Banks are on board...Overdue stimulus checks to be mailed...Hatch praises Stevens

Washington (AP) Big banks are falling in line behind a readjusted bailout plan that will have the federal government forking over as much as $250 billion in exchange for partial ownership in banks. The new plan, President Bush declares, is "not intended to take over the free market but to preserve it."


ST. LOUIS (AP) The IRS says overdue economic stimulus checks will soon be mailed to about a-quarter of a million married couples. They had been denied the money because a spouse's new married name and old Social Security number didn't match up. The couples had failed to alert the Social Security Administration of name changes.

WASHINGTON (AP) Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch is calling fellow Republican Sen. Ted Stevens a hero, a legend and one of the true lions of the Senate. Hatch testified to Stevens' character as the Alaska senator's Washington corruption trial moves toward a close.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) Congressman Tim Mahoney, facing accusations he paid a former aide to keep her quiet about their affair, admits he caused "embarrassment and heartache" to his family. But the Florida Democrat denies doing anything illegal.

CHICAGO (AP) E-mail inboxes may be clogged with a little less spam, at least for a while. Authorities say they've shut down one of the largest Internet spam operations in the world. Court documents reveal an American and a New Zealander were among those spearheading the enterprise, known as "Affking."


(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APNP 10-14-08 1845CDT | save this article / add to your favorites list