AP Standards Center issues staff advisory on covering New York City mosque  —  Associated Press Deputy Managing Editor for Standards and Production Tom Kent sent the following note to the staff about covering the New York City mosque story:  —  Colleagues,

New Dem message: ‘Improve’ health care, don't talk cost  —  Key White House allies are dramatically shifting their attempts to defend health care legislation, abandoning claims that it will reduce costs and deficit and instead stressing a promise to “improve it.”

Obama's energy meltdown  —  The decision by congressional Democrats to not try to pass a major energy bill in this Congress, while receiving a modest amount of media attention, actually constitutes one of the sharpest rebukes to a sitting president in recent memory.

The Most Sexist Ad, Well, Ever  —  In an act of shockingly retro, sexist stupidity, a local unit of the Republican Party of Minnesota has broadcast a new reason you should vote Republican: GOP women are hot, and Democratic women are not.  —  The group has made a web video contrasting photos of attractive …

Appeasing the Bond Gods  —  As I look at what passes for responsible economic policy these days, there's an analogy that keeps passing through my mind.  I know it's over the top, but here it is anyway: the policy elite — central bankers, finance ministers, politicians who pose as defenders …

U.S. Persuades Israel That Iran's Nuclear Threat Is Not Imminent  —  WASHINGTON — The Obama administration, citing evidence of continued troubles inside Iran's nuclear program, has persuaded Israel that it would take roughly a year — and perhaps longer — for Iran to complete …

Dems hit at Bush in new cable ad  —  Democrats again used former President George W. Bush as a foe in their latest TV ad campaign, driving home the point Republicans would restore policies that helped create the economic downturn.  —  The Democratic National Committee (DNC) …

Why I back a mosque compromise  —  The builders want to build it as a healing gesture, but healing is impossible without dialogue  —  First of all, I am not going to back off.  The reaction did surprise me because most of the negative reaction had to do with defending the constitutional rights of the builders of the center.

Media: Maybe Obama Should Go To Church More Publicly So People Know He's Christian  —  Today, Pew put out a poll showing that 18 percent of the American public believes President Obama is a Muslim.  That number includes 31 percent of Republicans.  Only 34 percent of the adult public says Obama …

The Deal  —  Bob Somerby is following the latest Social Security chatter and hopes that Paul Krugman can explain how the trust fund works in an understandable way: … Well, hell, I'll take a crack at it.  Here's the simple version.  —  In 1983, when we last reformed Social Security …

The Most Lethal Weapon the United States Returns in ‘Early Warning’  —  Thanks to all of you, my new novel, Early Warning, is in stores today, as well as on Kindle.  It's the sequel to last year's thriller, Hostile Intent, which went to No. 1 on Kindle upon its debut, sat high …

Google Founders Sergey Brin And Larry Page Get Feature Film Treatment  —  EXCLUSIVE: The founders of Facebook aren't the only game-changing geeks poised to have their story told on a movie screen.  Michael London's Groundswell Productions has teamed with producer John Morris to acquire movie rights …

The right stuff  —  Indiana's governor is a likeable wonk.  Can he save the Republicans from themselves and provide a pragmatic alternative to Barack Obama?  —  CLAY COUNTY  —  THE governor does not like to keep people waiting.  On a recent morning this small man leapt out of a trooper's Toyota …

Australia election rivals neck and neck  —  Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott are heading for a photo-finish in the national elections  —  The election campaign in Australia has reached its final day with the two main parties neck and neck.  —  An opinion poll suggested the governing Labor Party …

Thomson prison appraisal, fed's offer differ  —  THOMSON — The three appraisals of the Thomson Correctional Center have been completed, and the average value assigned to the vacant prison is far higher than what the Obama administration budgeted to buy the facility.

Rand Paul and Jack Conway locked in tie at 41, new cn|  2 Poll shows  —  Democratic U.S. Senate candidate appears to have picked up some undecided voters over the last two weeks and is in a dead heat with Republican candidate Rand Paul, the latest cn|  2 Poll shows.

Shot fired at Al Franken's condo  —  Minneapolis and Capitol Hill police are investigating a shot that was fired at the condo of Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.).  —  Nobody was home at the time of the incident, which was not reported until after the senator and his wife returned home to Minneapolis …

Israelis and Palestinians to Resume Talks, Officials Say  —  WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to announce Friday that Israel and the Palestinians will return to direct negotiations for the first time in 20 months, delivering the Obama administration …