The Starting Point is a snapshot of the news that occurred overnight and a preview of the stories we expect to cover today.
Featured story
Starting Sept. 8, travelers flying to the states from certain countries will be required to pay a $14 "operational and travel promotion" fee if they do not possess a U.S. visa.
Dubbed the "tourist tax," the new fee has been criticized by the European Union as "inconsistent with the commitment of the U.S. to facilitate transatlantic mobility." The fee affects air and sea travelers from: Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Since January 2009, travelers from these nations have been required to complete an online form and receive prior approval of entry under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) program. Run by the Department of Homeland Security, the ESTA program is designed to give U.S. authorities extra time and resources to check a traveler's name against "no fly" lists and other terrorist databases. Until now, that registration process was free. To participate in the program, travelers must also have Internet access and a credit card, The New York Times reported.
Travelers are urged to register at the denied, the traveler must apply for a more expensive nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. The reason for the denial will not be provided.
What happened overnight
A wildfire that broke out in the Colorado foothills on Monday quickly spread across 5 1/2 square miles, The Associated Press reported. The wind-whipped blaze destroyed dozens of homes and forced hundreds of people to flee. At the time of this writing, no deaths or injuries have been reported. For more coverage of the wildfire, click here to follow the Yahoo! News Twitter list.
Tropical Storm Hermine dumped heavy rains on northeastern Mexico and southern Texas today, The AP reported. The storm caused power outages throughout the region, and may produce flooding in low-lying areas. Forecasters say the effects of Hermine may be felt as far north as Oklahoma and Kansas later this week.
Lastly, a nearly 10-mile ribbon of red tide has been discovered in the New York Harbor, The AP reported. The potentially harmful algae stretches from the site of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum off Manhattan to Hoffman Island, off Staten Island. Swimmers and boaters are urged to avoid contact with the reddish-brown sheen.
Public opinion
Today's poll: Would you vote for a candidate who set a spending record during his/her campaign? Click here to share your thoughts.
Monday's poll: Do you support Craigslist's decision to replace its adult services link with a 'censored' graphic? Sixty-three percent of respondents voted yes because the site was being used for prostitution and human trafficking. Thirty-seven percent said the government shouldn't demand the site remove content.
Looking ahead
President Barack Obama will propose that businesses be allowed to write off all their new investments in plant and equipment through 2011.
Steven Slater, the former JetBlue flight attendant accused of cursing out an airplane passenger and then sliding down an emergency exit chute, is due in a New York City courtroom for a hearing on criminal mischief charges.
Just the facts, ma'am
The average non-reward credit card carries an interest rate of just over 15 percent. The average rate on a reward card is 17.5 percent. --US News & World Report
Only 16 percent of watermelons sold in grocery stores have seeds, down from 42 percent in 2003. --Washington Post
By the end of this year, 10.3 million people are expected to own e-readers in the United States, buying about 100 million e-books. This is up from 3.7 million e-readers and 30 million e-books sold last year. --The New York Times
Today in history
In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was shot on the Las Vegas Strip. He died six days later at age 25.
Birthdays
* Actress Evan Rachel Wood, 23.
* Actor Tom Everett Scott, 40.
* Model/actress Angie Everhart, 41.
* Actress Diane Farr, 41.
* Songwriter Diane Warren, 54.
* Actor Corbin Bernsen, 56.
* Actor Michael Emerson, 56.
* Musician Benmont Tench (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), 57.
* Actress Julie Kavner, 59.
* Singer Chrissie Hynde, 59.
* Singer Gloria Gaynor, 61.
* Musician Sonny Rollins, 80.
* Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), 86.
Notable deaths
* Banker J.P. Morgan, Jr., died in 1943 at the age of 75.
* Strongman Great Antonio died in 2003 at the age of 77.
* Singer/songwriter Warren Zevon died in 2003 at the age of 56.
Video of the day
Quote of the day
"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." --Abraham Lincoln
--Jade Walker is the overnight editor of Yahoo! News. She can be reached by e-mail at jadew@yahoo-inc.com.
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