Former Gov. Charlie Crist and former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, fresh off electoral defeats last fall, were back in the spotlight Wednesday, this time pushing for a ballot initiative that would prevent offshore oil and natural gas drilling in Florida's territorial waters.

Former U.S. Senator Bob Graham will push for higher safety standards, more stringent regulation and greater penalties for oil companies drilling in the Gulf of Mexico when he testifies before Congress in two weeks.

Florida's tourism industry has yet to receive the $25 million in emergency cash it needs to immediately advertise that Florida’s beaches are open and unsullied by oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill, and there is still no word of when or how the industry will receive the money promised by BP earlier this week.

Northwest Florida resorts, hotels and vacation rental properties are dusting off their best discounted rates and special offers in hopes they can fill properties with Fourth of July tourists.

Oil that dispersed in the Gulf of Mexico is still out there, coating deep-water spawning grounds and potentially resurfacing on Panhandle beaches, University of South Florida researchers say.

A survey published Thursday by the American Automobile Association revealed that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has triggered a rise in the number of travelers who have canceled or otherwise changed their plans to visit Florida's Gulf Coast.