Daily Roundup: August 26, 2011

Prepare for Impact: The East Coast is bracing for Hurricane Irene, as some coastal towns are being evacuated. Houston Chronicle and Scientific American

Icy Dealings: Charles Monnett, an Alaska scientist known for his research that polar bears drown because of melting ice, is back at work after a six-week suspension for helping a researcher prepare a proposal that Monnett was supposed to review. Some suspect Monnett's career was targeted for political reasons. AP

Armed and Dangerous: A BP guard shot a female polar bear near the company's Endicott oil field in Alaska. Eleven days later, the animal is dead of its wounds. Telegraph

Mirror Underneath: Scientists discovered a 3,700-mile-long river. It flows 13,000 feet beneath the Amazon. Mongabay.com

Sharper Rules: A law that would outlaw selling shark fins in California is headed to the state senate. Some Chinese-Americans are claiming discrimination. Los Angeles Times

--Avital Binshtock