Vice Presidential candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden went toe to toe on Thursday October 2, 2008, in their first and only debate before the general election in November. The two sparred on foreign policy, the economy and other tangential topics like gay marriage and Iraq.

Though a CNN/Opinion Research poll shows Biden as the winner by a small margin, there were few fireworks during the debate and neither candidate landed a decisive blow. The poll also showed that Palin performed better than expected, especially in light of her recent fumbles in the press. Palin went as far as to say that Couric “annoyed” her with her quizzy questions.

Remains of adventurer Steve Fossett were finally found on October 2, 2008, amongst his plain’s wreckage in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. DNA tests are pending, but Fossett is thought to be dead. He first went missing in September 2007.

The House of Representatives approved (263-171) the $700 billion bailout bill today, after initially rejecting the bill on September 29. The bill gives the Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson free reign to purchase flailing financial institutions, in what is being dubbed the biggest act of governmental intervention on record. According to an article on SFGate.com, the bill was repackaged to include billions in earmarks and tax breaks for home-town interests in the Senate, two examples being: $2 million for wooden arrow manufacturers in Oregon, and the extension of a tax break worth $478 million for Hollywood filmmakers who shoot in the U.S.

In somewhat lighter news, a user with the handle “johntw” purported a hoax through CNN’S iReport system that Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) had a heart attack. This caused Apple’s stock to temporarily plummet, falling below $100 per share. Apple’s stock has recovered, and Steve Jobs is fine.

Need some games to dig into over the weekend? Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the action-adventure title that lets you violently wield the force, has broken sales records and defied reviews (check out our full game guide). Or, if you would like to be terrified, Silent Hill: Homecoming, the fifth title in the chilling Silent Hill series, was released this past week (game guide is pending).

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!

Sarah Palin spoke at the Republican Convention on September 3. Mahalo has gathered key quotes from her speech and linked to a video of the talk.

The sad case of missing toddler Caylee Anthony continues. The latest news is that chloroform was found in her mother’s car.

Mahalo is tracking the projected paths of Hurricanes Ike and Josephine. Stay tuned to see where these storms head!

In entertainment news, Oprah herself may appear on 30 Rock this fall. Fans are breathlessly awaiting the inevitable Liz Lemon/Oprah showdown.

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.