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The bill still needs to be reconciled with legislation passed by the House in July 2009, but the Senate action was hailed by advocates as a sign that the nation's food-safety laws will receive their first major overhaul in decades. After languishing for more than a year, a food-safety bill that has enjoyed strong bipartisan support passed the Senate on Tuesday, raising prospects for tougher and more extensive federal inspections and other safeguards.

Pope Benedict will appoint a special envoy to run and reform an influential Roman Catholic priestly order whose late founder was discovered to have been a sexual molester and to have fathered at least one child.

President Obama is telling immigration reform advocates that he is working with Congress on a bill to fix a "broken" system.

Bernanke called on Congress to act on financial reform efforts, as the central bank itself works to implement a number of measures that should help shore up the financial system.