Obama to announce $50 bln infrastructure job plan (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama will announce on Monday a six-year plan to revamp the United States' aging roads, railways and runways with a $50 billion up-front investment to jump-start job creation.

U.S. Gulf oil producers watch new storm Hermine (Reuters)

Reuters - Oil and natural gas producers in U.S.-regulated areas of the Gulf of Mexico were carefully watching Tropical Storm Hermine on Monday, though no cutbacks in production have been announced.

Oil price rises above $77 in London (AFP)

AFP - World oil prices diverged on Monday, the end of the traditional peak demand season for motor fuel in the United States.

Jobs data continues to lift global equities (Reuters)

Reuters - World stocks rose on Monday on hopes that the U.S. can avoid slipping back into recession, although the International Monetary Fund's chief economist warned of weak growth in both the United States and Europe.

Nowotny says no ECB exit discussions before December: report (Reuters)

Reuters - The European Central Bank will not discuss its exit from unlimited liquidity provision before December, the central bank's Governing Council member Ewald Nowotny was quoted as saying on Monday.

Report: Van der Sloot concedes extorting Holloways (AP)

AP - The Dutchman charged with killing a 21-year-old Peruvian woman and suspected in the disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway has acknowledged extorting money from Holloway's parents and says he did it to get back at them.

WTO chief wants G20 push on global trade deal (AP)

AP - Group of 20 leaders should use their November summit to make a serious push for the conclusion of stalled global trade negotiations, the head of the WTO said Monday.

What might make the Fed flinch? (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. economy appears to be trudging along, neither booming nor busting, growing steadily enough to diminish double-dip recession fears but not quickly enough to bring down unemployment.

McCain Hits Democrats for 'Flailing Around' on Economy (CQPolitics.com)

CQPolitics.com - Leading voices in both parties sparred Sunday over the state of the economy and the role that Bush tax cuts should play in the recovery.

Official: Obama backing research tax credits (AP)

AP - Seeking ways to spur economic growth ahead of the November elections, President Barack Obama will ask Congress to increase and permanently extend research and development tax credits for businesses, a White House official said Sunday.

Taxpayers may face initial loss on GM IPO: sources (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. government is likely to take a loss on General Motors Co in the first offering of the automaker's stock, six people familiar with preparations for the landmark IPO said.

Venezuela OKs payment for French retailer Casino (Reuters)

Reuters - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has approved a $690 million payment to French retailer Casino and other owners of a supermarket chain nationalized earlier this year, state media said on Saturday.

Petrobras sells 64 bln dlrs of stock to fund oil exploration (AFP)

AFP - Brazil's Petrobras unveiled one of the world's biggest share offerings Friday, a sale of up to 64 billion dollars in new stock to finance oil exploration aimed at turning Brazil into a leading oil exporter of the 21st century.

Campbell reports Q4 profit rise on better margins (AP)

AP - Summer is rarely a hot sales season for Campbell Soup Co., and this year's sweltering June and July made that even more true, but the company said Friday that cost-cutting and strong drink sales helped its net income climb.

MGIC added $1.2B in mortgage coverage in August (AP)

AP - Private mortgage insurer Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp. said Friday it added $1.2 billion in new primary insurance coverage in August and the number of delinquent loans it insures declined.

Crafting a Career in Eco-Chic Jewelry (BusinessWeek)

BusinessWeek - Goldman Sachs may not have a lot of friends in the White House these days, but one of its former employees has made a good impression. After three years as an analyst in Goldman's fixed-income, currencies, and commodities division, Monique Pean began her own jewelry line that can now be found in Barneys, Jeffrey New York, and around the neck of Michelle Obama.

"Quote stuffing" a focus in flash crash probe (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. regulators probing the May flash crash are focusing on a trading practice known as "quote stuffing", in which large numbers of rapid-fire orders to buy or sell stocks are placed and canceled almost immediately.