(Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama called the U.S. government's takeover of mortgage finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac a necessary move, and his Republican presidential rival John McCain views it as an good step but wants eventual privatization, advisers said. Read more »

WASHINGTON - Republican candidate John McCain goes into the final stretch of the U.S. presidential campaign 4 percentage points ahead of Democrat Barack Obama, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released Sunday. Read more »

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An unexpectedly steep 84,000 U.S. jobs were lost in August and the national unemployment rate hit a five-year high of 6.1 percent, fanning worry ahead of November's presidential vote about rising recession risks. Read more »

WASHINGTON5 (Reuters) - America's pain at the gasoline pump has been years in the making, but there will be a big push in Congress next week, when lawmakers return from summer break, to fix the problem by expanding offshore oil drilling. Read more »

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain beat Democratic rival Barack Obama in the crucial battle to attract U.S. television viewers during their race to the White House, according to figures released Friday. Read more »