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!

More troubling economic news broke as insurance company AIG gave 80% of its company to the federal government in exchange for an 85 billion dollar two year loan, and rumors of a Morgan Stanley-Wachovia merger swirl.

Dan Gheesling was announced the winner of Big Brother 10 in the show’s finale on Tuesday night.

Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin and Katie Couric will sit down for an interview set to air September 29 and 30 on CBS’s news programs.

One more celebrity arrest for the annals: Ryan O’Neal and his son Redmond were both arrested for drug possession today in Malibu, California.

Read more of the day’s hot stories at Mahalo.com!

A new political scandal broke today when news of U.S. government employees allegedly trading sex and gifts for special treatment regarding oil fees broke. Go to Mahalo to read more on the so-called “sex for oil scandal.”

Hurricane Ike is making its way across the Gulf of Mexico. Watch Ike’s projected path.

The massive “big bang experiment” went underway today with the activation of CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

Mahalo’s coverage of TechCrunch50 wrapped up on the conference’s last day. The winner, Yammer, was chosen from the 52 companies that presented their visions at the event for tech start-ups.

Special correspondent Andrea Rene takes viewers on a tour of the Hollywood Farmer’s Market to learn about organic food in today’s Mahalo Daily.

Read more about today’s top searches and stories on 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!

If you’re tired of reading about all of the scandalous stories regarding Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and are looking for some more in-depth information on her stances on a range of political topics, check out our pages on her views on Abortion, ANWR, the NRA, Alaskan Independence and Creationism.

If you’re tired of Politics in general, and are looking for some sunny escapism in a familiar Southern California ZIP code, then check out the early reviews for the new version of 90210. If spoiled rich kids gossiping around the pool isn’t your thing, then check out our guide to the Fall 2008 television schedule for other viewing options.

And, if you’re feeling really extreme, check out this video of a skateboarder reaching 62 mph on a motorway in Germany.

For more great links, check out Mahalo.com.

The blog world was a-buzz throughout the day with news of Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter, Bristol. She will reportedly be marrying Levi Johnston, the father. Johnston is also scheduled to appear with the Palin’s at the Republican National Convention.

Politics wasn’t the only gossip of the day, however. News also broke of a potential relationship between Anne Hathaway and Josh Lucas. We are also saddened to report that we now live in a world without voice-over performer Don LaFontaine.

This week has also seen some new episodes of popular shows. The Gossip Girl season premiere and the Prison Break season premiere both aired on Labor Day.

This morning’s episode of Mahalo Daily detailed some great techniques for improving your golf swing. That Leah D’Emilio. What wacky hijinx will she get herself mixed up in next?

Photo By C.K. Sample

Today Wired editor-in-chief Chris Anderson joined us for lunch to discuss his upcoming book Free. Anderson’s previous book The Long Tail a renowned title that covers the role technology plays in modern business and culture.

We captured the presentation via our Ustream channel and have made the archived video available below.

Part I:
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Part II:
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