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And a good Monday to you, I'm Brooke Baldwin at the CNN Center in Atlanta, and here's a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Hurricane Gustav blasting Louisiana this hour, it is a Category-3 storm with sustained winds of 115 miles-per-hour. Bands of intense rain and wind are battering¹ the region, about two million people have been evacuated² the coastal³ area there. The evacuees⁴ are at Red Cross shelters all across the Gulf⁵ in southern states now. That agency is reporting that this is the biggest relief operation since Hurricane Katrina three years ago. And a lot of people seeking out shelter have seen it all before. "Then we lived in a FEMA trailer for two years, and we just get out of the FEMA trailer and got into our house a year ago." "Now we are on the road again. "

The Republican National Convention will cut back most of its opening day activities simply because of the hurricane. The president and vice⁶ president have cancelled their speeches, and in fact the president is headed to Texas. Senator John McCain's campaign has set up a charter flight so that the delegates from the Gulf Coast region can return to their home states. McCain says it would not be appropriate to hold a political celebration during that storm.

And a surprise political shake-up in Japan. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has announced he is resigning after less than a year in office. Mr. Fukuda has seen his popularity plummet⁷ over a controversial government medical plan for the elderly. Just back in June Japan's upper house of Parliament approved a motion of no confidence in Fukuda.

A major milestone⁸ in Iraq today is the US military’s handing over security in a key province to the Iraqis. US marines are beginning the pull-out of Anbar province, said it's the site of some of the bloodiest⁹ battles in the Iraq war. That area is now considered one of the quietest parts of the country. Some troops will stay just to train the Iraqis and help with military operations in the western part of the area.

Those are just some of the headlines this hour, stay with CNN for more on those stories and other news this Monday..

 Vocabulary:

FEMA:  the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Charter flight: an aircraft journey that is arranged for a particular group or for a particular purpose, and that usually costs less than an ordinary aircraft journey

e.g., It deals with the occasional situation when a holiday party arrives on a charter flight and claims asylum¹⁰ enbloc.