AP Poll: Obama Leads or Ties in 8 Crucial States: Democratic candidate Barack Obama leads in four states that voted for President Bush in 2004, ties with John McCain in two additional red states, and is ahead in two more battleground states in double digits, a new poll finds. Ohio alone, one of the red states that voted for Bush in 2004, would offer Obama 20 electoral votes—and he's ahead there by 7 percentage points. Polling represents only a snapshot of public opinion, so the race is far from over. But the numbers don't look good for the McCain camp, where many are starting to sound skeptical about a win. Other findings have shown that early voters have favored Obama and that two other traditionally Republican states, New Mexico and Iowa, may be beyond McCain's grasp. In an attempt to stanch his campaign's decline, McCain is playing catch-up today in Florida and focusing on a national security argument.
Report: North Korea's Kim Suffers 'Serious' Setbacks: Intelligence suggests that Kim Jong Il has been hospitalized after complications from his stroke, according to a South Korean newspaper. North Korea says that Kim's health is fine, but those assertions have seemed suspect ever since he missed a military parade for North Korea's 60th anniversary in September and then disappeared from the limelight. His illness is a worldwide concern. Since he hasn't named any successors and has ruled the nation with absolute authority, his death could lead to instability and a derailment of negotiations on nuclear weapons.
Fed Is Expected to Cut Interest Rates Again Today: After a two-day meeting, the Federal Reserve is expected to announce that it will cut a crucial interest rate by a half point. This could push the interest banks charge one another down to a level last seen in 2004—a level that itself hadn't been seen since Dwight Eisenhower's presidency. The Fed is hoping that the cut can spark economic growth across the board and stave off an economic recession. But analysts caution that even if the cut does go through, the stock market will remain volatile as investors weigh their concerns over a global recession.
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