The first direct peace talks between Israeli Prime Minister and Palestinian President Mamoud Abbas have ended, but have any of the issues been solved? That and morning headlines.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will release a new jobs report this morning. Since the start of the economic downturn, the dire unemployment situation has been described in grim and abstract numbers: unemployment is at 9.5 percent; one in six Americans are receiving government assistance; and an estimated 8.5 million factory jobs have been lost since November 2007.

But behind the numbers are the human costs of unemployment. In a new book, “Closing: The Life and Death of an American Factory,” photographer Bill Bamberger and author Cathy N. Davidson capture the faces and stories behind the workers in Mebane, North Carolina, who lost their jobs when White Furniture Company closed its doors in 1993. The book and its gripping photos show tell the stories of personal loss and struggle for workers whose entire lives were turned upside down.

As this week's Middle East peace talks come to a close, many people are talking about the level of compromise necessary for the talks to have any hope of success.  In politics, as in life, sometimes compromises are necessary...  but can they be immoral? 

Hurricane Earl continues to wreak havoc as it moves up the East Coast. Despite being downgraded to a Category 3 storm with winds clocked at 125 mph, Earl is expected to majorly disrupt travel plans this Labor Day weekend. We check in with people who are living in areas expected to be hit by the storm.

Soldiers in Mexico killed 27 suspected cartel members in a raid and gun battle near the U.S. border. Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, insists that this fighting is crucial to ending the drug war in that country. "I'm completely conscious that during this last year, the problem of violence has worsened. This is fundamentally because there is an even bloodier war between organized criminal groups in their battle for territory, markets and routes," said Calderon.

The newest George Clooney vehicle, "The American," opened nationwide on Wednesday, and critics expect huge audiences in the coming days. Clooney plays an assassin, holed up in Italy for one last assignment. Given the film's star, one can expect intrigue and romance along the way, but does the newest Clooney film really show Clooney at his best? And what, exactly, is Clooney at his best?  

We look back at Clooney’s films with two people who know his work well, and we’re asking, what's the best version of Clooney, and what makes Clooney's appeal is so broad?

Hurricane Earl is not expected to make landfall in the United States as it begins a turn up the Atlantic seabord; headlines.

For the first time in 20 months, leaders from Israel and Palestine met at the negotiating table to try to broker a peace agreement. The leaders came together in Washington, D.C. to take part in talks mediated by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. As the U.S. representative, Secretary Clinton was clear in her message – the U.S. can bring the parties to the table, but it is up to Israeli and Palestinian leaders to find a solution. President Obama said, on Wednesday, that "the only path to lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians is direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians."

Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi holds the honor of being Pakistan’s number one ranked tennis player; but, as he competes in the U.S. Open, it is clear that he is playing for more than just the gold. Qureshi competes alongside doubles partner Rohann Bopanna; the pair has been dubbed "The Indo-Pak Express" on the international tennis circuit because Qureshi is a Pakistani Muslim, and Bopanna a Hindu from India.

And while the pair has explicitly stated their aim to overcome sixty years of hostility between their countries, the question remains: how can tennis heal the cultural wounds on the subcontinent?

All eyes are on the Department of Labor's monthly jobs report, scheduled to be released this morning. Economists predict the report will show small gains in the jobs market - between 40,000 and 70,000. But they are concerned that if job creation numbers are too low, the overall unemployment rate could still rise - making the report an indicator that the economy could be heading for a "double-dip" back into recession.

What is your personal jobs report? How would you characterise YOUR job situation? Is it scarier or safer than last month? Let us know in the comments below or text the word TAKE to 69866.

The Justice Department announced Thursday that it has filed a lawsuit against Arizona Sheriff Joseph Arpaio, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Maricopa County for failing to turn over documents in an investigation into alleged discrimination, unconstitutional searches and seizures, and jail policies that discriminate against people with limited English skills. In their complaint, the government agency says the sheriff's office has failed to turn over documents relating to the case and has refused to cooperate. It is the first time in decades a lawman has refused to cooperate in one of the agency's probes. Sheriff Arpaio says the government is targeting him - and Arizona.

Yesterday we talked about new data released by the Census Bureau, which shows that in 2008, single, childless women between the ages of 22 and 30 made more money than their male peers in major U.S. cities. This prompted you, our listeners, to share your stories about how finances are handled in your household. Here are some of those responses. 

Joe from Detroit called to say:

"I was jumping for joy when my wife started making more money than me. It's awesome. We were able to go up to a higher standard of living, and provide our children with more, and provide ourselves with more. I had no problem with it, never had a problem with it and neither did she."

Everyone knows that beloved actor Leonard Nimoy will forever be associated with his most famous role: "Star Trek's" Mr. Spock. Of course, Nimoy went on to have a successful career in acting for decades after "Star Trek." Becoming known for just one iconic character can challenge any actor: Nimoy even wrote a pair of books balancing his own identity with Spock's. The first, "I Am Not Spock," was published in 1977, and the second, written nearly 20 years later, was called "I Am Spock."

Nimoy continues to work on another artistic passion that has a lot to do with the exploration of identity and self: portrait photography. His latest photo exhibition is called "Secret Selves." It's being shown at Mass MocA  (the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) and also at the R. Michelson Galleries in Northampton, Mass.

Economists are paying attention to two main factors as the unemployment numbers come out: the number of layoffs, and the creation of jobs in the private sector. Takeaway listener, James Slower called The Takeaway with this this comment, "As more people go unemployed, my business is getting slower and slower." His statement encapsulates the problem; unemployment is linked to consumer confidence and the growth of the economy. Takeaway finance contributor, Beth Kobliner looks closely at the high rate of unemployment and considers whether it's possible to fully recover once you've lost your job. 

BP has said that they have spent $8 billion so far on the response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Now, BP is warning Congress that it may not be able to afford payments for damages going forward if lawmakers pass legislation to bar the company from getting new offshore drilling permits. Clifford Krauss, a national business reporter with The New York Times details the latest in the Gulf and looks at whether the company is really facing financial risk.

Private employers hired more workers during the past three months than previously thought, adding 67,00 workers in August. However, this was not enough to keep unemployment from growing. The latest jobless numbers shows that unemployment hit 9.6 percent last month. Charlie Herman, The Takeaway and WNYC's economics editor explains what this means for the economy and for the workers who still have jobs.

In a serious investigation into controversial sheriff, Joe Apraio, the U.S. justice department is trying to decide if he violated Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which forbids discrimination related to any program that receives federal funds. If this is not resolved, federal funding to the sheriff's department in Phoenix could be pulled. Arpaio is resisting the justice department and refusing to cooperate in their investigation. Phoenix bureau chief for The New York Times, Marc Lacey reports on the showdown and public perception of the Maricopa County sheriff.