The Daily Muck

Some stuff their bras with tissues, but for Massachusetts State Sen. Dianne Wilkerson, it was hundred dollar bills. The scandal surrounding the Democratic lawmaker who was arrested and charged Tuesday with accepting $23,500 in bribes, has now expanded to include three Boston City Council members, the state senate president and several state liquor board officials. (ABC News)

Count one in the win column. Despite being a convicted felon, Sen. Ted Stevens will be allowed to vote in the election on Tuesday. (The Hill)

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) disputed the claims leveled by the Chicago Tribune yesterday, that he had received a loan of $200,000 from a real estate contractor, then urged the Chicago mayor to allow that developer to convert the Chicago West Side into a residential and commercial zone. Gutierrez called the transaction “fully disclosed and transparent” and stated that his role in the re-zoning was minimal. (Chicago Tribune)

Earlier this week, House Oversight Chair Henry Waxman asked for details on executive pay from the nine banks receiving government money. Now, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has joined him in demanding accounts of expected payments to top management in banks before the bonus season begins. (New York Times)

The FBI issued a warning to media outlets after a California man mailed more than 120 envelopes to places like The Atlantic and The Charlotte Observer. The outlets received letters with a sugar packet labeled “Anthrax Sample.” (AP)

Private security in Iraq is costing taxpayers a pretty penny. Auditors estimated that the U.S. has paid over $6 billion dollars to private security companies in Iraq since 2003. (AP)

Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin is still drawing a salary as governor of Alaska, even as she travels around the country campaigning for national office. The state is also paying for the salary and travel of an aide to accompany the governor and facilitate communication between the governor’s office and Palin. (AP)

The White House and Food and Drug Administration counsel supported protecting drug companies from lawsuits in federal courts–a change in longstanding practice–over the protests of drug regulators, according to 2003 documents released yesterday. (LA Times)

A judge ruled in June that military abuse of Gitmo detainee Mohammed Jawad merited an investigation, but Jawad’s lawyer, Major David Frakt, says he suspects the Pentagon isn’t taken any action. The military’s case against Jawad is already shaky — this week, a judge excluded Jawad’s confession for being obtained through torture and last month, a prosecutor quit citing ethical concerns. (ProPublica)