The stay of execution imposed on death row inmate Manuel Valle, a convicted cop killer, has been lifted by the Florida Supreme Court. Valle, who has spent more than 30 years on death row for murdering a police officer in Broward County in 1978, appealed for the stay, claiming a switch in one drug in the three-drug cocktail used by Florida for lethal injections would subject him to pain, consituting a violation of the Eighth Amendment's protection against "cruel and unusual" punishment.

Six of Floridas Catholic bishops -- Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami, Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Palm Beach, Bishop Robert Lynch of St. Petersburg, Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Bishop John Noonan of Orlando and Bishop Felipe Estez of St. Augustine -- wrote Gov. Rick Scott appealing to him to stay the execution of Manuel Valle, a convicted cop killer who has been on death row for more than 30 years. The Florida Supreme Court issued a stay in July due to concerns about the drugs that were going to be used to execute Valle.

Backers of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas held a money-bomb over the weekend and pulled in more than $1.8 million for his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Our campaign is truly surging, and this is just more evidence of the strength of our grassroots support, said Jesse Benton, a spokesman for the Paul campaign. Weve just come off of an impressive finish in the Iowa straw poll, and our rising poll numbers and strong fundraising proves our message is resonating with people.

While there had been speculation that former Florida House Speaker Allan Bense would seek the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, the former state legislative leader endorsed a candidate already in the field -- former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner. Hasner announced on Tuesday that Bense would serve as chairman of his campaign. In his statement backing Hasner, Bense took a shot at former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux who is also seeking the Republican nomination.

Former Gov. George Pataki of New York is heading out to Iowa this weekend, generating buzz that he will enter the already crowded field of candidates battling it out for the Republican presidential nomination. Pataki will be appearing at an event in Des Moines on Saturday backed by the Polk County Republicans. The former New York governor will be joined by two congressmen already running for the Republican presidential nomination -- Ron Paul of Iowa and Thad McCotter of Michigan.

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman garnered some attention over this past weekend for taking some shots at his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. The Huntsman camp looked to remind voters on Tuesday in a new video that their candidate also bashed his former boss, President Barack Obama. Huntsman, who had experience with Asia in George H.W. Bushs administration, served as ambassador to China under Obama until earlier this year.

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is bowing out of one Central Florida event this Saturday, but will be at another. Quoting a tea party source, Broward New Times reported that the Minnesota congresswoman canceled her planned appearance at The Villages retirement community. But Sunshine State News confirmed that Bachmann will appear as scheduled at the Florida Family Policy Council awards dinner at Orlando's Rosen Shingle Creek Resort.

U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin announced on Monday that he would not enter the race for the Republican presidential nomination. While humbled by all of the encouragement, I will not be seeking my party's nomination, noted Ryan, the House Budget Committee chairman who won some national fame for leading congressional Republicans on the budget against President Barack Obama. Ryan had received backing from many prominent Republicans and conservatives to enter the contest.

After "leaving the door open a crack" last week to the possibility of a run for U.S. Senate, U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, shut it Monday, according to Politico. Here's West's statement: "I will not seek the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in 2012. With regard to my future, the only goal I have is to do my very best to represent the constituents of the congressional district and to restore the exceptionalism of our nation," he said.

A poll released by Gallup on Monday found former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts beating President Barack Obama among registered voters 48 percent to 46 percent. Obama was tied with Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who announced earlier in the month that he was running, with both candidates taking 47 percent.

According to numerous reports, Hurricane Irene is poised to hit South Florida by as early as Thursday morning. The storm is only a Category 1 right now, with winds of 80 mph, but some projections have it gathering strength and rising to a Category 3 storm with 115 mph winds before striking U.S. soil.

A poll released on Monday, unveiled by the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) and taken by McLaughlin & Associates, finds Gov. Rick Scott on the rebound with voters in the Sunshine State. Scott remains upside down in the poll with 37 percent of those surveyed having a favorable opinion of him while 47 percent see him as unfavorable. But those numbers narrow when it comes to Scotts job performance, where it is almost split even -- while 45 percent approve of Scotts record as governor, 46 percent disapprove.

Like the rest of the mainstream media, the Fort Myers News-Press rarely misses an opportunity to attack Rick Scott. The paper's editorial board blasted the governor earlier this year when he vetoed $4.5 million in funds to fit out Florida Gulf Coast University's health professions building. But unlike so many of their MSM compadres, the News-Press editorialists last week admitted they were wrong.

On Saturday, his 76th birthday, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas won the New Hampshire Young Republicans presidential straw poll. Paul took 45 percent of the 302 votes cast while former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who is leading in the Granite State, took second place with 10 percent.