Hot Docs: Fact-Checking the Obama-McCain Debate, Palin E-Mail Hacking Indictment

Fact-Checking the Second Obama-McCain Debate In their second televised debate, Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama both made "misleading statements and mangled facts," according to an analysis by FactCheck.org. The nonpartisan, nonprofit group found that both candidates oversimplified the causes of the financial crisis. Also, McCain claimed that he came up with a new idea to have the government help people write down their mortgages, even though this authority was already given to the secretary of the treasury in the $700 billion bailout bill. Obama had also proposed a similar idea two weeks ago.

Indictment for Palin E-mail Hacking Tennessee resident David Kernell was indicted on charges that he accessed the personal Yahoo E-mail account of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. The document says that he "intentionally and without authorization accessed a protected computer by means of an interstate communication." Filed in the Eastern District of Tennessee, the indictment summarizes the September incident in which Kernell is alleged to have accessed Palin's Yahoo E-mail account "by researching and correctly answering a series of personal security questions." The charge states that he then copied her personal data and publicized the reset account password online. If he's convicted, Kernell could face five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Financial Crisis Hits Retirement Plans The financial crisis has forced many people to raid their retirement accounts even while the value of those accounts has declined by more than a half-trillion dollars in the past 12 months, according to the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. Rep. George Miller, a Democrat from California, made the remarks in opening statements before a hearing titled the "Impact of the Financial Crisis on Workers' Retirement Security." He also noted that "traditional pension plans are not immune from the financial crisis" and will "likely lose value."

Global Competitiveness Report Even as the global economy slows, the United States is at the top of a new ranking of the most economically competitive countries. Other nations highly rated for encouraging productivity in the report by the World Economic Forum, an independent international organization, include Switzerland, Singapore, and a number of Scandinavian countries. The study looks at 134 economies, which are assessed on traits like market characteristics, education, and technology, with information drawn from public economic data and an annual survey of business leaders. World Economic Forum Chairman Klaus Schwab notes that the current crisis, which began in the United States, "is now spreading to other industrialized economies, and it is not yet clear what the future will bring for emerging markets."

Torture Continues in Jordan Despite efforts at reform, torture continues to be a part of Jordan's prison system, Human Rights Watch has concluded. Its new report, "Torture and Impunity in Jordan's Prisons: Reforms Fail to Tackle Widespread Abuse," updates research from 2007 and finds that "problems of torture and accountability persist" this year. The independent, nongovernmental organization's initial research found that torture was routine and widespread.

America, Let's Get Physical The chances of colon cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes are decreased in adults who engage in physical activity, states the Department of Health and Human Services. According to HHS, "Some physical activity is better than none" for adults. An HHS publication, "Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans," outlines physical activity recommendations for various groups— children, teens, adults, senior citizens, pregnant women, and disabled adults. The guidelines were developed to help people incorporate physical activity into their day-to-day lives.