State

• Police official: Hudson nephew likely died in SUV

• Report: No mechanical failure before copter crash

• Suspicion falls on dairy farmer in Ill. murders

National

• Searchers find large human bones near Fossett crash site

• Beaten down, American consumers burrow deeper

• Colombian charged with smuggling tons of cocaine

• Stevens says he hasn't yet been convicted

• Promises, promises: Chasing an elusive pledge

  • What the presidents said about energy

• Whistle-blowers get little help if punished

• Report: IRS issued $1B in bad refunds in 2007

• Air Force: Nuke missile silo fire went undetected

• Intel chief: President's Year 1 is dangerous time

• NYC residents: Use your mouse to track rats online

International

• US officials' hopes for Iraq security deal fade

  • After Iraq, Petraeus faces arguably tougher job

• Pakistan official: Quake deaths likely to top 300

• Officials: EU, US agree on air cargo screening

• Vatican issues screening guidelines for priests

• Russia insists its nuclear arsenal is secure

Election

• McCain: Obama's economic policies swing far left

• Wary of voter overconfidence, Obama not letting up

  • Obama campaign uses star power to court volunteers

• Palin looks past Tuesday to her political future

• Good looks help women candidates, men not so much

• Nielsen: 33.6 million watch Obama's infomercial

• AP poll: 1 in 7 voters still persuadable

ODD & Extraordinary

• Missing Fla. dog shows up 1,000 miles away in Illinois

• Sticky-fingered campus cop charged in pastry theft

• Cat OK after being shot in head with a crossbow

• Boy shocked after man powers up campaign sign

• McCain leads Ohio's litter box 'Kitty Caucus'

• Man allegedly helps renovate with 'hot' property

• Man refuses to pay after sharing food at buffet

• Morgan the Plumber hits New Zealand election trail

Science, Technology & The Environment

• NASA regains contact with Mars spacecraft

• Australia opens national tsunami warning center

• Ancient Phoenicians may be forgotten but not gone

• Archaeologist says he found oldest Hebrew writing

• Rare, prehistoric-age reptile found in New Zealand

Entertainment, Entertainers and the Arts

• McCain to appear on 'Saturday Night Live'

• Reeves jury sees paparazzo in action

• Bruce Springsteen posts Halloween song on Web site

• Bravo finds more to fashion than 'Project Runway'

• Beatles music to be in new video game

• Thursday's late-night wrap-up of election jokes

• Publishers Weekly best-sellers

• Museum returns painting found to be Nazi loot

Today

• This day in history

• The nation's weather