It'll be a meeting of the minds today when presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain go to the White House for talks on the financial crisis.  They'll discuss the proposed bailout of crippled financial institutions with President Bush and congressional leaders. 

U.S. stock index futures cut their gains on Thursday after General Electric slashed its third-quarter profit outlook.  That move by the diversified manufacturer and a Dow Jones component, added to worries about the faltering economy.  GE's warning comes one day after President Bush said the U.S. was in a serious financial crisis.

Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin is calling on Congress to cooperate to swiftly pass the financial bailout plan.  On the CBS "Evening News" last night, the Alaskan governor said without action there is a risk of a financial emergency.  Palin said lawmakers from both parties need to put politics aside and work together on a solution.

Army bio-weapons researcher Bruce Ivins sent himself an email exclaiming he'd solved the anthrax mailing case even as investigators closed in on him.  The "Los Angeles Times" is reporting that a federal judge has unsealed investigative records including Ivins' emails.  Ivins committed suicide in July before prosecutors could charge him.

California motorists will no longer be able to mix driving and texting come January.  Yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a law banning motorists from text-messaging and e-mailing while operating a vehicle.  As of the first of the year, drivers caught will face a 20-dollar fine the first time and a 50-dollar ticket for each subsequent offense. 

Employers are passing more of the rising cost of health insurance on to workers.  "USA Today" reports deductibles have jumped an average of 29-percent reaching more than 13-hundred dollars a year for those with family coverage.  The Kaiser Family Foundation's Drew Altman says it's the tip of the iceberg with a move toward "less comprehensive, skimpier coverage."