Good morning and welcome to Thursday's Daily Read. The jury in the trial of Senator Ted Stevens is still deliberating and the U.S. government announced that it will take over the process of vetting airline passengers. Feel free to leave your comments and please let us know if we missed any good stories.

Financial Crisis Fallout » Alan Greenspan, John Snow and Christopher Cox are on Capitol Hill this morning, testifying on the role of federal regulators in the country's economic crisis ... executives at leading credit-rating companies privately acknowledge that conflicts of interest contributed to falsely optimistic assessments of risky investments that helped fuel the financial meltdown ... and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says that his hands were tied in his management of the Lehman Bros. collapse. — The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times

Campaign Countdown » A closer look at John McCain's image as a reformer, born in the aftermath of the Keating Five savings-and-loan scandal ... Republicans are highlighting Barack Obama's ties to convicted felon Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a longtime donor and former fundraiser ... and while earmarks are being condemned by McCain and others, Sen. Mitch McConnell is hoping his ability to deliver federal aid to his constituents will help keep him in office. — The Washington Post, New York Times

DHS to Screen Airline Passengers » The Department of Homeland Security will assume responsibility for checking airline passenger names against government watch lists beginning in January. — The Washington Post

Banned Plastics Still Found in Toys » Consumer advocates complain that a new law prohibiting dangerous chemical additives from children's toys has ended up sanctioning a grace period for toymakers, allowing them to sell off soon-to-be banned toys, rather than forcing them to dispose of them. — The Wall Street Journal

Small Businesses Come Up Short » The U.S. Small Business Administration yesterday estimated that federal agencies overstated contracts awarded to small businesses by $5 billion to $10 billion last year. — The Washington Post

FTC Takes on Discount Dispute » Federal antitrust enforcers are investigating whether certain companies illegally blocked retailers from discounting their goods, leading to higher consumer prices. — Wall Street Journal

USDA Faulted on Bias Complaints » The Government Accountability Office has condemned the U.S. Department of Agriculture's approach to resolving hundreds of discrimination complaints brought by minority employees and black farmers. — The Washington Post

U.S. Pressed on Detainee Papers » The British High Court is pushing the U.S. government to turn over intelligence documents that could support the claims of a British resident held at Guantanamo Bay who has argued that statements he made confessing to terrorism resulted from torture. — The Washington Post

Helicopter Contract Hits Snag » The Air Force has postponed awarding a disputed $15 billion contract for search-and-rescue helicopters, seen as a test of its ability to make a big weapons award without being delayed by protests from losing bidders. — The Wall Street Journal