The food-stamp economy
On the last day of every month, shoppers at Walmart load their carts with food and household items and wait for the midnight hour. Is this the new normal in America? Full Article
FACTBOX: Forecasts for 2007 Atlantic hurricane season
(Reuters) - The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Tuesday forecast 13 to 17 storms for the 2007 Atlantic storm season and said as many as 10 will become hurricanes.
The forecast by the government's top climate agency is in line with those of other experts, who predict a busy season after a quiet year in 2006.
No forecast so far predicts anything like a repeat of record-breaking 2005, when 28 tropical storms spawned 15 hurricanes, including Katrina. Following are the latest predictions for 2007:
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Tropical Storms Hurricanes Major Hurricanes
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NOAA (13 to 17) 7 to 10 3 to 5
CSU 17 (prev 14) 9 (prev 7) 5 (prev 3)
TSR 16.7 (prev 15.7) 9.4 (prev 8.7 ) 4.3 (prev 3.9)
WSI (no forecast yet)
WRC 7 4 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CSU (Colorado State University team led by William Gray) forecast revised April 3. Next update due May 31. TSR (London-based Tropical Storm Risk) forecast revised March 5. Next update due April 5. WSI Corp. due to release forecast later today. WRC (Houston-based Weather Research Center) issues just one seasonal outlook based on solar cycles
