Stuff to Blog About and More: In the News, September 21, 2008

CUBS CLINCH

Carlos Zambrano gives pitching coach Larry Rothschild a champagne shower.
(Scott Stewart/Sun-Times)
Attention all Cub fans, You can be proud.

The Chicago Cubs clinched their second straight National League Central Division title.

Ted Lilly tossed six innings and added an RBI single to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the St Louis Cardinals . The Cubs clinched last year as well. The Cubs had not made the playoffs in successive seasons since 1908, the last year they won the World Series.

Alfonso Soriano drove in two runs with a second-inning single and Ted Lilly overcame a three-run homer from Cardinals' third baseman Troy Glaus in the sixth to claim his 16th victory of the season.

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Blink drummer in Crash

According to reports, a man who came across a fiery jet crash in South Carolina said he saw former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and disc jockey Adam "DJ AM" Goldstein trying to extinguish the flames on their bodies by ripping off their clothing.

The two men were in critical condition with extensive burns Saturday. The crash killed four other people on board, authorities said. According to authorities, the Learjet 60 carrying six people, including Barker and Goldstein, was taking off from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South Carolina on Friday night when it went off the runway. The plane crashed through light towers and an antenna array before crossing a road and stopping at an embankment, authorities said.

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He robbed a piggy bank now he is off to jail

A Wisconsin man will spend time in prison for breaking into a home and stealing money from a child's piggy bank. The man has been charged with burglary, after DNA evidence allegedly linked him to the crime.

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FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.