The big story today was John McCain’s decision to put his campaign for the American presidency on pause in order to focus his attention on the country’s financial system crisis. He asked political rival Barack Obama to join him and to postpone Friday’s presidential debate. Obama refused, saying now is the time to lay out both candidates’ plans in front of voters. The debate is to go on as scheduled.

In NFL news, the president of the Detroit Lions, Matt Millen, was fired after the Lions lost the first three games of the season. The New York Giants suspended Plaxico Burress for two weeks, allegedly for missing practice. Burress will miss one game, against the Seattle Seahawks. Finally, New York Giants radio broadcaster Dick Lynch has died at the age of 72.

Lindsay Lohan is back in the gossip news for her high profile romance with DJ Samantha Ronson. The young actress has confirmed that she is gay and in love with Ronson, who is ten years her senior. Rumors about the pair include their purchasing a New York penthouse together and an impending marriage.

With the presidential election only 41 days away, keep up to date with our pages on the Presidential Polls and the Electoral Vote Map. They are great to refer to right up to November 4th!

Check out Mahalo.com for more news, gossip, sports and politics!

Today is the 7th anniversary of the September 11th terrorists attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain will make an appearance at ground zero to commemorate the anniversary. Also, the country’s first memorial to those lost in the attacks, the 9-11 Pentagon Memorial, was unveiled today in front of the Pentagon.

In other news, Hurricane Ike continued to barrel down on the Texas coast with 100mph winds, causing local authorities to call for the evacuation of Brazoria County, including the Houston and Galveston areas. Check back in with Mahalo for continuing updates on the storms progress.

In celebrity news, rap star Kanye West was arrested at LAX airport for assaulting a member of the paparazzi and smashing their video camera.

For more top stories, news and great links, check out Mahalo.com

Technology and sports topped the news of the day. Apple’s Let’s Rock event promoted several new releases, including iTunes 8 (featuring “Genius“), the iPod Nano 4G and iPhone Firmware 2.1.

The day after the Patriots lost Tom Brady for the season, the Titans’ Vince Young had some problems of his own. After friends were unable to track down the QB, the Titans alerted police in an effort to find him.

Barack Obama found himself in some hot water for his “Lipstick on a Pig” quote, as many see it as a reference to Sarah Palin’s convention quote about hockey moms.

Looking for offbeat news? A thief in Fresno, California, attacked two farmworkers with sausage and spices this week. Apparently, nobody was hurt, though the offending sausage was consumed by a dog before it could be taken as evidence.

Check back tomorrow for the latest in Mahalo’s search results!