American Morning
Some Louisiana residents skeptical of Gulf optimism
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/08/05/acosta.la.skeptics.cnn.art.jpg caption="CNN's Jim Acosta speaks with Craig Taffaro, president of St. Bernard Parish."]
(CNN) – BP is preparing today for the final step in the "static kill." After 108 days, the oil giant's blown-out well could soon be shut for good.
The government is giving BP the green light to cement over the well after the heavy drilling mud they pumped in Tuesday forced the oil back into the earth. The government is also telling BP to move forward with the relief wells they're drilling. That process should be complete within the next two weeks.
Despite the positive news, administration officials insist they're not standing down, telling CNN they're just beginning phase one of their long-term restoration plan.
For parish presidents along the Gulf Coast, it's becoming a question of who to trust – the government officials who say the oil is vanishing out in the Gulf, or the people in their own communities who say the oil is still coming ashore. Our Jim Acosta reports on their skepticism. Watch 
Related: BP to pour cement into well in next phase of 'static kill'
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[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/08/05/ca.prop8.ruling.gi.art.jpg caption= "Defendants and plaintiffs have until Friday to submit responses to a temporary stay. The decision is a major victory for proponents of same-sex marriage."]
Deadline looms to respond to stay in same-sex marriage ban ruling
(CNN) – Defendants and plaintiffs have until Friday to submit responses to a temporary stay that a California judge granted after striking down the state's ban on same-sex marriage.
Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco ruled on Wednesday that California's Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution.
He however granted a temporary stay, which stops his decision from taking immediate effect.
Supporters of Proposition 8 argued, prior to Walker's ruling, that same-sex marriages would be performed soon after his decision and could be complicated by rulings and appeals farther down the legal road.
The judge's decision striking down the ban handed supporters of gay rights a major victory in a case that both sides say is sure to wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 136-page opinion is an initial step in what will likely be a lengthy fight over the proposition, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
At stake in the trial was whether California's ban on same-sex marriage violates gay couples' rights to equal protection and due process, as protected by the U.S. Constitution. Read more
Related: Read the 136-page ruling
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