BUSINESS

• Problem Slows Prudhoe Bay Oil Production
  Production at the Prudhoe Bay oil field was reduced by another 90,000 barrels on Wednesday when a problem was discovered in a compressor, according to a spokesman for BP PLC, operator of the country's largest oil field.
• Wal-Mart Opens Communist Branch in China
  Wal-Mart has opened a communist party branch in China.
• Microsoft to Sell 'Stripped' Windows in South Korea
  Korean editions of Windows XP Pro, Home to lack Windows Media Player, instant messenger following antitrust fine, ruling.
• McDonald's No. 2 Executive Resigns
  McDonald's President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Roberts has resigned after 29 years with the company.
• Microsoft Signs Exclusive Ad Deal With Facebook.com
  Redmond to become exclusive provider of banner ads, sponsored links on college social-networking site, echoing similar deal between Google and MySpace.
• Microsoft Sues Domain-Name Squatters
  Redmond files three suits against individuals thought to have registered domains that infringe on Microsoft trademarks.
• Car Buyers Most Concerned About Fuel Economy, Reliability
  A poll of people buying cars shows that fuel economy and reliability are at the fore of people's minds.
• Durable Goods Orders Tumble in July
  Orders for U.S.-made durable goods dropped by 2.4 percent in July, according to the Commerce Department.
• Weekly Jobless Claims Dip By 1,000
  Initial claims for jobless aid dropped by 1,000 last week, according to the Labor Department.
• Stocks Creep Up on Economic Data
  Stocks made small gains on Thursday.
• Justice Department Asks Judge to Block Northwest Strike
  Department of Justice says a work stoppage would cause serious disruptions to the air transportation system.
• Japan Orders Sony, Dell to Probe Battery Trouble
  Japan's trade ministry on Thursday ordered Sony and Dell to investigate problems involving overheating batteries.
• Gov't Won't Prosecute Fannie Mae Over Accounting Problems
  U.S. attorney's office says it is dropping the two-year criminal investigation over accounting irregularities and it will not prosecute the mortgage-lending giant.
• New Home Sales Drop By 4.3 Percent in July
  Commerce Department report shows that new home sales dropped by the largest amount since February in July.
• Dell Backs Out of Portable Music Player Market
  Company sells out stock of DJ Ditty, flash-based music player that challenged, and lost out to, Apple's iPod Shuffle.
• Rite Aid to Buy Brooks and Eckerd Chains for $2.6B
  Rite Aid will acquire Brooks and Eckerd for about $2.6 billion, strengthening the chain along the East Coast.
• Microsoft Mulls Discounts, Promotions to Pre-Sell Vista
  Redmond pondering offering discounts to consumers who place orders for Vista before release date.

FOXLIFE

• How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Las Vegas
  In a city like Vegas, there is no lack of outrageous activities available to help you make the most of your vacation, gambler or not.
• Tokyo Subways Drop Plan to Censor Naked Britney Spears Ad
  Tokyo subway authority drops decision to censor an advertisement featuring Britney Spears naked and pregnant on the cover of Harper's Bazaar.
• Grrr! Crying Over Reality TV
  Grrr! columnist Mike Straka says he's embarrassed that 'Rock Star: Supernova' makes him cry.
• 'American Idol' Winner Hicks Sues Producer Over Recordings
  A federal judge has temporarily barred a producer from selling songs recorded by "American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks from before he won the show.
• Miss America Pageant Returning to Las Vegas
  The annual Miss America pageant will return to the Las Vegas Strip for its 2007 contest, organizers said Thursday.
• Man Pleads Guilty in 'Babyface' Extortion Case
  A man claiming to be Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' illegitimate son will spend six months in a halfway house after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor intimidation charge for trying to extort $9 million from the Grammy-winning musician.
• Stephen Colbert Asks Viewers to Make Him a Viral-Video Star
  While many TV shows have been suspicious of YouTube and the Web, "The Colbert Report" has jumped right in. After recently announcing a "Green Screen Challenge" to his viewers, Stephen Colbert has asked his fans to make him a viral video star.
• Survey: Katie Couric Better Known Than Other News Anchors
  Katie Couric is better known than her evening news rivals despite not taking the helm of 'CBS Evening News' until Sept. 5, survey reveals.
• 'Idol' Finalist Mikalah Gordon Unharmed After Robbery
  The mother of former 'American Idol' finalist Mikalah Gordon says her daughter is OK after being robbed at gunpoint in Las Vegas.
• Behold, a Recipe for Disaster
  Man claiming to be Usama bin Laden threatens police with blender
• Outkast Turns Attention to Big Screen With 'Idlewild'
  Groundbreaking musicians Outkast turn their attention to the big screen with 'Idlewild.'
• Q Scores: Tom Cruise's Popularity Has Dropped
  An executive with Marketing Evaluations Incorporated, the company that calculates the scores, says Cruise's positive perception has fallen about 40 percent in the last year. And his negative perception has jumped nearly 100 percent.
• Tom Cruise's Team Lashes Back at Viacom Boss
  The shocking Tom Cruise-Sumner Redstone feud escalated into a full-blown War of the Words Wednesday, with Cruise's camp slapping back at the media mogul, saying he's the one who has lost his mind.
• Tom Cruise Crisis Surprised Steven Spielberg
  Steven Spielberg surprised by Tom Cruise's firing from Paramount; Liz Smith gets Hugh O'Brian; Pat Baird dies

HEALTH

• FDA Approves Nonprescription Sale of Morning-After Pill
  The Food and Drug Administration approved the over-the-counter sale of the morning-after pill Thursday.
• Chronology: The Morning-After Pill
  Major events in the history of the morning-after pill
• Body Fat: Even a Little Bit Can Kill You, Study Says
  Being a little overweight can kill you, according to new research that leaves little room for denial that a few extra pounds is harmful.

POLITICS

• State Department Rejects Demands by Journalists' Kidnappers
  State Department says it does not negotiate with terrorists and continued to call for release of FOX News cameraman and correspondent.
• Michigan Candidate Urges Bush to Meet With Automakers
  Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos wants President Bush to meet with the heads of the Big Three automakers to talk about energy policy.
• U.S. Says Iran Response 'Falls Short'
  Iran's response to an offer of incentives to halt its nuclear ambitions 'falls short' of United Nations demands, the State Department said Wednesday.
• Sen. Allen Directly Apologizes Over Insult to Dem Aide
  Sen. George Allen of Virginia directly apologized to a Democratic aide he offended by calling him "Macaca."
• NYC Officials Want New 'Survivor' Pulled
  A New York City Councilman along with other officials are angered over CBS' new series of the hit reality show 'Survivor,' because the network announced the new season will feature teams divided by race - Asian, Black, Latino and White.
• Dems' Katrina Report: $7.4B in Contracts Lacked Competition
  A new report released Thursday by Democrats said that $7.4 billion in contracts were awarded without full, and sometimes, any, competition
• FEMA Head Sees Housing as Top Challenge in Katrina Rebuild
  FEMA director says the lack of housing along the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Katrina's wrath on the region is the top challenge to rebuilding the area.
• Jordanian Who Sent Money to Iraq Loses Federal Appeal
  Thursday's ruling by the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the executive branch's right to regulate financial transactions during security crises
• Agreement Drops Charges Against Kentucky Gov. Fletcher
  Charges relating to a state hiring scandal against Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher were dropped on Thursday after a judge signed a negotiated agreement.
• Bush OK With FDA's Morning-After Pill Ruling
  Food and Drug Administration comes to middle ground by allowing emergency contraception to be sold over the counter, but only to women over 18.
• N.Y. Gubernatorial Opponent Questions Spitzer's Ethics
  New York gubernatorial candidate John Faso asks state lobbying commission to investigate Democrat Eliot Spitzer's use of a private jet from a campaign contributor.
• Safavian Wants Lobbying Trial Conviction Overturned
  Former General Services Administration official David Safavian, convicted in June in connection with the probe of Jack Abramoff's lobbying activities, sought Thursday to have his conviction overturned
• Sen. Biden Renews Call to Keep Iraq Together
  Sen. Joseph Biden, a potential presidential contender in 2008, renewed his call to keep Iraq together Thursday by giving greater autonomy to Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.
• Bush Admin. Works to Address Iran Nuclear Program Impasse
  The Bush administration is working with European allies to figure out how to address what they call Iran's inadequate answer to demands that it cease uranium enrichment.
• Sen. Dole Defends Republican After 'Little Guatemalan' Comment
  Sen. Elizabeth Dole, head of the Senate Republican campaign committee, defended Sen. Conrad Burns' comments about immigration.
• Poll: Dem Casey Keeps Slight Lead Over GOP Sen. Santorum
  Democrat Bob Casey has a slight lead over Republican Sen. Rick Santorum in the Pennsylvania race for U.S. Senate, according to an independent poll released Thursday.
• Sen. Obama to Take Public HIV Test in Kenya
  Sen. Barack Obama plans a public HIV test at a Kenyan clinic this weekend to promote HIV/AIDS prevention.

SCIENCE

• Bubba, Chicago Aquarium's 'Super Grouper,' Dies at 24
  Bubba, a grouper abandoned at Shedd Aquarium in 1987 who later went on to survive chemotherapy treatments for cancer, died Tuesday at age 24 in Chicago.
• Pluto's Planetary Status Looks Doomed
  Astronomers ridicule panel's suggestion to add three small planets; consensus seems to be to demote Pluto instead.
• Study: Earth May Have Been Oxygenated Much Earlier
  Analysis of sulfur isotopes in Australian rocks indicates that oxygen may have been present 3.8 billion years ago.
• Killer Whales Found to Settle Disputes With Paired Swimming
  Observations of orcas in captivity shows that spats are settled by periods of echelon swimming, when two individuals bond by swimming side by side.
• Company: New Stem-Cell Procedure Doesn't Harm Embryos
  Advanced Cell Technology reported Wednesday a new way to make stem cells without destroying human embryos.

SPECIAL SECTIONS

• Grading: Is Honesty the Best Policy?
  Sometimes an A is really a B or a C when colleges inflate grades to keep students and parents paying hefty tuition bills happy, or to maintain the reputation of the institution.

TECHNOLOGY

• Spammer's Grandparents to Let AOL Examine Back Yard
  Maternal grandparents of Davis Wolfgang Hawke, who lost millions to AOL in spam suit, agree to let company examine yard for buried gold; Hawke's parents still refusing.
• TiVo to Provide DVR Software to Cable Company Cox
  TiVo Inc. Thursday said it had agreed to provide cable company Cox Communications with software for digital video recorders.
• Review: 'Madden NFL 07' Scores a Sloppy Touchdown
  Despite somewhat shaky graphics, latest Madden football game wins big with precise controls, strange ability to breed your own players.

U.S.

• Nation's First Same-Sex Civil Union Ends
  Carolyn Conrad and Kathleen Peterson, both of Brattleboro, Vt., entered a civil union July 1, 2000, the day Vermont's first-in-the-nation law went into effect; they officially split up Wednesday.
• Two Killed, Three Injured in Vermont Rampage
  Two people were killed and three others injured as a gunman went on a rampage in Vermont, police said Thursday.
• Ohio Honors Ex-Marine for Ground Zero Service
  Former Marine Jason Thomas, of Columbus, Ohio, is recognized by dignitaries outside the Ohio Supreme Court where he works for heroic work in extracting two policemen trapped in the rubble of the World Trade Center after Sept. 11 terror attacks.
• Families, Survivor Sue Sago Mine Operators
  The families of two victims and the lone survivor of the Sago Mine disaster filed lawsuits against the mine's owner and five other companies on Wednesday.
• Playground Equipment Targeted by Child Safety Groups
  Some playground equipment and games deemed unsafe are coming under fire from people who think they put children at risk of hurting their bodies and minds.
• An American in Beirut: The Question of Closure
  Spencer Witte writes to FOXNews.com about what it's like being an American in Beirut, Lebanon, as Hezbollah and Israel war with each other.
• Transgender Inmates Seek Sex Change Operations
  Some inmates with gender-identity disorder are seeking court approval for sex-change operations, saying they feel trapped in the bodies of the opposite gender and suffer in the facilities they are housed in that are decided by gender.
• Report: Army to Review Afghan, Iraq Casualty Reports
  The Army is reviewing casualty reports from Iraq and Afghanistan in response to complaints that it has not always given families accurate information, according to reports.
• Report: School Bus Driver Forced Blacks to Back of Bus
  A Louisiana school district is investigating claims that a white school bus driver ordered black students to sit at the back of the bus, officials said.
• 10 Hurt When 89-Year-Old Man Plows Into Crowd
  A sport utility vehicle driven by an 89-year-old man plowed a crowd at a public market, injuring ten people.
• Transgender Inmates Push Prison to Allow Sex-Change Surgery
  No inmate in the country has ever succeeded in getting a court to order a sex-change operation, according to advocates.
• Cult Leader Jeffrey Lundgren to Be Executed for Ohio Murders
  Jeffrey Lundgren, a religious cult leader convicted of killing a man, his wife and three daughters in 1989, is scheduled to be executed Oct. 10 in Ohio.
• Unprovoked Attacks Against Homeless on Rise in U.S.
  Advocates say fatal attacks on the homeless, by more affluent, usually younger people, are on the rise.
• Experts Say Campus Crimes Can Be Prevented
  Crimes like property theft, rape and even murder can happen on college campuses around the country, and experts say there are many steps you can take to protect yourself.
• Explosion, Fire Force Louisiana School Evacuations
  An explosion and fire rocked a plant where military bombs are disassembled and recycled, forcing the evacuation of at least 600 students in northwestern Louisiana.
• Man Charged With Providing Hezbollah TV to N.Y. Customers
  Businessman Javed Iqbal, 42, was charged with providing satellite broadcasts of a Hezbollah television station to New York-area customers; the U.S. recognizes Hezbollah as a terrorist group.
• Photos Taken by Suspected Serial Killer Produce Lead in '83 Disappearance
  Authorities investigating a suspected serial killer said they got at least one promising lead after releasing photos he took of nearly 50 girls and women over the years.
• Soldier's Diary: A Day in the Iraq Life of Captain Dan
  Capt. Dan Sukman gives FOXNews.com reader a play-by-play of his daily life in Iraq.
• Arizona Motorists Rescued After Being Stranded in Floods
  caused street flooding around Phoenix and filled a wash with a rushing torrent of water that trapped two motorists.
• Driver Indicted in Deadly Immigrant Smuggling SUV Rollover
  Adan Pineda Doval is charged with 10 counts of causing the death of migrants while illegally transporting and one count of endangering the lives of 20 migrants in his Chevrolet Suburban that rolled over trying to evade U.S. Border Patrol agents.
• Washington Governor Declares Wildfire Emergency
  Gov. Chris Gregoire declared a statewide wildfire emergency as several large fires burned in Washington state and high winds are predicted, which could bring more fires.
• Woman Admits Embezzling $2.3 Million to Buy Lottery Tickets
  A former bookkeeper has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $2.3 million from her employer, money she spent -- as much as $6,000 a day -- on lottery tickets.
• JonBenet Suspect Ran Day-Care in Alabama
  John Mark Karr, the man accused of killing of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, kept children at a home day-care center he operated in northwest Alabama, the state welfare agency said Thursday.
• 'Soldier's Diary' Readers Respond to Captain Dan
  FOXNews.com readers respond to Capt. Dan Sukman's 'Soldier's Diary.'
• Famed Ex-Iraq POW Lynch Expecting First Child
  Jessica Lynch, the former prisoner of war whose 2003 rescue in Iraq made her an instant celebrity, is pregnant.
• Pa. Warns About Suspicious Powder in Marketing Mailings
  Medical facilities across Pennsylvania are being warned not to open mailings from a marketing company because of concerns about a white powdery substance found in some of them.
• Thousands Without Power in Indiana After Severe Storm
  A severe thunderstorm swept in from Lake Michigan leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power.
• Las Vegas to Close All-Night Marriage License Counter
  Known as the 'marriage capital of the world,' the Las Vegas marriage bureau plans to close its all-night counter Friday through Sunday; no licenses are distributed after midnight Monday through Thursday.
• New York City May Sue NYPD Detective Over WTC Photos
  New York City is threatening to sue police Detective John Botte over the publication of a new volume of photos he took of the World Trade Center ruins and workers there, claiming the photographs are police department property.
• Pastor, Family Accused of Molesting Young Female Congregants
  A county prosecutor says the Rev. Raymond Lambert, 51, of Grand Valley Independent Baptist Church, Mo., repeatedly had sex with two underage girls with the help of his 49-year-old wife, Patty - sometimes as part of religious rituals.
• 1 in 5 Female Cadets At Military Academy Claims Sex Assault
  A survey released Wednesday by The Citadel military academy says about one in every five female cadets last spring says she has been sexually assaulted at the formerly all-male military college in South Carolina.

VIEWS

• Boomers Targeted in New Waistline Scare
  New study touting obesity death risk in baby boomers is slim on real data.

WORLD

• China Pledges to Use Prosperity to Promote Peace
  Chinese President Hu Jintao issues instructions to promote foreign understanding of Chinese culture and global peace during a three-day foreign policy conference.
• Syria Rejects International Force Along Lebanon Border
  Syria's president said Wednesday that he would consider the deployment of international troops along the Lebanon-Syria border a 'hostile' move.
• Morales Defends Nationalization of Petroleum Industry
  President Evo Morales forcefully defended the nationalization of Bolivia's petroleum industry only hours after the Senate voted to censure the nation's Hydrocarbons Minister over alleged 'irregular' dealings by the state energy company.
• Bomb Defused Near Thailand Prime Minister's House
  Police explosive experts defused a bomb hidden in a car near the residence of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and detained a suspect Thursday, police said.
• Mourning Relatives Visit Site of Russian Passenger Jet Crash
  Grieving relatives visited the scorched site of a passenger jet crash Thursday to identify the 170 people killed in the third airline disaster this year in the former Soviet Union.
• European Union Wants Probe of Iranian Dissident's Death
  The European Union on Thursday questioned the circumstances surrounding the recent death of an Iranian student activist and called on Tehran to launch an independent investigation into the case.
• Transcripts: Captives' Family Members Speak Out
  Anita McNaught, wife of Olaf Wiig, a FOX News journalist, and Ken Centanni, brother of reporter Steve Centanni, make statements regarding their kidnappings.
• Suspects From Northwest Airlines Flight to Be Released
  Prosecutors said Thursday they found no evidence of a terrorist threat aboard a Northwest Airlines flight to India that returned to Amsterdam, and they are releasing all 12 passengers arrested after the emergency landing.
• British Charge 12th Suspect in Airline Terror Plot
  British authorities charged a man with violating the country's terrorism law Thursday, bringing to 12 the number of people formally charged in the alleged plot to blow up U.S.-bound commercial flights, police said.
• Austrian Woman Escapes Kidnapper After 8 Years
  A woman in Vienna, identified as a girl who vanished more than eight years ago, told police she had been kidnapped and kept in a cellar.
• Landlord in Costa Rica: Karr Claimed to Be 'Like a Wolf'
  John Mark Karr, the man accused of killing of 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey, told the wife of his landlord in Costa Rica that he was 'like a wolf' sexually.
• Mumbai Restaurant 'Hitler's Cross' to Change Name
  New Mumbai eatery 'Hitler's Cross' to change name, remove swastikas from signage after complaints from Indian Jewish community.
• Israeli Police Question President Again on Harassment Charges
  Police raided the official residence of Israeli President Moshe Katsav as part of a sexual harassment investigation, seizing computers and documents, officials said Tuesday.
• Islamic Court Lashes Somali Woman 11 Times for Selling Cannabis
  Islamic leaders gave a woman 11 lashes for selling cannabis, the first female to receive such punishment since the fundamentalist rulers took over the capital.
• Kofi Annan Plans Visit to Mideast This Week
  Kofi Annan will travel to the Middle East later this week, visiting Lebanon, Israel and most likely Syria and Iran to try to garner support for a U.N. resolution.
• Israeli Military Chief Acknowledges Failings in War
  In a letter to the troops, Israel's military chief acknowledged publicly for the first time Thursday that there were shortcomings in the military's performance during the recent Lebanon war.
• U.S.-Led Afghan Operation Kills Seven Al Qaeda Operatives
  A pre-dawn operation Thursday by U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan resulted in several civilian casualties, police said.
• Japan Sees Activity at N. Korean Nuke Test Site
  Japan has confirmed vehicle activity at a North Korean nuclear testing site, but it was unclear whether tests were imminent, a news report said Thursday.
• U.S. Offers to Sell Japan Patriot Interceptor Missiles
  The United States has offered to sell Tokyo up to 80 advanced Patriot interceptor missiles to boost its defenses.
• Report: Explosion in Chechen Capital Kills 4
  A blast in Grozny, the Chechen capital, killed four people and wounded one, the Interfax news agency reports.
• Israeli Forces Capture Hamas Leader in Gaza Raid
  Israeli forces crossed into the Gaza Strip early Thursday in a raid that captured a local Hamas militant leader and left his brother dead near a Gaza border town, Palestinians witnesses and officials said.
• Israel Adds 2 Nuke-Capable Submarines
  Israel purchased 2 German-made Dolphin submarines to add to its 3 nuclear-capable subs, the Jersusalem Post reported. Military experts called the bolster of defenses a signal to Iran which is still enriching uranium and has made clear it hates Israel.
• Diplomats: Iran's Response to Nuke Offer Faces Rejection
  The six world powers studying Iran's response to their offer of nuclear negotiations will likely reject Tehran's terms for talks because they do not refer to the possibility of freezing uranium enrichment, diplomats said Thursday.
• Blind Chinese Activist Sentenced to Prison
  A blind activist who was arrested after recording complaints of forced abortions was sentenced Thursday to four years and three months in prison on what his supporters say were phony charges, a defense lawyer said.
• Second Suspect in Attempted German Train Bombings Nabbed
  The second main suspect in a failed plot to bomb two German trains last month turned himself in to authorities in his native Lebanon on Thursday, German federal prosecutors said.
• Russia Reportedly Seizes Five Fishing Boats
  Russian authorities seized several fishing boats off the country's northeast coast including at least one with a Japanese-sounding name, but none of the boats were Japanese in origin, a news report said Thursday.
• Sudan Rejects Draft U.N. Resolution on Darfur
  Sudan's ruling party has rejected a U.S.-British draft Security Council resolution to deploy United Nations peacekeepers in Darfur, saying it would violate national sovereignty, the official media reported Thursday.
• Australia to Increase Size of Army by 2,600 Troops
  Australia will increase the size of its army by 2,600 troops to deal with rising security threats in the Asia-Pacific region and to contribute to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the prime minister said Thursday.

SHOWS

• FOX & Friends: What's in a Name?
  Megyn Kendall reveals her childhood nicknames
• FOX News Live: You Decide 2006
  Is there any more important issue to politicize than the War on Terror?
• On the Record w/ Greta: Don't Hold Your Breath
  Waiting for DNA match in the JonBenet murder mystery?
• Special Report w/ Brit Hume: Read the Grapevine
  Tourists in Mexico can spend a night in the life of an illegal immigrant crossing the border
• The Big Story w/ John Gibson: Boeing vs. Airbus
  Should foreign companies make U.S. military equipment?
• The Big Story w/ John Gibson: Your Word
  Did John say something that made your blood boil? Here's your chance to sound off!
• The Big Story w/ John Gibson: My Word
  Who says Pluto is no longer a planet?
• The O'Reilly Factor: Bill's Talking Points
  We need answers in the JonBenet murder case now!
• The O'Reilly Factor: The Dark Side of the Modeling Business
  A Yale University graduate on what she witnessed as a teen model

FOX FAN

• What Religious Liberty Really Means
  Common sense and a history tell us there should be a well-defined separation between church and state.
• Colonel's Corner: Negotiating By Proxy
  A bad idea that won't work with Iran. Here's why.
• Crippling College Costs
  One family's prepares to send their bright daughter off to the land of higher education
• Affording College: Your Questions Answered
  Should I tap into my own IRA, and how will inflation affect my child's college fund?
• Colonels' Corner: Time to Pull Up a Table
  This is a no brainer. The time to be ineffective with Iran is over.
• Racial Profiling
  Is racial profiling a necessary tool in the war on terror?