* Ted Kennedy and Jesse Helms were the polar opposites of American politics — the very mention of their names caused neck veins to bulge, voices to crank up a few decibels and spittle to form upon lips.

The two men served together 30 years in the U.S. Senate, and they died almost within a year of one another.

Though Kennedy and Helms were usually courteous, their feud was real. Most often it was Helms who played the aggressor, portraying Kennedy as a liberal bogeyman to help build the conservative movement and to win votes in North Carolina. (N&O)

* In response to complaints from Charlotte area pharmacists and patients, U.S. Rep. Larry Kissell, a Biscoe Democrat, has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate reports of anti-competitive and deceptive practices by CVS/Caremark.

Kissell's request comes more than three months after Charlotte pharmacist Jesse Pike and two of his customers testified before FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz about the chain pharmacy's unfair prescription drug pricing and referral patterns.

Kissell asked the FTC to review its decision to allow the 2006 merger of CVS, the largest retail pharmacy chain, and Caremark, the largest pharmacy benefits manager.

"We cannot allow a company to manipulate patients and drive local pharmacies out of business," Kissell said in a statement released Wednesday. (Char-O)