With barely a week to go until the presidential straw poll in Ames held by the Iowa GOP, supporters of Texas Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Paul focused on Iowa on Wednesday. Revolution PAC, which is backing Paul, announced on Wednesday it was buying a full-page ad for its candidate in the Ames Tribune and putting up billboards across the state.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi called for an independent investigation of her office's firing of two foreclosure-fraud prosecutors this week, but state Democrats aren't satisfied.

Rep. Darren Soto, D-Orlando, and Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, sent letters Wednesday to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, asking the Department of Justice to look into the recent dismissal of two state prosecutors involved in investigating foreclosure mills.

The American Conservative Union (ACU) announced on Wednesday that conservative pundit Ann Coulter will be speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) event being held in Orlando on Sept. 23.

There are rumors flying that U.S. Rep. Bill Young, the dean of House Republicans, will retire and not seek another term in 2012. Despite Young not making an announcement yet, if he will stay in Congress or head back home, a candidate jumped in the race this week -- Christian leader Madeline Vance who will run as a Republican. Vance is active with Mustard Seed Ministries based out of Clearwater.

With a key straw poll looming next Friday, the field of Republican presidential candidates continued to focus on Iowa this week, the site of the first caucus. On Wednesday, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann released a television ad running across the Hawkeye State as she looked to solidify her credentials as the leading conservative threat to front-runner Mitt Romney. In the ad, Bachmann takes aim at President Barack Obama on the economy and repeats her opposition to raising the federal debt ceiling.

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed former state Rep. Tom Grady as commissioner of the Office of Financial Regulation.

Grady, a former lawyer and stockbroker, served in the Florida House from 2008 to 2010, but did not seek re-election. He was not only Scott's representative, but lives on the same street as Scott in Naples.

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio explained his opposition to the deal raising the debt ceiling on Tuesday.

Rick McAllister, the president and CEO of the Florida Retail Foundation, weighed in on Tuesday on the back-to-school sales tax holiday being held in the Sunshine State from Aug. 12 through Aug. 14. The tax holiday covers up to $75 in clothing and up to $15 on other school supplies.

This is one of the better sales periods for retailers, with or without the sales tax holiday, McAllister told the media on Tuesday. He said the weekend would provide a glimpse into the upcoming holiday sales period -- and economic recovery.

Florida Emergency Management issued a warning about continued high temperatures on Monday, noting that the heat index could rise to as high as 115 degrees and that North Florida will be heavily impacted. Heat advisories have already been issued for the following counties in North Florida: Franklin, Liberty, Gulf, Calhoun, Jackson, Bay, Washington, Holmes and Walton.

Businessman Craig Miller, who is running in the Republican primary to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, weighed in on Gov. Rick Scott announcing that he was going to be holding Bob Graham-style workdays. Miller started a series of them last week when the former Ruth's Chris CEO worked at a pizzeria in Winter Park.