USATODAY.com - General Motors said Thursday that its finance arm is raising nearly $9 billion in cash by selling a majority interest in its commercial mortgage division in a move that spruces up the books of the auto loan and insurance business the struggling automaker is trying to sell.

Reuters - Doris Roberts ("Everybody Loves Raymond") provides the emotional center for the charming original drama "Our House" and gives it its strength. There are practically no new stories under the sun, truth be told, but this is one of those rare times when familiar material -- or, familiar feelings -- come our way as if they were fresh and original.

AP - Amare Stoudemire's return to the lineup sparked Phoenix to the biggest first half in the NBA this season, and the Suns beat the Portland Trail Blazers 125-108 Thursday night.

Reuters - Two former Qwest Communications International Inc. executives on Thursday asked a federal judge to reject a proposed $400 million settlement between the telephone carrier and shareholders, arguing they had been unlawfully frozen out of a deal.

Reuters - Consumers about to face a confusing and expensive choice between two conflicting standards for high-definition DVDs will face further costs to upgrade their entertainment systems if they want to enjoy all the benefits of the new movie players.

Reuters - Google Inc. will replace oil and gas producer Burlington Resources Inc. in the S&P 500 Index, Standard & Poor's said on Thursday sending the Web search leader's shares up 9 percent.

AP - Google Inc.'s stock will be added to the Standard & Poor's 500 index, a long-anticipated rite of passage that lifted the online search engine leader's recently sagging shares.

AP - Prosecutors wrapped up their case for executing Zacarias Moussaoui with a former FBI agent's testimony Thursday that the bureau could have identified 11 of the Sept. 11 hijackers within weeks if the al-Qaida conspirator had confessed when he was arrested a month before the suicide attacks.

AP - Google Inc.'s stock will be added to the Standard & Poor's 500 index, a long-anticipated rite of passage that gave the company's recently slumping shares an immediate boost.

U.S. and British forces acting on a tip from a detainee today rescued three Christian peace activists without firing a shot, a U.S. military spokesman said. The rescue ended a four-month drama in which the lone American in the group, Tom Fox, was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street. James Loney and Harmeet Sooden of Canada and Briton Norman Kember were found in a house in western Baghdad, according to Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch. In a statement issued by his embassy, Kember said, "It's great to be free."

AP - Sabres forwards Tim Connolly and Jochen Hecht will miss at least another two games because of knee injuries.

U.S. and British forces acting on a tip from a detainee today rescued three Christian peace activists without firing a shot, a U.S. military spokesman said. The rescue ended a four-month drama in which the lone American in the group, Tom Fox, was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street. James Loney and Harmeet Sooden of Canada and Briton Norman Kember were found in a house in western Baghdad, according to Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch. In a statement issued by his embassy, Kember said, "It's great to be free."

AP - When Aisha al-Rsheid challenged tradition by campaigning for parliament at a male-only gathering, she received a letter warning her to stop behaving like a man and forget about the race "before it is too late."

Reuters - Microsoft Corp. named Steve Sinofsky to oversee its core Windows business on Thursday, choosing someone from the company's Office business software unit to lead an operating system division beset by delays and missed deadlines.

AP - Microsoft Corp. announced a broad reorganization Thursday of the unit that produces its flagship Windows operating system, two days after the company said the new consumer version of Windows would not be ready for the holiday season as planned.

U.S. and British forces acting on a tip from a detainee today rescued three Christian peace activists without firing a shot, a U.S. military spokesman said. The rescue ended a four-month drama in which the lone American in the group, Tom Fox, was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street. James Loney and Harmeet Sooden of Canada and Briton Norman Kember were found in a house in western Baghdad, according to Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch. In a statement issued by his embassy, Kember said, "It's great to be free."

U.S. and British forces acting on a tip from a detainee today rescued three Christian peace activists without firing a shot, a U.S. military spokesman said. The rescue ended a four-month drama in which the lone American in the group, Tom Fox, was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street. James Loney and Harmeet Sooden of Canada and Briton Norman Kember were found in a house in western Baghdad, according to Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch. In a statement issued by his embassy, Kember said, "It's great to be free."

AFP - Thailand's embattled prime minister dismissed threats from his opponents to step up their campaign to unseat him unless he resigned by the end of the day.

U.S. and British forces acting on a tip from a detainee today rescued three Christian peace activists without firing a shot, a U.S. military spokesman said. The rescue ended a four-month drama in which the lone American in the group, Tom Fox, was shot to death and dumped on a Baghdad street. James Loney and Harmeet Sooden of Canada and Briton Norman Kember were found in a house in western Baghdad, according to Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch. In a statement issued by his embassy, Kember said, "It's great to be free."