Letters went out to lawmakers this week asking them if they wanted to hold a special session over the controversial Stand Your Ground law in Florida, and although legislators have until Aug. 19 to send in their votes, the preliminary tally shows there will be no special session on the law.

Civil rights activist Julian Bond will be making an appearance at the Dream Defenders protest at the Florida Capitol on Thursday, according to posts on the group's Facebook and Twitter pages made Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott announced 23.4 million tourists visited Florida in the second quarter of 2013, the second largest quarter ever for tourists and a 2.6 percent increase over the same period in 2012. Scott teamed up with Visit Florida to make the announcement on Wednesday morning.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is enjoying a bit of the national limelight this week as she has joined the federal government in opposing the proposed merger between American Airlines and U.S. Airways. Bondi took to the pages of USA Today to argue against the proposed merger, insisting it will raise prices for consumers and undermines competition:

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) will be holding the Defending the American Dream Summit at the end of the month and they will be taking over a part of the Universal Studios theme park as part of their national event. Jillian Weleski from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation sent out an email on Tuesday night announcing attendees will have exclusive access to three roller coasters on the night of Aug. 30.

Speaking to the media in Panama City on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., praised the Medicare Advantage in very personal terms -- and warned it could be gutted due to President Barack Obamas health care law.

Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, announced his support on Tuesday of Gov. Rick Scott's decision to take legal action over the Apalachicola Bay. The governor announced earlier that Florida would be filing a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court to address Georgia's growing consumption of water, which "threatens the economic future of the Apalachicola region."

The Republican leadership in the Florida House came out in full support of Bill Gunters bid to replace former Rep. Mike Fasano in Tallahassee. House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, incoming House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Wesley Chapel, and Rep. Jose Olivia, R-Miami Lakes, announced they were backing Gunter. Rep. Richard Corcoran, R-Trinity, who is scheduled to be House speaker after the 2016 elections has been an early Gunter supporter.

On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott announced Florida was going to the U.S. Supreme Court to sue Georgias water consumption. Scott said Georgias water use was hurting fisheries around Apalachicola Bay which he and other political leaders, including U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., toured on Tuesday.

Navy veteran James Williams headed to Tallahassee Tuesday to present the Dream Defenders with 67,000 signed petitions, 40,000 of which called for the pardon of Marissa Alexander, a Jacksonville woman who was sentenced to 20 years for firing a warning shot in a heated argument with her abusive husband. Alexander attempted to use Florida's Stand Your Ground law as her defense, but was found guilty.

The Campaign for Liberty, chaired by former Congressman Ron Paul, is planning to run a new television ad encouraging politicians in Washington to support a bill auditing the Federal Reserve.

BYP 100, ayoung black activist group convened by the Black Youth Project to "mobilize communities of color beyond electoral politics" has created a "Justice for Trayvon Toolkit" booklet that covers a wide range of issues from white supremacy, the Marissa Alexander case and "stop and frisk" laws in new York.

Former Congressman Allen West, a favorite of the tea party movement, ripped into the Obama administration on Tuesday after news broke that the White House was planning to delay implementing its federal health care law again.

Although President Obama said Friday there were tighter restrictions on the National Security Agency's domestic surveillance program, most voters aren't convinced the government will protect their constitutional rights and very few Americans expect the program to cut back on monitoring the phone calls of ordinary Americans.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., confirmed Monday night on FOX News' Sean Hannity that he's considering a presidential bid in 2016. I have been thinking about it, Paul said.