FIRST LOOK: Top officials resign after disastrous ‘Fast and Furious’ operation

The Lookout

Welcome to First Look, our daily roundup of early-bird news:

• A defense of standardized tests. (Miller-McCune)

• Obama may unveil a housing plan next week. (Reuters)

• Syrian hackers took over Columbia University's Facebook page. (Washington Post)

• Two top officials who ran the federal "Fast and Furious" operation that sold guns to drug traffickers via straw buyers have resigned. (Arizona Daily Sun)

• Hurricane Irene could be among the top 10 costliest disasters in the country. (CBS)

• FEMA's funding could run out by the end of September. (CNN)

• More than 500 colleges have banned smoking altogether on their campuses. (CNN)

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