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Top Stories


McCain, Obama clash over economic crisis (AP)

AP - Barack Obama and John McCain clashed repeatedly over the causes and cures for the worst economic crisis in 80 years Tuesday night in a debate in which Republican McCain called for a sweeping $300 billion program to shield homeowners from mortgage foreclosure.

AIG execs' retreat after bailout angers lawmakers (AP)

AP - Days after it got a federal bailout, American International Group Inc. spent $440,000 on a posh California retreat for its executives, complete with spa treatments, banquets and golf outings, according to lawmakers investigating the company's meltdown.

300 suspected illegal immigrants caught in SC raid (AP)

AP - Federal agents swept through a chicken processing plant Tuesday, detaining more than 300 suspected illegal immigrants, sending panicked workers running and screaming through the hallways. Worried relatives collected outside, fearful their loved ones would be deported.

AP Exclusive: Documents say detainee near insanity (AP)

AP - A U.S. military officer warned Pentagon officials that an American detainee was being driven nearly insane by months of punishing isolation and sensory deprivation in a U.S. military brig, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

Palin speaks with group of reporters (AP)

AP - After weeks of limited contact with the news media, Republican vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin ventured to the back of her campaign plane Tuesday and answered several questions from reporters.

Future of flagship Mars mission up in the air (AP)

AP - Will NASA's flagship mission to Mars fly next year? The space agency could decide as early as Friday whether to cancel, delay or proceed with plans to launch a nuclear-powered, SUV-size rover to the red planet.

Half-ton Mexican man dies after pleading for help (AP)

AP - A 450-kilogram (990-pound), bedridden man who had appealed on Mexican television for help tackling his weight problem died Tuesday of heart failure, his family said.

Chef DiSpirito keeps 'Dancing with the Stars' (AP)

AP - Rocco DiSpirito will serve seconds on "Dancing with the Stars."

Authorities say man skipped jury duty to drink (AP)
AP - Curtis Lemons was supposed to report for jury duty in a drunk driving case. Instead, according to authorities, the 50-year-old Cape Girardeau man skipped the jury duty so he could drink himself.

Bosox-Rays renew rivalry, Manny in middle of NLCS (AP)

AP - Exactly why the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays tangle so much is hard to tell. Blame it on a high-and-tight pitch here, a hard slide there. Whatever, this much is true: The teams playing in the AL championship series sure get into a lot of scraps. "There's no hatred," injured Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling insisted Tuesday in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Obama, McCain battle in tense debate (Reuters)

Reuters - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama battled over taxes and the best way to help struggling American workers on Tuesday during a sometimes tense presidential debate that highlighted a wide gap in their economic approaches.

Asia stocks drop for 5th day on unending crisis (Reuters)

Reuters - Asian stocks fell about 4 percent, down for a fifth consecutive day, and government bond prices rose on Wednesday as fears of a looming global recession grew with no sign of a coordinated response or an end to the worsening financial meltdown.

Fed steps in but stocks dive; UK to rescue banks (Reuters)

Reuters - The U.S. Federal Reserve stepped forward as a commercial lender of last resort and signaled a readiness to cut interest rates as stocks spun lower for a fifth straight day and pressure mounted for a coordinated, international response to the most dangerous financial shock since the Great Depression.

Bernanke signals readiness to cut rates (Reuters)

Reuters - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday signaled a readiness to lower U.S. interest rates in a dramatic shift to support an economy battered by a financial crisis of "historic dimension."

North Korea fires missiles into sea: report (Reuters)
Reuters - North Korea has fired two short-range missiles into the Yellow Sea, a news report said on Wednesday, in a move likely aimed at dialing up tension as global powers try to have it abide by a nuclear disarmament deal.