Here's a snapshot of some of the top stories we're following Monday evening:
Kenyan police take back Westgate Mall
A bloody three-day attack on an upscale shopping mall in Kenya ended just after midnight on Monday with government officials announcing they were in control and they believe all hostages have been freed. Read more at NBC News
Americans belong to the Somali terror group that attacked Kenyan mall
The Somali terror group that stormed a Kenyan mall, killing more than 60 people, has a larger U.S. contingent than any other al Qaeda offshoot, said U.S. officials, and is now more ready than ever to mount deadly attacks on targets outside Somalia. Read more at NBC News
Some in Washington could benefit in the event of a government shutdown
Thousands of workers and the American economy stand to lose if the government shuts down next week — but some political leaders might see their hands improved by such a crisis. Read more at NBC News.
Controversy-stricken IRS official retires
Lois Lerner, the official at the heart of this year’s controversy over the IRS’ effort to over-examine conservative groups' tax-exempt status applications, has retired. The former Director of Exempt Organizations insisted she had done nothing wrong but was put on administrative leave in May. Read more at NBC News
Obama: Michelle 'scared' me into kicking his smoking habit
In a candid momet caught on an open microphone, President Barack Obama admitted that he was able to quit smoking “because I'm scared of my wife.” President Obama said at the United Nations General Assembly that he hadn’t had a smoke in 6 years, even though in 2009 he confessed, “I've said before that as a former smoker I constantly struggle with it. Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes.” Read more at NBC News
Ex-FBI bomb expert pleads guilty to leak that brought on AP phone record subpoena
A former FBI bomb technician has offered to plead guilty to leaking classified information about a foiled Yemen bomb plot against a U.S.-bound commercial jetliner to the Associated Press. Read more at NBC News
Blackberry is sold for 4.7 billion
Smartphone maker Blackberry entered an agreement to be sold to a Canadian insurance company called FairFax Financial. The company has been struggling for some time and the announcement came on the same day the Apple reported they had sold 9 million of their new iPhones and their stock soared by 5 percent. Last week, Blackberry said it will cut about 40 percent of its work force, and expects to post a nearly $1 billion second-quarter loss. Read more at NBC News
Elderly woman may have been consumed by her hybrid wolf-dogs
A human skull and jawbone were found on the property of a missing Kentucky woman who authorities said Monday may have been eaten by some of the dozens of hybrid wolf-dogs she owned. Authorities believe Patricia Ritz, 67, believe that Ritz became sick and died and that some of the 50 dogs she kept in her yard ate her body to survive. Read more at NBC News