Irene's toll jumps to 40; Vt. towns battle floods

The full determine of Hurricane Irene's fury came into focus Monday as the death toll jumped to 40, New England towns battled epic floods and millions faced the disappointing prospect of several days without electricity.

From North Carolina to Maine, communities clean up and took stock of the uneven and hard-to-predict costs of a tempest that spared the nation's biggest city a nightmare scenario, only to deliver a significant wallop to towns well inland.

In New York City, where people have braced for a disaster-movie scene of water swirling around skyscrapers, the subways and buses were up and running once more in time for the Monday morning commute and to the surprise of several New Yorkers, things went pretty smoothly.

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NY Rep. Lee resigns after shirtless photo story

A married New York congressman accuse of sending a shirtless photo of him to a woman unexpectedly reconciled Wednesday, saying he be sorry actions that had harm his family and others.

The scandal website Gawker statement Wednesday that Rep. Christopher Lee, a two expression Republican with a young son, had e-mailed the photo to a woman he met on the Craigslist confidential ads website.

Lee said in an e-mailed declaration that his acceptance was effective right away. The report offered no legalization or details of a Craigslist posting.

"I be repentant the impairment that my actions have reason my family, my staff and my constituents," Lee said in a declaration posted on his congressional website. "I deeply and sincerely say sorry to them all. I have made deep mistakes and I swear to work as hard as I can to seek their absolution."

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Mystery giver leaves $10,000 in WTC donation box

A nameless sponsor in New York City stuffed $10,000 in cash into a 9/11 contribution box at the World Trade Center.

Joe Daniels, president of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, tells the New York position that officials establish 99 $100 bills and five 20s in the box on Tuesday night.

The box hang on a wall at the 9/11 memorial appetizer site.

Memorial officials consider the money was slipped into the box a short time between 5 p.m. — when the box was last checked — and 7 p.m., when the appetizer site closed.

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