New York Times Top Online Stories: Fri 9/10/10

The New York Times lead headline online early Friday morning says "Judge Rules That Military Policy Violates Rights of Gays." The paper says while the policy, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” will not change right away, the ruling reflects others taking aim at discrimination against homosexuals.

It says Terry Jones put himself at the center of a controversy by using the news lull of summer and a 24-hour news cycle to promote his anti-Islam cause.

The paper says a massive fire fueled by a ruptured gas line roared through a neighborhood south of San Francisco on Thursday. Authorities confirmed at least one dead.

The Times says the Obama administration is pushing a power-sharing arrangement in Iraq that could retain Nuri Kamal al-Maliki as prime minister but curb his authority.

It says public defenders in Missouri say the budget is interfering with their ability to provide poor defendants with their right to a lawyer.

And the most read story says Pastor Terry Jones seemed to be struggling with how to save face and hold on to the spotlight he has attracted for an act that could make him a widely reviled figure.