HUFFPOST HILL - Hi!

By Eliot Nelson, Ryan Grim & Arthur Delaney

We survived the earthquake, we weathered Irene and -- despite what Michele Bachmann said -- we haven't taken God's hint about the need for more deficit reduction. We're off this week but will be back after Labor Day for all the early Autumn insanity as Congress returns and the presidential campaigns pick up again (Go get 'em, Newt!). We miss you. Behold a cat cleaning a dog. Have a great week!

You can still send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to huffposthill@huffingtonpost.com. And even though the newsletter will be dark for the next week, we are still updating our Twitter account, @HuffPostHill.

OH YEAH, HERE'S JEREMY'S WEATHER REPORT - This week: It's going to be a pleasant week for everyone. Temperature creep only goes to the mid-80s. Possible thunderstorms at the end of the week, but it looks like Mother Nature is giving us a break after last week. Now, about that hurricane: The forecasters got the course spot-on, down to a 10-mile track. But by late Friday, the hurricane was weakening to a Cat One even before it hit the North Carolina coast. So why did Irene die? The probable answer is twofold: Her slow speed had a lot to do with it. Irene didn't pick up speed until after crossing into New England, really, and came ashore on Long Island (Rockaway, represent!) at about 20 mph. That's pretty slow by North Atlantic hurricane standards. All that time, from Friday evening until Sunday morning, the storm was absorbing cooler waters on the east side, while partially over land on the west side. Cool, wet air was coming in -- so was dry air. Those are the two things that will kill a hurricane. Thanks, JB!

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