Bill Strenghtens
Hurricane Bill is now packing winds of 135 miles per hour... but it is an American storm, so about 120 of that MPH is borrowed from China.



Favre Joins Vikes
Brett Favre has signed a two-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings. The deal includes several incentive packages, including an extra $1 million for every game where he doesn't retire at halftime.


Favre Joins Vikes II
Brett Favre says he's joining the Vikings to get another chance to play in the Super Bowl, but the truth is he wants to make sure he keeps his private health insurance.



No Teamwork
Congressional Democrats now say they will go ahead with the health care overhaul without any bipartisan help from the Republicans... unless the GOP is willing to read the bill for them.



Resort Probe
Two powerful House Democrats have sent a letter to insurance companies asking them to provide detailed information about their conferences and retreats... just to make sure the executives aren't having better junkets than they are.







August 19th

1919: Afghanistan gains full independence from the United Kingdom. And today in Afghanistan it still looks like it's 1919.

1944: Paris rises against German occupation with the help of Allied troops, who lent them their balls for that week.


1960: The Soviet Union launches the Sputnik 5 satellite with the dogs Belka and Strelka, 40 mice, 2 rats, a variety of plants, and three Russian janitors who were just looking to defect.


1999: In Belgrade, tens of thousands of Serbians rally to demand the resignation of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milošević. They are joined by hundreds of American news anchormen who still can't pronounce his name.