Muslim leaders to abandon plans for Ground Zero community center  —  Insiders say Muslim spiritual leaders behind the controversial initiative are considering giving up on the former World Trade Center location, in a gesture of appeasement.  —  After weeks of heated debate over plans …

Court Extends Stay on Allowing Gay Marriage  —  SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court has extended a stay on same-sex marriages in California until it decides whether a ban on such unions is constitutional.  —  It is just the latest turn in a protracted legal battle over Proposition 8, the voter-approved ban.

Obama raises a quick $1 million — and some L.A. commuter ire  —  During his trip west, the president also pitches his efforts to create clean-energy jobs.  —  President Obama leaves Air Force One upon his arrival at Los Angeles International Airport.  (Jewel Samad, AFP/Getty Images / August 16, 2010)

GOP Shows Strongest Positioning Yet in 2010 Vote Test  —  Leads Democrats by 50% to 43% in latest update on congressional voting preferences  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Gallup's latest update on 2010 congressional voting preferences finds 50% of registered voters saying they would vote …

Obama, the one-term president  —  Q: Will Barack Obama be a one-term president?  —  A: Yes, he might last that long.  —  Honest to goodness, the man just does not get it.  He might be forced to pull a Palin and resign before his first term is over.  He could go off and write his memoirs and build his presidential library.

Ray Bradbury hates big government: ‘Our country is in need of a revolution’  —  Ray Bradbury is mad at President Obama, but it's not about the economy, the war or the plan to a construct a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City.  —  “He should be announcing that we should go back to the moon …

No ‘Graceful Exit’  —  In his book, “The Promise,” about President Obama's first year in office, Jonathan Alter describes a brief conversation between the president and Vice President Joe Biden that took place last November at the end of Mr. Obama's long deliberation about what to do in Afghanistan.

Judge: Missouri funeral protest ban unconstitutional  —  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge ruled Monday that Missouri laws restricting protests near funerals are unconstitutional.  —  Missouri legislators passed two laws in 2006 in response to protests at servicemembers' funerals …

Economy Led to Cuts in Use of Health Care  —  WASHINGTON — The economic crisis in the United States has reduced the use of routine medical care, and the cutbacks here are much deeper than in countries with universal health care systems, researchers say in a new report.

GOP reveals midterm blueprint  —  The GOP blueprint for winning control of the House is rapidly coming into focus, with the National Republican Congressional Committee readying a $22 million TV ad blitz aimed at a handful of powerful, long-serving incumbents and several dozen of the most junior members of the Democratic majority.

Critics say Obama's message becoming ‘incoherent’  —  Washington (CNN) — President Obama's comments on a plan to build a mosque in the shadow of ground zero are not only giving opponents an opportunity to attack him but also reveal a messaging problem from the White House, a communications expert said.

AP decides not to LOL  —  The Associated Press almost shared a page with LOLcats.  —  Pet Holdings Inc., which owns a network of blogs that post pictures of felines with silly captions, and videos of men getting hit in the groin on its Fail Blog, had been wrapped in rather lengthy negotiations …

Holy Frickin' Reagan: Best Advertorial You'll See  —  Seriously, watch it.  —  This comes from the Republican Study Committee, which is headed, if I have the information right, by Rep. Tom Price of Georgia.  —  So now you can't say the GOP isn't doing anything to advance the message.

U.S. Said to Plan Easing Rules for Travel to Cuba  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is planning to expand opportunities for Americans to travel to Cuba, the latest step aimed at encouraging more contact between people in both countries, while leaving intact the decades-old embargo …

Michael Douglas Has a Tumor in His Throat  —  The Oscar-winning actor, 65, will under go eight weeks of radiation and chemotherapy.  His doctors expect the Wall Street star to make a full recovery, according to the spokesperson.  —  “I am very optimistic,” Douglas said in a statement.