8/30: Southern governors talk trade with China

Montgomery Advertiser: Southern governors talk trade with China

The governors of Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, Missouri and Virginia met with Chinese business offi­cials as part of the annual meet­ing of the Southern Governors' Association. A key goal of the conference is expanding trade between two of the largest economies in the world -- China and the Ameri­can South.

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley has made his mission as chairman to reach out to emerging markets, especially China, to sell a unified South that offers low taxes, less regulation, generally lower energy costs, quality of life, a low cost of living, and states where labor unions are not as prominent or powerful.

Also in the South:

GULF OIL SPILL: President Obama defends response to Gulf oil spill

ALABAMA: BP exec says state's lawsuit complicates process for evaluating $148 million claim

ARKANSAS: Aquifer providing drinking water in SE Arkansas is unaffected by industry, study says

FLORIDA: Opinion: Florida needs tough immigration law to protect its citizens

GEORGIA: Some Georgia communities left out of immigration program

KENTUCKY: Kentucky Employees Retirement System's pension fund in distress

LOUISIANA: State hit hard by moratorium on oil drilling

MISSISSIPPI: Redistricting can create havoc for some lawmakers

NORTH CAROLINA: Hurricane Earl could cause problems of Outer Banks

SOUTH CAROLINA: State officials worried about growing doctor shortage

TENNESSEE: State involved in embryonic stem cell fight

VIRGINIA: New program helps foster children consider higher education

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