Wall Street boosted by upbeat economic data (Reuters)

Reuters - Stocks rose on Thursday as better-than-expected jobs and trade gap data improved fragile investor optimism over the economic recovery.

Reuters - The relatively strong performance of their economy means Canadians have every reason to be confident despite global economic uncertainty, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said on Thursday. "In a global economy that remains uncertain, Canadians have every reason to be confident. Our country has weathered (the slowdown) ... in far better shape than other major industrialized countries," he told a news conference in Kitchener, Ontario.

Board Approves Resolution to Support Marcellus Shale Tax (PR Newswire)

PR Newswire - HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today approved a resolution to support the efforts to implement a severance tax on Marcellus Shale gas extraction, and encouraged legislators to ensure that a portion of those funds are directed to the state's four resource agencies, including the Game Commission, to help fund the monitoring of the environmental impacts of the drilling processes.

Jobless claims, trade gap brighten outlook (Reuters)

Reuters - New 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.

Struggling Spain OKs labor market reforms (AP)

AP - Spain gave final approval Thursday to labor market reforms designed to shake up a listless economy and help slash a bloated deficit that has prompted European-wide worries of another Greek-style debt crisis.

UK watchdog fines Goldman Sachs $27 million (Reuters)

Reuters - Britain's financial watchdog fined Goldman Sachs Group Inc 17.5 million pounds ($27 million) for failing to tell the regulator that it was the subject of a U.S. probe, reviving disclosure headaches for the Wall Street powerhouse.

McDonald's shares fall on limp sales in France (Reuters)

Reuters - McDonald's Corp reported softer-than-expected August sales in Europe, its biggest revenue market, due to weakness in France, sending its shares down nearly 3 percent.

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.

Web Impostors May Face Prison in California (BusinessWeek)

BusinessWeek - California Web impostors beware: You may soon be breaking the law, even if you aren't one of the perpetrators targeted by the state's "e-personation" bill.

Obama firm against tax cuts for rich (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama stood firm on Thursday in opposition to a Republican push to extend Bush-era tax cuts for the rich but stopped short of threatening to veto such a measure if passed by Congress.

Toys R Us to double U.S. store print for holiday season (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. retailer Toys R Us, which has filed for an initial public offering, said it plans to open about 600 temporary stores in malls and shopping centers nationwide, doubling the number of store locations for the holiday season.

British MPs to grill BP CEO Hayward (Reuters)

Reuters - British Members of Parliament (MPs) will next week grill outgoing BP Plc Chief Executive Tony Hayward, as part of an investigation into risks around deepwater drilling in the North Sea.

India car sales hit all-time high in August (AP)

AP - Car sales in India surged to a record for a second straight month in August on strong demand before the holiday season, despite rising prices and supply constraints.

Detroit gets rare assist from suburbs for fires (AP)

AP - As exhausted Detroit firefighters battled wind-fed blazes burning wild in some neighborhoods and threatening to char much of the city, a half-dozen departments from surrounding communities brought in sorely needed — and gladly accepted — help.

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.

Spartech posts fiscal 3Q loss, misses expectations (AP)

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.

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.