BP: Multiple companies, teams contributed to spill (AP)

AP - Oil giant BP PLC laid much of the blame for the rig explosion and the massive Gulf of Mexico spill on workers at sea, other companies and a complex series of failures in an internal report released Wednesday before a key piece of evidence has been analyzed.

Stock futures track Europe stocks up (Reuters)

Reuters - Stock index futures rose on Wednesday tracking a turnaround in European stocks and ahead of comments from the Federal Reserve on the state of the economy.

Talbots profit tops estimates, but sales miss (Reuters)

Reuters - Women's clothing retailer Talbots Inc posted a higher-than-expected quarterly profit as tighter inventory management boosted its margins, but its shares fell as sales missed Wall Street forecasts.

HSBC faces thorny issues in hunt for new chairman (Reuters)

Reuters - For a bank that prides itself on smooth successions, HSBC is suddenly scrambling to pick its next chairman.

Jackson Hewitt loss narrower than expected (Reuters)

Reuters - No. 2 U.S. tax-preparer Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc posted a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss, as a drop in total expenses offset the decline in revenue.

BP says Transocean missed danger signs on rig (Reuters)

Reuters - BP deflected much of the blame for a rig blast that led to the United States' worst-ever oil spill, releasing an internal report on Wednesday which said that drilling contractor Transocean had missed danger signs.

Swisscom to delist troubled Italian unit Fastweb (AP)

AP - Swisscom AG announced Wednesday it will buy all outstanding shares in its Italian telecoms unit Fastweb SpA, which has been rocked by a money-laundering probe, for a total of euro256 million ($326 million).

Obama pitches spending, tax incentives in Ohio (Reuters)

Reuters - President Barack Obama will push billions of dollars in new business tax incentives and spending on big construction projects on Wednesday, as he tries to convince a balky Congress to pass measures intended to spur the economy and create jobs.

Foster's knocks back $2.5 billion offer for wine (Reuters)

Reuters - Foster's Group Ltd , Australia's largest brewer, rejected a private equity offer worth up to $2.5 billion for its wine business as too cheap, sending its shares up as much as 6 percent on hopes of higher bids.

Summary Box: Obama's tax-break plan no fast fix (AP)

AP - NO QUICK CURE: Even if they were enacted soon, President Barack Obama's proposed tax breaks for businesses would hardly be a fast fix to bolster hiring or the economy, analysts say.

Gov't launches plan to help "underwater" borrowers (AP)

AP - The Obama administration is trying to jump-start its sputtering attempts to tackle the foreclosure crisis with an effort to assist homeowners who owe more on their properties than their homes are worth.

Post-holiday pump prices should slide (AP)

AP - Motorists should see pump prices slide again after spending a little more to fill their tanks over the Labor Day weekend.

Summary Box: Worried investors turn to gold (AP)

AP - SEEKING SAFETY: Gold settled at a record high Tuesday as more worries resurfaced about European banks and the global economy.

Bullish or Bearish? The World's Greatest Investors Debate. (The Motley Fool)

The Motley Fool - The bears and bulls were battling as ferociously as ever over the past month. Let's dive right into the debate, through the words of some of the world's greatest investors.

Digital River buys Journey Education Marketing (AP)

AP - Digital River Inc. on Tuesday said that it has bought online software and book retailer Journey Education Marketing Inc. for an undisclosed amount.

SEC's Schapiro: "Flash crash" report expected by month end (Reuters)

Reuters - The top U.S. securities regulator said on Tuesday that the follow-up report on what might have caused the May "flash crash" is expected by the end of September.

The Treasury's New Research Office (BusinessWeek)

BusinessWeek - Don't expect an Elizabeth Warren-style campaign for the first director of the Office of Financial Research, yet another agency set up under the financial system overhaul. Unlike the pending decision over who will lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which has prompted online petitions and a viral rap video in support of the Harvard law professor, the competition over who will be the head of the research office is a wonks-only affair. ...