Being Close To Russian Entails......  The next installment in Katie Couric's interview with Gov. Sarah Palin.  —  Watch CBS Videos Online  —  COURIC: You've cited Alaska's proximity to Russia as part of your foreign policy experience.  What did you mean by that?

Agreement Reached on Bailout Ahead of High-Level Meeting  —  Proposal Breaks $700 Billion Into Installments  —  A bipartisan group of House and Senate lawmakers left a two-hour-plus meeting in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday saying they have a “fundamental agreement” on a $700 billion plan to bail out U.S. financial markets.

Obama Will Make Debate A Townhall If McCain Doesn't Show  —  UPDATE: An adviser Barack Obama says he expects John McCain to attend: … Barack Obama is committed to hosting a public, televised event Friday night in Mississippi even if John McCain does not show up, an official close to the Obama campaign tells the Huffington Post.

Palin takes questions from press corps for first time  —  NEW YORK (CNN) — Sarah Palin took questions from her traveling press corps Thursday for the first time since being tapped as John McCain's running mate.  —  Speaking to a small pool of reporters following a visit to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan …

McCain to do round of network interviews tonight  —  John McCain will appear on all three network newscasts tonight, a top aide said.  —  McCain is at the White House meeting with President Bush, Barack Obama and congressional leaders now and will tape interviews with NBC, ABC and CBS after the West Wing session.

Nope, nothing campaign-related here  —  McCain met with congressional leaders earlier today and has now returned to his Senate office.  But it's increasingly implausible to think that what he's doing is anything different than he'd be doing on the campaign trail, except he's in person now instead of on his cell phone.

McCain has not sponsored a banking bill this Congress  —  Republican presidential nominee John McCain has not introduced any banking or housing bills in the 110th Congress, while Democratic rival Barack Obama has proposed five.  —  Both candidates are traveling to Washington on Thursday …

Gallup Daily: Race Back to a Tie at 46% Each  —  PRINCETON, NJ — John McCain has gained ground and is now tied with Barack Obama among registered voters in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update for Sept. 22-24, with each candidate getting 46% support.

Hugh Hefner to sack Playboy bunnies amid financial crisis  —  Playboy bunnies have become the latest victim of the credit crunch.  —  Tycoon Hugh Hefner has been advised to cut back on staff at his multi-million dollar glamour empire as it struggles to cope during the global economic turmoil.

McCain huddling with Boehner, Kyl to rally GOP support  —  The Senate clearly doesn't need McCain's help in pushing through the bailout deal, so McCain has returned to the Capitol and is meeting in Minority Leader John Boehner's office to discuss the legislation.

Obama grant being probed  —  A $100,000 state grant for a botanic garden in Englewood that then-state Sen. Barack Obama awarded in 2001 to a group headed by a onetime campaign volunteer is now under investigation by the Illinois attorney general amid new questions, prompted by Chicago Sun-Times reports …

Contact man's murder delays Syria nuclear probe: IAEA  —  VIENNA (AFP) — The UN atomic watchdog's probe into alleged illicit nuclear work in Syria has been delayed because the agency's contact man in Syria was murdered, IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei revealed Thursday.

A Bailout We Don't Need  —  Now that all five big investment banks — Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley — have disappeared or morphed into regular banks, a question arises.  —  Is this bailout still necessary?  —  The point of the bailout …