Earl leaves hundreds in North Carolina without power and begins to deliver rain and gusts of almost 70 mph to the tip of the Chesapeake Bay. | | VIDEO

Engineers remove a temporary cap that stopped oil from gushing into the Gulf in order to clear out failed equipment and prepare for the permanent final plug

Defense Sec. Gates speaks to U.S. troops in Kandahar, saying the success of the Southern Afghanistan campaign hinges on success in the region's largest city