Frankenstorm, October Surprise and Italian Corruption

First things first: Frankenstorm. Some say this could be the storm of the century, but who knows what will happen? The storm has already ravaged the Caribbean, causing dozens deaths.

Meteorologists expect a combination of high winds, heavy rain and extreme tides, according to the BBC. It could also bring snow.

Our weather blogger believes it has the potential to become the "perfect storm," causing all kinds of drama. It should hit the Northeast Coast early this week.

Do you know anyone in the path of Franenstorm? Tell us in the comments below.

----------

Donald Trump's "October Surprise" left many a little disappointed. Some believe President Obama should release his education records and passport applications.

That's not a surprise, that's a request. He did offer to donate $5 million to charity if Obama submitted to his request. Patch readers spoke out about the announcement, with various interpretations of Trump's proposal.

"He's a nut case, and needs to find something more constructive to do with his time," MDG wrote.

"Mr. Trump seems to have a particular animosity toward President Obama that he didn't exhibit toward any of our previous Presidents, including President Clinton. I wonder what could be the reason," David Brown mused. "I don't think that Trump realized how bad this makes him look to most people who are thinking 'if you have the money, why aren't you making the donation no matter what?'"

----------

Italy's former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been sentenced for tax fraud. He allegedly bought U.S. film rights "at inflated prices via two offshore companies under his control," according to the BBC.

Berlusconi has been tied to a number of crimes. He's been found guilty of three separate crimes on charges over the past two decades ranging from "perjury to illegal financing of a political party to the bribing a member of the tax police," according to Time Magazine.

In layman's terms, he used offshore companies to purchase movies, marked up the price and resold them to his own media company, then put the profits into a slush fund.

Each charge was either overturned or dropped.

He's currently on trial for paying for sex with an underaged girl and "trying to cover it up."

What do you think about these issues? Tell us in the comments.