family has sold its interest to Pakistan-born businessman Shahid Kahn, the owner of Flex-N-Gate. Kahn had tried to buy the St. Louis Rams last year.

Noting that Kahn pledged to keep the team in Jacksonville, Weaver pledged the Jaguars would be there many years into the future.