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1. It's the latest storm to threaten the southeast. Hurricane Ike is barreling toward islands near the southern Bahamas. Florida's governor says he's making sure relief supplies are ready in case Ike hits the state next week.

2. Tropical Storm Hanna is beating a swift course toward New England. It came ashore¹ in the early morning hours with strong winds and lots of rain but it's not lingering. Forecasters are warning of possible flash flooding in the northern mid-Atlantic states and southern New England.

3. He is not confirming a takeover but a top House Democrat² confirms that the government plans to step in to stabilize³ mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Barney Frank, says Treasury⁴ Secretary Henry Paulson plans to use the powers that Congress provided.

4. And Pakistan has a new president. He's the widower⁵ of former premier⁶ Benazir Bhutto. Asif Ali Zardari won in a landslide⁷ election in the federal and provincial⁸ assemblies.

WORDS IN THE NEWS
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online
Merriam-Webster Online

1. barrel:  v.
to move very fast, especially in an uncontrolled way.

2. ashore:  adv.
Someone or something that comes ashore comes from the sea onto the shore.

3. widower:  n.
a man whose wife has died and who has not married again.