Europe's Troubles May Pull Stocks Down Again

Good morning.

The nation paused over the weekend to remember the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to honor those who sacrificed that day and in the years since. If you want to look back at the weekend's events, our posts are collected here and NPR's "Reflecting On Sept. 11, 2001" special series of stories is here.

Earlier this morning, we posted about the subject that's sure to be a prominent issue in the 2012 presidential campaign — jobs. President Obama plans to send his $447 billion plan for boosting job growth to Congress later today. Then he'll set off on more trips around the nation to make the case that the plan needs to be passed "now" rather than later.

Meanwhile, other stories making headlines this morning include:

-- "U.S. Stock-Index Futures Fall Amid Speculation Greece Approaching Default": In the U.S. this morning, "stock futures fell, indicating that the Standard & Poor's 500 Index will extend last week's loss, as speculation Germany is preparing for a Greek default spurred turmoil in global financial markets." (Bloomberg News)

Related headline from The New York Times: "Investors Brace as Europe Crisis Flares Up Again."

-- "Bastrop Fire 50 Percent Contained, 1,554 Homes Destroyed": "Progress continues to be made on the 34,000-acre wildfire. The blaze is now 50 percent contained." (NPR member station KUT in Austin)

Related headline from Austin's American-Statesman: "Bastrop 'Missing' List Shrinks Quickly; Estimate of Destroyed Homes Climbs To 1,554."

-- Gadhafi's Son Saadi "Given Refuge In Niger": "Saadi Gaddafi had been let into Niger on humanitarian grounds and was due in its capital Niamey later, said Niger's Justice Minister Marou Amadou." The whereabouts of ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi are still unknown. (BBC News)

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