Hurricane Earl continues to wreak havoc as it moves up the East Coast. Despite being downgraded to a Category 3 storm with winds clocked at 125 mph, Earl is expected to majorly disrupt travel plans this Labor Day weekend. We check in with people who are living in areas expected to be hit by the storm.

With the unemployment rate over nine percent, many people are being forced to do just about any job, even if that means taking a serious cut in pay. This is part of a trend toward growth in low-skilled and low-wage jobs, according to a new study by the National Employment Law Project, which found that job expansion so far has been skewed toward industries whose median wages fall below $15 an hour. Some fear it is a trend that is likely to continue, even as the economy improves.

The new Will Ferrell comedy “The Other Guys” is the top grossing movie in theaters right now, but it’s the movie credits that are getting an extraordinary bout of attention.

Police believe there is a serial killer on the loose in the vicinity of Flint, Michigan. Law enforcement officials say they believe the killer to be responsible for the deaths of five men as well as attacks on more than a dozen others. All but two of the attacker's victims were black, but authorities in Michigan are not saying the motives of the killer are racial. The attacker may also be involved in a spate of recent attacks in Virginia and Ohio.

On the face of it, prices going down seems like it could be a good thing. However, as economists await Friday's monthly jobs report, they're worried about the dreaded deflation. To help get a sense from our listeners, we're looking for your personal jobs report: Do you feel secure in your job, if you have one? If you're still looking, has it gotten any harder? Easier? Let us know in the comments section below.

Two long serving African-American House lawmakers have run into ethics problems, and some in Washington say they are being unfairly targeted based on their race.

For many politicians along the Gulf Coast, the oil spill has had an unexpected positive spillover effect – increased exposure and popularity. With the clear exception of BP and its doomed CEO, Tony Hayward, the oil spill has given politicians the opportunity to bond more closely with their constituents along the Gulf Coast.

Tennessee became the first state to pass a law which allows businesses to require their employees to speak English at work. Tennessee is leading a trend seen by a number of cities throughout the country, which are implementing laws that allow English-only rules in one form or another.

The Al-Qaida branch in Yemen has reportedly launched an English-language magazine, called Inspire. The group, which has been linked to the failed Christmas airline bombing attempt over Detroit, posted a few pages of the magazine on jihadist websites, including a front cover tease on how to "make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom."

In honor of Sen. Robert Byrd, flags at the White House will be flown at half-staff. Today, his body will lie in the Senate chamber before being flown to West Virginia for a memorial service. Friday, there will be a public viewing at a memorial attended by Congressional leaders and President Obama and then the body will return to Washington D.C. for a burial where he will be laid to rest next to his wife, Emma.

General David Petraeus was confirmed by the Senate yesterday as General Stanley McChrystal's replacement as top commander for U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. A demoralized army, an inept Afghan government seen as hopelessly corrupt, increasingly skeptical international partners, a disinterested American public, a report that American taxpayer money has inadvertently been funneled to Afghan warlords, and a new torrent of violence resulting in 100 military casualities over that last month are among the panoply of challenges Petraeus faces when he touches down in Afghanistan.

General Stanley McChrystal resigned his job as top U.S. commander in Afghanistan after disparaging remarks he made about President Obama, among others, were published in Rolling Stone magazine.

Does military culture always involve speaking out about your superiors, or was this just an unusual one-off at a very high level?

Tony Hayward, the much-criticized CEO of BP, faced angry lawmakers on Capital Hill yesterday for the first time since the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Hayward stuck closely to his prepared statements, ducking many of the questions posed to him, but in the course of the questioning, we did learn some important things about the oil spill and the political fallout it's causing.

Takeaway Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, attended the hearings and shares his impressions.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 83-79 in a nail-biter final at the Los Angeles Staples Center last night. 

Former labor secretary under President Clinton, Robert Reich, says the Obama administration should take over BP’s operations in the Gulf of Mexico until the oil well is plugged, comparing it to the government’s takeover of the carmaker GM last year. In a blog post on his website, he writes that this would ensure that “the firm would unambiguously be working in the public’s interest."

Satirist, voice actor and radio host Harry Shearer spends much of his time in New Orleans. As the BP oil well continues to spew into the Gulf, he looks at the effect of the disaster on the culture of the city. In a region where the sea food industry co-exists with oil, he says it's becoming impossible to trust either the government or the private sector.

BP's blundering CEO, Tony Hayward is facing heat for his insensitivity. At a press conference last month, he said of the spill, "There's no one who wants this over more than I do. I want my life back." The statement outraged many and some are calling for his resignation. Louisiana congressman Charlie Melancon has even put a petition online – in what he called Tony Hayward’s pink slip.

Two disasters, two presidents, one city. Even though the Gulf oil spill hasn't directly hit New Orleans, it's hard not to think of the disaster in the context of the Hurricane that hit the same region five years ago. Historian Douglas Brinkley says its residents are in a state of "permanent stress." But, he says, he's more angry now because this disaster was man made. New Orleans is Brinkley's adopted home town and he assesses President Obama's response so far.

Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen declared a war on the gusher over the weekend as BP continued its attempts to curb the spill. Meanwhile, a device put in place on Friday on top of the blown-out well is working to collect 10,000 barrels of oil per day. While that's still only a portion of the oil spewing from the well, BP head Tony Hayward says the cap could eventually capture 90 percent of the oil. However, the longterm effects are still daunting.

The national home improvement chain, Lowe's has a new benefit for its employees with heart problems — free surgery at one of the country’s top hospitals. The North Carolina-based chain has reached a three-year agreement with the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, which can save Lowe’s employees several thousands of dollars.