FTSE cites "human rights" concerns at DuPont and UPS (Reuters)

Reuters - Major U.S. corporations DuPont Co and United Parcel Service Inc were among eight companies removed from a social investment index series because of concerns about human rights, climate change and similar matters, the UK index provider FTSE Group said.

Oil price surges after Midwest pipeline shuts down (AP)

AP - Oil prices surged Friday after a pipeline that delivered oil to Midwest refineries was shut down, raising questions about how long the supply may be disrupted.

Hermine death toll climbs to 6 as 2 bodies found (AP)

AP - The bodies of two men found Friday in swollen Texas waterways pushed the death toll caused by remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine to six, while a scaled-back search resumed for another woman swept away in flooding caused by a record drenching.

Stocks edge higher, continue September rally (AP)

AP - Stocks inched higher Friday as investors held on to their newfound optimism about the economy.

Recession has left huge hole: Obama (AFP)

AFP - US President Barack Obama said Friday the "hole" left by the worst recession in decades was "huge" and admitted the recovery had been "painfully slow," but vowed his policies were working.

NTSB: Duck boat calls unanswered before collision (AP)

AP - An idled tour boat and nearby vessels made repeated, unanswered calls to the tugboat guiding the massive barge that hit and sank the smaller craft in the Delaware River, killing two Hungarian students, according to a preliminary federal report released Friday.

Wall Street gains as economic outlook brightens (Reuters)

Reuters - The Dow and S&P 500 were on track on Friday to close the week with a seventh gain in the last eight sessions, a period that has seen investors worst fears about the economy start to dissipate.

Where to Buy a Home for Less Than $800 a Month (U.S. News & World Report)

U.S. News & World Report - While the nation's real estate crash has been a nightmare for homeowners, it has created some outstanding opportunities for would-be buyers. Home prices in 20 major cities dropped 33 percent from the summer of 2006 to the spring of 2009--and in certain markets, the plunge was even steeper. At the same time, the federal government's efforts to revive the housing market have helped drive financing costs to record lows. Thirty-year fixed mortgage rates fell to an average of 4.32 percent for the week ending September 2. That's the lowest level in nearly 40 years of record-keeping. ...

Colo. fire evacuees cautiously allowed back home (AP)

AP - Crews held a wildfire near Boulder at bay Friday, allowing some 2,000 evacuees to return home with a warning to be prepared to flee again.

Army major honors fallen soldiers with run on 9/11 (AP)

AP - An Army major is hitting the pavement this weekend in a test of physical endurance to honor the 10 soldiers who died under his command in Iraq.

AP National News Calendar (AP)

AP - Eds: Major scheduled events for the week of Sept. 12-18, 2010. Note that many events, especially court appearances, are subject to change at the last minute.

9/11 politicized by mosque, Quran controversies (AP)

AP - For almost a decade, the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks was marked by somber reflection and a call to unity, devoid of politics. Not this time.

CA crews try to reach smoldering homes after blast (AP)

AP - Fire crews tried to douse the remnants of an enormous blaze and account for the residents of dozens of homes Friday after a gas line ruptured and an explosion ripped through in a neighborhood near San Francisco, killing at least four people and likely more.

New GM CEO's pay package worth $9 million (AP)

AP - New General Motors Co. CEO Daniel Akerson will get the same $9 million pay package as the man he replaced, Ed Whitacre.

Ex-Detroit councilwoman Conyers reports to prison (AP)

AP - Former Detroit city councilwoman Monica Conyers has reported to a federal prison in West Virginia to begin a 37-month sentence for corruption.

New GM CEO to receive $1.7 million cash salary (Reuters)

Reuters - General Motors Co's new chief executive, Dan Akerson, will receive a $1.7 million cash salary as well as stock grants, the U.S. government-owned automaker said on Friday.

Obama taps Goolsbee as top White House economist (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama on Friday named a member of his inner circle as top White House economist and gave a strong personal endorsement to a leading candidate to run his new consumer protection bureau.

STATES

GUJARAT: Gujarat to permit landlocked States to own ports on its coasts State to be rebranded as ‘Global Business Hub' at investment meet.

UBS downgrades Intuit on stock price rise (AP)

AP - Financial software maker Intuit Inc. remains an "attractive story," with strong results despite a difficult economy, a UBS analyst said Friday.

Google's Android to be world No. 2 in 2010: report (Reuters)

Reuters - Google Inc's Android software will become the world's second most popular operating system for cell phones this year, leapfrogging rival offerings from Microsoft Corp, Research in Motion and Apple Inc, according to a new report.

Genzyme begins round of layoffs: reports (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. biotech company Genzyme Corp began laying off an unspecified number of employees on Friday but said the move was unrelated to Sanofi-Aventis SA's efforts to take over the company, local media reported.

Would-be Wall Street sheriffs strike cautious tone (Reuters)

Reuters - All candidates vying to be the next so-called Sheriff of Wall Street say they will find the bad apples without overturning the applecart in the financial capital's fragile economic recovery.

Dems could lose 8 Empire State seats in US House (AP)

AP - For all the Democrats' strength and swagger in New York, the party could lose as many as eight U.S. House seats in the Empire State alone in November.

Obama says Republicans holding recovery hostage (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama accused Republicans on Friday of holding the middle class hostage as he defended his efforts to stimulate the sluggish economy and try to reverse Democrats' grim election prospects.

Obama says Republicans holding recovery hostage (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama accused Republicans on Friday of holding the middle class hostage as he defended his efforts to stimulate the sluggish economy and try to reverse Democrats' grim election prospects.

Conductor's arm amputated after Calif. derailment (AP)

AP - A surgical team amputated the arm of a conductor Friday to free him from the wreckage of a locomotive that struck a slow-moving freight train on tracks 50 miles east of Los Angeles.

Obama says voters may blame him for economy (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama insisted Friday that the U.S. economy is digging itself out of the deepest recession in decades but conceded that "progress has been painfully slow" and many voters in November's elections may blame him.

US judge: 'Don't ask, don't tell' unconstitutional (AP)

AP - A federal judge said she will issue an order to halt the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, after she declared the ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional.

GOP rep. eyes government shutdown (Politico)

Politico - Rep. Westmoreland says Republicans will win control of the House and go toe-to-toe with Obama.

Iran's president intervened in American's release (AP)

AP - Iran's president intervened to secure the release of Sarah Shourd, one of three Americans jailed for more than 13 months, in part because of her gender, a news agency reported Friday.

July wholesale inventories jump 1.3 percent (Reuters)

Reuters - Wholesale inventories surged the most in two years in July, adding to signs that economic growth in the third quarter of the year may prove a bit stronger than many forecasters had expected.

Earnings schedule for week of 9/13/2010 (AP)

AP - Major companies tentatively scheduled to report quarterly earnings next week:

Report: US must deal with homegrown terror problem (AP)

AP - The U.S. was slow to take seriously the threat posed by homegrown radicals and the government has failed to put systems in place to deal with the growing phenomenon, according to a new report compiled by the former heads of the Sept. 11 Commission.

Obama: GOP's policies made a 'mess' of economy (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — With his Democratic Party facing the prospect of huge congressional losses in November, President Barack Obama tried Friday to draw sharp distinctions between Republicans and Democrats, arguing that Republican plans "are the exact policies that got us into this mess."

(AP)

AP - Obama says 'we are not at war against Islam,' but against terrorist factions.

Treasury's Barr to testify on Fannie and Freddie (Reuters)

Reuters - Michael Barr, assistant treasury secretary for financial institutions, and Edward DeMarco, acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency will testify on Capitol Hill next week on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac .

Greece pledges to overhaul loss-making state rail (AP)

AP - The Greek government pledged Friday to radically overhaul loss-making state rail company OSE, as official data showed efforts to cut the country's bloated budget deficit remained on track, if slightly asthmatic.

Obama says growing economy will ease poverty (AP)

AP - When it comes to fighting poverty, President Barack Obama says the most important thing he can do is to make the economy grow more quickly so that there are more jobs for everyone.

Poll: Support for mosque grows among NYC voters (AP)

AP - A new poll shows support for an Islamic center near the World Trade Center site has grown slightly among New York City voters in the past month.

Obama to voters: Our economic policies better (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama says that if voters weigh his economic policies against those of Republicans, then "the Democrats will do very well" in November.

What is next for the military ban on gays? (The Upshot)

The Upshot - On Thursday, a U.S. District Court judge in California struck down the military's ban on openly gay service members, ruling that the policy violates their First and Fifth Amendment rights guaranteeing free speech and due process under the law. (You can read the full decision here.) Awkwardly enough, the defendant in the case is the [...]

(AP)

AP - Obama defends his health care overhaul law even though costs are inching up.

Obama picks new top economist (AFP)

AFP - US President Barack Obama on Friday named Austan Goolsbee, an economics professor currently working in his administration, to chair the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA).

Obama picks new top economist (AFP)

AFP - US President Barack Obama on Friday named Austan Goolsbee, an economics professor currently working in his administration, to chair the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA).

Obama says OK to call his new plan a stimulus bill (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama says his entire economic agenda is designed to stimulate growth and create jobs, despite his administration's reluctance to call his new proposals a "stimulus plan."

Jones hits morning shows, but won’t be flying with ABC (The Upshot)

The Upshot - The national media have come under fire this week for giving so much ink and airtime to Terry Jones, the fringe Florida pastor who planned â or possibly still plans? â to burn Qurans on Sept. 11. Some journalists have questioned giving Jones such a huge platform to spout anti-Islam rants. So an NBC reporter's [...]

Obama: It's the Republicans' fault (Politico)

Politico - The president gives his eighth news conference of his presidency.

Rubio has a double-digit lead in Florida’s Senate race (The Upshot)

The Upshot - Is Marco Rubio the man to beat in Florida's open Senate race? After months of trailing opponent Charlie Crist, the former state GOP House speaker now holds a sizable lead in the closely watched contest. According to a new Sunshine State News poll, 43 percent of Florida voters are leaning toward Rubio, compared with 29 [...]

Nokia brings in Microsoft exec to replace CEO (Reuters)

Reuters - Nokia has hired Stephen Elop, a Canadian Microsoft executive with Silicon Valley credentials, to replace its embattled chief executive and renew its drive to compete with Apple.

Wholesale inventories rise 1.3 percent in July (AP)

AP - Inventories held by wholesalers surged in July by the largest amount in two years while sales rebounded after two straight declines.