Moms of US hikers held in Iran get some good news (AP)

AP - Three U.S. mothers who have pleaded with Iranian authorities for more than a year to free their sons and daughter from a Tehran prison finally received a piece of the news they've been longing for.

Commuter train kills 2, injures 1 in Calif. (AP)

AP - A Metrolink commuter train struck and killed two people who may have been sleeping on the tracks and injured a third in Orange County on Thursday, authorities said.

City rejects Merida recall; petitioners will resubmit today

Denver city officials Thursday rejected the recall effort against Denver school-board member Andrea Merida for mostly clerical reasons.

Revolution museum settles on Philly after 11 years (AP)

AP - The National Park Service and a group that has long sought to build a Revolutionary War museum have settled a long dispute over where it should be built.

2 shot dead at Kraft cookie plant in Pa., 1 hurt (AP)

AP - A woman who had just been suspended from her job and escorted from a Kraft Foods Inc. facility returned with a handgun and opened fire Thursday, killing two people and critically injuring a third before being taken into custody about an hour later, police said.

1 dead, 53 homes destroyed in California fire (AP)

AP - A massive explosion sent flames roaring through a neighborhood in the hills south of San Francisco Thursday, destroying more than 50 homes and leaving at least one person dead.

City survey aims to help downtown

BORDENTOWN CITY — The Bordentown City Economic Development Commission (EDC) is looking critically at the city’s businesses and analyzing data in the hopes that it will improve business activity going into the fall.

AP source: Obama to name Goolsbee to head council (AP)

AP - President Barack Obama has chosen one of his longtime economic advisers, Austan Goolsbee, to be the chairman of his Council of Economic Advisers, a White House official said.

China's imports leap, cutting trade surplus (Reuters)

Reuters - China's imports leapt in August, boding well for a strengthening of domestic demand in an economy that has become a major driver of global growth.

City Market closes pharmacy at St. Mary’s

City Market has closed its pharmacy at St. Mary’s Hospital after officials with the grocer determined other nearby pharmacies made the hospital site unnecessary. The pharmacy closed Sept. 1 after 14 years of leasing space in the hospital, City Market spokeswoman Kelli McGannon said Thursday.

Islamic charity co-founder convicted on tax charge (AP)

AP - A federal jury on Thursday convicted the co-founder of an Islamic charity chapter who was accused of helping smuggle $150,000 to Muslim fighters in Chechnya.

Wildfire sets sights on Boulder as wind picks up (AP)

AP - A Colorado wildfire that has destroyed 170 homes showed no signs of relenting Thursday as wind gusts of more than 40 mph fueled fears that the flames would move east from the Rocky Mountain foothills and into the heart of Boulder, where some residents were warned to be ready to flee.

Judge: Military's ban on gays is unconstitutional (AP)

AP - A federal judge on Thursday declared the U.S. military's ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional and said she will issue an order to stop the government from enforcing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy nationwide.

4th night of police protests in LA; no violence (AP)

AP - A city all too familiar with civil unrest was caught by surprise with the level of outrage over the fatal police shooting of an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who was menacing officers with a knife.

Obama taps Goolsbee as top White House economist (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama has chosen Austan Goolsbee as the new head of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. administration officials said on Thursday, promoting a longtime adviser from his inner policy circle.

City mulls online utility billing system

— Muskogee city utility customers could pay their bills online or over the phone by winter if the Muskogee City Council approves a proposed contract with an online payment system.

City may delay pay

The city wants to take millions of dollars away from the school district and county government next year in an effort to help close a $12.8 million budget deficit for 2011. In Mayor Brian U. Stratton's proposed budget, expected to be released in the next couple of weeks, he will tell City Council he wants to defer a $2.8 million payment to the city school district for a year, and stop paying the ...

Japan economy's pulse stronger in 2Q than thought (AP)

AP - Japan's economy wasn't quite as weak in the second quarter as first thought but faces a murky outlook, the government said Friday as it unveiled a new $11 billion stimulus package.

Washington prepares for 1st execution since 2001 (AP)

AP - Prison officials are making final preparations for Washington state's first execution since 2001.

Report: US must deal with domestic radical 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.

Patriots QB Brady unhurt in wreck near Boston home (AP)

AP - New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was unhurt in a two-vehicle accident near his home Thursday morning before practicing as usual with his team ahead of the season opener and agreeing to a four-year contract extension that, according to two people familiar with it, would make him the NFL's highest-paid player.

Obama picks new top economist (AFP)

AFP - US President Barack Obama has chosen Austan Goolsbee, an economics professor currently working in his administration, to chair the Council of Economic Advisors, an official said.

City gears up for 2011 budget

City officials face some very tough choices in the coming weeks as they grapple with a significantly larger proposed budget for 2011.

G20 fin mins unlikely to meet in Washington: sources (Reuters)

Reuters - Finance ministers from the Group of 20 developed and leading emerging economies are not likely to meet on the sidelines of the IMF/World Bank Group annual gatherings in Washington early next month, sources said.

Pastor cancels Quran-burning, then reconsiders (AP)

AP - An anti-Islamic preacher backed off and then threatened to reconsider burning the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, angrily accusing a Muslim leader of lying to him Thursday with a promise to move an Islamic center and mosque away from New York's ground zero. The imam planning the center denied there was ever such a deal.

Emanuel would be best-known mayoral candidate (AP)

AP - If Rahm Emanuel decides to run for Chicago mayor, the White House chief of staff would easily be the best-known figure in the race, with national name recognition that few others could match and invaluable experience from helping engineer the Democrats' takeover of the House in 2006.

NY mosque investor declines Trump's buyout offer (AP)

AP - Donald Trump offered Thursday to buy out a major investor in the real estate partnership that controls the site near ground zero where a Muslim group wants to build a 13-story Islamic center and mosque.

City deal with LACMA to conserve Watts Towers hits snag over insurance

The city’s bid to enlist the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as a key player in conserving the Watts Towers has hit a snag as LACMA seeks a guarantee that it won’t be held financially liable for any damage...

Mo. man accused of keeping woman as sex slave (AP)

AP - Five Missouri men are accused of taking part in the sexual torture of a young woman allegedly kept as a sex slave by one of the men and forced to work as a stripper, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Death toll rises from Hermine flooding (AP)

AP - The death toll from flooding caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine climbed Thursday after Texas authorities recovered the body of a missing swimmer and an Oklahoma driver drowned trying to cross a swollen creek.

City rejects Merida recall; petitioners will resubmit Friday

Denver city officials today rejected the recall effort against Denver school board member Andrea Merida for mostly clerical reasons.

U.S. chipmakers' outlooks stoke economy concerns (Reuters)

Reuters - Chip makers National Semiconductor and Texas Instruments Inc on Thursday issued quarterly financial targets that stoked investors' worries about a sluggish economy.

APNewsBreak: NY to seek info on cleanser contents (AP)

AP - Consumers curious — or concerned — about the chemicals in household cleaning products will get detailed rundowns under state plans to require manufacturers to detail their products' contents.

City celebrates park renovations

City officials and community members gathered Thursday to celebrate the groundbreaking for renovations to one of the city's oldest parks.

In a wired world, the crises come instantly (AP)

AP - "Advocate tolerance, and disregard the ignorant," one book counsels. Advises the other, "Be gentle towards all, ... forbearing."

U.N. goals to slash poverty, hunger achievable: draft (Reuters)

Reuters - A set of U.N. goals aimed at drastically reducing poverty and hunger worldwide by 2015 are achievable, despite setbacks caused by the global financial and economic crises, a draft document said.

Summary Box: Jobless claims drop, trade gap falls (AP)

AP - JOBLESS CLAIMS: The number of people signing up for unemployment benefits dropped by 27,000 last week to 451,000, the lowest level in two months.

Business Highlights (AP)

AP - Fears of a second recession ease, at least for now

US lawmakers to quiz Geithner on China currency (AFP)

AFP - US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner will face a key US House committee's questions on possible new steps to press China over its currency policy, the panel's chairman said Thursday.

Defense: Deal discussed in Detroit plane attack (AP)

AP - Lawyers for a Nigerian man charged with trying to blow up a plane near Detroit on Christmas said Thursday that they've talked to prosecutors about resolving the case with a deal.