Ian targets Florida: Hurricane Ian is expected to slam into the West Coast of Florida just above Fort Myers this afternoon as a Category 5 storm or close to it. Sustained winds this morning were clocked at 155 miles per hour with gusts to 190 miles per hour. The projected track of the storm takes close to Orlando in the center of the state. It is expected to diminish in strength somewhat once over land. The hurricane knocked out power in Cuba when it hit that island after causing severe damage in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
House hearing postponed: Today’s scheduled hearing by the House Jan. 6 committee has been postponed because of the hurricane. The hearing had been scheduled to be televised beginning at 1 p.m. this afternoon. Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson and Co-chair Rep. Liz Cheney issued a statement saying, “We”™re praying for the safety of all those in the storm”™s path. The Select Committee”™s investigation goes forward and we will soon announce a date for the postponed proceedings.”
Harris’ visit to South Korea: North Korea today made a statement about how it feels regarding tomorrow’s scheduled visit to South Korea by Vice President Harris by firing two missiles into waters off if its East Coast. The visit by Harris comes as U.S. and South Korean troops are wrapping up four days of military exercises.
Mortgage interest up, applications down: The Mortgage Bankers Association reported this morning that mortgage applications dropped 3.7% for the week ending Sept. 23. It tracked mortgage refinancing as dropping 11% from the previous week and being 84% below where it was a year ago. The Mortgage Bankers Association said the interest rate on 30-year fixed mortgages was 6.52%, its highest level since mid-2008.
Disastrous year for Swiss glaciers: A study released by the Swiss Academy of Sciences shows that glaciers in Switzerland have lost 6% of their ice so far this year. The report calls it a disastrous year. It’s estimated that Switzerland’s glaciers now have about half the ice they did roughly 80 years ago.
LEGO sales up: LEGO, which is headquartered in Denmark, reported this morning 17% sales growth during the first half of 2022 to approximately $3.5 billion U.S., with just over a $1 billion operating profit for the period. LEGO now operates 833 stores globally and during the first six months of the year opened 66 new stores in China.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
