AP - Hurricane Norbert strengthened Wednesday to a Category 3 storm in the Pacific Ocean and was forecast to hit Mexico's Baja California peninsula by the weekend.

AP - John McCain dismissively called rival Barack Obama "that one," Obama mocked McCain's "Straight Talk Express," and both left the debate stage to return to the campaign trail Wednesday.

Reuters - The Nikkei average plunged 9.4 percent on Wednesday, its biggest drop since the 1987 stock market crash, as growing fears of a global recession led investors to wipe $250 billion off the value of Tokyo shares.

Time.com - John McCain went on the offensive and Barack Obama played it safe. But nothing happened to shake up a race that is trending more and more in the Democrat's favor

AP - Former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who always has been afraid of flying, says he's glad to be alive after suffering severe burns in a fiery plane crash last month.