CNN 2008-09-05

Hope you’re having a great day, I'm Nicole Lapin at the CNN Center in Atlanta, here's a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

A day after vice 1 presidential candidate Sarah Palin electrified 2 the Republican Convention, it's John McCain's turn to take the stage, he is going to accept his Party's nomination 3 this evening. McCain appeared at the Republican National Convention last night and had nothing but praised for the Alaska governor. She accepted the vice presidential nomination and then gave a rousing speech, that is getting rave 4 reviews for the way she talked about her small-town roots, and for the way she criticized Senator Barack Obama.

Well, the hurricane alert continues, the southeast coast could get hammered not by one but two hurricanes in a matter of days. Tropical Storm Hanna is getting bigger as it drenches 5 the Bahamas, right behind it, Ike, which is already a monster Category four hurricane. From Florida to the Carolinas the surface is already picking up and look at this, residents are already boarding up, stocking up and getting ready to move inland. National Guard troops are on standby. And in Haiti, UN peacekeepers are trying to help out hurricane victims there, a lot of communities are under water. Thousands of people are homeless, and at least 61 people are dead.

After  months of controversy 6 and scandal, Detroit's Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick entered a guilty plea to obstruction 7 charges this morning; this plea comes as part of a bargain with prosecutors 8. He also entered a no-contest plea to a charge he assaulted a deputy sheriff. Under this agreement Kilpatrick will serve four months in jail, pay one million dollars in restitution 9 and serve five years’ probation 10. He agreed to resign as mayor, effective in two weeks, and will not run for public office during his probation. Detroit City Council president will now serve as the mayor until a special election can be held.

In Pakistan four people are dead in a blast, right near the Afghan border. Pakistani Intelligence now sighting a missile strike, the apparent strike occurred in north Waziristan not too far away for more US forces enter Pakistan on Wednesday night in a deadly nighttime raid. This attack in South Waziristan is the first-known incursion of US troops into Pakistan's tribal 11 region known as a haven 12 for militants 13. At least 15 people were killed; today Pakistan summoned the US ambassador to protest.

Meanwhile Vice-President Dick Cheney is in the former Soviet 14 Republic of Georgia today. He is vowing 15 US support and also sharply criticizing Russia's military action last month. Cheney also called it an illegitimate, unilateral attempt to change Georgia's borders by force. He also assured Georgia's president that the US firmly backs the country's effort to join NATO, that’s something that Moscow fiercely opposes. The visit comes one day after Washington pledged a billion dollars in aid to Georgia.

And those are the headlines at this hour, for more on those stories and other news of the day, CNN is always your source online, on TV or on your cell phone. Take care!