Atheist billboard provokes Oklahoman Christians (AP)

AP - Atheists in Oklahoma City have erected a billboard seeking fellow non-believers, and Satanists have scheduled a conference in a city-owned building, drawing criticism from ministers in a state where more than 8 out of 10 people say they are Christians.

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.

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.

New federal probe targets scandal-ridden LA suburb (AP)

AP - Officials in a scandal-ridden Los Angeles suburb say they are cooperating with a federal investigation into whether police violated the civil rights of Hispanics by targeting their cars for towing.

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.

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.

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.

Bodies of 2 missing in Texas floodwaters found (AP)

AP - Search teams have recovered the bodies of two men missing in Texas floodwaters, bringing the death toll caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine (hur-MEEN') to six.

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.

Autopsy under way on body found in N. Calif. home (AP)

AP - An autopsy is under way on an unidentified body discovered in the same Northern California home where a 73-year-old man was found dead.

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.

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.

Colo. fire evacuees cautiously allowed back home (AP)

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

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.

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.

City to stop accepting advance taxes

The Cebu City government has turned down offers of various establishments and companies operating in the city to pay their taxes in advance, as the conditions that come with them prevent the government from deciding on which project to prioritize.

(AP)

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

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.

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.

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.

City rushes bidding for housing

CEBU City Hall is rushing the bidding of construction materials for the socialized housing project within the Lorega-San Miguel cemetery, to beat the Oct. read more

City contracts for demolition management

The City Council has decided to outsource management of demolition projects to Bruner, Cooper & Zuck at a cost to taxpayers of $55,000 a year, with any additional work by the firm priced at $65 an hour.

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."

City looking at North Lougheed decision

The City of Pitt Meadows will get a legal opinion on the conditions attached to a road through farmland, recently approved by Agricultural Land Commission.

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.

Woman held after 2 shot dead at Pa. cookie plant (AP)

AP - Minutes after a woman was suspended from her job at a Kraft Foods Inc. plant and was escorted out, she returned with a handgun and opened fire, killing two people and critically injuring a third before being taken into custody, police said.

Afghans protest, Fla. pastor plans to meet NY imam (AP)

AP - As thousands of Afghans protested a tiny Florida church's plan to burn the Muslim holy book, the church's pastor said he won't follow through with the burning if he's able to meet Saturday with the organizers behind a mosque planned near ground zero in New York.

City, WEG officials to discuss traffic during games

City officials and members of the World Games 2010 Foundation will discuss traffic management during

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.

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.

Pa. mosque opens peacefully near synagogue, church (AP)

AP - A new mosque recently opened in this well-to-do suburb of Philadelphia, but not many people noticed.

Wash. executes man convicted of woman's murder (AP)

AP - Convicted killer Cal Coburn Brown was executed early Friday by lethal injection for the rape, torture and murder of a Seattle-area woman, after delivering a statement complaining he was treated unfairly by the legal system.

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.

Calm prevails in LA neighborhood after protests (AP)

AP - After three nights of violent protests, calm mainly prevailed over a gritty neighborhood where police fatally shot an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who was menacing officers with a knife.

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

AP - The co-founder of an Islamic charity has been convicted of charges related to helping smuggle $150,000 to Muslim fighters in Chechnya.

City fires' destruction not over

City of Detroit inspectors have determined that at least 20 structures damaged by Tuesday's fires must meet the wrecking ball.

Japan introduces new stimulus, better 2Q growth (AP)

AP - Japan's economy isn't quite as weak as first thought, but it still needs help, the government said Friday as it unveiled details of a new $11 billion stimulus package.

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.