The financial markets continued to go haywire on Thursday, with the sale of struggling Washington Mutual to J.P. Morgan. In the midst of the crisis, lawmakers have still not reached an agreement on the mortgage bailout plan.

Though John McCain and Barack Obama have temporarily “suspended” their campaigns, the American public certainly hasn’t. Comedian Sarah Silverman is promoting The Great Schlep, encouraging young Jews across America to travel to Florida to convince their elderly relatives to vote for Obama.

With economic relief nowhere on the horizon, Americans can still indulge in television. Tonight sees the season premiere of Grey’s Anatomy on ABC and the premiere of The Office on NBC.

Not laughing yet? Then you might need the 2009 Naked Clown Calendar, the proceeds of which go to benefit the Judy Finelli Fund, striving to discover a cure and treatments for multiple sclerosis.

If you missed it, check out Mahalo Daily’s coverage of the Eagle Eye premiere. Mahalo Daily co-host Lon Harris interviews Kristin Cavallari, Michelle Monaghan and Rosario Dawson.

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!

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!

The news on Friday was dominated by national politics. The night after Barack Obama’s Democratic nomination acceptance speech, John McCain announced his running mate, Alaskan governor Sarah Palin. A more controversial selection than it may have been a few weeks ago, Palin is under investigation by the state of Alaska for alleged abuse of powers.

In celebrity news, American Idol Carrie Underwood and Michael Phelps are set to go on a date. Sources say that Phelps is “smitten” with the country singer.

The New York Times printed a Fake Diary by Woody Allen, promoting his new film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. The diary pokes fun at the accommodations in Barcelona and Allen’s own reputation as a fan of young women.

Actor David Duchovny suffers from sexual addiction. He has entered a rehabilitation facility seeking treatment.

Music lovers can soon pick up a new set of Hohner harmonicas designed by Bob Dylan. These limited edition titles will be called the Bob Dylan signature series.

Last but not least, Mahalo.com has a new entry in our “Best of” series. This one humorously details the Best Fictional Cops of the small and big screens. Leave a comment on the message board if your favorite fake cop isn’t listed here.

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