• SFist spent Thursday night covering the San Bruno natural gas explosion and fire. The inferno--which killed several residents, destroyed dozens of homes, and displaced many--sent flames hundreds of feet in the air.
• DCist kicked off a series of candid interviews with the District's political movers and shakers by chatting with education reformer Michelle Rhee.
• Seattlest caught up with the local author of a book on the Amanda Knox case.
• Bostonist reported that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, possibly unable to stomach a reality where the NFL's season opener could overshadow his negotiations to become the league's highest-paid QB, got hit by a minivan while on his way to practice (which he didn't miss, of course). And yeah, he's fine, thanks for asking.
• LAist shared a map showing what people call "soda" (or "pop," or other things like "hot man gravy,") county by county across the U.S.
• Londonist disturbed some ancient coffins in a church crypt, investigated what's at the very ends of London and discovered what happens when you release 100 cats in a furniture store.
• Phillyist debuted the postcard for their Rockabilly Relaunch party, at which they will likely consume large quantities of beer.
• Chicagoist was shocked when long-ruling mayor Richard M. Daley announced he would not seek a seventh-term as mayor, breaking next year's race for mayor wide open with a slew of prospective candidates including White House Chief-of-Staff Rahm Emanuel.
• Gothamist found out that, according to the imam of the proposed mosque two blocks from the World Trade Center site, the radicals will win if the mosque is moved. Donald Trump tried to buy out the investors, but his offer was dismissed as a cheap publicity ploy (hey, the new season of The Apprentice is starting soon!).
• Shanghaiist lamented the faux renovation of one of the most historically important neighborhoods in Shanghai. The street that China's founders lived on is now being transformed into a "restaurant/luxury retail life hub" and villa hotels that cost $6000 a night.