1. OIL AND GAS:
Dems push to speed SPR legislation to Bush's desk

Within minutes of a near-unanimous vote in favor of temporarily halting oil deliveries to the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Senate Democrats this afternoon increased efforts to speed along the legislation to the president's desk. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) quickly maneuvered to pass a standalone bill containing the SPR suspension in hopes of setting the stage for this evening's expected House approval of a similar bill. Republicans, however, blocked the move, arguing they had been given no advance warning of Reid's intentions. Go to story #1