THE DAILY NEWS

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MARKETWATCH

"Existing-home sales manage to increase 2.5% in July as lower mortgage rates alleviate some affordability constraints"


By Jacob Passy

Published: Aug 21, 2019 10:18 a.m. ET

The numbers:

Sales of previously-owned homes edged up 2.5% in July, as mortgage rates offset the affordability crunch caused by high home prices at the margins.

Existing-homes occurred at a 5.42 million seasonally-adjusted annual pace, up from a revised 5.29 million in June, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday.

Compared with a year ago, sales were 0.6% higher.

Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected an average annual rate of 5.40 million.

What happened:

The median sales price increased 4.3% from the prior year to $280,800.

While the rate of home price appreciations has slowed considerably this year, prices continue to rise thanks largely to the constrained inventory of homes for sale.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/exist ... latestnews
thelivyjr
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MARKETWATCH

"Existing-home sales manage to increase 2.5% in July as lower mortgage rates alleviate some affordability constraints"


By Jacob Passy

Published: Aug 21, 2019 10:18 a.m. ET

The numbers:

Sales of previously-owned homes edged up 2.5% in July, as mortgage rates offset the affordability crunch caused by high home prices at the margins.

Existing-homes occurred at a 5.42 million seasonally-adjusted annual pace, up from a revised 5.29 million in June, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday.

Compared with a year ago, sales were 0.6% higher.

Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected an average annual rate of 5.40 million.

What happened:

The median sales price increased 4.3% from the prior year to $280,800.

While the rate of home price appreciations has slowed considerably this year, prices continue to rise thanks largely to the constrained inventory of homes for sale.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/exist ... latestnews
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MILITARY TIMES

"Two US service members killed in Afghanistan"


By: Kyle Rempfer   

21 AUGUST 2019

Two U.S. service members were killed Wednesday in Afghanistan.

The troop deaths were announced by NATO’s Resolute Support mission to the country in a press release Wednesday afternoon.


“In accordance with U.S. Department of Defense policy, the names of the service members killed in action are being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next of kin is complete,” the release reads.

These two deaths add to the 12 U.S. troops already killed in action so far this year, nine of which have been soldiers, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System.

Another 77 soldiers have been wounded this year.

The last two U.S. deaths were paratroopers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, who were killed in Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan Province, in a suspected insider attack in late July.

The deaths come as the United States continues to negotiate a political settlement with the Taliban that could see the withdrawal of a large portion of U.S. forces.

However, President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that he envisions a long-term U.S. presence in the form of intelligence gathering and counterterrorism to remain in the country.

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your ... ghanistan/
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NBC NEWS

"Philadelphia police commissioner abruptly resigns amid multiple scandals"


Doha Madani

21 AUGUST 2019

Philadelphia's embattled police commissioner abruptly resigned Tuesday after weeks of negative headlines for his department and what the mayor said were new allegations of misconduct among members of the Philly PD.

Mayor Jim Kenney, who called Richard Ross Jr. a "terrific asset" to the city, mentioned accusations of sexual harassment in the department in a statement announcing the commissioner's departure.

“New allegations of sexual harassment as well as gender and racial discrimination among the rank and file have recently been brought to my attention," Kenney said Tuesday.

"While those allegations do not accuse Commissioner Ross of harassment, I do ultimately believe his resignation is in the best interest of the Department."

Commissioner Richard Ross submitted his resignation Tuesday, effective immediately, two months after 72 officers were placed on leave for making racist and homophobic Facebook comments, revealed on an online database called the Plain View Project in June.

At least 13 of those officers were expected to be fired, according to an NBC News report in July.

Despite receiving the mayor's praise, Ross has been the face of the scandal-plagued department.

In addition to the officers placed on leave for their social media posts, 10 police recruits resigned in June after they tried to cheat on an open-book exam.

An internal investigation was launched and before it concluded, the 10 recruits resigned.

The test was one of many administered during the training period at the Police Academy in Northeast Philadelphia.

Rapper Meek Mill had a 2008 gun conviction against him overturned in July after a judge accused the Philadelphia officer, Reginald Graham, of allegedly engaging in criminal conduct.

Mill and his legal team have been fighting to overturn the conviction since 2017 when the rapper was sentenced to two to four years in prison for violating his probation.

He spent five months in prison before the state Supreme Court ordered him to be released in April 2018 after prosecutors said there were "credibility issues" with Graham, who testified against the rapper in the 2008 case.

Graham has since resigned from the force.

The department has faced scrutiny long before this last summer of scandal.

In March last year, Philadelphia County District Attorney Larry Krasner placed 29 officers on a "do-not-call list" — meaning they could not be considered credible witnesses at trials.

Deputy Commissioner Christine Coulter will act as the acting commissioner until a replacement can be found for Ross, who was appointed in 2016, according to the mayor's release.

“I am grateful for Commissioner Ross’ many years of dedicated service to our City, and the many reforms he brought to the Department," Kenney said.

"However, I believe new leadership will help us continue to reform the Department and show that racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination simply will not be tolerated."

The president for the Philadelphia chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police said in a statement Thursday that the police union will miss Ross' "passion and guidance for this great police department."

"Commissioner Ross has served the rank and file officers and the residents of this city with honor and respect over his three-decade tenure with the department," FOP President John McNesby said.

"The commissioner has served in every rank of the department and is a shining example that hard work and dedication can lead you to the top of your profession."

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/philad ... P17#page=2
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MARKETWATCH

"Boeing’s shares buoy Dow industrials but broader stock market ends lower ahead of Powell speech"


By Chris Matthews and Mark DeCambre

Published: Aug 22, 2019 5:07 p.m. ET

A rise in Boeing Co. stock helped to support the Dow index on Thursday, but the broader market slipped following a survey suggesting the U.S. manufacturing sector was now contracting, while longer term bond yields slid below short term yields again, suggesting the economy was weakening.

Some Federal Reserve officials also disappointed investors hoping for confirmation that policy makers will cut interest rates again next month, but the focus on Friday will be on a speech by Fed Chairman Jerome Powell at the Jackson Hole conference in Wyoming.

How are the major benchmarks faring?

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 49.51 points or 0.2%, at 26,252.24, powered in large part by 4.2% gain in shares of Boeing.

Meanwhile, the S&P 500 slipped 1.48 points, or less than 0.1%, to 2,922.95, while the Nasdaq Composite Index gave up 28.82 points to 7,991.38, a decline of 0.4%.

All three benchmarks finished well off their worst levels of the session, after the Dow at one moment fell by 186 points.

What’s driving the market?

From Jackson Hole, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said he was open to more interest-rates cuts but stopped short of full-throated support for further rate reductions.

However, Kansas City Fed President Esther George and Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker, said on CNBC that they would like to hold interest rates steady.

Of that group, only George is a voter on the Fed’s rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee this year but their commentary points to a divergence of opinion around monetary policy that Powell will need to reconcile when the Fed next gathers Sept. 17-18.

Powell will deliver a closely watched speech on the challenges facing monetary policy at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday.

Stock-market investors were on edge after the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note briefly fell below that of the 2-year Treasury note, again Thursday.

This so-called inversion of the yield curve is seen as an accurate predictor of recessions.

The fall in longer dated yields occurred after IHS Markit issued its latest purchasing manager’s index readings for the U.S. manufacturing sector which showed factory activity slipping into contraction territory with a reading of 49.9 in August, from 50.4 in July, to a 10 year low, while the services sector slowed to 50.9 in August from 53.0 in July, a 3-month low.

“You had a couple things helping drive markets lower this morning,” Mike O’Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading told MarketWatch.

“You have the yield curve inversion, the yuan weakening again overnight and at 9:45 we had the manufacturing print that missed estimates and was below 50,” he said.

Data from the Conference Board and on job market were more upbeat, with a report on leading economic indicators index rising 0.5% in July to 112.2, while data on new applications for unemployment benefits fell by 12,000 to 209,000 during the week ended Aug 17, a four-week low, suggesting continued strength in employment.

Elsewhere, the European Central Bank hinted at a significant new stimulus package after the release of minutes from its July 25 meeting, which suggested that policy makers are contemplating a package that would includes cutting policy rates further into negative territory and new purchases of financial assets.

Which stocks are in focus?

Shares of Boeing Co. rallied 4.2% after a positive note from analyst Cai von Rumohr, said the Federal Aviation Administration certification flight for the embattled 737 MAX plane could be four or six weeks away, a boon to the aeronautics and defense contractor which has been under pressure since that fleet was grounded world-wide back in March following a pair of fatal crashes.

Nordstrom Inc. issued second-quarter financial results Wednesday after the close, beating Wall Street expectations for sales and earnings, though it slightly lowered its outlook for the full year.

The retailer’s stock rose 15.9% Thursday.

Mastercard Inc. shares edged down 0.4% after it said it was investigating a data breach of a loyalty program in Germany, which compromised personal information.

Shares of L Brands Inc. fell 3.5%, after the Victoria Secret parent issued second-quarter results Wednesday evening that fell short of Wall Street expectations.

Shares of Hormel Foods Corp. gained 4.8% after the meat producer released fiscal third-quarter results Thursday morning.

Shares of BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. rallied 17.2% Thursday, after the wholesale retailer reported second-quarter earnings that beat expectations, while same-store sales growth matched expectations.

Splunk Inc. also issued earnings after the close of trade Wednesday, beating analyst expectations for adjusted earnings.

The cybersecurity firm also announced a $1.05 billion acquisition of cloud monitoring company SingalFX.

Shares closed down 7.8%.

How are other markets trading?

Stocks in Asia traded mixed overnight, as China’s CSI 300 edged up 0.3%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index retreated 0.8% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 inched up less than 0.1%.

In Europe, stocks traded mostly lower, with the Stoxx Europe 600 down 0.6%.

In commodities markets, the price of U.S. crude oil was on track to book its first weekly slide in three weeks, while gold prices finished $7.20, or 0.5%, to settle at $1,508.50.

The U.S. dollar edged lower against its major counterparts.

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MARKETWATCH

"Treasury yields rise as Federal Reserve officials push back against rate-cut bets"


By Sunny Oh

Published: Aug 22, 2019 3:37 p.m. ET

U.S. Treasury yields rose on Thursday after some senior Federal Reserve officials said they didn’t see the need for further interest rate cuts, underscoring the split within its rate-setting committee on the need for further policy easing.

What are Treasurys doing?

The 10-year Treasury note yield rose 3.6 basis points to 1.613%, while the 2-year note rate picked up 3.7 basis points to 1.606%.

The 30-year bond yield was up 5.4 basis points to 2.105%. Debt prices move in the opposite direction of yields.

The 2-year/10-year yield spread inverted on Thursday, trading at less than negative 1 basis point.

An inverted curve can serve as a prelude to a recession.

What’s driving Treasurys?

Philadelphia Fed President Patrick Harker and Kansas City Fed President Esther George both said they did not support further interest rate cuts.

On other hand, Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan said slowing international growth and a weakening manufacturing sector might necessitate action from the U.S. central bank but that he would prefer to keep rates on hold in September.

After remarks from Harker and George, expectations for the Fed to keep rates unchanged in September rose to around 7%, from zero a day ago.

Currently George is a voting member of the Federal Reserve’s rate setting committee but Harker and Kaplan are not.

On Wednesday investors also saw the minutes of last month’s Federal Reserve meeting which showed officials saw the need for a meeting by meeting approach, and that they did not want to commit to a “preset course.”

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is set to speak on Friday at the Jackson Hole symposium in Wyoming.

Analysts are expecting Powell to confirm a widely anticipated September rate cut.

Comments from the senior Fed officials on Thursday helped offset soft economic data to push government bond yields higher.

In economic data, the IHS Markit manufacturing purchasing managers index fell to 49.9 in August, a 10 year low.

Analysts remain concerned that a factory slowdown will spill over into the broader U.S. economy.

Any number above 50 indicates an increase in industrial activity, while any number below 50 reflects a withering of economic activity.

What did market participants’ say?

“The choppy price action in Treasuries on Thursday was principally a function of dueling headlines surrounding Committee members’ (both voting and non) willingness to engage in an easier monetary policy stance,” said Ian Lyngen, head of U.S. rates strategy at BMO Capital Markets, in a Thursday note.

”In terms of Fedspeak, it felt like a moment when the hawks had their say as a prelude to senior FOMC leadership such as Powell, Clarida, and Williams,” said Lyngen.

What else is on investors’ radar?

The eurozone economy may have started to steady in recent weeks after the flash composite IHS Markit purchasing managers index for the eurozone rose to 51.8 in August, from a previous reading of 51.5.

The eurozone service sector PMI hit a two month high of 53.4, up from 53.2, and the manufacturing sector PMI recovered to 47.0 from 46.3, continuing to contract but at a slower pace.

With activity still subdued overall, the survey compiler IHS Markit said the composite index points to economic growth of 0.1-0.2%.

The German 10-year government bond yield rose 3.3 basis points to negative 0.645%.

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"Nearly 11,000 without power after severe storms"

By Mike Goodwin, Tim Wilkin, and Emily Masters

Updated 10:02 pm EDT, Wednesday, August 21, 2019

ALBANY — Nearly 11,000 homes and businesses were left without power in the Capital Region after severe thunderstorms swept through the area Wednesday afternoon.

About 4,460 National Grid customers were without power in Rensselaer County, and 3,042 in Columbia County.

About 2,235 homes and businesses in Albany County, and about 1,150 customers in Saratoga County, were also in the dark as of 7 p.m.

The afternoon began with fears of potential tornadoes in the Mohawk Valley.

It's possible a tornado touched down in Johnstown, but the National Weather Service can't say for sure until they send a meteorologist to the area Thursday to investigate.

The line of storms formed over Fulton County at about 1:30 p.m. and strengthened as it moved over Saratoga County, weather service meteorologist Steve DiRienzo said.

The storm caused damage in Malta and drenched the race course in Saratoga Springs.

Racing was delayed for about 50 minutes before the sixth race got underway.

The storms then moved south, dropping one-inch hail on Cohoes and quickly flooding streets in Troy and Brunswick, DiRienzo said.

Heavy rain and lightning continued as the storms moved across Albany and into Rensselaer and Columbia counties, where most of the downed wires and trees were recorded, DiRienzo said.

Gusts reached 43 mph in Voorheesville and 33 mph in Kinderhook, according to the state Mesonet.

Flooding forced the closure of several roads in Rensselaer County.

Route 150 in Sand Lake is closed in both directions, north of Sand Lake Springs Way, and Route 278 is closed in both directions between routes 2 and 7 in Brunswick, according to 511NY.

River Road in Schaghticoke is also closed, and Geiser Road in North Greenbush is partially blocked by debris, according to the county government's Facebook page.

Water pressure caused manhole covers to be dislodged in other areas.

Federal Street and Sage Avenue in Troy were also damaged during the storm, and are closed between 6th Avenue and 15th Street, along the edge of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's campus.

The Washington County Fair was closed on Wednesday because of the weather.

The fair runs through Sunday at the fairgrounds in Greenwich.

The region had seen two days of relatively dry weather after sustaining three straight days of thunderstorms that flooded streets and left thousands without utility service.

Two waves of thunderstorms passed through the region Wednesday morning.

A pre-dawn storm left several hundred National Grid customers without utility service, primarily in Schenectady and Saratoga counties.

Most service had been restored by noon.

Wednesday's wave of storms are part of a heavier than usual string of late-summer thunderstorms that are being fueled by a stronger than expected jet stream.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday are expected to be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s.

The weather service says the jets stream is often to blame for thunderstorms that sweep through upstate New York during the late spring and early summer.

But the jet stream is usually weaker by August.

That weakening has not happened this year.


https://www.timesunion.com/news/article ... o-18132172
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REUTERS

"China strikes back with new tariffs in trade dispute with US"


Judy Hua, Min Zhang and Se Young Lee

23 AUGUST 2019

China on Friday unveiled retaliatory tariffs against about $75 billion worth of U.S. goods, putting an additional 10% on top of existing rates in the latest tit-for-tat exchange in a protracted dispute between the world's top two economies.

The latest salvo from China comes after the United States unveiled tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese goods, including consumer electronics, scheduled to go into effect in two stages on Sept. 1 and Dec. 15.

China's commerce ministry said in a statement it would impose additional tariffs of 5% or 10% on a total of 5,078 products originating from the United States including agricultural products such as soybeans, crude oil and small aircraft.

China is also reinstituting tariffs on cars and auto parts originating from the United States.


"China's decision to implement additional tariffs was forced by the U.S.'s unilateralism and protectionism," the Chinese ministry said in a statement, adding that its retaliatory tariffs would also take effect in two stages on Sept. 1 and Dec. 15.

U.S. equity index futures fell on the news of China's tariffs, pointing to opening losses on Wall Street.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro told Fox Business News separately that trade negotiations with China would still go on behind closed doors.

The U.S. Trade Representative's office had no immediate comment on China's tariffs announcement.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/ ... P17#page=2
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

"Powell says Fed will aid economy, but Trump escalates attack"


MARTIN CRUTSINGER

23 AUGUST 2019

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell signaled Friday that the Fed stands ready to cut interest rates further if the economy needs it but wasn't clear about when or by how much.

Powell had barely finished speaking to central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyo., before President Donald Trump escalated his attacks on the Fed, which he has repeatedly accused of keeping rates too high.


"As usual, the Fed did NOTHING!" Trump tweeted.

"It is incredible that they can 'speak' without knowing or asking what I am doing, which will be announced shortly."

"We have a very strong dollar and a very weak Fed."

"I will work 'brilliantly' with both, and the U.S. will do great."

"My only question is, who is our bigger enemy, Jay Powel (sic) or Chairman Xi?," the president added, referring to China's leader.

On a day of fast-moving events in the financial world, Powell's speech followed China's announcement earlier Friday that it will impose new tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. products in retaliation for Trump's latest planned tariff increases.

China will also raise import taxes on U.S.-made autos and auto parts.

Beijing's actions deepened a trade conflict that threatens to tip a weakening global economy into recession.

China's move also ignited a separate attack by Trump on Twitter against Beijing:

"Our Country has lost, stupidly, Trillions of Dollars with China over many years."

"They have stolen our Intellectual Property at a rate of Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year, & they want to continue."

"I won't let that happen!"

In his speech in Jackson Hole, Powell said Trump's trade wars have complicated the Fed's ability to set interest rates and have contributed to a global economic slowdown.

The Fed cut rates last month for the first time in a decade, and financial markets have baked in the likelihood of more rate cuts this year.

Powell's speech came against the backdrop of a vulnerable economy, with the financial world seeking clarity on whether last month's rate decision likely marked the start of a period of easier credit.

The confusion only heightened in the days leading to the Jackson Hole conference, at which Powell gave the keynote address.

Minutes of the Fed's July meeting released Wednesday showed that although officials voted 8-2 to cut their benchmark rate by a quarter-point, there was a wider divergence of opinion on the committee than the two dissenting votes against the rate cut had indicated.

The minutes showed that two Fed officials favored a more aggressive half-point rate cut, while some others adopted the polar opposite view: They felt the Fed shouldn't cut rates at all.

The minutes depicted the rate cut as a "mid-cycle adjustment," the phrase Powell had used at his news conference after the rate cut.

That wording upset traders who interpreted the remark as suggesting that the Fed might not be preparing for a series of rate cuts to support an economy that's struggling with a global slowdown and escalating uncertainty from President Donald Trump's trade war with China.

There was even a difference of opinion among the Fed members who favored a rate cut, the minutes showed, with some concerned most about subpar inflation and others worried more about the threats to economic growth.

Comments Thursday from Fed officials gathering in Jackson Hole reflected the committee's sharp divisions, including some reluctance to cut rates at least until the economic picture changes.

"I think we should stay here for a while and see how things play out," said Patrick Harker, the president of the Fed's Philadelphia regional bank.

Esther George, president of the Fed's Kansas City regional bank and one of the dissenting votes in July, said, "While I see downside risk, I wasn't ready to act on that relative to the performance of the economy."

George said she saw some areas of strength, including very low unemployment and inflation now closer to the Fed's target level.

She said her decision on a possible future rate cut would depend on forthcoming data releases.

Robert Kaplan, president of the Fed's Dallas branch indicated that he might be prepared to support further rate cuts.

If "we are seeing some weakness in manufacturing and global growth, then it may be good to take some action," Kaplan said.

George was interviewed on Fox Business Network; Harker and Kaplan spoke on CNBC.

The CME Group, which tracks investor bets on central bank policy, is projecting the likelihood that the Fed will cut rates at least twice more before year's end.

Adding to the pressures on the Fed, Trump has kept up his attacks on the central bank and on Powell personally, arguing that Fed officials have kept rates too high and should be cutting them aggressively.

Trump has argued that a full percentage-point rate reduction in coming months would be appropriate — a suggestion that most economists consider extravagantly excessive as well as an improper intrusion on the Fed's political independence.

The president contends that lower rates in other countries have caused the dollar to rise in value and thereby hurt U.S. export sales.

"Our Federal Reserve does not allow us to do what we must do," Trump tweeted Thursday.

"They put us at a disadvantage against our competition."

Earlier in the week, he had told reporters, "If the Fed would do its job, you would see a burst of growth like you have never seen before."

Powell has insisted that the White House criticism has had no effect on the Fed's deliberations over interest rate policy.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/ ... P17#page=2
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ABC NEWS

"Severe storms stretch from Plains to the Carolinas as fire dangers grow in West"


23 AUGUST 2019

Strong storms blew through the Northeast on Thursday evening, delivering 60 mph wind gusts to Long Island and New York and leaving thousands without power.

The same cold front will slowly drift south Friday and stall across the southern states, from the Carolinas to the Plains.

Severe storms are expected Friday in southern Virginia and North Carolina and also in the western Plains from Nebraska to western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.

These areas could see damaging winds, large hail and an isolated tornado.

Heavy rain from these storms could bring flash flooding as well to parts of the South.

Fire danger in California

Dry conditions, gusty winds and warm temperatures are fueling a 600-acre wildfire in Northern California's Mount Shasta County.

The fire is threatening more than 1,000 homes and has forced thousands to be evacuated.

It is just 20% contained.

No rain of any kind is forecast in Northern California over the next seven days.

More gusty, erratic winds are possible in the fire area Friday afternoon and into the weekend.

There are red flag warnings for parts of Wyoming, where fire danger is running high.

Tropical update

An area of weak low pressure off the coast of southern Florida is producing rainy weather over the eastern Bahamas on Friday morning.

The forecast takes this low pressure up and along Florida’s east coast through the weekend, and along the Carolina coast early next week.

The National Hurricane Center says there is a 70% chance for development into a tropical depression over the weekend or into early next week.

The biggest threat with this tropical system will be heavy rain from Florida into the Carolinas.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topsto ... P17#page=2
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