A retirement incentive program intended to lessen budget strain across Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities drew more takers than expected, a total of 257 employees from janitors to a university president who already made public his decision to retire. Gary Dent, a State System of Higher Education vice chancellor, confirmed the total in an interview Friday. (Today)

When the nation's 9.6 percent unemployment rate for August was released Friday morning, the reaction from economists was that things could have been worse. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed the unemployment rate rose with employment losses outpacing gains as the economy lost 54,000 jobs during the month. (Today)

President Barack Obama tried to keep Joe Sestak out of the Pennsylvania Senate race, then campaigned for his primary foe. But now that the Delaware County congressman is the Democratic Party's nominee, the president has Mr. Sestak's back. The Sestak campaign announced Friday that Mr. Obama will headline a fundraising event for Mr. Sestak on Sept. 20 in Philadelphia. (Today)

Michael Cherubino had all the elements that make a good salesman: an ability to connect with people, plus tenacity, curiosity, knowledge and enthusiasm about his product. Certainly, he got results: At one point during a 30-year career in optical manufacturing sales, he increased revenue at Petersburg, Va.-based Carl Zeiss Optical Inc. by $6 million. But more importantly, said Mr. (Today)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- A blast Friday ripped through a Shiite protest, the second such attack in three days, in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, killing at least 53 people and wounding 100, police and rescue officials said. It was not immediately clear whether the bomb was detonated by a suicide bomber or a remote-controlled device. (Today)