Among this smorgasbord of stories, one of the most endearing is a description of Ms Apt Russell's own experiment with self-starvation.

ECONOMIST: Hunger

But for McCain, the move is another gamble for a candidate in need of a game-changer and one that lends credence to the self-proclaimed maverick's repeated claim that he's unafraid of bucking his own party.

CNN: McCain faces conservative backlash over mortgage plan