Oil lingers near $75 in Asia as stock markets gain (AP)

AP - Oil prices lingered near $75 a barrel Friday in Asia, largely holding onto a big gain the day before as investors put a positive spin on U.S. economic reports and Asian stock markets rose.

5 Tax Moves to Make Now (U.S. News & World Report)
U.S. News & World Report - It may seem a bit strange to be talking about income taxes in September. There are, however, good reasons to think about taxes well before April 15. For starters, there are some big changes in the tax code that go into effect in 2011. Depending on your income tax bracket and investments, some simple planning now could save you a bundle later.

Con man could get life under Calif. 3-strikes law (AP)
AP - A man accused of bilking elderly South Los Angeles residents out of their homes in a foreclosure scam is facing a potential life sentence in a rare use of California's three-strikes law for a white-collar crime.

A Dearth of Work for China's College Grads (BusinessWeek)
BusinessWeek - The job hunt came as a shock. The 23-year-old job seeker graduated in June from a good school -- Beijing University of Technology -- with a bachelor's degree in materials science, a subject he figured would appeal to employers. Yet he had to go through scores of interviews and comb the online job sites endlessly before landing a job at a local trading company. Happy ending? Barely. The pay, $368 a month, is meager by Beijing standards, so he has had to move back in with his parents and he's too ashamed about the outcome of his job search to give his name. ...

Economic data damp down fears of new recession (Reuters)

Reuters - Pending sales of previously owned U.S. homes rebounded unexpectedly in July and new claims for jobless benefits fell last week, helping quell fears the economy could face a double-dip recession.

Business Highlights (AP)
AP - Discounts spur surprising Aug. retail sales gains