AFP - Retired US senator George Mitchell, who steered the tough negotiations that led to lasting peace in Northern Ireland, threw his support Thursday behind fellow Democrat Barack Obama in the US presidential race.

AFP - They stumbled in 2000, and fell on their faces in 2004 -- so can anyone believe what opinion pollsters say about Barack Obama's lead over John McCain today?

AP - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell called Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens' word "sterling" at the senator's corruption trial. Federal prosecutors have accused Stevens of lying on Senate documents about more than $250,000 in renovations to his Alaska cabin and other gifts from Bill Allen, former head of the oil services company VECO Corp.

Reuters - Democrat Barack Obama has opened a 5-point lead over Republican rival John McCain in the White House race and expanded his support among women voters, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released Friday.

AP - Some swing states appear to be purging eligible voters from election rolls, newspaper finds ... Judge orders Ohio secretary of state to verify new voter registrations ... Palin suggests wrongly that Congress has imposed a ban on oil exports ...

AP - With federal authorities stepping up immigration enforcement raids across the country, Sens. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Robert Menendez of New Jersey are sponsoring a bill to protect the rights of U.S. citizens and legal residents who get caught up in them.

AP - Republican Sen. Ted Stevens is relying on some of his famous friends to vouch for his honor and honesty in a corruption trial in which he is accused of lying about gifts received from an Alaska oil services company.

AP - For U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, Democratic challenger Darcy Burner is too inexperienced and left-leaning. For Burner, Reichert is ineffective and has sided with President Bush too often.

Rasmussen Reports - As the electoral landscape continues to look bleak for Republicans, Al Franken has pulled ahead of Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in Minnesota's hotly contested U.S. Senate race. Support for Independent candidate Dean Barkley could have a significant impact on the final outcome of the race.