The reason is simple: I’ve been offered a job as the overnight editor of The Huffington Post. I’m very excited about this opportunity and look forward to bringing my “just the facts” style of journalism to such a respected news outlet.

Thank you for reading Night Owl News and for supporting my efforts this year. It has been an honor to serve you.

Jade Walker

(Photo by TebNad.)

MAJOR POWER FAILURE: A utility worker doing maintenance near Yuma, Ariz., inadvertently triggered a massive blackout that left more than 4 million people in the dark on Thursday. Utility crews spent the entire night scrambling to restore power in San Diego, Arizona and Mexico’s Baja California state.

The mishap on a high-voltage power line linking Arizona and San Diego caused a cascading series of electrical grid failures. The Arizona Public Service Co. is investigating why the safety protocols that would have isolated the resulting outage to the Yuma area failed. However, authorities quickly ruled out an intentional act or any suggestion of terrorism. “This was not a deliberate act. The employee was just switching out a piece of equipment that was problematic,” Daniel Froetscher, an APS vice president, told The Associated Press.

The power outage closed schools and businesses, canceled outgoing flights from San Diego, halted train and trolley service, trapped people in elevators and on amusement park rides and jammed roads with gridlock. Most people in the affected areas took the outage in stride, and police said there were no signs of looting or unrest. APS said they hope to have full power restored later today. (Sources: The Los Angeles Times and APS)

WORLD

THE SEARCH FOR GADHAFI: Interpol issued red notices for the arrest of Moammar Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam and Abdullah al-Senussi, the former head of Libyan military intelligence. The action is in response to a request from the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which is seeking the men for alleged crimes against humanity. The former Libyan leader has been in hiding since opposition forces entered Tripoli on Aug. 22. On Thursday, Gadhafi issued an audio recording that denounced reports that he had fled to neighboring Niger. (Source: AP)

U.S.

OBAMA PITCHES JOBS PLAN: President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress last night and pitched a $447 billion jobs proposal meant to jolt the economy. The plan, which he called the American Jobs Act, would cut payroll taxes in half for working Americans and most small businesses, increase spending on infrastructure, extend unemployment insurance benefits for the jobless, give tax credits to companies that hire veterans or people who have been out of work for more than six months and make last year’s cut in the individual Social Security tax rate permanent.

The president said he hopes to pay for the plan by closing corporate tax loopholes and raising taxes on wealthier Americans. Although Republicans offered no formal rebuttal to the address, House Speaker John Boehner said the president’s proposals “merit consideration.” Click here to read the full text of the president’s speech. (Sources: MSNBC and The Washington Post and The New York Times)

FLOODING IN THE NORTHEAST: The remnants of Tropical Storm Lee and Hurricane Irene have caused several rivers to overflow their banks and flood homes, businesses and roads in the Northeast. On Thursday, officials ordered nearly 100,000 people in three states to evacuate from the rising Susquehanna River, and President Obama signed emergency declarations for New York and Pennsylvania.

Commuters and travelers were warned to expect detours and Amtrak passenger service on New York’s east-west corridor was canceled. Residents were also urged to be wary of floodwaters, which have been contaminated by sewage. “Flood water is toxic and is polluted. If the sewage treatment plants aren’t working, they’re going to be polluted. If you don’t have to be in the water, stay out of the water,” Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett said. (Sources: MSNBC and CNN)

THREAT OF TERROR ATTACK REPORTED: Counterterrorism officials are assessing a report about a possible al Qaeda plot involving a car or truck bomb in New York City or Washington D.C., and timed to the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Matt Chandler, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, called the threat “specific, credible, but unconfirmed.” On Thursday night, New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said the police plan to increase security on roads, bridges, tunnels and subways, but cautioned against an overreaction. “The best thing we can do to fight terror is to not let it intimidate us,” he said. (Sources: The Washington Post and The New York Times and USA Today)

BUSINESS/TECHNOLOGY

SECURITY BREACH AT HOSPITAL: The private medical information for 20,000 patients who visited the emergency room at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif., was posted online and remained visible for nearly a year. The patients’ names, diagnosis codes, admission and discharge dates and billing charges were published on Student of Fortune, a commercial website that allows students to solicit paid assistance on their homework. The breach was discovered by a patient and reported to the hospital, which is now investigating how the material made its way onto the Web. According to records compiled by the Department of Health and Human Services, the personal medical data for more than 11 million people has been improperly exposed during the past two years. (Sources: The New York Times and AP)

SCIENCE

TROPICAL DISTURBANCES: Forecasters are keeping their eyes on three different storms today. Hurricane Katia, a Category 1 storm packing winds of 85 mph, passed Bermuda and is currently moving northeast. The storm is expected to weaken over the next 48 hours as it churns into cooler waters. Tropical Storm Nate, which formed in the Gulf on Wednesday, is about 110 miles west of Campaeche, Mexico. Nate is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane today, and currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. Tropical Storm Maria also formed on Wednesday, but could soon degenerate into a tropical wave. Maria is located 490 miles east of the Windward Islands and has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Click here to track the storms. (Sources: The Weather Channel and CNN)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

PUBLIC OPINION

TODAY’S POLL:

THURSDAY’S POLL: The Arizona Department of Corrections wants to charge a $25 fee for adults who wish to visit inmates at any of the state’s 15 prison complexes. The one-time “background check fee” is supposed to help the state repair and maintain the prisons. Prisoner advocacy groups say the fee would create an undue burden on visitors who already shoulder the expense of traveling long distances to the prisons.

HOLIDAYS

Sept. 9 is National Steak au Poivre Day, National Teddy Bear Day, Chrysanthemum Day, Stand Up to Cancer Day and Weinerschnitzel Day.

TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1971, prisoners seized control of the maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility near Buffalo, N.Y., beginning a four-day siege that claimed 43 lives.

In 2003, the Boston Roman Catholic Archdiocese agreed to pay $85 million to 552 people to settle clergy sex abuse cases.

In 2010, a natural gas pipeline explosion killed eight people and destroyed dozens of homes in the San Francisco suburb of San Bruno, Calif.

BIRTHDAYS

Hugh Grant. (Photo by Tine Hemeryck.)

NOTABLE DEATHS

* Artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec died in 1901 from complications due to alcoholism and syphilis. He was 36.
* Poet Max Ehrmann, who wrote “Desiderata,” died in 1945. Cause of death was not released. He was 72.
* Communist Chinese leader Mao Tse-tung died in 1976 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). He was 82.
* Actor Burgess Meredith died in 1997 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease and melanoma. He was 89.

PHOTO SPOTLIGHT

The Morning Moon. (Photo by Melissa P.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“No news at 4:30 a.m. is good.” –Lady Bird Johnson

This is the 145th — and final — issue of Night Owl News. After seven months of breaking news overnight, I am putting the site on an indefinite hiatus. The reason is simple: I have been offered a job as the overnight editor of The Huffington Post. I’m very excited about this opportunity and look forward to bringing my “just the facts” style of journalism to such a respected news outlet.

Thank you so much for reading Night Owl News and for supporting my efforts. It has been an honor to serve you.

–Jade Walker
Sept. 9, 2011

(Photo by Zentilia.)

GOP DEBATE IN CALIFORNIA: The race to pick a 2012 challenger to President Barack Obama turned contentious last night during the GOP debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. Although eight Republican candidates took the stage, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Texas Gov. Rick Perry spent much of their time sniping at each other. These spirited exchanges revealed the front-runners’ differences in policy and style.

When it was time for the other candidates to speak, former Utah governor and ambassador to China Jon Huntsman Jr., former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), pizza restaurant magnate Herman Cain and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) blasted the president for his record on the economy and job creation. All of the candidates also vowed to appeal Obama’s health care law, if they win the White House. Climate change, energy, Social Security and foreign policy initiatives were discussed as well.

For a complete transcript, click here. And click here to read a fact-checking article about claims made during the debate. (Sources: MSNBC and The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times)

WORLD

PLANE CRASH IN RUSSIA: Investigators are searching for the on-board recorders to help determine what caused a Yak-42 jet to crash onto the banks of the Volga River yesterday. The crash claimed the lives of 43 people, including three dozen players, coaches and staff of the elite Lokomotiv Yaroslavl ice hockey team. Only two people survived. After visiting the crash site, President Dmitry Medvedev called for immediate changes to the country’s troubled air transport industry. (Source: AP)

BOMBING IN NEW DELHI: Indian police detained three people today for the deadly bombing at the New Delhi High Court. The 2 kg bomb, which was hidden inside a briefcase, killed 12 people when it exploded yesterday. Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, a militant group affiliated with al Qaeda, reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack. (Source: Reuters)

‘I’M STILL HERE,’ GADHAFI SAYS: Moammar Gadhafi released an audio message on Al-Rai TV today telling supporters that he will never leave “the land of his ancestors.” The former Libyan leader, who has been in hiding since opposition forces entered Tripoli on Aug. 22, denounced reports that he had fled to neighboring Niger. Gadhafi also criticized the former rebels, calling them “a bunch of mercenaries, thugs and traitors.” (Source: The Telegraph and AP)

PALESTINIANS SEEK RECOGNITION: Palestinians launched a campaign today to join the United Nations as a full member state. About 100 officials and activists gathered at the U.N. offices in Ramallah to stage a series of peaceful events and announce their plans in a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The letter urged Ban to add his “moral voice in support of the Palestinian people.” The latest round of peace talks with Israel broke down a year ago. (Source: AP)

U.S.

President Barack Obama. (Photo provided by The White House. Used with permission.)

“I’m going to propose ways to put America back to work that both parties can agree to, because I still believe both parties can work together to solve our problems,” Obama said earlier this week.

With the unemployment rate steady at 9.1 percent, many Americans are eagerly seeking a change in policy. A recent Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 60 percent of respondents disapproved of the president’s handling of the economy, and only 43 percent approved of his work overall. (Sources: The Washington Post and The Telegraph)

MASSIVE ANTI-FRAUD SWEEP: A series of raids targeting crime rings in eight U.S. cities led to the arrests of 91 people for healthcare fraud. According to court documents, the defendants allegedly participated in schemes to submit claims to Medicare for treatments that were medically unnecessary and often never provided. “From Brooklyn to Miami to Los Angeles, the defendants allegedly treated the Medicare program like a personal piggy bank,” Lanny Breuer, the head of the Justice Department’s criminal division, said. The anti-fraud sweep took place over the last two weeks and involved some 400 local, state and federal law enforcement agents. (Sources: The Washington Post and Reuters)

HEALTH

HOSPITALS FINED FOR ERRORS: California public health officials fined 12 hospitals for medical errors that hurt or killed patients. The fines, which the affected hospitals can appeal, ranged from $50,000 to $75,000 for each mistake. Most of the errors were preventable, one official said, and included incorrectly administering medications and leaving foreign objects inside patients’ bodies during surgery. (Source: The Los Angeles Times)

FOOD POISONING IN CHINA: A rash of food poisoning cases have sickened nearly 300 elementary and middle school students in China this week. The children took ill after consuming unsafe food or water that was provided by their schools, state media reported. Samples of the food are now being tested and the government has ordered inspections for many school dining halls. At the time of this writing, at least 10 children are still under medical observation at a hospital in Shenxian County. (Sources: China Daily and AP)

OBITUARIES

MICHAEL S. HART DIES: The founder of Project Gutenberg, one of the earliest and longest-lasting online literary projects, died on Sept. 6. Cause of death was not released. He was 64. A futurist and technologist, Hart digitized his first free document — the U.S. Declaration of Independence — in 1971 and transmitted it to others on a computer network. That effort eventually became Project Gutenberg, a volunteer-run Website that digitizes and archives cultural works. Over the next four decades, Hart was a strong proponent for the digitization and distribution of literature. Today, Project Gutenberg is considered the world’s oldest digital library, and hosts more than 36,000 documents in 60 different languages. (Sources: Gutenberg.org and Engadget and Wikipedia)

ENTERTAINMENT

REESE WITHERSPOON HIT BY CAR: The Academy Award-winning actress was struck by a car on Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif. Police said Witherspoon was jogging in an unmarked crosswalk when an 84-year-old woman hit her. The driver was cited for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, and Witherspoon was taken to the hospital and treated for minor injuries. (Source: AP)

‘AMW’ FINDS NEW HOME: “America’s Most Wanted,” the seminal crimefighting series that helped bring almost 1,200 fugitives to justice, will return to the air later this year. After 24 seasons, Fox dropped the popular program in May, citing high production costs. On Tuesday, host John Walsh completed a deal to move the show to the Lifetime network. “We’ve often been called the court of last resort,” Walsh told The Associated Press. “Now we are back in the game and ready to saddle up for another season to get justice for victims and put dangerous criminals behind bars.” (Sources: AMW)

BUDDY HOLLY HONORED: The bespectacled singer/songwriter, who was best known for the hits “That’ll Be the Day” and “Peggy Sue,” received a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame on Wednesday. Holly was just 22 when he died in a plane crash in 1959, along with musicians Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson. Although his success lasted only a year and a half, he is considered by many in the music industry as an influential force on early rock and roll. Holly was among the first group of inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2004 was ranked #13 among “The 50 Greatest Artists of All Time” by Rolling Stone magazine. The star, which is located on the sidewalk along Vine Street at the entrance to the historic Capitol Records Building, was dedicated on what would have been Holly’s 75th birthday. (Sources: NPR and CNN and The Buddy Holly Center)

ELIZABETH TAYLOR’S JEWELS FOR SALE: The lavish gifts bestowed upon the Hollywood icon by her past loves will be auctioned at Christie’s in New York in December. Standout pieces include a 33.19-carat Asscher-cut Krupp Diamond set in a platinum ring, the 17th-century Taj Mahal diamond pendant and the 16th century La Peregrina, one of the largest and most symmetrically perfect pear-shaped pearls in the world. The late actress’s entire collection of 300 items is currently valued at $30 million. (Source: The Telegraph)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

PUBLIC OPINION

TODAY’S POLL: The Arizona Department of Corrections wants to charge a $25 fee for adults who wish to visit inmates at any of the state’s 15 prison complexes. The one-time “background check fee” is supposed to help the state repair and maintain the prisons. Prisoner advocacy groups say the fee would create an undue burden on visitors who already shoulder the expense of traveling long distances to the prisons.

WEDNESDAY’S POLL: California lawmakers have voted to ban the sale, trade and possession of shark fins, a key ingredient in a traditional Chinese soup. Conservation groups praised the move as a way to curb the shark fin harvest, a practice that has contributed to the sharp decline in the creature’s population worldwide. Chinese American restaurateurs and traders lobbied against the bill, saying a ban on the ingredient would discriminate against a cultural tradition.

HOLIDAYS

Sept. 8 is International Literacy Day, World Physical Therapy Day, National Date Nut Bread Day and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses Day.

TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1966, the first “Star Trek” series premiered on NBC.

In 1974, President Gerald Ford granted an unconditional pardon to former President Richard Nixon.

In 1994, USAir Flight 427 crashed while on approach to Pittsburgh International Airport, killing all 132 aboard.

BIRTHDAYS

* Actor Jonathan Taylor Thomas, 30.
* Singer Pink, 32.
* Actor Nathan Corddry, 34.
* Actor Larenz Tate, 36.
* Musician Richard Hughes (Keane), 36.
* Actor David Arquette, 40.
* Actor Henry Thomas, 40.
* TV personality Brooke Burke, 40.
* Basketball player Latrell Sprewell, 41.
* Singer Neko Case, 41.
* Singer Marc Gordon (Levert), 47.
* Musician David Steele (Fine Young Cannibals), 51.
* Singer Aimee Mann, 51.
* Former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), 57.
* Musician Will Lee, 59.
* Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), 69.
* Ventriloquist Willie Tyler, 71.
* Former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), 73.
* Comedian Sid Caesar, 89.

NOTABLE DEATHS

* Composer Richard Strauss died in 1949. Cause of death was not released. He was 85.
* Actress/singer Dorothy Dandridge died in 1965 of a drug overdose. She was 42.
* Percy Spencer, who invented the microwave oven, died in 1970. Cause of death was not released. He was 76.

PHOTO SPOTLIGHT

Berkeley Kite Festival. (Photo by Edwardopilopilous.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Change is a measure of time and, in the autumn, time seems speeded up. What was is not and never again will be; what is is change.” –Edwin Way Teale

A Texas National Guard CH-46 Blackhawk flies into the smoke to dump its water over the Bastrop wildfire.
(Photo by Staff. Sgt. Malcolm McClendon/Texas Military Forces.)

WILDFIRES IN TEXAS: Forest service officials are calling on firefighters from outside agencies to help battle fast-moving wildfires in Texas. In the past week, the fires have destroyed more than 1,000 homes.

Fueled by drought conditions and wind gusts from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, the massive Bastrop County Complex fire east of Austin is one of the worst in the state’s history. Thousands of residents have been evacuated and few know when, or if, they will be allowed to return to their homes.

“You look at people’s faces around here, and it looks like they’ve been in a war,” Bob Austin told The New York Times. “I talked to an elderly couple in their 80s last night, and they got out with just their clothes and their dog.”

Weary firefighting crews have spent days confronting the flames, but so far have been unable to contain the blaze. At the time of this writing, the Bastrop fire has grown to 34,000 acres. With more dry winds and low humidity forecast for today, the fire could spread even more.

Since November 2010, firefighters have battled nearly 21,000 wildfires in Texas. More than 180 fires have broken out in the past week alone, killing four people and consuming hundreds of homes. On Monday, the Bastrop fire prompted Gov. Rick Perry to leave South Carolina, where he was campaigning for the Republican nomination for president, and return to Texas to survey the damage.

Although teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrived in central Texas on Tuesday, Perry complained about the federal government’s response to the wildfires and called on the Obama administration to expand the scope of disaster relief. Texas recently cut funding for volunteer fire departments by 75 percent as a cost-saving measure. (Sources: The Austin American-Statesman and The Los Angeles Times and AP)

WORLD

EXPLOSIONS IN PAKISTAN: Nearly two dozen people died today when a pair of suicide bombers attacked a home in southwest Pakistan. The bombers targeted the house of Brig. Farrukh Shehzad, the deputy inspector general of the Frontier Corps, in a high-security neighborhood in Quetta. One bomber detonated his explosives outside Shehzad’s home and the other entered the residence and started firing before blowing himself up. Shehzad was wounded in the attack and his wife was killed. Twenty-two others, including eight soldiers, also perished in the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility; however, al Qaeda and Taliban militants were likely behind the incident. On Monday, a joint operation between Inter-Services Intelligence, the country’s intelligence organization, and the Frontier Corps, led to the arrest of senior al Qaeda leader Younis al-Mauritani. (Sources: The New York Times and The Telegraph)

BOMBING IN NEW DELHI: A bomb hidden in a briefcase exploded outside a courthouse in New Delhi today. At least 10 people died in the attack and scores more were injured. At the time of this writing, no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. Wednesday’s blast was the second explosion at the High Court this year; in June, a car bomb detonated in the court’s parking lot. No casualties were reported in that incident. (Sources: BBC News and The New York Times and AP)

U.S.

IHOP ATTACK IN NEVADA: A fifth person died overnight from wounds suffered during a shooting rampage at an IHOP restaurant in Carson City, Nev., yesterday. While seven others were injured in the attack, the names of the victims have not yet been released.

Eduardo Sencion, 32, drove a blue minivan with a yellow “Support Our Troops” decal into an IHOP parking lot on Tuesday and shot a woman with an AK-47 assault rifle, police said. The gunman then entered the restaurant, walked over to a table where a group of National Guard members were eating breakfast and opened fire. Five of the 11 people shot were in uniform. Afterwards, Sencion fired at a nearby barbecue restaurant, an H&R Block and a casino before shooting himself in the head. He did not survive.

A motive for the shooting spree remains unknown. Although Sencion didn’t have a criminal record, or any known affiliation with the military, he did have a history of mental illness. In 2000, he was even committed to a mental health facility by Lake Tahoe police. When authorities searched his minivan, they found another rifle and a pistol inside. (Sources: Nevada Appeal and The Reno Gazette-Journal and The New York Times and AP and MSNBC)

GOP DEBATE IN CALIFORNIA: Seven Republican presidential candidates are expected to attend a debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley tonight. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Utah governor and ambassador to China Jon Huntsman Jr., former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), pizza restaurant magnate Herman Cain and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) will take the stage after being welcomed by former first lady Nancy Reagan. Texas Gov. Rick Perry is slated to appear, but may have to cancel in order to deal with the massive wildfires blazing in his home state. The debate will be moderated by NBC News anchor Brian Williams and POLITICO editor-in-chief John Harris. (Sources: MSNBC and POLITICO)

A GIFT FOR CARNEGIE MELLON: William S. Dietrich II, former chairman of Dietrich Industries, has pledged to give $265 million to Carnegie Mellon University. The gift, which will be used to expand the school’s programs, is one of the largest in recent years from an individual to a private university, and the largest in Carnegie Mellon’s history. The fund will become operational when Dietrich, 73, dies. In recognition of the gift, the university’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences will be named the Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences after Dietrich’s mother. (Sources: AP and Carnegie Mellon University)

ENTERTAINMENT

CELINE DION’S HOME INVADED: A 36-year-old man was arrested this week after allegedly breaking into the pop singer’s home near Montreal. Daniel Bedard reportedly raided the fridge and took the time to draw himself a bath before police apprehended him. Authorities believe Bedard jumped a fence to get on the property, then used a garage door opener he found inside an unlocked vehicle to gain access to the house. Dion, her husband Rene Angelil and their children were not at home during the invasion. Bedard was arraigned on Tuesday on charges of breaking and entering, auto theft and causing property damage. (Source: AP)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

PUBLIC OPINION

TODAY’S POLL: California lawmakers have voted to ban the sale, trade and possession of shark fins, a key ingredient in a traditional Chinese soup. Conservation groups praised the move as a way to curb the shark fin harvest, a practice that has contributed to the sharp decline in the creature’s population worldwide. Chinese American restaurateurs and traders lobbied against the bill, saying a ban on the ingredient would discriminate against a cultural tradition.

TUESDAY’S POLL: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently proposed that a significant boost in teacher salaries could transform public schools for the better by luring the country’s brightest college graduates into the profession.

HOLIDAYS

Sept. 7 is National Acorn Squash Day, National Neither Rain Nor Snow Day, Google Commemoration Day, Grandma Moses Day and Salami Day.

TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1927, TV pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth succeeded in transmitting an image through purely electronic means by using a device called an image dissector.

In 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, Ohio.

In 1979, ESPN made its cable TV debut.

BIRTHDAYS

* Actress Evan Rachel Wood, 24.
* Actress Shannon Elizabeth, 38.
* Boxer Shane Mosley, 40.
* Actor Tom Everett Scott, 41.
* Musician Chad Sexton (311), 41.
* Model/actress Angie Everhart, 42.
* Actress Diane Farr, 42.
* Author Jennifer Egan, 49.
* Musician Michael Feinstein, 55.
* Songwriter Diane Warren, 55.
* Actor Corbin Bernsen, 57.
* Actor Michael Emerson, 57.
* Musician Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), 58.
* Actress Julie Kavner, 60.
* Singer Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders), 60.
* Singer Gloria Gaynor, 62.
* Musician Sonny Rollins, 81.
* Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), 87.

NOTABLE DEATHS

* Banker/philanthropist J.P. Morgan, Jr., died in 1943 from a stroke. He was 75.
* Cartoonist Bud Fisher, who created “Mutt and Jeff,” died in 1954. Cause of death was not released. He was 69.
* Keith Moon, drummer for The Who, died in 1978 of a drug overdose. He was 32.
* Author James Clavell, who penned The Asian Saga, died in 1994 from a stroke. He was 69.
* Musician Warren Zevon died in 2003 of cancer. He was 56.

PHOTO SPOTLIGHT

(Photo by Dawn Huczek.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” –Jonathan Swift

The Bastrop fire. (Photo by Jon Lebkowsky.)

WILDFIRES IN TEXAS, CALIFORNIA: A massive wildfire has destroyed 476 homes in central Texas and forced the evacuation of at least 5,000 people. Fueled by drought conditions and wind gusts from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, the Bastrop County Complex fire east of Austin stretched for 16 miles on Monday. Despite the efforts of hundreds of firefighters, the blaze is currently zero percent contained, officials said.

“The thing that’s scary about this one is it’s moving so quickly and it’s jumped highways and rivers,” Julie Hart, a Bastrop City Council member and B&B owner, told The Los Angeles Times. “No one’s sure where it’s going to go. The winds are 20 to 30 mph and everywhere you look, there’s smoke.”

Since the traditional fire season began earlier in the year, firefighters have battled nearly 21,000 wildfires in Texas. Sixty separate fires continue to burn across the state. On Monday, the Bastrop fire prompted Gov. Rick Perry to leave South Carolina, where he was campaigning for the Republican nomination for president, and return to his home state to visit with fire survivors and appeal for federal aid.

In California, a wildfire burning just south of Tehachapi continued to grow. The Canyon fire started Sunday morning when a small plane crashed, killing the two occupants. Since then, it has destroyed 27 homes and outbuildings and blackened more than 8,600 acres of grass and woodlands. Last night, firefighting crews managed to contain about 10 percent of the blaze, though 650 residences are still threatened. Smaller fires were reported near North Mandeville Canyon Road in Los Angeles, in the Agua Dulce area, in the Verdugo Mountains, on Vinevalley Drive near Sun Valley and near North Canyonback Road in the Santa Monica Mountains. (Sources: Reuters and The Austin American-Statesman and The Blotter and BBC News and AP and The Los Angeles Times)

WORLD

STANDOFF IN AUSTRALIA: After more than 11 hours of negotiations, police raided an office building in western Sydney and arrested a 52-year-old man who was holding his daughter hostage.

According to a woman who worked at the reception desk in the Parramatta building, the hostage-taker approached her and asked to see someone she had never heard of. He then threw a book on her desk and ordered her to call the the state attorney-general’s department. “Tell them I’ve got a bomb in my backpack,” he said. She called police as he and a girl who called him “Dad” walked upstairs to a lawyer’s office.

Authorities spent all day negotiating with the suspect, who made several demands. During the tense siege, he appeared at a window, shirtless and wearing a barrister’s wig, and gestured to the growing crowd of onlookers. He later smashed the window with a bottle and shouted to police: “I don’t care if I die.”

The teenaged girl was released just minutes before the raid occurred. She has since been reunited with members of her family. (Sources: The Sydney Morning Herald and Stuff and AP and The Telegraph)

TALAS SLAMS INTO JAPAN: The death toll from Typhoon Talas, which swept across western Japan over the weekend, climbed to 37. More than 50 others have been reported missing, authorities said. Search and rescue teams have launched operations in Wakayama, where mudslides swallowed several homes and a river flooded into a residential area. (Sources: Voice of America and CNN)

U.S.

LEE BATTERS THE SOUTH: At least 100 homes were damaged by thunderstorms and possible tornadoes in suburban Atlanta on Monday as the slow-moving remnants of Tropical Storm Lee headed inland. Lee dumped up to a foot of rain on the Gulf Coast and Southeast over the weekend, flooding numerous roads and causing more than 200,000 to lose power. According to the Hydrometeorological Prediction Center, flash flood watches and warnings remain in effect from the Appalachians to New England. (Sources: Reuters and AP and The Weather Channel)

MISSING EXPLOSIVES RECOVERED: The explosives, which disappeared during a routine police training session last week at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, were found on Monday. Police had placed the explosives in Terminal 4 to train police dogs, but they were stolen by an “unknown individual.” A passing motorist later discovered the two half-pound orange-colored tubes set inside a blue Igloo cooler on a sidewalk in south Phoenix. He recognized the container from news reports, and called the authorities. (Sources: AP and The Arizona Republic)

SCIENCE

HURRICANE KATIA DOWNGRADED: Hurricane Katia weakened to a Category 3 storm today as it churned above the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane, which briefly hit Category 4 status overnight, is located about 400 miles south of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds near 125 mph. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center expect Katia to veer northeast away from the U.S., but that could change over the next few days. (Sources: The Weather Channel and AP)

ENTERTAINMENT

MDA TELETHON RAISES MILLIONS: Despite a weak economy and numerous natural disasters, the 46th annual Labor Day telethon managed to raise more than $61 million for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2010, the telethon raised $58.9 million to help the organization fight against progressive muscle diseases. This year’s event lacked the presence of comedian Jerry Lewis, who hosted the telethon for 45 years before retiring in May. Although he had planned to make a final appearance at the telethon, those plans were scrapped last month without explanation. (Sources: Reuters and MDA News)

LIFESTYLE

RECORD-BREAKING EARS: Harbor will receive the 2012 title for “longest ears on a living dog” today from the Guinness World Records. The 8-year-old coonhound from Boulder, Colo., has over two feet of ears; his left is 12.25 inches long and his right is 13.5 inches long. The former record-holder — an Illinois bloodhound named Tigger — died in 2009. Tigger still holds the record for longest ears ever; one was 13.5 inches long and the other was 13.75 inches long. (Sources: The Denver Post and Guinness World Records)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

PUBLIC OPINION

TODAY’S POLL: Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recently proposed that a significant boost in teacher salaries could transform public schools for the better by luring the country’s brightest college graduates into the profession.

THURSDAY’S POLL: More than 50 California cities and counties ban Styrofoam take-out containers commonly used in restaurants and grocery stores. Now a bill is being pushed through the legislature to make the ban state-wide.

HOLIDAYS

Sept. 6 is National Coffee Ice Cream Day, National Fight Procrastination Day and Read a Book Day.

TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1901, anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot and fatally wounded President William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y. McKinley died eight days later; Czolgosz was executed in October of that same year.

In 1949, Howard Unruh became the first U.S. single-episode mass murderer when he killed 13 neighbors in Camden, N.J.

In 1972, nine Israel athletes and a German police officer were killed at the Munich Olympic Games by the Palestinian “Black September” terrorist group. Two other Israeli athletes were slain in the initial attack the previous day.

BIRTHDAYS

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. (Official portrait.)

NOTABLE DEATHS

* Sex educator/nurse Margaret Sanger died in 1966 of heart failure. She was 86.
* Director Akira Kurosawa died in 1998 of a stroke. He was 88.
* Author Madeleine L’Engle died in 2007. Cause of death was not released. She was 88.
* Operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti died in 2007 of pancreatic cancer. He was 71.

PHOTO SPOTLIGHT

Full Moon Night. (Photo by Luiz A. Villa.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.” –President John F. Kennedy

DAM COLLAPSES IN NIGERIA: Heavy rains in southwestern Nigeria caused the Odo Ona River to overflow and the Eleyele dam to collapse. More than 100 people perished and several homes were swept away when the floodwaters submerged buildings in the city of Ibadan. Most of the victims were children.

While flooding is common in Nigeria during the rainy season, this year’s rains have been particularly heavy. About 2,000 people have been displaced, the Nigerian Red Cross said, and some victims in remote regions are still awaiting rescue.

Although the government has begun delivering aid to Ibadan and the surrounding areas, more help will be needed to assist residents and rebuild the infrastructure. (Sources: Al Jazeera English and BBC News and CNN)

WORLD

U.S. Army Soldiers from Bravo Troop, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division breach the gate of a house during a mission in Ar Raqqah, Iraq, July, 6, 2007. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Steve Czyz.)

NO U.S. DEATHS IN IRAQ: For the first time since the U.S. invasion of Iraq eight years ago, an entire month has passed without a single American casualty. “If you had thought about a month without a death back during the surge in 2007, it would have been pretty hard to imagine because we were losing soldiers every day, dozens a week,” Col. Douglas Crissman told The New York Times. At least 48,000 American troops are currently serving in Iraq. More than 4,400 U.S. service personnel have died there since 2003. (Source: AFP)

KEY SUMMIT ON LIBYA: World leaders will gather in Paris today to discuss the conflict in Libya and the country’s transition to democracy. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, British Prime Minister David Cameron and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are expected to attend the “Friends of Libya” forum. The National Transitional Council, which many countries now recognize as Libya’s new legitimate government, is expected to press for more assets to be unfrozen. In the meantime, the NTC is still facing a threat from forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi. The former Libyan leader’s whereabouts are unknown. (Source: BBC News)

NED KELLY’S REMAINS IDENTIFIED: A team of forensic scientists have identified the headless remains of Australia’s most infamous criminal. The notorious bank robber’s bones were among those exhumed in 2009 from a mass grave at Pentridge prison in Melbourne. Although Kelly was hanged in 1880 for murder, his final resting place has long been a mystery. (Sources: The Sydney Morning Herald and MSNBC)

U.S.

NONPROFIT SUED BY WASHINGTON D.C.: The office of the D.C. attorney general filed suit this week against Cornell Jones, a former drug kingpin who founded the nonprofit organization Miracle Hands. The District claims Miracle Hands used more than $300,000 in city grants that were supposed to fund a job training center for people with HIV/AIDS to renovate a strip club. More than $1 million in reimbursements, penalties and damages are sought. (Source: The Washington Post)

BUSINESS/TECHNOLOGY

SOLAR FIRM SHUTS DOWN: Solyndra, a Silicon Valley maker of solar power arrays, ceased operations on Aug. 31 and laid off all 1,100 of its employees. The company, which received $527 million in loans from the federal government as part of the 2009 stimulus package, blamed the decision to close on slowing demand, stiffer competition and tough global business conditions. Two other U.S. solar companies, Evergreen Solar and SpectraWatt, also sought bankruptcy protection in August. (Source: San Jose Mercury News and The New York Times)

OBITUARIES

WADE BELAK DIES: The Canadian enforcer was found dead on Aug. 31 in a Toronto hotel and condo complex. Cause of death was not released, but police said foul play was not suspected. He was 35. The 6-foot-5, 222-pound Belak played 549 games in the N.H.L. as part of the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators. He retired in March and was scheduled to work as a sideline reporter in Tennessee this coming season. Belak was in Toronto to film the third season of “Battle of the Blades,” a reality TV show that mixes hockey and figure skating. (Sources: NHL.com and CBC and The Canadian Press)

ENTERTAINMENT

‘PHANTOM’ ACTOR EXITS, STAGE RIGHT: After 23 years of playing Monsieur Andre in the Broadway production of “The Phantom of the Opera,” George Lee Andrews plans to make one final curtain call on Saturday. The 68-year-old original cast member, who appeared in “Phantom” a whopping 9,382 times, currently holds the Guinness World Records title for the most performances in the same Broadway show. His son-in-law, Aaron Galligan-Stierle, will take over the part on Sept. 5. (Source: AP)

SPORTS

CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST BARRY BONDS: The U.S. attorney’s office has filed court papers dismissing the three remaining perjury charges against the MLB’s all-time home runs leader. Although he was convicted of obstructing justice during his 2003 testimony about his use of performance-enhancing drugs, a jury deadlocked on the three perjury counts. A judge recently upheld the slugger’s obstruction conviction; he now faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. (Sources: The San Francisco Chronicle and MLB.com)

VENUS OUT OF U.S. OPEN: Two-time U.S. Open champion Venus Williams withdrew from the tournament on Wednesday after revealing she had been diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome. The autoimmune disease, which usually causes fatigue, sore joints, dry eyes and dry mouth, has sapped the 31-year-old tennis champ’s strength this summer, making it too difficult for her to continue playing, she said. Williams defeated Vesna Dolonts of Russia 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the tournament. (Sources: The New York Times and AP)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

PUBLIC OPINION

TODAY’S POLL: More than 50 California cities and counties ban Styrofoam take-out containers commonly used in restaurants and grocery stores. Now a bill is being pushed through the legislature to make the ban state-wide.

WEDNESDAY’S POLL:

HOLIDAYS

Sept. 1 is National Cherry Popover Day, National Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day and Emma M. Nutt Day.

TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1939, World War II began as Nazi Germany invaded Poland.

In 1969, a coup in Libya brought Moammar Gadhafi to power.

In 2004, more than 1,100 people were taken hostage by heavily armed Chechen militants at a school in Beslan in southern Russia. At the end of the three-day ordeal, more than 330 people, most of them children, were dead.

BIRTHDAYS

* Football player Clinton Portis, 30.
* Actor Scott Speedman, 36.
* TV host/cookbook author Padma Lakshmi, 41.
* Former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers, 50.
* Astronaut Christopher Ferguson, 50.
* Singer Gloria Estefan, 54.
* Talk show host Phil McGraw, 61.
* Musician Greg Errico (Sly & the Family Stone), 63.
* Singer Barry Gibb (The Bee Gees), 65.
* Author C.J. Cherryh, 69.
* Comedian/actress Lily Tomlin, 72.
* Attorney Alan Dershowitz, 73.

NOTABLE DEATHS

* Singer/songwriter R.L. Burnside died in 2005. Cause of death was not released. He was 78.
* Voiceover artist Don LaFontaine died in 2008 of pneumothorax. He was 68.

PHOTO SPOTLIGHT

(Photo by Darren Hester.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“What do dreams know of boundaries?” –Amelia Earhart

Houses were severely damaged in Bethel, Vt., after Hurricane Irene.
(Photo by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region.)

THE AFTERMATH OF IRENE: Hurricane Irene may end up being one of the 10 costliest catastrophes in U.S. history. Industry experts currently put the storm’s damage at $7 billion to $10 billion; however, much of that destruction may not be covered by insurance because it was caused by flooding and not winds. Flooding is often excluded from standard insurance policies.

Hurricane Irene made landfall on Saturday morning in North Carolina, moved northward along the coast then slammed into Little Egg Inlet, N.J., as a Category 1 storm. Despite predictions, Irene then lost steam as it lumbered toward New England. But its torrential rains and strong winds still managed to cause significant damage. Three days after the storm, rivers and inland streams continue to rise, forcing thousands of homeowners and businesses to evacuate.

President Barack Obama has issued emergency declarations for North Carolina, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont. Teams from the Federal Emergency Management Agency also have been dispatched to help coordinate rescue and recovery efforts in places where epic floods destroyed towns, roads and bridges.

On Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie toured areas flooded by the swollen Passaic River, which crested at its second highest level on record. “I saw extraordinary despair,” Gov. Christie said. “For these communities that have lost everything, relief cannot come soon enough.”

At the time of this writing, Irene has been blamed for at least 44 deaths in 13 states. More than 2.5 million people are still without power.

Tropical Storm Katia, the 11th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic season, is expected to become a hurricane today, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm, which is currently in the open Atlantic about 1,700 miles east-southeast of the Leeward Islands, has maximum sustained winds of about 60 mph. (Source: The New York Times and The FEMA Blog and The Detroit Free Press and This Just In)

HOW TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF IRENE

Although local, state and federal government agencies are already heading to the areas most devastated by Hurricane Irene, several relief organizations have mobilized to assist storm victims. Here’s how you can help:

* AmeriCares is assessing potential needs and preparing to send medicines and supplies to hard-hit areas. To support their hurricane relief efforts, make a donation online.

* The ASPCA helped to evacuate nearly 100 animals from shelters affected by Hurricane Irene. To support their efforts, make a donation online.

* Feeding America is preparing to send truckloads of food, water and supplies to communities affected by Irene. To help, make a donation online.

* The Red Cross has thousands of disaster workers aiding residents from North Carolina to New England. To make a donation, visit the website or give $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999. Standard message rates apply. If you’re available to help in person, visit your local Red Cross chapter and volunteer or give blood.

Disasters often bring out criminals who prey on the needs of survivors. If you suspect anyone –- an inspector, disaster survivor or someone posing as one of these -– of fraudulent activities, call the FEMA Disaster Fraud Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or your local law enforcement officials.

WORLD

VIOLENCE IN PAKISTAN: A suicide car bomber attacked Shiite Muslims after Eid prayers in southwestern Pakistan today. The bomber was targeting a Shiite mosque in Quetta but couldn’t get close enough to the building because the road was blocked, so he detonated his explosives in the parking lot instead. The worshippers were heading home after morning prayers when the blast occurred. At least 10 died and 17 more were injured, officials said. At the time of this writing, no militant organization has claimed responsibility for the bombing. (Sources: Voice of America and AP)

CASINO ATTACK IN MEXICO: Mexican officials are searching for seven more suspects for the arson fire at a casino that killed 52 people on Aug. 25. A group of gunmen stormed the Casino Royale in Monterrey, Mexico, doused the place with gasoline and set it on fire. Five alleged members of the Zetas drug cartel have already been arrested in the case. (Source: AP)

GRISLY DISCOVERY IN B.C.: A human foot and leg bone were found yesterday, floating along the shore of False Creek in Vancouver, Canada. Authorities have no theories as to how the body parts ended up washing ashore or who they belong to. In the past four years, nearly a dozen feet encased in shoes have washed up near Vancouver, along the southern Georgia Strait and off Washington state. Most of the remains are still unidentified. (Sources: AP and The Vancouver Sun)

U.S.

President Barack Obama. (Photo provided by The White House.)

WILDFIRES IN OKLAHOMA, TEXAS: Strong winds fueled wildfires in two states, forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate. In Oklahoma, the fires destroyed 10 to 12 structures and burned down several utility poles, knocking out power to more than 7,000 homes and businesses. Another blaze in north Texas has consumed at least 20 homes as well as 3,500 acres. Tall flames and black smoke also prompted authorities to shut down part of the state highway. Cause of the fires is still under investigation, but both states have suffered from severe drought conditions and a summer heat wave. (Sources: The Oklahoman and AP)

BLAME FOR GAS DISASTER: The main cause of the natural gas pipeline rupture that killed eight people and burned down three dozen houses last September in San Bruno, Calif., was mismanagement, the National Transportation Safety Board said. The five-member board blamed the Pacific Gas & Electric Company for installing a bad pipe in 1956, failing to inspect the finished product and unsuccessfully maintaining accurate records or accessing risk. The board also denounced state and federal regulators for not noticing problems with the pipeline. (Sources: The Los Angeles Times and The New York Times)

BUSINESS/TECHNOLOGY

HACKERS ATTACK WIKILEAKS WEBSITE: WikiLeaks.org suffered a denial of service attack on Tuesday, shortly after the whistleblower site released tens of thousands of once-secret State Department cables. The files were particularly controversial because the names of confidential informants were not redacted. While fighting off the cyberattack, WikiLeaks used its Twitter feed to encourage readers to search for the files on a mirror site. (Source: AP)

ENTERTAINMENT

ED O’NEILL HONORED WITH STAR: The Emmy-nominated actor, who currently stars in the ABC sitcom “Modern Family,” received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday. O’Neill, 65, is best known for playing shoe salesman Al Bundy on the long-running FOX comedy “Married With Children.” Interestingly, his star was placed in front of the DSW shoe store on Hollywood Boulevard. “This is overwhelming,” he said. “I want to thank the fans for being here. No fans, no show, no career.” (Source: AceShowbiz and AP)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

PUBLIC OPINION

TODAY’S POLL:

TUESDAY’S POLL: Virgin Atlantic recently polled its Facebook friends on the 10 top recent films that made travelers cry. “Toy Story 3,” “The Blind Side” and “Eat, Pray, Love” topped the list.

HOLIDAYS

Aug. 31 is National Eat Outside Day and National Trail Mix Day.

TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1803, explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark started their expedition to the west.

In 1888, Mary Ann Nichols was found murdered in London’s East End. She is generally regarded as the first victim of serial killer Jack the Ripper.

In 2009, the Walt Disney Co. announced it was acquiring comic book giant Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion.

BIRTHDAYS

Richard Gere. (Photo by Rob Rich.)

NOTABLE DEATHS

* French poet Charles Baudelaire died in 1867. Cause of death was not released. He was 46.
* Boxer Rocky Marciano, former heavyweight champion of the world, died in 1969 in a plane crash. He was 45.
* Director John Ford died in 1973. Cause of death was not released. He was 79.
* Diana, Princess of Wales, and her companion, Dodi Fayed, died in 1997 in a car crash. She was 36 and he was 42.

PHOTO SPOTLIGHT

(Photo by Fedgrafo via MorgueFile.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” –Vincent Van Gogh

Flooding in Schenectady, N.Y., after Hurricane Irene. (Photo by Doug Kerr.)

THE AFTERMATH OF IRENE: The death toll from Hurricane Irene has climbed past 40. Hundreds more remain trapped in communities cut off by raging floodwaters that washed out or damaged roads and bridges.

Hurricane Irene made landfall on Saturday morning in North Carolina, moved northward along the coast then slammed into Little Egg Inlet, N.J., as a Category 1 storm. Despite predictions, Irene then lost steam as it lumbered toward New England. But its torrential rains and strong winds still managed to cause significant damage.

Life has mostly returned to normal in Washington D.C. and New York City, but in other parts of New York, New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Vermont, epic floods have destroyed entire towns and knocked out power to nearly 5 million homes and businesses. It may take several weeks for the most severely damaged areas to get electricity again, utility companies said. Due to a massive backlog at airports along the East Coast, travelers who were stranded by the storm could spend the next week trying to find their way home.

Early estimates put Irene’s damage at $7 billion to $10 billion. However, with less than $1 billion currently available for disaster relief, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was forced to temporarily suspend payments to the southern states that were damaged during the spring by a series of tornadoes. The Obama administration will likely have to request supplemental funding from Congress. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said any new money for FEMA must be offset by spending cuts elsewhere.

Tropical Storm Katia, the 11th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic season, has already formed. According to the National Hurricane Center, Katia is expected to be near hurricane strength by late Wednesday or early Thursday. (Sources: The New York Times and CNN and The Hill’s Floor Action Blog and AP)

HOW TO HELP THE VICTIMS OF IRENE

Although local, state and federal government agencies are already heading to the areas most devastated by Hurricane Irene, several relief organizations have also mobilized to assist storm victims. Here’s how you can help:

* AmeriCares is assessing potential needs and preparing to send medicines and supplies to hard-hit areas. To support their hurricane relief efforts, make a donation online.

* The ASPCA helped to evacuate nearly 100 animals from shelters affected by Hurricane Irene. To support their efforts, make a donation online.

* Feeding America is preparing to send truckloads of food, water and supplies to communities affected by Irene. To help, make a donation online.

* The Red Cross has thousands of disaster workers aiding residents from North Carolina to New England. To make a donation, visit the website or give $10 by texting REDCROSS to 90999. Standard message rates apply. If you’re available to help in person, visit your local Red Cross chapter and volunteer or give blood.

WORLD

Soldier with Troop B, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Redhorse scans a hilltop during a search of the Qual-e Jala village in Afghanistan. (Photo by The U.S. Army.)

VIOLENCE IN AFGHANISTAN: August was officially the deadliest month for U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan. Sixty-six troops have died so far this month, including 30 who perished in a helicopter crash on Aug. 6. Twenty-three others died in Kandahar and Helmand provinces in the southern part of the country where Afghan and U.S.-led forces are attempting to drive out militants and restore order. The remaining 13 were killed in eastern Afghanistan. The previous record of 65 deaths occurred in July 2010. (Source: AP)

AIRCRAFT COLLIDE ABOVE LITHUANIA: A French NATO jet and a Lithuanian military plane collided midair during a training exercise in northern Lithuania today. The pilots in the Lithuanian L-39 Albatros ejected before the plane crashed. They were taken to the hospital for examinations. The French Mirage 2000C fighter jet landed safely after the collision. The incident is currently under investigation. (Sources: Sky News and AP)

UPRISING IN LIBYA: Opposition forces are demanding the return of Moammar Gadhafi’s family, who escaped to Algeria yesterday. The rebels called the acceptance of the former Libyan leader’s wife Safia, his daughter Aisha and his sons Hannibal and Mohammed an act of aggression and vowed to seek the Gadhafis’ extradition. The Algerian government has not yet recognized the rebel National Transitional Council as Libya’s legitimate authority. A week after his overthrow, the whereabouts of the former dictator remain a mystery. (Source: Reuters)

U.S.

Katelyn Markham. (Photo provided by Crimestoppers.)

Markham is 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 130 pounds. She has brown hair with blond streaks and green eyes. On Monday, the reward for information regarding Markham’s whereabouts was increased from $5,000 to $25,000. Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at (513) 352-3040 or Fairfield police at (513) 829-8201. (Sources: WLWT.com and The Dayton Daily News and Facebook)

HEALTH

EXPOSURE CASE ROCKS WIS. CLINIC: A nurse who allegedly spent years improperly using diabetic injection devices may have potentially exposed patients to blood-borne diseases. An internal investigation revealed that the former employee used insulin pens and finger stick devices “inappropriately” during patient training. The Dean Clinic in Madison is now trying to contact more than 2,300 patients who saw the nurse between 2006 and 2011. All are being urged to come in for testing for HIV as well as hepatitis B and C. (Sources: WKOW.com and AP)

L.A. PORN INDUSTRY SHUTS DOWN: Studios that specialize in creating adult entertainment have temporarily halted production after a performer tested positive for HIV. Actors who performed with the potentially infected person have been notified so they can be retested. To prevent spread of the disease, adult film actors working in California must be tested every 30 days and show proof of a negative test before they perform. (Source: The Los Angeles Times)

ENTERTAINMENT

‘DWTS’ CAST ANNOUNCED: The latest roster of famous people to compete on the reality TV show “Dancing With the Stars” was announced on Monday. The ABC program pairs celebrities with professional dancers and makes them compete for the approval of judges and home viewers. This year’s cast includes:

* HLN personality Nancy Grace
* Chaz Bono, son of singers Cher and the late Sonny Bono
* Basketball player Ron Artest
* Former talk show host Ricki Lake
* Singer/actress Chynna Phillips
* Actor David Arquette
* Style expert Carson Kressley
* Iraq War veteran and actor J.R. Martinez
* Actress Elisabetta Canalis
* Actress Kristin Cavallari
* Rob Kardashian, the brother of reality TV stars Kim, Kourtney and Khloe
* Soccer player Hope Solo

The new season starts Sept. 19. (Source: Reuters)

SPORTS

JAVARIS CRITTENTON ARRESTED: The former NBA player was arrested at a Southern California airport last night before boarding a flight to Atlanta. Crittenton, who was suspended from the league for having guns in a locker room, was booked on suspicion of being a fugitive from justice. He is currently wanted for murder in the Aug. 19 shooting death of Jullian Jones, a 22-year-old mother of four. Police believe she was not the intended target. Crittenton pleaded guilty in 2010 to a misdemeanor gun charge and received a year of unsupervised probation. He is currently on the roster of the NBA developmental league’s Dakota Wizards. (Sources: The Los Angeles Times and AP)

VIDEO OF THE DAY

PUBLIC OPINION

TODAY’S POLL: Virgin Atlantic recently polled its Facebook friends on the 10 top recent films that made travelers cry. “Toy Story 3,” “The Blind Side” and “Eat, Pray, Love” topped the list.

MONDAY’S POLL:

HOLIDAYS

Aug. 30 is International Day of the Disappeared, National Marshmallow Toasting Day, Eid al-Fitr and Frankenstein Day.

TODAY IN HISTORY

In 1918, Fanny Kaplan shot and seriously injured Bolshevik leader Vladimir Lenin. This, along with the assassination of Bolshevik senior official Moisei Uritsky days earlier, prompted the decree for Red Terror.

In 1963, the Hotline between the leaders of the U.S. and the Soviet Union went into operation.

In 1967, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first African-American justice on the Supreme Court.

BIRTHDAYS

* Tennis player Andy Roddick, 29.
* Journalist Lisa Ling, 38.
* Actress Cameron Diaz, 39.
* Musician Lars Frederiksen (Rancid), 40.
* Actor Michael Chiklis, 48.
* DJ Paul Oakenfold, 48.
* Actor David Paymer, 57.
* Basketball Hall of Famer Robert Parish, 58.
* Comedian Lewis Black, 63.
* Actress Peggy Lipton, 64.
* Cartoonist R. Crumb, 68.
* Olympic skier Jean-Claude Killy, 68.
* Warren Buffett, CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, 81.
* Actor Bill Daily, 84.

NOTABLE DEATHS

* Cosmetician Max Factor, Sr., died in 1938. Cause of death was not released. He was 61.
* Musician Sterling Morrison (The Velvet Underground) died in 1995. Cause of death was not released. He was 53.
* Actor Charles Bronson died in 2003 of pneumonia. He was 81.
* Astronomer Fred Lawrence Whipple died in 2004. He was 97.
* Custom motorcycle builder Indian Larry died in 2004 in an accident. He was 55.

PHOTO SPOTLIGHT

(Photo by Tim Geers.)

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Opportunity knocks at the strangest times. It’s not the time that matters But how you answer the door.” –Steve Gray