It appears that the disastrous effects of Hurricane Katrina have united the nation in more ways than one. The major television networks-NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, WB and UPN-put aside their respective rivalries when they announced Monday they would simulcast a primetime special called Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast on Sept. 9 at 8 p.m. The hour-long telethon will be aired live for eastern and central time zones from studios in Los Angeles and New York and on tape delay for the pacific and mountain zones. The special will also be available to other networks, and E! has already made plans to air the telethon. Similar to the 9/11 telethon, the special will alternately feature musical performances and appeals for aid by celebrities. The featured talent has yet to be announced. Other networks, such as BET, are creating their own telethons with extensive celebrity lineups to encourage further fundraising for disaster relief.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's success in California's gubernatorial election may have inspired a new trend of celebrity wannabe-politicians. Currently, Justin Jeffres, former member of the band 98 Degrees, is campaigning to be the next mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. Trying to capitalize on his strengths, while concerned about being taken seriously, Jeffres has reunited the band in order to perform at his campaign function on Saturday. While his attempt to rally constituents is novel, Jeffres is forgetting that his band's targeted demographic is too young to vote.

Domestic goddess Martha Stewart was finally allowed to leave her house when her probation officer let her take off her electronic monitoring ankle bracelet. For the past five months, Stewart served a home-confinement sentence. Since being liberated from house-arrest, Stewart has been working on her numerous projects, including two television shows, various book deals and her court appeal. While she is now free to leave the house, Stewart must still complete an 18-month probation, during which she is not allowed to get drunk or own a gun. Hopefully the restrictions won't interfere with a possible feature in Martha Stewart Living about how to "add color and cheer to your homemade firing range.