In his first week as a presidential candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry made a big impression on Republican voters across the nation.

Florida individuals and businesses have so far received more than $2 billion in payouts because of the BP oil spill, but the going may get tougher for some with federal overseers having earlier this week tightened requirements for future payments under the $20 billion program.

Citing signs of economic recovery around the region, the Gulf Coast Claims Facility has said publicly that the effects of the April 2010 spill are dissipating rapidly. The group reiterated that message on Tuesday with a notice on its website that modifications were being made to its payout parameters.

Mitt Romney and Michele Bachmann say they're skipping the Florida straw vote, but it looks like their names will be on the Sept. 24 poll ballot anyway.

According to the host Republican Party of Florida, all candidates participating in the scheduled Sept. 22 Fox News debate at the Presidency 5 summit will probably be listed on the straw ballot occurring two days later.

Pundits lately have been comparing Barack Obama to Jimmy Carter, suggesting he is a likely loser in 2012.