Taking odds: Ohio casino operators tout benefits of gambling palaces, foes plan next attack

Ohio ponders a future with casinos

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Developers of four new Ohio casinos looked eagerly to the future Wednesday, even as opponents concocted plans to stymie their efforts and surrounding states braced for economic losses.

Ohio casino vote comes as supporters tout economic benefits; critics leery of job promises

Economy hovers over Ohio casino referendum vote

New York voters asked to consider Adirondack land swap, inmate volunteer work for nonprofits

NY voters asked to consider land swap, inmate work

Morton: Ala. teachers should pay more for health insurance, retirement to offset budget cuts

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama schools Superintendent Joe Morton unveiled a plan to deal with budget cuts for fiscal year 2011 partly by making teachers pay more for health insurance and retirement benefits.

2 Kentucky Senate Republicans meet with horse industry on proposed constitutional amendments

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Two Kentucky Republican lawmakers are planning to offer different constitutional amendments next year, one that would allow for video gambling and another that would limit how gambling could be expanded.

California governor signs bill recognizing out-of-state gay marriages sanctioned before Prop 8

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill recognizing gay marriages sanctioned in other states during the nearly five months such unions were legal in California.

Thousands expected to call on Obama, Congress to fulfill gay rights promises during DC march

WASHINGTON — Tens of thousands of gay rights supporters marched from the White House to the Capitol Sunday, demanding that President Barack Obama keep his promises to allow gays to serve openly in the military and work to end discrimination against them.

Dozens of Dominicans in beach gear demand more access to country’s beaches and rivers

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Dozens of Dominicans wearing flip-flops and swim suits and carrying coolers and surfboards soaked in the sun outside Congress on Friday to protest a proposal they say will limit public access to beaches and rivers.

Straight spouses advocate same-sex marriage as way of creating more perfect unions

SAN FRANCISCO — Wah Cheong, a lifelong Republican and the soon-to-be divorced father of two teenage boys, sometimes surprises his co-workers and neighbors in a relatively conservative community outside San Francisco when he says he supports same-sex marriage.

Citing individual freedoms, lawmakers in several states push back against health care overhaul

PHOENIX — Republicans in more than a dozen states opposed to President Barack Obama’s push for health care overhaul have mounted state-driven efforts to block federal intervention in health care, with some early success.

Colombia’s president signs law calling for constitutional referendum on allowing third term

BOGOTA — President Alvaro Uribe signed legislation Tuesday calling for a national referendum on amending the constitution to allow him to seek re-election for a second time.

With Kennedy’s death, debate heightens over Senate succession process

WASHINGTON — With the death of Edward M. Kennedy, seven seats in the Senate have been opened since the last election or soon will be, the most in any one year in six decades.

Group that opposes gay marriage now targets Iowa, seeks to have issue placed on ballot

DES MOINES, Iowa — A group that helped to outlaw gay marriage in California is turning its focus to Iowa, hoping to begin the long process of overturning a state Supreme Court decision earlier this year that legalized same-sex marriage.

Colorado abortion foes start campaign for ‘personhood’ amendment to state constitution

DENVER — Colorado abortion foes are launching another campaign to amend the state constitution to give legal protections to human embryos.

US judge dismisses lawsuit that caused rift between Obama, gay supporters

SANTA ANA, Calif. — A same-sex marriage lawsuit that created a public rift between President Barack Obama and his gay supporters was dismissed Monday on a technicality.

‘Kiss-ins’ smack back at Mormon church as faith’s image suffers from Calif. gay marriage fight

SALT LAKE CITY — The Mormon church’s vigorous, well-heeled support for Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California last year, has turned the Utah-based faith into a lightning rod for gay rights activism, including a nationwide “kiss-in” Saturday.

Colorado health board nixes change to medical marijuana use

DENVER — Colorado’s state health board has rejected a move to limit suppliers of medical marijuana to helping only five patients at a time.

Connecticut diocese appeals ruling releasing documents detailing alleged priest abuse

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport asked the Connecticut Supreme Court on Friday to reconsider a ruling that would make public thousands of pages of documents that detail alleged sexual abuse by priests.

Colombia’s Uribe on track for 3rd presidential term, but some supporters object

BOGOTA — President Alvaro Uribe, the hard-charging conservative most Colombians praise for humbling the Western Hemisphere’s last remaining rebel army, gets prickly these days when asked if he’s seeking a third consecutive term.

Dems sense opportunity with growing acceptance of gay marriage, GOP re-examining opposition

WASHINGTON — Gay marriage legalization in several states and the public’s growing acceptance of same-sex unions have Democrats sensing political opportunity and some Republicans re-evaluating their party’s hard-line opposition to an issue that long has rallied its base.

Growing acceptance of gay marriage has Dems seeing opportunity, GOP re-examining opposition

WASHINGTON — Gay marriage legalization in several states and the public’s growing acceptance of same-sex unions have Democrats sensing political opportunity and some Republicans re-evaluating their party’s hard-line opposition to an issue that long has rallied its base.

Dozens of gays cross state lines for Iowa weddings; some plan to stay so unions are recognized

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Dozens of gay couples have flocked to Iowa from elsewhere in the Midwest since the door to same-sex marriage was opened there this week, and some counties have seen more interest from outside the state than within.

Myanmar opposition party says it might contest polls if military rulers meets its conditions

YANGON, Myanmar — Myanmar’s main opposition party said Wednesday it will consider taking part in elections next year if the country’s military rulers meet three demands, including for the release of their leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, from house arrest.

Same-sex couples wed in Iowa on day court ruling allowing gay marriage takes effect

DES MOINES, Iowa — Same-sex couples in Iowa began holding hastily planned weddings Monday as the state became the third to allow gay marriage, a leap that even some supporters find hard to grasp in the nation’s heartland.

Support builds to revamp California Constitution as budget crises, bickering paralyze state

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Fed up with the budget crises and partisan battles that have paralyzed California for years, some influential voices believe it’s time to tear open the state constitution and start anew.

Support builds to revamp California Constitution as budget crises, bickering paralyze state

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Fed up with the budget crises and partisan battles that have paralyzed California for years, some influential voices believe it’s time to tear open the state constitution and start anew.

Support builds to revamp California Constitution as budget crises, bickering paralyze state

SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Fed up with the budget crises and partisan battles that have paralyzed California for years, some influential voices believe it’s time to tear open the state constitution and start anew.

Religion News in Brief

PITTSBURGH — State House officials say they have been inundated with protests about a policy that barred a clergyman from using the word “Jesus” in a prayer that was to open one of the lawmakers’ daily sessions.