Roundup: Vermont, Kennedy, Utah

Kennedy succession question looms: As mourners remembered Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, support strengthened for his request that his vacant seat be filled by gubernatorial appointment until a special election can be held.

Vermont governor will not seek reelection: Jim Douglas, a Republican who vetoed the marriage equality bill that the state legislature passed with a veto override in April, announced Thursday that he would not seek reelection in 2010.

Transgender person fatally stabbed in D.C.: Police are seeking suspects and a motive in a stabbing that left one transgender person dead and injured another on Wednesday afternoon in northwest D.C.

Sorry about that "great white hope": Freshman Republican congresswoman Lynn Jenkins of Kansas apologized for her statement last week that her party sought a "great white hope" to stop the agenda of President Obama.

Gay legislator writes marriage equality op-ed: Maryland state senator Rich Madaleno shares his thoughts in The Washington Post.

Dreamliner on the way: Boeing announced that its 787 Dreamliner passenger plane would be underway by the end of 2009, only two years later than expected.

Jurors deliberate sentence for convicted Dallas gay basher: Bobby Singleton faces from five years to life in prison for role in the brutal beating of Jimmy Dean.

May Mr. Gadhafi pitch his tent here? Residents of Englewood, N.J., are worried that Col. Moammar Gadhafi, who habitually stays in a tent when he travels abroad, may try to camp on Libyan-owned property in the Garden State during his visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September.

Utah governor sees no need for LGBT protections: New governor Gary Herbert said on Thursday that he does not believe a law is necessary to protect gay people from discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation, because people "ought to just do the right thing because it's the right thing to do."