Ind. activist to head federal anti-carp campaign (AP)

AP - John Goss, an environmental activist and former state official from Indiana, was appointed Wednesday as the Obama administration's point man in the fight to prevent Asian carp from gaining a foothold in the Great Lakes.

AP Interview: Flooding hurts Pakistan terror fight (AP)

AP - Massive flooding that has submerged vast swaths of Pakistan has stretched thin the Pakistani military and will hamper its fight against terrorists, the country's ambassador to the U.S. said Wednesday.

AP Interview: Flooding hurts Pakistan terror fight (AP)

AP - Massive flooding that has submerged vast swaths of Pakistan has stretched thin the Pakistani military and will hamper its fight against terrorists, the country's ambassador to the U.S. said Wednesday.

Obama firm, won't yield on tax hike for wealthiest (AP)

AP - Politically weakened but refusing to bend, President Barack Obama insisted Wednesday that Bush-era tax cuts be cut off for the wealthiest Americans, joining battle with Republicans — and some fellow Democrats — just two months before bruising midterm elections.

Ban asks Rwanda not to withdraw Sudan peacekeepers (Reuters)

Reuters - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Rwanda Wednesday not to end its peacekeeping operations in Sudan as he sought to defuse rising tensions over a leaked U.N report.

Summary Box: Stocks rebound as Europe worries ease (AP)

AP - BACK ON TRACK: The Dow Jones industrial average and other market indicators rose Wednesday as concerns about Europe's financial system eased thanks to a successful sale of debt by Portugal. The Dow rose five out of the last six days.

Obama won't yield on tax hike for wealthiest (AP)

AP - Politically weakened but refusing to bend, President Barack Obama insisted Wednesday that Bush-era tax cuts be cut off for the wealthiest Americans, joining battle with Republicans - and some fellow Democrats - just two months before bruising midterm elections.

Backers of NYC Islamic center appear divided (AP)

AP - The group of Muslims planning to build a 13-story Islamic center and mosque near ground zero appears plagued by divisions that raise questions about the future of the project, with one major investor saying he is prepared to sell some or all of the site if the price is right.

Would raising taxes on the rich help or hurt the economy? (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, as President Barack Obama proposes to do, probably wouldn't wreck the moribund U.S. economy, but extending the tax cuts they've enjoyed since 2001 could spur some economic benefit.

Clinton, Gates denounce planned Quran burning (AP)

AP - The top two national security advisers in President Barack Obama's Cabinet on Wednesday denounced plans by a small church in Florida to burn the Muslim holy book to commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, saying it would inflame tensions and put Americans abroad at risk.

At a Glance: Smithfield Foods 1Q results (AP)

AP - Stronger demand is helping Smithfield Foods emerge from a long period of weak prices with historically high ingredient costs. The company said stronger demand, coupled with $125 million in annual cost savings from a restructuring plan, should make 2011 profitable.

8 people missing in Colo. wildfire (AP)

AP - Firefighters encountered a tangle of rattlesnakes, downed power lines and combustible propane tanks Wednesday as authorities looked for eight people missing in a wildfire that has destroyed dozens of homes.

Barbados' leader returns to US, cites ill health (AP)

AP - Barbados' prime minister has left the Caribbean island again to seek medical attention in the United States, just a week after he returned from receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness.

More stimulus needed for "savage" recession: Geithner (Reuters)

Reuters - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Wednesday the United States needed more incentives to stimulate job growth and bolster a slow recovery from a "savage" recession.

Obama lets GOP, Boehner have it in Ohio speech (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers - WASHINGTON — Trying to persuade voters that he has ideas to strengthen the weak economy — and therefore that they should vote for Democrats in November to retain control of Congress — President Barack Obama Wednesday proposed major tax incentives for business and accused Republicans of stonewalling in a bid to "ride this fear and anger all the way to Election Day."

Palin: Don't burn Quran (Politico)

Politico - She asks the reverend to reconsider plans.

Wall Street climbs in low-volume session (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks rose on Wednesday as investors latched onto positive news out of Europe in the latest in a string of low-volume sessions suggesting little confidence in market direction.

Coffee hits 13-year high; retail prices also up (AP)

AP - Coffee prices hit a 13-year high Wednesday, extending a rally that has sent prices up about 43 percent in the past three months.

Remnants of Hermine flood Texas, buffet Oklahoma (AP)

AP - The remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine caused widespread flooding in northern Texas and began buffeting southern Oklahoma on Wednesday, killing at least two people and submerging low-lying pockets of Arlington under several feet of water.

Obama: U.S. can't afford to extend tax cuts for rich (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama, fighting to keep Democrats in charge of Congress, said on Wednesday the United States could not afford to extend Bush-era tax cuts for the rich and accused Republicans of being fiscally irresponsible.

AP Source: New GM CEO wants automaker to beat BMW (AP)

AP - General Motors' new CEO told employees that the automaker needs to make cars and trucks that are better than those of competitors such as BMW.

Crisis CEOs Sullivan and Peek find new jobs (Reuters)

Reuters - Two former chief executives who were criticized during the financial crisis for driving their firms to the brink have found new homes.

Chicago mayor race wide open as Daley steps aside (AP)

AP - Months of political jockeying began in earnest Wednesday as speculation grew about who would try to succeed Mayor Richard M. Daley as leader of the nation's third-largest city, including one-time aide and current White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

Chicago mayor race wide open as Daley steps aside (AP)

AP - Months of political jockeying began in earnest Wednesday as speculation grew about who would try to succeed Mayor Richard M. Daley as leader of the nation's third-largest city, including one-time aide and current White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

Fla. pastor on fringe of US Christian life (AP)

AP - The Florida pastor who plans to burn the Quran on the anniversary of 9/11 is rooted in Pentecostal tradition that believes Christians are engaged in a modern-day spiritual battle with evil.

European pressure mounts on Iran over stoning case (AP)

AP - European Union nations and the continent's biggest human rights organization slammed Iran on Wednesday for its plan to stone a woman convicted of adultery, while Iran's ambassador to the Vatican said there is "hope" the punishment could be eased upon review by Iranian authorities.

Appeals court dismisses Boeing-CIA lawsuit (AP)

AP - A sharply divided federal appeals court on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging Boeing Co.'s role flying terrorism suspects to secret prisons around the world as part of the CIA's "extraordinary rendition" program.

Weary of drug war, Mexico debates legalization (McClatchy Newspapers)

McClatchy Newspapers - MEXICO CITY — A debate about legalizing marijuana and possibly other drugs — once a taboo suggestion — is percolating in Mexico, a national exhausted by runaway violence and a deadly drug war.

North Korea Succession: Reports of Power-Handover Talks (Time.com)

Time.com - In North Korea, the first congress in 30 years of the Workers' Party of Korea may be imminent, suggesting that a succession is being prepared to hand power from Kim Jong Il to his son Kim Jong Un

Koran Burning: Cues from Osama bin Laden Media Strategy? (Time.com)

Time.com - While he's planning violence against books, not people, the would-be Koran-burning Florida preacher Terry Jones is following a self-promotion strategy similar to that of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden

Hack attack hits home for AP writer (AP)

AP - The Twitterverse is full of far more mysterious forces than indecipherable trending topics and Lady Gaga.

Tropical Storm Igor strengthens in the Atlantic (AP)

AP - Tropical Storm Igor is growing a bit stronger in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa near the Cape Verde Islands.

Fla. minister determined to hold 9/11 Quran burn (AP)

AP - The leader of a small Florida church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy said Wednesday he was determined to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite pressure from the White House, religious leaders and others to call it off.

Governor Rendell: Natural Gas Severance Tax Needed to Continue Protecting Environment, Aid Impacted Communities (PR Newswire)

PR Newswire - CHESTER COUNTY, Pa., Sept. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A proposed severance tax on the natural gas industry could help to continue Pennsylvania's investments in important environmental projects well into the future and help affected communities deal with the impacts of drilling, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today while addressing a coalition of organizations dedicated to protecting the state's natural resources.

Bankers urge government to pull plug on Fannie, Freddie (Reuters)

Reuters - The federal government should take mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac off life support sooner rather than later, the Mortgage Bankers Association urged on Wednesday.

BP report blames itself, others for oil spill (AP)

AP - BP took some of the blame for the Gulf oil disaster in an internal report issued Wednesday, acknowledging among other things that it misinterpreted a key pressure test of the well. But in a possible preview of its legal strategy, it also pointed the finger at its partners on the doomed rig.

Official: 2nd killed in flooding swamping Texas (AP)

AP - Authorities say flooding from the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine has killed a second person who was swept away from his pickup truck.

Conservatives see poll lead evaporate (Reuters)

Reuters - The Conservative government has seen its lead over the main opposition Liberals evaporate in public opinion polls following recent controversies and the two parties are now running neck and neck, though an election is not seen in the near term.

Pessimistic about peace, Israelis greet new year (AP)

AP - Israelis usher in the Jewish new year, or Rosh Hashana, at sundown Wednesday with a widespread sense of pessimism that a new round of U.S.-sponsored Mideast talks can achieve peace.

Obama must not let Taliban rule over Afghan women again (The Christian Science Monitor)

The Christian Science Monitor - In mid-August in the northern Afghanistan province of Kunduz, the Taliban carried out a horrific sentence against two young Afghan lovers who had eloped against their familiesâ wishes. The punishment was death by stoning. Deemed by Islamic extremists to be justified under sharia law, the process involves partially burying the accused, after which a male crowd hurls stones at the victimsâ exposed heads until they die.