The record for the largest pinata in the world was broken in Philadelphia yesterday. But the pinata itself, to the dismay of the hundreds gathered for the event, stayed intact. A large crowd formed at Washington Avenue and South Broad Street yesterday afternoon to see the breaking of a six-story pinata filled with 8,000 pounds of candy, but many left disappointed after safety concerns caused the breaking to be postponed.

Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain have some similarities and differences concerning their approaches to foreign affairs. Obama believes diplomacy is important to achieving international security , and he is willing to sit down with the leaders of all nations.

Penn students and activists for Asian Americans United battled City Council on Saturday over the proposed Foxwoods Casino in the Gallery at 10th and Market streets. City Council listened to hours of testimony, largely from opponents of the planned casino, who spoke of rampant gambling addictions in the Asian-American community and Chinatown's history of being threatened with expressways, prisons and stadiums.

McCain The McCain plan is based on "Four Pillars of Reform:" Affordability, Access and Choice, Portability and Security, and Quality. The senator says he will make health care more affordable by ensuring competition between insurance companies, drug companies, hospitals and doctors.

In these volatile economic times, it's important that Pennsylvania have an experienced Treasurer to handle the state's finances. Democratic candidate Rob McCord is that person. As a venture capitalist, expert on budget and regulatory issues, and business leader, McCord has the economic savvy necessary to bring jobs to Pennsylvania, prudently manage state assets, and pursue policies that will put the state back on sound fiscal footing.

Incumbent Chaka Fattah (D.-2nd District) is running against Republican Adam Lang in his bid for the U.S. House of Representatives. Fattah, 51, has held this House seat - which represents North and West Philadelphia, as well as Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County - since 1994.

Philadelphians will vote on several ballot initiatives to amend the city's Home Rule Charter. The first ballot initiative asks whether Philadelphia should merge the duties of the Fairmount Park Commission and the Department of Recreation into a newly created Department of Parks and Recreation.

When Penn students enter their polling station tomorrow, they may see some familiar faces making sure everything runs smoothly. A number of students will be serving as poll workers and watchers to facilitate the voting process and to ensure that no illegal activities take place.

As the United States' financial sector melts down, the usually low-key race for Pennsylvania state treasurer has gained unusual prominence. The state treasurer acts as steward of the commonwealth's finances, directing taxes and managing state assets, such as pension funds.

Name: Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. Party affiliation: Democratic Birthday: Nov. 20, 1942 Birthplace/Where he has lived: Biden was born in Scranton, Pa., and lived there until age 10. In his early teens he moved to Claymont, Del. and then moved to Wilmington several years later.

For students hoping to snatch the elusive summer internship in business, there's a new company for hire. Today marks the launch of Get Ahead Advice, a service founded by four Wharton seniors to guide students through the job search, application and interview process for banking, consulting and other popular business sectors.

The executive committee of the Student Activities Council elected College junior Natalie Vernon as its new chairwoman last week. Vernon will replace former SAC chairman Eric Van Nostrand, a Wharton and Engineering senior. Vernon and Van Nostrand sat down with the DP yesterday to talk about SAC's successes from this year and goals for next year.

In what is sure to be a Democratic year, we hope voters won't reject Tom Corbett because of his Republican label. This incumbent has done a great job these past four years fighting gun violence, protecting the elderly from fraud, and cracking down on child predators.

The presidential election isn't until tomorrow, but Penn students have already decided they want Barack Obama to be their beer-pong-champion-in-chief. Nearly 70 percent of students, according to a new poll conducted by The Daily Pennsylvanian, would rather have a beer with Democratic nominee Barack Obama than with Republican nominee John McCain.

LGBT POLICY McCain McCain defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, but he also believes individual states should decide whether to pass constitutional amendments affirming this definition of marriage. He does not support marriage benefits for same-sex couples.

Name and Title: Sen. John Sidney McCain III Party Affiliation: Republican Birthday: Aug. 29, 1936 Birthplace/Where he has lived: McCain was born on a military base in the Panama Canal Zone when it was under U.S. sovereignty. He grew up in Alexandria, Va.

Name and Title: Sen. Barack Hussein Obama Party Affiliation: Democratic Birthday: Aug. 4, 1961 Birthplace/Where he has lived: Obama was born and grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii but spent part of his childhood in Jakarta, Indonesia.