Here’s what I’m reading up on this morning: 

• Obama is deploying 3,000 troops to West Africa to battle Ebola. 

• At least three people are killed following a suicide bomb in Afghanistan. 

• Chuck Hegel will make the case for war today in Congress. 

• A massive wildfire is ravaging Northern California. 

• You might hear a lot about Alibaba’s initial public offering today. But what is Alibaba? This video is the best explainer I’ve seen so far. 

• Pre-orders for Apple’s iPhone 6 hit a record 4 million. 

• Speaking of iPhones, did you know that Apple downloaded U2’s new album to it? If you don’t believe me, just look at your music library. Good luck getting rid of it. 

• Radisson drops its sponsorship of the Minnesota Vikings following Adrian Peterson’s indictment. 

• Is male pattern baldness an indicator of prostate cancer? 

• Are you ready for space taxis? According to the Wall Street Journal article in the link, Boing nearly has the exclusive contract locked down. (WSJ piece is behind a paywall.)