Paul Ryan — THE TOPLESS PHOTO  —  THE TOPLESS PHOTO  —  EXCLUSIVE  —  Here it is ... the very first photo of Paul Ryan's mysterious athletic physique ... REVEALED!!!  —  TMZ has (finally) obtained a photo of Mitt Romney's running mate — sans shirt — taken roughly 6 years ago ... right before Ryan got hooked on the P90X workout.

Letter from Jim Messina to Matt Rhoades  —  Dear Matt:  —  I am writing to ask again that the Governor release multiple years of tax returns, but also to make an offer that should address his concerns about the additional disclosures.  Governor Romney apparently fears that the more he offers …

Hateful speech on hate groups  —  Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay rights organization, posted an alert on its blog Tuesday: “Paul Ryan Speaking at Hate Group's Annual Conference.”  —  The “hate group” that the Republicans' vice presidential candidate would be addressing?

Pussy Riot members jailed for two years for hooliganism  —  Judge Marina Syrova: “These three plus others... plotted together to undermine civil order, motivated by religious hatred”  —  Three members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot have been jailed for two years after staging an anti-Vladimir Putin protest in a Moscow cathedral.

Hillary rejected VP slot to ready her own 2016 run … Popular in Politics  —  Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was pressed by her husband and a top Obama aide to consider replacing Vice President Joe Biden just a couple of weeks ago, claims the author of the New York Times bestseller “The Amateur.”

Mitt Romney paid taxes at a rate of at least 13 percent.  And he's proud to say so.  —  Can we stand back and pause a short minute to take in the spectacle of a man who wants to be President of The United States, who wants us to seriously regard him as a paragon of the American civic ideal …

TPMMuckraker  —  Federal Court Rules Florida's Shortening Of Early Voting Discriminates Against Blacks  —  A panel of federal judges ruled late Thursday that a Florida law that limits the number of early voting days cannot be implemented in several counties because it would have an adverse impact on minority turnout.

City of San Francisco to place sharia-compliant disclaimers next to every AFDI pro-Israel bus ad  —  Scott Goldstein, President of Titan Transit advertising, just called me.  Titan handles the outdoor ads for San Francisco MUNI and BART.  —  In an unprecedented move, the city of San Francisco …

Presented With Letters, Ryan Admits Requesting Stimulus Cash  —  After repeated denials, Paul Ryan has admitted he requested stimulus cash even after sharply criticizing the program.  —  Ryan had denied doing so as recently as Wednesday, when he spoke to ABC's Cincinnati affiliate, WCPO, in Ohio.

Biden's ‘good friend,’ donor receives $20M federal loan to open foreign luxury car dealership in Ukraine  —  In late July, John Hynansky — a longtime friend of Vice President Joe Biden, and a major donor to Biden's campaigns as well as President Barack Obama's — was awarded a $20 million taxpayer loan …

Moscow bans gay pride for century  —  Nikolay Alexeyev has been campaigning for years for the right to stage gay parades in Russia  —  Moscow's top court has upheld a ban on gay pride marches in the Russian capital for the next 100 years.  —  Earlier Russia's best-known gay rights campaigner …

Secret ‘Menu’ Details Perks for Big Democratic Donors  —  Those seeking invites to the most lavish receptions at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, “gold ticket” access to “dialogues,” and private breakfast briefings with party luminaries, can expect a hefty price of admission.

Aug. 16: Why I'm Not Buying the Romney Rally  —  At the political futures market Intrade, shares in Mitt Romney have been a hot commodity this week.  As of early Thursday evening, the bettors there gave Mr. Romney a 43.5 percent chance of winning November's election.

Afghanistan police officer kills 2 U.S. troops in latest “green-on-blue” attack … Afghanistan: The Way Forward  —  (CBS News) LONDON - Two U.S. troops were killed in the western Afghan province of Farah when an Afghan Local Police officer turned his gun on them, one of two so-called green …