Death Toll Passes 17: At least 17 deaths have been tied to superstorm Sandy, which flooded towns and subway tunnels, downed power lines, sparked fires, cut power to 7.4 million homes and businesses, and prompted two Manhattan hospitals to evacuate patients after backup power systems failed. Chicago city officials are warning residents to stay the fuck away from Lake Michigan, which might have record 25-foot waves through Wednesday. And here's a state-by-state synopsis of what to expect today as the storm continues west.

Kurt Vonnegut's Letters: "And how should we behave during this Apocalypse? We should be unusually kind to one another, certainly. But we should also stop being so serious. Jokes help a lot. And get a dog, if you don't already have one ... I'm out of here."

Yellow Card for Allegedly Racist Ref? Police are investigating claims that a British football referee Mark Clattenburg used "inappropriate language" with black Chelsea players during a Sunday match against Manchester United. The controversy has prompted talks to breakaway and form a Black Players' Association.

Choo-Choo! Mayor Mike McGinn is expected to announce today that the planned half-mile north Broadway streetcar extension will receive $1.75 million in federal grants, putting the city on the right track to fully design the $25 million project, which would connect our Broadway streetcar to the First hill streetcar in the International District.

Domestic Violence in Mill Creek: The man whose body was found after his car collided with a parked semi truck Sunday had been "acting strangely and had armed himself with a loaded shotgun," according to his wife, who was later found dead in their home.

Meanwhile, in Skyway: "Woman severely injured after boyfriend pushes her into moving traffic."

Abusing Women Is the New Black: Police are searching for a Seattle man who was the subject of a domestic violence police call last night and allegedly returned to the residence and set fire to the home.

Oh for Fuck's Sake: PETA is lobbying to get a memorial erected at a California intersection where some fish—aka somebody's dinner—died.

Have You Voted Yet? King County Elections has received 280,000 ballots already, putting the county on track for 87 percent voter turnout.

Romney Hides Behind Skirts of Mormon Church: The Republican presidential wannabe borrowed the tax-exempt status of his church to defer paying taxes on his $250 million fortune for more than 15 years.

Hail Satan: Poland's Roman Catholic Church is worried that carving pumpkins and dressing in costume are "occult rituals which contradict Church teachings and Christianity.”

And finally, trouble in A Town Called Panic: