BC-Business News Digest

Business News at 2:00 p.m.

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All times EDT.

TOP STORIES:

ECONOMY

WASHINGTON — A surprising drop in hiring and in people looking for jobs in August was a reminder that the steady recovery of the U.S. economy remains prone to temporary slowdowns. Employers added just 142,000 jobs, well below the average of the previous 12 months. The unemployment rate fell to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent, but that was because more people without jobs stopped looking for one and were no longer counted as unemployed. Analysts noted that other gauges of the job market remain solid and that month-to-month volatility in hiring is common even in a healthy economy. By Christopher S. Rugaber. SENT: 750 words. UPCOMING: 850 words by 3 p.m.

JEANS NO MORE

NEW YORK — Americans' obsession with jeans is beginning to wear thin. Jeans long have been a staple in U.S. closets. But sales of the iconic blues fell 6 percent this past year after decades of almost steady growth. Why? People more often are sporting yoga pants, leggings and other athletic bottoms around town instead of traditional denim. The shift is partly due to a lack of new jean designs since brightly colored skinny ones were all the rage a couple years ago. It's also a reflection of changing views about what's appropriate attire for work, school and other places that used to call for more formalwear. By Anne D'Innocenzio. SENT: 940 words, photos.

With:

— JEANS-FUTURE-GLANCE — History of Jeans. SENT: 300 words.

MUSIC-LIVING SOCIAL-GROUPON

NEW YORK — Websites like Groupon have become the go-to place for folks looking for that half-off deal on a manicure, a two-for-one offer for a fancy dinner or that all-inclusive trip that won't break the bank. But increasingly, it's also becoming the place for music fans to scoop up deep discounts on concert tickets, CDs and more for top-name acts. By Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu. SENT: 830 words, photos.

OF MUTUAL INTEREST-SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE BONDS

Instead of lending to just the government or some faceless corporation, what if your bond mutual fund also helped to vaccinate kids around the world? Managers at a growing number of mutual funds are seeking bonds that not only perform well but also come from issuers that do good things for the environment, society and corporate governance. It's a concept called socially responsible investing, and it used to be mainly the province of stock mutual funds. But a proliferation of "green bonds," whose proceeds are used to finance projects with environmental benefits, and similar investments mean more bond funds are using a socially responsible lens. UPCOMING: 800 words by 4 p.m.

MARKETS & ECONOMY:

FINANCIAL MARKETS

NEW YORK —Stocks rise for the first day this week, led higher by dividend-rich utility and phone companies. By Steve Rothwell. SENT: 530 words. UPCOMING: 700 words by 5 p.m.

— DETROIT BANKRUPTCY — Detroit's chief financial officer is set to return to the witness stand for a second day in the city's historic bankruptcy trial. SENT: 280 words, photos.

INDUSTRY:

DOLLAR TREE-FAMILY DOLLAR

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Family Dollar is rejecting Dollar General's latest acquisition offer, and Dollar Tree says it will now divest as many stores as needed to get antitrust clearance for its deal to buy Family Dollar. SENT: 500 words.

GULF OIL SPILL

NEW ORLEANS — Environmentalists, recreational fishermen and people who make their living on the Gulf of Mexico are hailing a federal judge's ruling that could mean $18 billion in additional fines for BP over the nation's worst offshore oil spill. By Michael Kunzelman And Janet McConnaughey. SENT: 885 words, photos.

ABANDONED CRAB POTS

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. — Using sonar, a team of scientists and divers ventures into the waters of Washington state's Puget Sound to clean up and learn about why over 12,000 crab pots are lost every year. By Manuel Valdes. SENT: 640 words, photos, video.

— GERMANY-LUFTHANSA STRIKE — Lufthansa has canceled more than 200 short-haul flights as a result of a planned six-hour strike by pilots at Frankfurt airport, its main hub. SENT: 135 words, photo.

— NASCAR-EARNHARDT-NATIONWIDE — Nationwide will be the primary sponsor for Dale Earnhardt Jr. starting next season under an expanded agreement with Hendrick Motorsports. SENT: 250 words.

TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA:

MOTOROLA-SMARTWATCH

NEW YORK — Motorola unveiled a circular smartwatch, counting on design to win over consumers who have so far shunned these computerized wrist devices. The company says consumers have held back so far because previous smartwatches from other companies have had rectangular faces. Motorola's Moto 360 is round and looks more like a regular watch. By Anick Jesdanun. SENT: 580 words.

CHINA-FOREIGN TV SHOWS

BEIJING — China's broadcasting authority says every foreign TV show and movie shown on online streaming sites will have to be approved by authorities or else go offline early next year. SENT: 450 words, photos.

— APPLE-SECURITY — Apple is planning to add more security measures to help protect its users following a celebrity photo hacking incident. SENT: 490 words.

INTERNATIONAL:

EUROPE-ECONOMY

LONDON — Europe has gotten another dose of stimulus. But the latest medicine by itself will not bring life to an economy that over the past six years has slid from crisis to crisis. By Business Writers Pan Pylas And David McHugh. SENT: 975 words, photo.

— GERMANY-ECONOMY — German factory output rebounds in July, another sign Europe's biggest economy still growing. SENT: 110 words.

— INDIA-AUSTRALIA — Australian prime minister expected to sign uranium export deal with India. SENT: 250 words, photos.

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CENTERPIECE

Chips ahead

Gadget lovers are anxiously waiting for the anticipated announcement of Apple's iPhone 6 next week. The strong demand for smartphones and tablets, and the easing slump in PC sales has been great for semiconductor companies. The stocks in the S&P 500 semiconductor index are up an average 25 percent this year. UPCOMING: Graphic expected by 6 p.m.

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

Quiksilver shares plunge

Shares of Quiksilver plummeted Friday following news of the company's fiscal third-quarter loss of $1.29 per share. UPCOMING: Graphic expected by 6 p.m.