BUSINESS

• Friendster Gets Influx of Cash, Hopes to Bounce Back
  Dethroned king of social networking gets $10 mil from VCs, hopes to reconquer twenty-something segment of social-networking market.
• Airlines Prepare for Mobile Phone Use in Flight
  Airlines are looking at ways to control cell phone use on planes when they're allowed in flight.
• Earnings: Nestle, Smithfield
  Nestle and Smithfield reported earnings on Wednesday.
• Businesses Suing Competitors Over Illegal Immigrants
  Some businesses have begun suing competitors over their use of illegal immigrants, citing an unfair advantage.
• Study: Hybrid-Vehicle Costs Balance Out After Three Years
  Edmunds.com finds that if gas stays at about $3, average driver will see higher sticker price for hybrids compensated by fuel savings, tax breaks.
• IBM to Buy Internet Security Company for $1.3 Billion
  IBM will buy security company Internet Security Systems Inc. for $1.3B.
• AT&T Sues Data Brokers Over Phone Record Requests
  AT&T files a lawsuit seeking to identify 25 data brokers the telecommunication company says fraudulently obtained phone-calling records for about 2,500 customers.
• Merrill Says Fulfilled Obligation in Sex-Discrimination Suit
  Merrill Lynch & Co. asks a court to let it out of an obligation to find a former broker, who won a $2.2 million sex-discrimination claim against the firm in 2004, a job, saying she has turned down the company's offer.
• Stocks to Watch, Aug. 24: Apple and Chico's FAS
  Among the companies whose shares are expected to see active trade in Thursday's session are Apple Computer Inc., Chico's FAS Inc., Michaels Stores Inc., Williams-Sonoma Inc. and Coldwater Creek Inc.
• Oil Prices Drop on Inventory Data
  Crude prices dipped after the government said gasoline and heating fuel supplies rose in the United States, the world's top consumer of petroleum.
• Housing Data Pushes Stocks Lower
  Stocks were lower on Wednesday after housing data fanned fears of a too-rapidly slowing economy.
• Existing Home Sales Drop to Lowest Level Since 2004
  Report shows that sales of previously owned homes dropped by 4.1 percent in July.
• Sony Pays $65 Million for Web-Video-Sharing Site Grouper.com
  Deal puts entertainment/tech giant, which lacks TV outlet, on footing to take on YouTube, traditional rivals in Web-video arena.
• Gateway Fields $450 Million Offer for Retail Operations
  eMachines founder Lap Shun Hui has offered Gateway $450 million for its retail operations.

FOXLIFE

• FOX411:Jacko a Curse, Says $20M Boy's Uncle
  Boy who received $20 million payout from Michael Jackson is accusing his father of child abuse; Daughter of New York Senate candidate is arrested for shoplifting in an ironic location; Sony Music is expected to push new Beyonce album.
• FOX411: Tom Cruise Splits From Broke Paramount
  Split between Tom Cruise and Paramount surprises industry insiders because of studio's recent financial problems
• Paramount Pictures Severs Ties With Tom Cruise
  Sumner Redstone, whose company owns Paramount Pictures, said the studio would sever its 14-year relationship with Cruise's film production company because "his recent conduct has not been acceptable to Paramount."
• Convicted Sex Teacher Lafave Gets OK for TV Interview
  Former middle-school teacher Debra Lafave, who is serving house arrest for having sex with a 14-year old student, received permission to be interviewed by NBC's Matt Lauer, her attorney said on Wednesday.
• Your Grrrs: Aug. 24, 2006
  Readers respond to Mike Straka's Grrr! column.
• 'Superman Returns' Star Brandon Routh to Wed Courtney Ford
  'Superman Returns' star Brandon Routh and girlfriend Courtney Ford plan to marry next year.
• John Michael Montgomery Makes Plea Deal in DUI Arrest
  Country singer John Michael Montgomery enters Alford plea, which means that he is not admitting guilt but acknowledges that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him of drunken driving charges stemming from February arrest in Lexington, Ky.,
• New 'Survivors' to Be Divided by Race
  Race will matter on the upcoming season of the CBS show as contestants will be divided into four tribes by ethnicity. That means blacks, whites, Latinos and Asians in separate groups.
• Rapper Foxy Brown Skips N.J. Court Session
  Rapper Foxy Brown skipped a short court hearing in New Jersey on charges filed by a former colleague.
• 'National Lampoon' Founder Robert Hoffman Dies at 59
  Founder of National Lampoon magazine and noted Dallas philanthropist Robert K. Hoffman died at 50.
• Victim's Family Files Suit Against Estate of Rapper Proof
  The family of Army veteran Keith Bender has filed a lawsuit against the estate of rapper Proof, who authorities say shot Bender before being killed by another man.
• Making Headlines the Hard Way
  Station's accidental porn broadcast gives new meaning to 'action news'
• Owen Wilson Gets Eyeful When He's Flashed at London Premiere
  Owen Wilson got an eyeful at the London premiere of his latest film, 'You, Me and Dupree' when a woman in the crowd flashed him.

HEALTH

• CDC Places Genetic Codes for Flu Viruses in Public Database
  Move to enable researchers worldwide to quickly access genetic code for 650 known flu viruses in U.S.
• Hundreds of Body Parts Recalled in Tainted Tissue Scandal
  A Colorado company recalled hundreds of human tissue products after the FDA shutdown a North Carolina body parts broker that carved up cadavers in unsterile conditions.
• Nebraska Researchers Eye Vaccine as Meth Addiction Treatment
  Researchers at the University of Nebraska are studying whether a nicotine vaccine could help meth addicts kick their habit.
• Tongue Has Sweet Spot for Sour Tastes
  A new study suggests that individual cells in the tongues are exclusively dedicated to detecting sour tastes, a function that may have evolved to help mammals detect spoiled or unripe foods.

POLITICS

• Powell Says Delayed State Plans Stalled Katrina Funds
  Katrina relief czar Donald Powell said federal allocations from over $110 billion in Gulf Coast recovery aid has been slowed by poor housing plans from Louisiana state officials.
• Plame Considering Lawsuit Against Former Official
  Former CIA operative Valerie Plame is considering suing the then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage for conspiring to leak her identity to the media.
• Watchdog Group Cites Conflict for NSA Ruling Judge
  A conservative watchdog group cites a conflict of interest for the judge who ruled the National Security Agency warrantless surveillance program unconstitutional.
• Judge Orders Probe of Leak to Media About Espionage Case
  U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III ordered the investigation of how CBS News and other organizations learned of the secret criminal probe into a Defense Department official's back-channel talks with pro-Israeli lobbyists
• U.S. General Points to Iranian Influence on Iraqi Violence
  For the first time since the flare up of sectarian violence, a top Pentagon general is directly blaming the Iranian government for supporting and even training Shiite terror groups in Iraq.
• Gov. Freudenthal, Hunkins to Face Off in Wyoming Race
  Gov. Dave Freudenthal defeats Al Hamburg, who was convicted of election fraud in 1989 and is ineligible to hold office if elected, while Republican Ray Hunkins also wins nomination for governor.
• Nader Must Pay Lawsuit Costs That Kept Him Off Pa. Ballot
  Former presidential candidate Ralph Nader and his running mate must pay more than $80,000 for a lawsuit that kept them off the 2004 ballot in Pennsylvania, a court ruled Wednesday.
• White House Brushes Off McCain Criticism
  The White House on Wednesday was playing down a remark from Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain a day earlier in which he said the Bush administration had misled Americans into believing the Iraq war would be 'some kind of day at the beach.'
• U.S. Uses 'Catch-and-Detain' on Some Illegal Immigrants
  The Bush administration is using a new "catch-and-detain" policy on non-Mexican illegal immigrants sneaking into the United States.
• Judge Allows Green Party Candidates on Arkansas Ballot
  Green Party candidates can appear on Arkansas' Nov. 7 ballot after a federal judge voided a state law Wednesday.
• Alaska Gov. Murkowski to Push for Gas Pipeline to Canada Bef
  Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski to push for natural gas pipeline deal to Canada despite losing the Republican primary and months before his term ends.
• Joe Lieberman Qualifies for November Ballot With New Party
  Sen. Joe Lieberman received enough signatures to qualify for a spot on the November ballot with a new party, the secretary of state said Wednesday.
• Bush: Long Road Ahead to Help Katrina Victims Rebuild
  President Bush met with a Hurricane Katrina victim Wednesday who lost his home in the storm, saying it is going to be a long time to help victims rebuild their lives.
• Medicare Officials Make $50 Million Mistake
  Medicare officials made a $50 million mistake by sending out checks to 230,000 Medicare recipients for monthly premiums they paid this year for prescription drug coverage.
• Alaska Gov. Concedes Primary Defeat in Re-Election Bid
  Former Wasilla mayor Sarah Palin defeats incumbent Frank Murkowski in Alaska Governor's GOP primary; Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin wins GOP nod in Oklahoma House primary; incumbent Gov. Dave Freudenthal handily wins Dem gubernatorial primary.
• Clinton Challenger to Resume Campaign After Daughter Arrest
  GOP challenger Kathleen Troia McFarland plans to resume her campaign against Sen. Hillary Clinton after suspending her campaign to deal with her daughter's arrest on a shoplifting charge.

SCIENCE

• Mysterious Mathematician Solves Problem, Refuses Award
  Grigory Perelman, as expected, won Fields Medal for proving Poincare's Conjecture -- and sends message that he's not interested in honor.
• Study: Venomous Fish Outnumber Snakes
  The 1,200 presumably venomous fish tallied in a new study come to six times previous estimates.
• Withdrawal Symptoms Come Quickly After Last Cigarette
  Smokers trying to quit start getting the crazies within the first 30 minutes of quitting, according to a new study that likely confirms what most smokers already knew.
• Tests Reveal St. Louis Slugger Pujols Match for Babe Ruth
  Researchers find Pujols has extraordinary perception, reflexes, hand-eye coordination -- as did Ruth in similar tests 85 years ago.
• Snail Venom Mimics Dopamine, Researchers Find
  Synthetic version of toxin could be used to treat Parkinson's disease, mood disorders.
• Salt Marshes Mysteriously Dying Along New England Shoreline
  From Connecticut through Cape Cod and on up to Maine, tidewater marshes are dying off and drying up, and no one's quite sure why.
• Cosmonaut to Hit Golf Ball Into Orbit
  Russian flight engineer to let one fly into space in paid stunt for Canadian golf-club maker.
• Background: The Poincare Conjecture
  What proof of conjecture by mysterious Russian mathematician means.
• Astronaut Accidentally Reveals Name of New NASA Moon Craft
  U.S. astronaut Jeff Williams says new NASA craft being designed to take astronauts back to the moon will be called 'Orion.'

TECHNOLOGY

• Segways Banned From British Streets, Sidewalks, Roads
  British government declares that Segway Human Transporter cannot be used in any public place.
• Paris Hilton Leads YouTube Ad Revolution
  YouTube takes major step toward converting clicks to cash by launching first 'branded channel' -- project spearheaded by celebutante Paris Hilton designed to reap profits from video Web site's exploding popularity.

U.S.

• Marines in Individual Ready Reserve to Be Recalled to Duty
  The U.S. Marine Corps has been authorized to call thousands of Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve back to active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Man Deported After Conviction Finds Out He's a U.S. Citizen
  Duarnis Perez became an American citizen when he was 15, but he didn't find out until after he had been deported to the Dominican Republic after a drug conviction, then jailed for trying to get back into the country.
• Florida School Board Tries to Remove Children's Book on Cuba
  The Miami-Dade County School District in Florida voted Tuesday to move forward with trying to remove a children's book on life in Cuba from its school libraries; the board is appealing a judge's order barrin the removal of the book.
• Two Indiana Cops Killed During Charity Bike Ride
  Two police officers were killed during a charity bike ride Tuesday when a van struck them.
• Marines to Have Article 32 Hearing Over Iraqi's Death
  The Marine Corps has denied four Marines accused of killing an Iraqi civilian the option of going straight to trial; the men had been scheduled for Article 32 hearings to determine if there is probably cause for a trial.
• First Wife: Karr Had 'Fantasies About Little Girls'
  The first wife of the JonBenet murder suspect said her husband had 'fantasies about little girls,' according to an interview Wednesday.
• College 'Mindset List': Freshmen Grew Up With Google
  Beloit College Mindset List, annual compilation, offers a glimpse of the world view through the eyes of each incoming class.
• Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Killer of Virginia Family
  A jury on Tuesday recommended that Ricky Jovan Gray be put to death for the brutal killings of a Virginia musician and his family.
• Ghost-Hunting Teen Shot Near Spooky House
  A teen girl out looking for ghosts was shot in the head and critically wounded by a man who lived in a supposedly haunted house on Tuesday, police in Ohio said on Wednesday.
• Former NBA Player Gets 2 Months for Gun Near White House
  Former NBA player Lonny Baxter was sentenced to two months in jail Wednesday after pleading guilty to charges of carrying a gun near the White House.
• Missouri Couple in Sextuplets Hoax Case Plead Guilty
  A Missouri couple pleaded guilty Wednesday to stealing from their community by faking the birth of sextuplets in order to tap their neighbors' generosity.
• Large Areas of Northwest Under Fire Warnings
  Red flag warnings were issued for wide areas of the Northwest on Wednesday, indicating extreme wildfire danger; wind-driven fires near Dayton in southeast Washington had raced across more than 15,000 areas as more homes are evacuated.
• Falwell: Stem Cell Research 'Does Not Pass Smell Test'
  Rev. Jerry Falwell told a group of theology students in Kansas City that he opposed stem cell research regardless of its medical promise.
• TSA Screeners Did Not Detect Dangerous Items in Orlando Test
  More than half the federal security force at Orlando International Airport failed a test in June to measure how well the officers detect explosives, guns and other threats at passenger checkpoints.
• JonBenet Murder Suspect's Relatives Offer Book, Movie Rights
  John Mark Karr's relatives offered the movie and book rights to the family's story Wednesday in hopes of hiring a high-level attorney to defend him after he claimd to have killed 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey.
• Cops: Man Charged After Claiming Sex Aid Was Bomb at Airport
  Madin Azad Amin was charged with disorderly conduct after telling airport security that his penis pump was a bomb so his mother wouldn't know he had it.
• Boy Scouts in Nebraska Save Toddler From River
  A troop of Boy Scouts on a camping trip saved an 18-month-old girl who had fallen in a river upstream from them and was floating face down, officials said.
• Virginia Murder Suspect Arraigned on Capital Murder Charges
  William Morva, 24, was held without bond and was arraigned from jail via video conference in Virginia Tuesday; he's facing capital murder and other charges.
• Police Investigate Up to 12 Bombings in New England
  Police expected to charge four people later this week in connection with a series of pipe bombings in Vermont and New Hampshire.
• Japanese-American War Veterans Criticize Army War Objector
  1st Lt. Ehren Watada, 28, of Honolulu, faces a possible court-martial for refusing to deploy to Iraq; some Japanese-Americans veterans group say Watada should serve and not question.
• Help Center Opens to Bring Katrina Evacuees Back Home
  New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Tuesday opened the first of a planned series of service centers designed to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees outside Louisiana return home and rebuild.
• Second Ex-Cop Pleads Guilty to Robbing Chicago Drug Dealers
  Darek Haynes, a nine-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, pleaded guilty Tuesday to robbing drug dealers on the city's South Side.
• One Year Later, Reports Document Katrina-Related Problems
  At least a half-dozen reports will be released around the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, most documenting the slow response to the disaster, levee problems and the racial divide.
• Despondent 91-Year-Old Man Kills Wife, Self
  A 91-year-old Oregon man despondent over his wife's need to move to a nursing facility because she had Parkinson's disease shot her to death and then killed himself.
• JonBenet Slay Suspect 'Anxious' to Face Murder Charges in Co
  Attorneys for suspect in the killing of the 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey describes him as odd but articulate, bright and engaging; Boulder prosecutors list charges including felony murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.
• Inmate Dies After Court House Shooting, Escape Attempt
  An inmate died at a hospital early Tuesday after a failed escape attempt in which he grabbed a deputy's gun and wounded him, then was then gunned down as he drove away in a police van.
• Traffic Fatalities Reach New High, More Motorcycle Deaths
  Traffic deaths last year reached the highest level since 1990, while motorcyclists' deaths rose for an eighth straight year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday.

VIEWS

• Democrats Make a Shift, Opting for the Money Primary
  How do you increase the influence of minorities and working people in the selection of the next Democratic presidential candidate Add Nevada and South Carolina to the first two weeks of the schedule.

WORLD

• Philippine Police Kill Six Alleged Truck Robbers
  Six men riding in a van fire on a cargo truck carrying food products in a robbery attempt.
• U.N. Drafts Rules for Lebanon Peacekeepers
  Proposed rules of engagement for an expanded U.N. force in southern Lebanon would allow troops to open fire in self-defense, protect civilians and back up the Lebanese army, according to a U.N. document obtained Tuesday.
• Kofi Annan: Sudanese Children Are in Danger
  Children in Sudan are living in grave danger of abduction, killing and sexual violence, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says.
• U.S. Wants Chavez to Push for Democracy in Post-Castro Cuba
  The U.S. says Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez could play 'an important and useful role' should he choose to push for democracy in post-Castro Cuba.
• British Judge Extends Custody of 9 Suspects in Terror Plot
  British authorities extended the time 9 suspects of a plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners can be kept in custody without being charged.
• Tropical Storm Debby Weakens in Eastern Atlantic
  Tropical Storm Debby weakened Wednesday off the coast of the Cape Verde islands in the eastern Atlantic, forecasters said.
• Transcript: Kidnappers' Statement
  A group claiming to have kidnapped two FOX News journalists released a video Wednesday showing both Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig.
• Bystanders Run Off With Cocaine Cargo After Caribbean Truck Crash
  Bystanders run off with hundreds of packets of cocaine after a truck carrying the illegal cargo crashed on a Caribbean island belonging to Colombia.
• 12 Passengers Arrested After Flight Diverted to Amsterdam
  Twelve people aboard a flight that was diverted to Amsterdam Wednesday were arrested at the airport after they displayed suspicous behavior relating to cellphones, Dutch airport authorities told FOX News.
• Iran Urges Europe to See 'Positive' Signals in Nuke Proposal
  Iran on Wednesday cited "positive and clear signals" in its proposal to resolve the standoff over its nuclear program, and China and Russia signaled support for a negotiated deal.
• Trial Postponed in Beating of Gay Americans in St. Maarten
  The trial of four men accused of attacking two gay American tourists has been postponed so that a victim can return to testify in a St. Maarten court.
• New Restaurant in Mumbai Bears Hitler's Name
  When Hitler's Cross restaurant opened four days ago in a Mumbai suburb, local politicians and movie industry types were on hand to celebrate beneath the posters of the Nazi leader and swastikas.
• 6 Hostages, Including an American, Released in Nigeria
  Six hostages, including one American, who were snatched 10 days ago in a nightclub raid were released by suspected militants in Nigeria.
• Lebanon Calls on U.S. to Help End Israel's Air, Sea Blockade
  Israel's foreign minister on Wednesday called the situation in Lebanon "explosive" and urged the international community to work quickly to deploy peacekeeping troops there.
• South Korea Urges North Against Nuclear Test
  South Korea warns North Korea not to conduct a nuclear weapons test.
• Romanian Secret Police Files Becomes National Obsession
  On Wednesday, a day after a national commission began examining the Securitate secret police files of 71 politicians, many Romanians said the campaign was all political theater.
• French Anti-Racism Group: Police Classifies Suspects by Ethn
  An anti-racism group said Wednesday it has filed a lawsuit to find out whether France's police intelligence unit violated the law by keeping tabs on gang leaders' ethnic origins.
• Congo's Capital Returns to Relative Calm
  People reappear on the streets of Congo's capital as a cease-fire appears to have stopped three days of fighting.
• Anfal Survivor Testifies in Saddam Hussein Trial
  Kurdish woman describes huddling with her children in a cave as warplanes bombarded her village with chemical weapons at the genocide trial of Saddam Hussein.
• NATO Airstrikes Kill 11 Suspected Taliban
  NATO warplanes killed at least 11 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan's violence-wracked south hours after militant attacks left one NATO soldier dead and five others wounded, the alliance said Wednesday.
• France: Iran Must Stop Enrichment Before Talks
  France's foreign minister said Wednesday that Iran must suspend uranium enrichment if it wants to return to the negotiating table and try to end the international dispute over its contested nuclear program.
• Palestinian Group Claims Kidnapping of Journalists
  A previously unheard of Palestinian group, the Holy Jihad Brigades, claimed responsibility Wednesday for kidnapping a FOX News cameraman and correspondent, Al-Jazeera reported.
• European Union Attempts to Gather Troops in Lebanon
  25 EU nations to prepare meeting of foreign ministers to overcome delays in securing contributions to 15,000-strong U.N. force in Middle East
• Bomber Kills One, Injures 10 in Iraq
  A homicide bomber blew himself up outside a police headquarters in northern Iraq on Wednesday, killing at least one person, while British officials said a barrage of mortars hit one of their bases in the south.
• Russia Plane Crash Wreckage Being Probed
  Investigators on Wednesday combed through the wreckage of a Russian passenger jet that slammed into a Ukrainian field during a severe thunderstorm, finding fragments of some of the 170 victims on board and the plane's two flight recorders.

SHOWS

• Hannity & Colmes: Pat Buchanan Defends Immigration Comments
  The ex-presidential candidate defends controversial immigration comments
• On the Record w/ Greta: An 'On the Record' First
  Imagine my surprise when one of our guests goes into labor
• Special Report w/ Brit Hume: Read the Grapevine
  Are Iranians fed up with their government funding Hezbollah?
• The Big Story w/ John Gibson: Write Match?
  Expert: Million-to-one chance John Karr didn't write ransom note
• The O'Reilly Factor: Bill's Talking Points
  Moving America off welfare
• The O'Reilly Factor: Pedophiles: Nature vs. Nurture
  Are Pedophiles Born That Way or Created By Society?
• Weekend Live: The Wait Is Over
  Wilson Watch is back from its summer hiatus
• Your World w/ Neil Cavuto: Common Sense
  In Hollywood, if you slip a little bit it costs your career a lot

FOX FAN

• Jonathan Serrie Reports from Atlanta
  New allegations that John Karr's mother tried to burn the "demons" out of her son.
• If YOU Were President
  If YOU were president, what would be your reaction to Iran's nuclear response?