Emails released Friday by the White House revealed new connections between the Obama administration and Solyndra—adding more questions to the heated political battle over the failed energy company. The showed that an Obama administration appointee, Steven Spinner, at the Energy Department had pressured the White House for the $533 million loan, and his wife was a partner at the law firm that represented the failed solar-panel maker. The Energy Department said Spinner had been “recused from engaging in any discussions on decisions affecting specific loan applications in which his spouse's law firm was involved out of concern for the appearance of a conflict of interest." In the emails, Spinner says the president and the vice-president were “breathing down my neck.” Other emails show the Treasury Department was concerned about Energy’s decision to restructure Solyndra’s debt earlier this year. (This item has been corrected to reflect that Spinner's wife worked for a law firm that represented Solyndra, not for Solyndra itself.)

New York police said Friday that they have charged 111 people for involvement in an identity-theft ring that has sneakily reached into the wallets of thousands of New York residents as well as tourists from China, Europe, and the Middle East since 2010. The racket involved mostly restaurant workers, bank tellers, and retailers in Queens who allegedly copied and sold the credit-card numbers of their employers’ patrons. The thieves had expensive taste, racking up over $13 million in charges on high-end electronics, jewelry, and bags as well as hotel rooms, private jets, and expensive cars. Police said that 86 people were in custody and five separate criminal enterprises have been shut down.

This year's Nobel Peace Prize goes to three women—Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakul Karman of Yemen. The three were awarded the prize for their “non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work.” Johnson Sirleaf is Africa's first female elected head of state, Gbowee is a peace activist, and Karman is a leading figure in Yemen's pro-democracy movement. Gbowee headlined the launch of the Women in the World foundation and published her first book, Mighty Be Our Powers, with The Daily Beast's book imprint, Beast Books. "We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women achieve the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society,” said committee Chairman Thorbjoern Jagland.

Sony Pictures is seeking the the rights to Steve Jobs’s authorized biography, the media giant announced Friday. The book's release date has been moved up to Oct. 24. The biography, written by Pulitzer Prize–nominee Walter Isaacson, is based on more than 40 interviews with the famously private Apple co-founder himself and more than 100 interviews with Jobs's family and friends. Jobs died Wednesday at the age of 56 after a long battle with pancreatic neuroendrocrine cancer. His family held a private funeral on Friday, while millions of Apple fans across the world kept vigil at Apple retail stores.

Since her release from Italian incarceration, Amanda Knox revealed that she was sexually harassed by a prison administrator, CBS reported Friday. According to 48 Hours Mystery, “an administrator would take [Knox] up to his office alone at night and say a number of inappropriate things to her, and that left Amanda terrified.” An Italian judge on Monday cleared Knox for the 2007 murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher, and Knox has not made any public appearances since she returned to Seattle on Tuesday.

Two Tibetan men set themselves on fire Friday to protest the Chinese government—the fourth and fifth such protests in Aba county in the past two weeks. The two men, both former monks, were reportedly recovering in at a local hospital. Chinese state media and human rights groups’ accounts of the protests differed as the London-based Free Tibet said one man had died. Aba prefecture has been the source of many of the fiercest protests against Chinese rule, as many in the area are loyal to the Dalai Lama.

The now nationwide Occupy Wall Street demonstrations have presented another opportunity for Republican leaders to attack the Obama administration. House GOP Leader Eric Cantor belittled the protests as “mobs” in a statement at a conservative “Values Voter Summit” in Washington on Friday, a day after President Obama weighed in on the situation with empathy. “I think it expresses the frustrations the American people feel,” the president said at a news conference. Cantor slammed Obama on Friday, even condemning the administration’s “failed policies” as the root of the protests. “Some in this town have actually condoned the pitting of Americans against Americans,” he said.

A virus has infiltrated American drones like the ones used to kill al Qaeda chief Anwar al-Awlaki and others, military officials said Friday. So far, none of the missions carried out by the unmanned attack crafts have been interfered with, but specialists fear that the virus is recording drone pilots’ every move and are trying—so far unsuccessfully—to erase it. As a preventative measure, drone use has reportedly been suspended while the virus is being investigated. Drones have been used to kill more than 2,000 people since President Obama was elected, and have been a particularly important tool in the war on terror, where they have been used to hit terrorists in remote parts of Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

What would resident voice of reason Lisa Simpson think? Twentieth Century Fox announced Friday night they had renewed a deal for the 24th and 25th seasons. Although no details were released yet about a possible deal, earlier reports on Friday said The Simpsons’ lead voice actors have all but conceded to a pay cut—but it may not be as steep as the network's original 45 percent reduction offer. The cast has not been given a cut of the “back end” of the profits, meaning they have received no money from any merchandising, licensing, or syndication from reruns. Cast member Harry Shearer has made it clear he would take up to a 70 percent pay cut if the network would share some of the back end of profits, but Fox has reportedly refused to negotiate on this.

In astonishing defeat, the Philadelphia Phillies were knocked out of the playoffs Friday night as they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Division Series. The Phillies, who had the best record in baseball for the 2011 season, were defeated 1-0—with their star pitcher, Roy Halladay, letting up the only run in the whole game to the Cardinals in the first inning. The Cardinals will face the Milwaukee Brewers, who defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday night. The underdog Diamondbacks had managed to force a Game 5, but in the end, they couldn’t overcome the Brewers, who captured their first postseason victory since 1982

Twenty-one people have died in the nationwide listeria outbreak from bacteria traced to contaminated cantaloupes grown in Colorado. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported new deaths in New York and Indiana on Friday, adding that the bad melon is responsible for 109 illnesses across 23 states. The last time listeria claimed so many lives was in 1998, when it was linked to hot dogs and deli meats made by a Sara Lee subsidiary.

Walt Disney Co. announced that Robert Iger will step down as the company's CEO in 2015, after 10 years in the post. Iger, 60, has given Disney plenty of notice of his planned retirement. He will hold the position of executive chairman until 2016 after stepping down as chief executive. Meanwhile, he will be named chairman of the board in 2012. The company said that it has not selected his successor, but Iger reportedly has been searching within the company for an heir.

Finally, some good economic news. The economy added 103,000 jobs last month, almost twice as many as were expected. The private sector added 137,000 jobs, while government lost 34,000. August employment numbers were revised up as well—to 57,000 from zero. The jobs numbers got a significant bump from the 45,000 striking Verizon workers coming back to work. Unfortunately, the economy needs between 125,000 and 150,000 new jobs per month to keep pace with the growing labor force. Consequently, unemployment is holding steady at 9.1 percent.

Steve Jobs credited using LSD as a big part of his success. In an interview with New York Times reporter John Markoff, Jobs once said, “Doing LSD was one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life.” He added that Bill Gates would “be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once.”

The ratings agencies are on a rampage today. First Moody's downgraded 12 British banks, then Fitch downgraded Italy and Spain. Fitch kept the outlook for both countries negative, a warning that there may be more downgrades to come. The agency also said it was keeping close watch on Portugal's rating. Fitch cited public debt, low growth, and pressure from the euro-zone financial crisis in its announcement of the downgrades. The move raises doubts about Europe's ability to contain the debt crisis. Italy and Spain are both considered too big to bail out.

Arnold Schwarzenegger travelled to his native Austria this week to inaugurate his museum and unveil a bronze statue of himself. Fans weathered harsh rain for four hours outside the new Schwarzenegger museum in the village of Thal, waiting for a glimpse of either the former Governator or the eight-foot, bronze likeness of his 20-year-old self. Arnold lovers don't have to travel all the way to Austria to see the statue, though—he's commissioned six more for display at other sites. The Austrian museum sounds like it provided a safe haven from negative attention for Schwarzenegger, as it avoids any mention of his pending divorce, recently discovered affair, and illegitimate child with his family's housekeeper.

This won’t be reassuring for supporters of the Afghan War. Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal said Thursday that the U.S.’s view of Afghanistan at the beginning of the war was “frighteningly simplistic.” He added that a decade later, the nation still does not have the knowledge to end the battle. The comments came at the Council on Foreign Relations, where the commander, who was at the helm of the forces in 2009 and 2010, said that the U.S. and NATO are barely half way to reaching their goals—mainly that of starting a government. McChrystal said that in 2001, the U.S. “didn’t know enough,” and didn’t try to learn the language. It didn’t end there: McChrystal went on to criticize the Bush administration for invading Iraq less than two years after entering Afghanistan.

Amanda Brumfield, Billy Bob Thornton's estranged daughter, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of her friend's 1-year-old child. She was found guilty of aggravated manslaughter in May, but she was acquitted of murder and child-abuse charges. Brumfield says the child fell to her death while climbing out of a playpen, but an Orange County medical examiner testified that the child's death was intentional and that it was impossible to get such an injury from falling from such a small height. Brumfield waited two hours before calling for help.

Mitt Romney gave his first foreign-policy speech in Charleston, S.C., on Friday morning, the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan. He said, "This century must be an American century. In an American century, America has the strongest economy and the strongest military in the world." He did not offer specific details on his plans for Afghanistan, but did promise to conduct a full review during his first 100 days in office to determine "the presence necessary to secure our gains and successfully complete our mission." His other priorities include rebuilding the Navy fleet, redeploying aircraft carriers to pressure Iran, and setting up a national ballistic-missile defense system. Romney also said the U.S. should work with the United Nations when appropriate, adding, "While America should work with other nations, we always reserve the right to act alone to protect our vital national interests."

As word spread among Steve Jobs's friends and family that he was dying, many made the pilgrimage to Palo Alto for one last visit. Most were intercepted by Jobs's wife, Laurene, who apologized that he was too ill to receive visitors. In his final weeks, he was too weak to walk up the stairs on his own, she said. Among those whom Jobs decided to meet were his friend the physician Dean Ornish, venture capitalist John Doerr, and Disney chief Robert Iger. He also gave Apple's executives advice on unveiling the new iPhone and spoke to his biographer, Walter Isaacson. Mostly, though, he spent his final weeks with his wife and children.

The Environmental Protection Agency proposed loosening pollution rules for 10 states, but House Republicans and industry groups are pressing for more. The Cross-State Air Pollution Rule is intended to reduce smog-forming chemicals emitted by power plants. The chemicals often drift into other states. Under the proposed changes, 10 of the 27 states affected by the rule will be allowed to emit more pollution than previously allowed, and they'll have two extra years to make changes before penalties kick in. But House Republicans are pushing to do away with the rule completely. The EPA needs to "step back, reboot and start over," said Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX).

A freight train carrying ethanol veered off its tracks and crashed on Friday, causing a fiery explosion and prompting a forced evacuation of Tiskilwa, Ill., a small town 100 miles west of Chicago. The Ottawa Fire Department said 26 cars from a 131-car freight train derailed en route to a corn-processing plant and at least six tanker cars burned. Witnesses reported hearing explosions and seeing giant flames from miles away. The evacuation was a precautionary measure, and no injuries have been reported. Officials are investigating the cause of the crash.

Prince Harry is coming to the United States. He'll be training with live helicopter weapons for the first time when he goes through helicopter gunship training at U.S. bases in California and Arizona. If he passes the two-month training course, he'll be deemed "limited combat ready." After several more months training back in England, he'll be set to return to Afghanistan. His arrival date is being kept secret. Officials said the only glimpse the public will get of the prince is when he's given a break from training—at which point he'll be free to visit San Diego, Palm Springs, or Las Vegas.

Looks like New York will be leaving the playoffs today: The Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs Thursday after losing 3-2 in Game 5 to the Detroit Tigers. Despite having the best record in the American League, the Yankees were unable to advance past the first round of the playoffs. The Tigers started out with an early lead, and despite a seventh-inning attempted rally by the Yankees, New York was unable to get enough runs. The Tigers will now face the Texas Rangers, who beat the Tampa Bay Rays in four games. Meanwhile in the National League, the underdog Arizona Diamondbacks toppled the Milwaukee Brewers, 10-6, forcing a Game 5 in the NLDS. In Thursday’s game, the Diamondbacks became the second team ever to hit grand slams in two consecutive playoff games.

A New York City jury on Thursday acquitted a Queens woman of her husband’s murder after a controversial trial that tested the limits of the so-called battered-woman defense. Barbara Sheehan had always admitted she killed her husband, but her defense had focused on that if she had not shot him, he would have killed her first. Sheehan shot her husband, a former police officer, 11 times with two different guns on Feb. 18, 2008, and she said she acted in self-defense after he threatened to kill her. Testimony at Sheehan’s second-degree murder trial focused on examples of his alleged relentless abuse, but prosecutors cast her as a pathological liar who executed her husband because of their marital problems. The case divided the Sheehan family—and the jury too, who as recently as Wednesday said they were hopelessly deadlocked.

The Occupy Wall Street demonstrations spread nationally Thursday, as protesters took to the streets in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. About 500 protesters in downtown L.A. took over a major intersection as riot police were called in to disperse the crowds. In Philadelphia,  protesters began assembling around 9 a.m. in the mostly peaceful rally that eventually drew in several hundred people. Nearly 300 people showed up in Washington, D.C., in an event that had originally been organized to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Afghan War. Meanwhile, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the Occupy Wall Street protests—going on since Sept. 17—have cost the police department $2 million in overtime.

A Pakistani state commission recommended Thursday that the doctor who helped the U.S. locate Osama bin Laden be charged with treason. Dr. Shakeel Afridi allegedly ran a fake Hepatitis B vaccination drive in Abbottabad under the CIA’s direction to help confirm bin Laden’s whereabouts. Afridi was arrested by Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence three weeks after the secret raid killed bin Laden, and has been held without a lawyer ever since. The U.S. has pressured Pakistan to release Afridi since his arrest, but Pakistani spies are reportedly furious over the raid and Pakistan has indicated Afridi will face a stiff penalty. The Pakistani state commission also announced Thursday that they were ending restrictions on bin Laden’s wife and children, who have been in custody since bin Laden’s death on May 2—a move which could pave the way for them to be extradited to Yemen or Saudi Arabia.

Steve Jobs has been given many titles: genius, innovator, leader. And now, fashion icon. The late Apple CEO’s signature black turtleneck has surged in popularity since his death Wednesday night. St. Croix—Jobs’s go-to brand for $175 mock turtles—has experienced an “almost 100 percent increase in sales” in the past 24 hours. The company is proud of Jobs’s loyal patronage and even plans to hold some type of memorial for him.

The Occupy Wall Street protests have inspired similar gatherings in cities across the country. Protesters gathered in Philadelphia, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Tampa, Seattle, and elsewhere. Ten people were arrested in Los Angeles for occupying a Bank of America. Meanwhile, politicians are trying to glom onto the movement. "God bless them for their spontaneity," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. "It's young, it's spontaneous, it's focused and it's going to be effective." Buddy Roemer, former Louisiana governor and long shot Republican presidential candidate, also endorsed the protests. President Obama hedged his support, saying he sympathized with the protesters while defending the importance of the financial sector.

A government health panel will recommend on Friday that men should not get PSA blood tests as part of prostate cancer screenings because they do more harm than good. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force says the PSA blood tests should not be part of a routine cancer screening—something that will most likely not come as a surprise to most cancer specialists. No major medical group recommends the PSA blood tests, despite the conventional wisdom that finding cancer early is always a good thing. The test detects for too much PSA, or prostate-specific antigen, in the blood—but sometimes the test will show slow-growing tumors that are too small to ever be deadly, causing men to undergo unnecessary cancer treatment.

The federal government is cracking down on California marijuana dispensaries, threatening landlords with property seizures and prison time. After federal prosecutors announced they would not target people using the drug in states that allow it, medical marijuana outlets spread quickly, but now the Obama administration appears to be escalating efforts to rein them in. The four U.S. attorneys have scheduled a conference in Sacramento to outline their plans to target marijuana growing and selling in the state. California legalized marijuana for medical use in 1996, but it remains a federal crime to possess or sell it.

Next up for a credit downgrade: British banks. The credit-rating agency Moody's docked 12 U.K. Banks, including Lloyds TSB Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland, saying that the government is less likely to bail them out. "The downgrades do not reflect a deterioration in the financial strength of the banking system or that of the government," Moody's said in a statement. It did not change its ratings for Barclays and HSBC, which together with RBS and Lloyds represent the four major British banks.

Google and Samsung have called a temporary ceasefire in their battle with Apple out of respect for the passing of Steve Jobs. The two companies canceled a big product rollout slated for next week in memory of the Apple cofounder. The product is believed to be a new Samsung-Android phone. “We believe this is not the right time to announce a new product as the world expresses tribute to Steve Jobs's passing,” said a Google spokesperson.

New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is sticking up for the financial sector in the face of growing protests. “The protests that are trying to destroy the jobs of working people in this city aren’t productive,” Bloomberg said of the Occupy Wall Street protests, now in their third week. “If you want jobs you have to assist companies and give them confidence to go and hire people.” He said the city is trying to give the protesters space—“not 'play out,' that isn't quite the right word, but let them express themselves”—he warned that if anybody broke the law they would be arrested. House GOP Leader Eric Cantor told an audience at the Values Voters Summit that he was “increasingly concerned” about the “growing mobs” on Wall Street.

Get ready for the next battle over immigration. The Obama administration asked a federal appeals court to block enforcement of Alabama's new immigration law, saying it will encourage discrimination against foreign-born citizens, among other problems. In a challenge filed with the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, the Department of Justice wrote that Alabama's “attempts to drive aliens 'off the grid' will only impede the removal process established by federal law,” and that the law could affect diplomatic relations with other countries. The law allows authorities to question people suspected of being in the country illegally and hold them without bond. It also allows schools to check students' immigration status; thousands of Hispanic students have stayed home since it took effect.

An intimate funeral service for Steve Jobs will be held today, The Wall Street Journal reports. A source familiar with the event told the Journal that it will be a private gathering but would not disclose a location. Though Apple's new CEO Tim Cook wrote a letter to Apple employees on Wednesday saying that they were "planning a celebration of Steve's extraordinary life" for all the staff in the near future, the company said it has not arranged any public services.