AP - Rep. Charles Rangel will not step down as chairman of a powerful tax-writing committee as he undergoes an ethics investigation by fellow lawmakers, his lawyer said Tuesday.

AFP - John McCain Monday insisted US economic "fundamentals" were strong despite a banking crisis and Wall Street meltdown, prompting a scathing rebuke from his White House foe Barack Obama.

Reuters - With financial markets reeling from a weekend of stunning changes on Wall Street, Democrats in the House of Representatives pushed on Monday to aid the faltering economy with a new stimulus package.

AP - Rep. Charles Rangel emerged from a private meeting with fellow lawmakers Monday night having survived another day as chairman of the House tax-writing committee, despite lingering questions about his personal finances and unpaid taxes on a beach house.

AFP - It took a real-world crisis to wrench the White House race away from lipstick and pigs, with the Wall Street meltdown offering a sudden chance of a breakout moment for Barack Obama or John McCain.

Reuters - The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Tuesday on a comprehensive energy package that would open most of the U.S. coastline to offshore drilling, a Democratic aide said on Monday.

AP - A new set of potential problems in Rep. Charles Rangel's financial papers has prompted the tax-writing lawmaker to decide to hire a forensic accounting expert to try to unravel the mess.

AFP - Wall Street's meltdown sent shockwaves through the White House race, as Barack Obama and John McCain sought a decisive political dividend from the fast-moving crisis just 50 days from the election.

Reuters - The House of Representatives plans to debate legislation this month to inject another $50 billion of stimulus into the faltering U.S. economy, mostly with the goal of creating new jobs, a senior House Democratic aide said on Monday.