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Some Brands More Than 30% Stronger, The Washington Post reports here: The amount of nicotine in most cigarettes rose an average of almost 10 percent from 1998 to 2004, with brands most popular with young people and minorities registering the biggest increases and highest nicotine content, according to a new study. Nicotine is highly addictive, and while no one has studied the effect of the increases on smokers, the higher levels theoretically could make new smokers more easily addicted and make it harder for established smokers to quit.

Reuters reports here at the WP website: Democrats accused Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday of a political smear after he assailed critics of U.S. policy in Iraq and the war on terrorism in a speech recalling those who favored appeasing the Nazis before World War Two. "If Mr. Rumsfeld is so concerned with comparisons to World War Two, he should explain why our troops have now been fighting in Iraq longer than it took our forces to defeat the Nazis in Europe," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, House of Representatives Democratic Leader.

The Washington Post reports here: Mississippi, Alabama and West Virginia are the three states with the highest rates of obesity, according to a new report by the nonprofit advocacy group Trust for America’s Health. In all three states, nearly three of every 10 adults tip the scales with a body mass index of 30 or higher, a measure that accounts for both height and weight.

CNET News.com reports here: AT&T on Tuesday said hackers broke into one of its computer systems and accessed personal data on thousands of customers who used its online store.