The economy shifted to a higher gear in the spring, growing at its fastest pace in nearly a year as foreign buyers snapped up U.S. exports and tax rebates spurred shoppers at home.

Three lawyers are refusing to testify next week at a removal hearing for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, possibly harming his ability to defend himself.

Tropical Storm Gustav surged toward hurricane force on Thursday as it drove toward Jamaica and aimed for the Cayman islands, prompting evacuations of tourists and offshore oil workers. In its wake, impoverished Haitians scrambled for food. Meanwhile, New Orleans kept nervous watch, three years after Katrina's destruction.

Kanye West's regret on the day Barack Obama was nominated for president: That his mother, Donda, hadn't lived to experience it.

Malaysia has blocked access to a popular news Web site that often runs afoul of authorities for its sensational political reporting, sparking complaints Thursday that the government has reneged on its pledge to keep cyberspace uncensored.

Talk about an extreme makeover: Scientists have transformed one type of cell into another in living mice, a big step toward the goal of growing replacement tissues to treat a variety of diseases.

Baseball's replay central is an 18-by-24 foot room on the fifth floor of a former baking factory in Manhattan's Meatpacking District that's crammed with so many computers and television screens that it looks like NASA's Mission Control.

Oil prices fluctuated sharply Thursday as Tropical Storm Gustav spun toward the Gulf of Mexico, with some traders fearing a disruption in supplies and others betting that the government would tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve if needed. Either way, consumers were likely to see a hike in gas prices for Labor Day weekend.

An Indian woman gave birth to a healthy boy aboard a jet airliner while flying to Australia to reunite with her husband.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 1,440 people appears to be over.

Looking toward his turn in the spotlight, Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting John McCain said Thursday he had yet to decide on a running mate.