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.

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.

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.

AP - For a city already struggling with high unemployment, widespread foreclosures and deep budget cuts, here was another crisis: Wind-whipped fires tearing through row after row of homes, some of them abandoned.

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.

AP - Google Inc. stepped on its Internet search accelerator Wednesday by adding a feature that displays results as soon as people begin typing their requests.

AP - A 15-year-old boy damaged his eyes while playing with a laser pointer he'd bought over the Internet, say doctors who warn that dangerously high-powered versions are easily available online.

AP - Calling her "a Lindsay Lohan wannabe," a judge fined "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi $500 on Wednesday and ordered her to perform community service after she pleaded guilty to disturbing others on a beach in July.

AP - A woman who was robbed of $310 while sitting at a Seattle traffic light gave police a detailed description of the man who stuck a gun in her open window.

AP - Third down has a new meaning in the NFL this season.

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.

Reuters - BP Plc and its Gulf of Mexico oil well partners traded blame on Wednesday after an internal BP investigation tried to downplay the company's role in the world's biggest offshore spill.

Reuters - An obscure Christian pastor whose plan to burn copies of the Koran on September 11 has sparked an international outcry said on Wednesday he will go ahead with the event despite warnings it will endanger American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Reuters - Mexican authorities arrested seven suspected drug cartel members believed to have killed 72 migrants heading to the United States, in what is said to be the worst massacre in the country's escalating drug war, the government said on Wednesday.

Reuters - Some Tea Partiers admit mistakes were made. Others are quick to describe the movement's recent efforts in the political arena as not quite ready for prime time.

Reuters - Fidel Castro said Cuba's economic model no longer works, a U.S.-based journalist reported on Wednesday following interviews with the former president last week.

Reuters - Pakistan will soon charge three men with terrorism in connection with the failed attempt to bomb New York's Times Square, a police official said on Wednesday.

Reuters - Google Inc's search engine now displays results before users finish typing.

AFP - A small Florida church Wednesday shrugged off a wave of global outrage and vowed to go ahead with a Koran burning ceremony, as local officials drew up plans to tamp down the protest.

AFP - BP sought to spread the blame for the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster Wednesday, setting off a battle of oil industry giants with tens of billions of dollars in potential fines and legal liabilities at stake.

AP - Reggie Bush declined to go into any detail Wednesday on what he knows about the status of his 2005 Heisman Trophy.

AP - A defamation lawsuit against Roger Clemens should be thrown out because the seven-time Cy Young Award winner was merely trying to defend himself against his former personal trainer's doping allegations, Clemens' lawyers argued Wednesday.

AP - Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram is unlikely to play for No. 1 Alabama against No. 18 Penn State on Saturday.

AFP - Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti dismissed speculation linking Brazilian star Kaka with a move to the nerazzurri.

AP - The Saints' first Super Bowl title was so big in New Orleans that Mardi Gras, a revered local institution dating back well more than a century, became popularly known as, "Lombardi Gras."

AP - A point that meant little on the scoreboard Wednesday in the U.S. Open offered a clue about the difference between a player struggling to reach the top and another who's much closer.

AP - Veteran umpire Bob Davidson says he ejected a fan at Miller Park because the fan used a homophobic slur aimed at Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina.

AP - Matt Leinart walked into the Houston Texans' locker room Wednesday with stubble on his face and a new playbook in his hand.

AP - Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau says he's still optimistic that he will play again this season even though he's been out of the lineup for two months because of a concussion.

AP - Rumeal Robinson, who led Michigan to the NCAA men's basketball championship in 1989 and later played in the NBA, was convicted in federal court Wednesday of borrowing more than $700,000 for a sham business deal and then spending the money on a condominium, expensive furniture and cars.

AP - Smell the tailgate party — it's college football season. But if you're flying in for a game, you might be headed for a headache. Cutbacks at major airlines have made flight choices more difficult this fall, especially to smaller college towns. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your trip:

Reuters - Giro d'Italia champion Ivan Basso and Olympic road race champion Samuel Sanchez are among the big names competing in Canada this week as the ProTour arrives on North American soil for the first time.

AP - If the Pittsburgh Pirates need an answer to their power-hitting problems, maybe they can find it across town in Penguins star Sidney Crosby.

AFP - Taking the biggest steps yet in their quest to inspire peace between their homelands, India's Rohan Bopanna and Pakistan's Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi reached the US Open men's doubles final on Wednesday.

AP - Living off fast food and pocket change as you chase a dream from one small tour stop to another is easy — romantic, even — when you're young and have no responsibilities.

AP - The distinguished Oxford University debate club has featured such speakers as Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill and Malcolm X.

AP - A new 5th Street Gym will open next month on the site of the famous gym where Muhammad Ali and other top boxers trained.

AP - Homestead-Miami Speedway is off the 2011 Indy Racing League schedule, a decision that some of the series' top drivers are not thrilled about.

AP - Stung by a lingering land dispute with farmers and the sudden resignation of its CEO for health reasons, Munich is relying on figure skating great Katarina Witt to lift the city's bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics.

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.

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.

Reuters - Google Inc's search engine now displays results before users finish typing.

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.

Reuters - BP Plc and its Gulf of Mexico oil well partners traded blame on Wednesday after an internal BP investigation tried to downplay the company's role in the world's biggest offshore spill.

Reuters - Asian stocks fell on Wednesday, led by shares in Japan's big exporters as a rise in the yen to a new 15-year high threatened to erode their overseas earnings.

AP - TOKYO — Japan's machinery orders, a key gauge of future business investment, rose the most in seven months, a sign that companies are more confident in the economic recovery.

AP - Plastic sheet and packaging maker Spartech Corp. reported a net loss for its fiscal third quarter on Wednesday and said that despite higher revenue, the overall market recover is slower than expected.

AP - SPLIT: Ireland plans to split its most troubled financial institution, Anglo Irish Bank, into a "good" deposit bank and a "bad" toxic-debt bank. The move comes as the nation seeks to reassure international lenders that it is dealing with the Irish debt crisis.

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.

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

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.

AP - Government sponsored mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Wednesday it plans to issue new five-year notes due on Sept. 10, 2015.

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.

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.

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.

BusinessWeek - Don't expect an Elizabeth Warren-style campaign for the first director of the Office of Financial Research, yet another agency set up under the financial system overhaul. Unlike the pending decision over who will lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has prompted online petitions and a viral rap video in support of the Harvard law professor, the competition over who will be the head of the research office is a wonks-only affair. ...

AP - Google Inc. stepped on its Internet search accelerator Wednesday by adding a feature that displays results as soon as people begin typing their requests.

AP - Apple Inc.'s new music-discovery feature, Ping, is a potentially useful addition to iTunes. With it, you can see what songs your friends are buying and recommend some of your favorites to them.

AP - Oracle Corp. plans to pay newly appointed co-President Mark Hurd a base salary of $950,000 annually and said the ousted Hewlett-Packard Co. CEO is eligible for a target bonus of $5 million in the current fiscal year.

Ben Patterson - Fighting the urge to check your work e-mail while you’re on holiday doesn’t exactly qualify as the worst problem in the world; after all, it’s pretty nice to have a job at all in this tough economy, right? Then again, the pressure to hang onto a job seems to be driving more and more connected workers to stay plugged in even while they’re trying to tune out.

Ben Patterson - Feel the need to "check in" on Foursquare or Facebook every time you saunter into a restaurant, browse the goods at your neighborhood grocery store, or cram into a rock concert? Well, if you, you’re still in the minority — and you’re also probably a guy below 40 — according to the latest research.

Macworld.com - If you own an iPhone 4 and find that you burn too quickly through its battery despite the 16 percent capacity bump, you have a new battery expansion option from an old favorite. Mophie has announced the Juice Pack Air for iPhone 4.

AP - Ever chow down at a restaurant and think, "I could do better"? A new burger joint is giving you the chance to prove it.

PC World - Sure, iPhone rumors are a dime a dozen, but they do help to enliven an otherwise dull workday. Everyone loves gossip about the mythical Verizon iPhone, or even unconfirmed reports about an upcoming iPhone 4 with a redesigned antenna. But there's always room for more iPhone idle talk.

PC World - Four months ago, amidst a backlash from government regulators and privacy advocates, Google stopped collecting Wi-Fi data with its Street View cars.But that doesn't mean Google has stopped collecting wireless data altogether, and neither have other companies such as Apple.

AP - For a dozen years, Google Inc. has been occasionally swapping its everyday logo for a "doodle," a sketch celebrating holidays, inventions, artists and sporting events, and showcasing designs from contest-winning students.

AP - THE OFFERING: Apple Inc.'s new music-discovery feature, Ping, which lets you see what songs your friends are buying and recommend some of your favorites to them.

Mashable - Last year's Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints, will kick off their season with a home opener against the Minnesota Vikings Thursday night. In anticipation of the game, running back Reggie Bush is giving away eight autographed footballs to fans who track them down scavenger-hunt-style.

Appolicious - Google?s been revealing some insight to its ongoing research, the latest being real-time speech translation for Android.  You speak to your phone in your native tongue, and the phone will speak back in the language to which you?re translating.

AP - General Motors Co. is testing software that would let drivers talk to their cars to update status messages on the Facebook social media website, as well as listen to Facebook messages, the company said Wednesday.

AP - Two-thirds of the Texas Enterprise Fund companies that had to meet job-creation goals in 2009 in exchange for millions of dollars in taxpayer money failed to bring in the jobs they promised, according to a report released Wednesday.

PC World - A new study by security vendor Symantec reports that Internet crime has grown into a widespread problem globally. It also provides intriguing insights into consumers' lax attitudes toward online piracy, plagiarism, and other illegally or unethical activities.

PC World - More people browsed the Internet last month with a device running Apple's mobile operating system, iOS, than used Linux to do so. That's a first for Apple, according to NetMarketShare, a firm that produces metrics on the market share of browsers, operating systems and search engines.

Reuters - Google Inc's search engine now displays results before users finish typing.

AP - Former "The Hills" star Spencer Pratt is apologizing to his estranged wife, Heidi Montag, for acting out in their breakup.

AP - Wanda Jackson had no idea the influence she would have on future rock 'n' roll women when she carved a sharp, distinctive line across the heartwood of the new genre back in the 1950s and '60s.

AP - The judge in Anna Nicole Smith's drug conspiracy trial told jurors Wednesday to disregard part of a former nanny's testimony because he did not consider it reliable.

omg! - Reuters - "Glee" star Matthew Morrison hopes to release his debut album in February, as he fits recording in between filming episodes of the show's second season.

AP - The Emmys aren't the only big TV-honors game anymore.

AP - A Los Angeles man who sued Beyonce Knowles claiming a music video shoot "shattered" his privacy has dismissed the case.

Reuters - Stephen King's epic fantasy series "The Dark Tower" is being turned into a film and television franchise by the Oscar-winning team behind "A Beautiful Mind."

Reuters - The story of Ronald Reagan's life -- from boyhood to Hollywood actor to leader of the free world -- is about to spill out on the big screen in a way quite different from the miniseries that caused such a stir seven years ago.

Reuters - "Glee" star Matthew Morrison hopes to release his debut album in February, as he fits recording in between filming episodes of the show's second season.

Reuters - British television host Piers Morgan is to replace veteran CNN talk show host Larry King in January, bringing what is expected to be a more acerbic tone to the long-running prime time U.S. interview show.

Playbill -

Francesca Faridany, late of Broadway's The 39 Steps, plays the title role of an Elizabethan man who transforms into a woman in the Sept. 8 New York City premiere of Sarah Ruhl's Orlando for Classic Stage Company.

Reuters - A former bodyguard for Britney Spears filed a sexual harassment lawsuit on Wednesday accusing the pop star of repeatedly parading herself around in the nude and having sex in front of him.

Fashion Wire Daily - They danced, they sang and host Jimmy Fallon killed it at the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards held Sunday, Aug. 29, at the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

AP - "Fever of the Bone" (HarperCollins, $14.99), by Val McDermid: When serial crime fiction is done well, readers can drop into any installment and within a few chapters, understand nearly everything about the primary characters and their relationship with one another.

AP - Authorities in Nevada say a Hong Kong fashion model is facing a felony drug charge following her arrest at the Burning Man festival, along with misdemeanor vehicle charges after crashing a rented motor home into Reno's "Biggest Little City in the World" arch.

AP - Flu vaccination should be required for all doctors, nurses and other health workers, the nation's largest pediatricians' group says, calling it a long overdue step to protect patients.

AP - CVS Caremark Corp. said Wednesday it will give away up to $5 million in seasonal flu vaccinations to people without health insurance.

AP - The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were blamed in a salmonella outbreak two years ago that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business.

AP - Health giant Johnson & Johnson is donating about $200 million in cash and medicine to a sweeping United Nations program created to improve the health and lives of people in poor countries.

AP - U.S. smoking rates continue to hold steady, at about one in five adults lighting up regularly, frustrated health officials reported Tuesday.

AP - Federal health regulators have issued warnings to the makers of Canada Dry ginger ale and Lipton tea for making unsubstantiated nutritional claims about their green tea-flavored beverages.

Reuters - Providing surgical treatment for people who are morbidly obese could save British taxpayer-funded health services and the wider economy hundreds of millions of pounds a year, leading surgeons said on Wednesday.

AFP - Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus "seems to be out of control" among men who have sex with men, said a paper published on Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Teaching children to take precautions while waiting for, entering and exiting a school bus can help keep them safe.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Elderly men are more likely to suffer memory problems than women, new research shows.

HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- A controlled dose of the main ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms appears to reduce anxiety and lift spirits in people battling advanced cancer, researchers report.

Reuters - The hallucinogen psilocybin -- known by the street name magic mushrooms -- may help ease the anxiety that often accompanies late-stage cancer, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A group representing America's pediatricians is urging that flu shots be mandatory for all U.S. health-care workers in order to protect patients.

AFP - In a Kathmandu recording studio, young workers sift through piles of letters from Nepalese teenagers seeking advice on everything from unrequited love and homosexuality to drug abuse and HIV.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is still unknown, but international researchers have found a link between the blood sugar disorder and a network of immune system genes.

Reuters - Women who start menstruating early may be at increased risk of asthma and poor lung function, new research shows.

Reuters - Long-term weight loss may release into the blood industrial pollutants linked to illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and rheumatoid arthritis, researchers said on Tuesday.