The Starting Point is a snapshot of the news stories that occurred overnight. Look for updates throughout the day on Yahoo! News and in the news box on Yahoo.com.
Top story overnight: A suicide truck bomber attacked a Kurdish village in northern Iraq today, The Associated Press reported. At least 19 people were killed and another 30 injured in the blast. At the time of this writing, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In other news: The death toll from two mine accidents that happened earlier this week in central China climbed to 56, The AP reported. That number could rise as rescue crews continue searching for 36 other miners who are still listed as missing. To date, more than 20 officials and mine managers have been fired, suspended or arrested for the incidents.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle denounced Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) for disrupting President Barack Obama’s health care reform speech to Congress last night, The AP reported. Wilson shouted “You lie!” after Obama said extending health care to all Americans who seek it would not mean insuring illegal immigrants. “I was embarrassed for the chamber and a Congress I love,” Vice President Joe Biden said. “It demeaned the institution.” Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) agreed, calling Wilson’s behavior “totally disrepectful.” “There is no place for it in that setting, or any other, and he should apologize for it immediately,” McCain said. Wilson later issued a statement, extending his “sincere apologies to the president for this lack of civility.” He also tried to call Obama to apologize personally, but ended up giving his regrets to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel instead.
Finally, oil prices climbed above $72 a barrel overnight, helped by a weaker dollar and steady OPEC production levels. According to The AP, crude prices have jumped nearly $4 in just two days.
Most-read stories overnight: Hugh Hefner filed for divorce last week from his wife Kimberly, The AP reported. The 83-year-old founder of Playboy magazine asked a judge to order him to pay $20,000 a month in spousal support, which is half of what he’s been paying since the pair separated in 1998. The couple wed in 1989, the same year she was named Playmate of the Year.
Readers were also intrigued by this AP story about a California lawmaker who bragged about his extramarital affairs. Mike Duvall, a conservative Republican representing Orange County, became a YouTube hit when racy comments he made about sexual conquests were caught by an open microphone in a Capitol hearing room. He resigned on Wednesday. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger now has 14 days to call for a special election to fill Duvall’s seat. Orange County officials said that election will cost taxpayers between $330,000 and $440,000, The L.A. Times reported.
Looking ahead: Nancy Ann DeParle, the director of the White House Office of Health Reform, will answer questions from Yahoo! readers about the administration’s health care reform goals. Watch the live video stream today at 3 p.m. EST/12 p.m. PST. General Motors is expected to announce whether it plans to sell its Opel unit to one of two rival bidders today. And space shuttle Discovery will try to return to Earth this evening, but thunderstorms could keep the astronauts in orbit for an extra day or two.
Today’s poll: President Obama pitched his health care reform legislation to the American public during a televised joint session of Congress last night. One part of his legislation would bar insurance companies from canceling or refusing coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions. What are your thoughts about this provision? Click here to vote.
Yesterday’s poll: Do you wear white after Labor Day? Seventy-nine percent of respondents said yes and 21 percent said no.
Today in history: In 1977, convicted murderer Hamida Djandoubi became the last person to be executed by the guillotine in France.
Birthdays: Singer Sanjaya Malakar, 25. Musician Matthew Followill (Kings of Leon), 25. Figure skater Timothy Goebel, 29. Musician Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance), 29. Tennis player Gustavo Kuerten, 33. Actor Ryan Phillippe, 35. Director Guy Ritchie, 41. Rapper Big Daddy Kane, 41. Musician Robin Goodridge (Bush), 44. Former Sen. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.), 45. Baseball player Randy Johnson, 46. Actor Colin Firth, 49. Writer/director Christopher Columbus, 51. Actress Amy Irving, 56. Musician Joe Perry (Aerosmith), 59. Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Lanier, 61. Former Canadian first lady Margaret Trudeau, 61. Singer Jose Feliciano, 64. Singer Danny Hutton (Three Dog Night), 67. Golfer Arnold Palmer, 80.
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–Jade Walker is the overnight editor of Yahoo! News. News doesn’t stop when the lights go out, and neither does Jade.