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Ashrita Furman wants to build a tennis racket the size of a bus, and show it off at the U.S. Open. It's so big, he was told it's considered a building so he would need a permit.

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It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

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And I'm David Greene.

One thing we've heard from people along the Gulf Coast is it happened so fast. That's how many have described rising flood waters in several parishes in Louisiana.

Fiction and nonfiction releases from Bernard Cornwell, Hisham Matar, Madeline Miller, Sally Jacobs and Jim Steinmeyer

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Marlaine Peachey works in the mayor's office in Mandeville, La. During severe weather she mans the office 24-7. She tells Steve Inskeep that Hurricane Issac was a water event they didn't expect.

Even though Isaac has been down graded from its hurricane strength, it hasn't lost all its punch. The storm continues drench Louisiana and Mississippi, and it's making it difficult to restore electricity and to get a full sense of damage.

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Just to keep us up to date here on Hurricane Isaac, it's become a tropical storm and forecasters expect to downgrade it to a tropical depression by this evening. That is small comfort, though, to people facing the storm's strong winds and heavy rains. States as far north as Ohio could feel Isaac's effects.

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The more than $3.5 billion deal was signed during a visit to China by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan addressed the Republican National Convention last night. Steve Inskeep talks with Politico's Jonathan Martin about how Congressman Ryan became Mitt Romney's choice for vice president.

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Let's follow up on another story. Earlier this year, five big banks settled the so-called robo-signing case, admitting they rushed the foreclosure processes for thousands of homeowners. Now, those banks are working to forgive and modify $20 billion worth of home loans.

As NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports, yesterday was the first chance to look at how banks are handling this part of the settlement.

YUKI NOGUCHI, BYLINE: Joseph Smith's first full report wasn't due until November, but he was eager to keep the issue top of mind.