Reuters - Legislation to give the U.S. Food and Drug Administration broad authority to regulate cigarettes and other forms of tobacco cleared the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday.

AP - Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens is due in federal court to answer charges that he lied about hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts from an oil services contractor.

AP - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Wednesday he offers fundamental change from reckless Republican economic policies that he contended have hammered middle-class families and would continue under Republican rival John McCain.

AP - Obama says 'reckless' GOP economic policies hammer middle class, would continue under McCain ... Analysis: McCain eager to reassure anxious conservatives he won't raise taxes

AP - Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe looks strong in his bid for a third term. The Democratic nominee, on the other hand, has a lot of work to do if he wants to pull off an election upset in November.

AP - Several GOP colleagues of indicted Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens distanced themselves politically on Wednesday by donating campaign contributions from him to charity, while other Republicans declined to comment on whether they support his decision to remain in office.

AFP - The US Republican Party reeled Wednesday from the indictment of its longest-serving senator, which dealt a fresh blow to its hope of limiting expected large-scale losses in congressional elections.

AP - A House panel Wednesday voted to cite former top White House aide Karl Rove for contempt of Congress as its Senate counterpart explored punishment for alleged Bush administration misdeeds.