Every October the Santa Ana winds come … and every October wildfires burn thousands of acres in the Los Angeles and San Diego areas and force huge evacuations. This year is no different. Two fires responsible for burning 10,000 acres in the San Fernando Valley have also destroyed dozens of mobile homes and other structures. Two fatalities are connected with the fires. A fire at Camp Pendleton in San Diego has burned more than 3,000 acres. None of the fires is close to containment. Get up-to-date information at the Los Angeles Times’ fire news page.

The U.S. government has a plan the traders like … after rising 936 points Monday for its biggest percentage gain since 1933, the Dow was up more in early trading Tuesday. This vote of investor confidence is thanks to a plan announced Tuesday morning by President Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. The government will spend $250 billion to invest directly in banks, including $125 billion that will be divided between nine major financial institutions.

Better late than never … a day after Barack Obama offered his proposal for helping the ailing economy, McCain economic adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin said the senator would unveil his own economic proposals Tuesday. According to Holtz-Eakin (and the New York Times) McCain will suggest, among other things, people 59 years and older who withdraw money from their IRAs and retirement plans in the next two years will pay a reduced tax rate.

Rolling Stone admits the times have changed … the magazine is switching to a traditional size with its October 30 issue (which, true to form, features Barack Obama on the cover). It had been 2 inches wider and 1 inch taller. Ad rates will stay the same and edit pages will grow to allow for the mag to retain all of its content. Editors hope the change will allow for a better placement on the newsstand.

Attention all insecure men … well, just the ones worried about going bald. Researchers had long-known baldness was inherited from the mother, and two groups of scientists independently discovered a gene variation that leads to baldness that can be inherited from either parent. No, these researchers didn’t discover a cure to baldness at the same time.

Tags: Douglas Holtz-Eakin, financial crisis, rolling stone shrinks, santa ana winds