NEW YORK (AP) Only the closing bell is bringing some stability to Wall Street, where the Dow has been swinging wildly, covering a range of about 1,000 points. Early in the day, it lost nearly 700, but was ahead by triple-digits in late afternoon before losing those gains. Computer-driven "buy" and "sell" orders are believed to be largely responsible for the wild ride.

Washington (AP) John McCain says he wants to let older people hold onto the stocks in their retirement accounts, instead of having to liquidate them on schedule after they turn 70 and a-half.

Barack Obama, meanwhile, is offering tax breaks for small businesses. The suggestions come as retirement accounts continue to lose value, and as businesses struggle to gain loans needed to operate or expand.

WASHINGTON (AP) Former Secretary of State Colin Powell has been testifying on behalf of Sen. Ted Stevens today at the Alaska Republican's corruption trial in Washington. Powell testified that he's known Stevens well for 25 years and that there's never been any suggestion that Stevens would do anything "improper."


BERNALILLO, N.M. (AP) There's been a fiery balloon crash during the annual hot air balloon festival today in Albuquerque, New Mexico. One person died and another was critically injured after a balloon slammed into power lines.

TROY, N.Y. (AP) Hundreds of voters have been sent absentee ballots in which the Democratic candidate is listed as "Barack Osama." They were sent out to voters in an upstate New York county. The Board of Elections says it regrets the error without acknowledging in a statement exactly what the error is.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 10-10-08 1456CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list