Mortgage rates edge up; Housing market still slow (AP)

AP - Record-low mortgage rates failed to pull the housing market out of its funk. Now rates are inching higher, but don't blame them if home sales stay sluggish.

Mortgage rates edge up; Housing market still slow (AP)

AP - Record-low mortgage rates failed to pull the housing market out of its funk. Now rates are inching higher, but don't blame them if home sales stay sluggish.

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.

California IOUs not needed this month: controller (Reuters)

Reuters - California's August revenue came in above a budget forecast and as a result the state will not need to issue IOUs this month, the state controller said on Thursday.

Analysis: Obama has tenuous grip on Democrats over taxes (Reuters)

Reuters - Democrats in Congress are distancing themselves from President Barack Obama's push to let taxes rise for the wealthiest Americans, fearing it will further harm them in November's mid-term elections.

Geithner urges tax breaks for small businesses (Reuters)

Reuters - Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged congressional support for tax breaks for small businesses and said that would help create jobs.

New report: more grandparents raising grandkids (AP)

AP - The number of U.S. children being raised by their grandparents rose sharply as the recession began, according to a new analysis of census data. The reasons, while somber, were not all economic.

Summary Box: Gold slips on economic news (AP)

AP - RISK APPETITE: Gold prices slipped after reassuring reports on the U.S. jobs market and trade created some optimism about the economy. The development spawned more appetite among investors for assets viewed as riskier than gold.

Gold slides on reassuring jobs, trade reports (AP)

AP - Gold prices slid Thursday after reassuring reports on the U.S. jobs market and trade created some optimism about the economy.

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

AP - No, the economy isn't roaring ahead. And no, companies aren't making lots of job offers. But a fresh batch of economic data Thursday at least eased summertime fears that the economy might be on the brink of another recession.

Wall Street Journal launching book review section (AP)

AP - The Wall Street Journal is set to launch a weekly book review section this month, even as newspapers across the country cut back on book coverage.

Oil gives back early gains, settles lower (AP)

AP - Oil prices fell back on Thursday, after getting an early boost from lower jobless claims and crude inventories.

Retire Rich While Others Work Forever (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - The looming cloud hanging over our collective financial future has a big, fat silver lining -- if you bother to look for it.

A look at economic developments around the globe (AP)

AP - LONDON — A leading international economic body said the global economy will recover slower than expected, but that a double-dip recession remains unlikely. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development cautioned governments around the world against hurting the economic recovery by reducing spending too much and too soon.

Stocks edge higher after drop in jobless claims (AP)

AP - Stocks extended their September rally Thursday after more encouraging news on the job market.

Wall Street buoyed by upbeat economic data (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks rose modestly on Thursday as better-than-expected jobs and trade data added to optimism over the economic recovery.

3 Texas men indicted in Va. in $103M scam (AP)

AP - A federal grand jury in Richmond has indicted three Texas men for allegedly defrauding investors in their life insurance settlement businesses.

Irish bonds rebound, banks hold ground after Anglo (AP)

AP - Investors welcomed Ireland's plan to split up its most debt-crippled bank, Anglo Irish, by bidding strongly Thursday for government bonds. Ireland's battered bank shares also held their ground.

Merkel: economic upswing should benefit workers (AP)

AP - German chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday the current economic upswing should benefit workers who were hit by the economic and financial crisis.

Data shows economic recovery still on track (Reuters)

Reuters - New U.S. claims for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week to a two-month low, while the trade deficit narrowed sharply in July, hopeful signs for the stuttering economic recovery.

FTSE 100 shares rise (AFP)

AFP - Shares in London were upbeat at the end of trade on Thursday as investors cheered new data showing the US trade deficit narrowing sharply and the number of US jobless claims dropping faster than expected.

Obama adviser nudges Russia on democracy (Reuters)

Reuters - Russia should uphold democratic rights and increase political competition if the Kremlin's plans to modernize its economy are to become reality, President Barack Obama's top adviser on Russia said on Thursday.

US data buoys world markets (AP)

AP - Stock markets in Europe and the U.S. spiked higher Thursday after better than expected U.S. jobs and trade data further eased concerns that the world's largest economy was heading back towards recession.

Obama better on war than economy: poll (AFP)

AFP - US President Barack Obama gets better marks for his wartime leadership than his stewardship of the sluggish economic recovery, a new opinion poll found Thursday.

Global recession unlikely, OECD says (AP)

AP - The global economic recovery could be slower than expected but another recession remains unlikely — especially if governments don't overdo their spending cuts, a leading international economic body said Thursday.

US jobless claims drop faster than expected (AFP)

AFP - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell faster than expected last week, extending a three-week decline, government data showed Thursday.

US trade deficit narrows sharply in July (AFP)

AFP - The US trade deficit dropped more than expected in July as exports reached their highest level in two years, official data showed Thursday, boosting hopes for the US economic recovery.

Trade gap narrows more than expected in July (Reuters)

Reuters - The trade deficit narrowed more than expected in July, as imports retreated and exports shot to their highest since August 2008, according to a government report on Thursday that could lift hopes for third-quarter economic growth.

FDIC's Bair warns of government "exposure" in mortgages (Reuters)

Reuters - A key U.S. banking regulator raised concern on Wednesday about the risk of "exposure" the government is taking on in the mortgage market and urged more stringent standards for underwriting mortgages.

SEC defends $75 million deal with Citigroup (AP)

AP - The government is defending as "fair and adequate" its $75 million settlement with Citigroup Inc. over charges it misled investors about billions in potential losses from subprime mortgages.

Financial crisis panel tells NV leaders to be bold (AP)

AP - From mortgage problems to education and budget issues, Nevada leaders on Wednesday delivered a sobering assessment of the state's future as a result of the Great Recession during seven hours of testimony before a federal panel investigating the country's financial meltdown.

Flash crash cause still a mystery (Investor's Business Daily)

Investor's Business Daily - The SEC, which is probing the stock market "flash crash" on May 6, still hasn't identified a single cause, but a trade practice known as "stub quotes" and other issues contributed to the market's dramatic drop, sources said. Stub quotes are orders placed by market makers that are well off the market prices for stocks. The SEC wants to ban stub quotes.

SEC says proposed Citi settlement is fair (Reuters)

Reuters - The top securities regulator defended its proposed $75 million settlement with Citigroup , saying the penalty reasonably accounts for the seriousness of the bank's alleged misconduct, according to a document filed in court on Wednesday.

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.

How the major stock indexes fared Wednesday (AP)

AP - Stocks resumed their rally Wednesday after a successful auction of Portuguese government debt eased worries about Europe's financial system. Major indexes pulled back from their highs in the afternoon after the Federal Reserve said more regions of the country saw slower growth late in the summer.

Consumers cut back on credit card use once again (AP)

AP - Consumer borrowing fell again in July as households cut back on their credit card use for a 23rd consecutive month, adding more drag on an economy struggling to mount a sustained rebound.

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.

Flash crash report: plunge still a mystery: sources (Reuters)

Reuters - Regulators probing the stock market "flash crash" last May still have not uncovered a single cause but will point to "stub quotes" and other previously identified issues as having exacerbated the market's dramatic drop, according to two sources familiar with the probe.

Kuwait appoints first stock market regulator (AFP)

AFP - Kuwait has appointed its first independent regulatory body, the Capital Market Authority, to oversee its stock exchange, Commerce Minister Ahmad al-Harun said on Wednesday.

Freddie Mac to issue new 5-year note due 2015 (AP)

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