JIM LEHRER: Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska was indicted today on federal charges of concealing private gifts. Stevens is 84 years old and the senior Republican in the Senate. He's running for a seventh term this fall.
The indictment alleges he never reported gifts from an oil services company and its founder. Those included improvements to a vacation home in Alaska, among other things.
In Washington, a top Justice Department official said the violations began in 1999 and continued into last year.
MATTHEW FRIEDRICH, acting assistant attorney general: The total amount of gifts that Senator Stevens is alleged to have received over the duration of the offense is greater than $250,000.
Also, according to the indictment, these items were not disclosed on Senator Stevens' financial disclosure forms, which he filed under penalties of perjury, either his gifts or his liabilities. And, further, Senator Stevens did not reimburse or repay VECO or its chief executive officer for these items.
JIM LEHRER: The indictment said Stevens helped the company with various requests for federal favors, but it stopped short of accusing him of outright bribery.
Senate Majority Leader Reid was one of several senators who voiced sorrow about the turn of events.
SEN. HARRY REID (D-Nev.), Senate majority leader: I, of course, have served with Senator Stevens my entire congressional career. It's a sad day for him, us, but, you know, I believe in the American system of justice, that he's presumed innocent.
JIM LEHRER: Stevens did not appear publicly today, but his office did issue a statement. In it, he said, "I have never knowingly submitted a false disclosure form required by law as a U.S. senator."
He also said he would temporarily step down from two committees, as required by party rules. We'll have more on this story right after the news summary.
Wall Street rallied today to make up all of Monday's losses. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 266 points to close at 11,397. The Nasdaq rose 55 points to close at 2,319.
As stocks headed up, oil headed down another $2.50. It finished just above $122 a barrel.
The presidential candidates stayed on the economy today. Democrat Barack Obama spent the day in Washington. He met with Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke and spoke by phone with Treasury Secretary Paulson.
Republican John McCain campaigned in Nevada. He criticized Obama again for opposing off-shore oil drilling. We'll have more on the campaign later in the program tonight.
A strong earthquake shook southern California today, but there were no reports of major damage or injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 29 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. Buildings were evacuated as a precaution across the city. The quake shook buildings and ruptured some water mains. It was felt as far south as San Diego.
Pakistan today sought confirmation that a top al-Qaida figure was killed by a U.S. missile strike. The attack happened Monday in a village near the Afghan border. Various accounts said five other people were killed, as well.
The al-Qaida suspect, Abu Khabab al-Masri, allegedly trained others to use poison and bombs. The strike came as Pakistan's prime minister, Gilani, was in Washington. And he told the NewsHour he voiced concern to President Bush.
YOUSUF RAZA GILANI, prime minister of Pakistan: I have suggested that there should be more cooperation between the intelligence agencies and credible, actionable information should be given so that we should take action ourselves, because we believe in our sovereignty.
JIM LEHRER: We'll have that interview with the prime minister later in the program tonight.
U.S. and Iraqi troops began a new operation today to hunt down al-Qaida fighters north of Baghdad. The target was Diyala province, the militant group's last safe haven near the capital.
In Baghdad, a vast crowd of Shiites converged on a shrine. On Monday, suicide bombers killed 32 of their fellow pilgrims.
Farther north, some 10,000 Kurds in Erbil waved banners and chanted slogans. They were protesting a provincial elections law.
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Belgrade, Serbia, today in support of Radovan Karadzic. They carried banners and protested sending the ex-Bosnian Serb leader to a war crimes tribunal. A few dozen protesters fought with police and smashed windows.
Rally organizers accused Serbian leaders of bowing to Western pressure, but the country's president insisted his government had to act under Serbian law.
BORIS TADIC, president, Serbia (through translator): Europe wants Serbia as a country that obeys its own laws. I cannot believe that someone could protest against obeying our own law. Those who are organizing and supporting those protests had the opportunity to change the law while they had a majority in parliament. They did not change this law because they did not want to or because they did not have enough political courage to change it.
JIM LEHRER: Karadzic is charged with genocide in the deaths of thousands of people during the Bosnian civil war.
A world summit on trade collapsed today over tariffs for farm products. The U.S., China, and India disagreed on letting poor nations raise barriers to block a surge of imports. Negotiators in Geneva, Switzerland, had hoped for a breakthrough in world trade talks that began in 2001. It was unclear how or when the talks might resume.
The U.N. reported today deaths from AIDS declined in 2007 for a second year. The disease claimed an estimated 2 million lives, down from 2.2 million in 2005, the peak year. Some 33 million people were living with HIV, the AIDS virus; the report said that number is slowly rising. Most of the infected live in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Los Angeles City Council today banned new fast food restaurants from South Los Angeles. Supporters said the one-year moratorium could help curb high obesity rates in low-income neighborhoods. The California Restaurant Association called the move "misguided" and said it won't work.
The smog over Beijing, China, began to clear today, just 10 days before the Summer Olympics. Wind and rain helped lift hazy skies, and Chinese officials also credited a series of drastic measures. Those included curbing car traffic and shutting down factories. Athletes and Olympic organizers have voiced concern about dirty air causing health problems.
