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of the world: "No act of terror will dim the light of the values that we proudly shine on the rest of the world, and no act of violence will shake the resolve of the United States of America."
• The four diplomats were killed Tuesday as protesters overran and burned the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. In a separate incident, the American Embassy in Cairo was breached by protesters, and the nation's flag was ripped down, although no deaths were reported. And on Thursday, protesters stormed the U.S. Embassy compound in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, tearing down and burning the U.S. flag.
• U.S. officials are investigating whether the attack in Libya was a terrorist strike planned to mark the 11th anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Initial reports were that both the Libya and Egypt events had been motivated by anger over an anti-Muslim film made in the United States.
• Obama made separate calls Tuesday evening to the presidents of Libya and Egypt, urging them to work with the U.S. to ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel. Obama and Libyan President Mohamed Magariaf vowed to work together to identify the Benghazi attackers and "bring them to justice," the White House said in a press release.
• Obama told Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi "he rejects efforts to denigrate Islam, but underscored that there is never any justification for violence against innocents and acts that endanger American personnel and facilities," the White House said.
• The Obama and Romney exchange came with less than eight weeks remaining in the tight presidential race, a campaign that has remained close for months and is

being fiercely waged in fewer than 10 battleground states.
• Economic concerns could play a more prominent role Thursday, when Romney appears at a rally in the Virginia suburbs outside Washington, D.C., and Obama holds an event in Colorado's Denver suburbs. Obama carried both states in 2008, but they remain up for grabs and heavily contested by both campaigns.
• The Federal Reserve was expected to announce Thursday whether it plans to take new steps to jumpstart the U.S. economy. Many anticipate that the Fed will release a third round of bond purchases aimed at easing long-term interest rates and spurring borrowing and spending.
• The economy has been the top issue throughout the race, with recent surveys showing Romney with a narrow advantage over the president when it comes to plans for reducing the nation's unemployment rate of 8.1 percent. On foreign policy, Obama has held an edge on which candidate is better suited to handle international affairs.

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