FLORIDA

As the forecast model matures, Hurricane Irene now appears headed on a path up Florida's east coast, with a possible direct hit on Georgia and the Carolinas. Florida is far from out of the woods, and if the storm stays on track, the state could suffer significant damage from a couple of days of torrential rains and high winds.

Zachery Tims' private funeral on Saturday was attended by at least 5,000 people, packing the First Baptist Church of Orlando. During the 3.5 hours of funeral, well-known speakers gave tributes to Tims, senior pastor of Florida-based megachurch New Destiny Christian Center, who was found dead in a Times Square hotel on Aug. 12.

Hurricane Irene sustained 80 mph winds as the storm rocked the area just off the northeastern coast of Hispaniola. The National Hurricane Center expected Irene to continue gaining momentum over the next few days but by Thursday, forecasters said that it could be a major Category 3 hurricane with winds up to 115 mph.

Casey Anthony, the young Orlando mother acquitted of killing her toddler, is back in Florida and ready to report by Friday for probation on check fraud charges if her appeal fails, according to her lawyer.

As the forecast model matures, Hurricane Irene now appears headed on a path up Florida's east coast with a possible direct hit on Georgia and the Carolinas. Florida is far from out of the woods, and if the storm stays on track, the state could suffer significant damage from a couple of days of torrential rains and high winds

Irene could make U.S. landfall before the weekend

Saturday, at least 5,000 people packed Pastor Zachery Tims' funeral held at the First Baptist Church of Orlando.During the 3.5 hours of funeral, well-known speakers gave tributes to Tims

The bad news is that Hurricane Irene will probably strike the Florida and or the Southeast Atlantic coast. The good news is, for U.S. motorists - - the Gulf of Mexico and its important oil refinery infrastructure will be spared.

Hurricane Irene may pass off the coast of Florida, according to updated path projections from the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 hurricane with winds up to 115 mph.

A hurricane watch has also been issued for the central Bahamas.

Anthony returns to Florida to appeal probation ruling.

Hurricane Irene is gaining strength and heading toward Florida. The storm could hit the U.S. by week's end, possibly as a Category 2 storm or higher, forecasters say. Irene, the first of the 2011 Atlantic season, could become a Category 3 storm by the time it reaches Florida with sustained winds of 111 miles per hour or higher.

NASA's satellite captures Irene from space and shows how it grew from a tropical storm to a hurricane.

The unemployment rate rose in more than half of the nation's states in July, as the slowdown in economic growth prompted companies to take a wait-and-see stance regarding new hires. The major period of lay-offs appears to be over, but the hiring has not resumed en masse, which has kept the nation's unemployment rate stubbornly high at 9.1 percent,

The path of Hurricane Irene has forced both Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines to shuffled the itineraries of their cruise ships.

800,000 electrical customers (half of the island) are without power. Also, almost 120,000 Puerto Ricans have no water service.

Republicans still hoping that another candidate will jump into the presidential race and give the party a better chance of defeating President Barack Obama in 2012 may need to get over it.

Hurricane Irene gained strength Monday morning and is heading toward Florida after pounding Puerto Rico. Heavy rain, flooding and mudslides are possible in the Caribbean before the storm is forecast to track through parts of the Bahamas from late Tuesday night through early Friday morning. Then, the storm is likely to hit Florida, possibly impacting the state with heavy rains and damaging winds for a couple of days.

Irene is a category 1 hurricane.

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In 1900, the Great Galveston Hurricane in Texas killed up to 12,000 people.