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Hurricane Wilma, seen at 3:15 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2005, was the last major hurricane (Category 3, 4 or 5) to hit the United States.(Photo: NOAA photo via AP)
[h=2]Hurricane season arrives, but wet weather is already here[/h]The official Atlantic hurricane season begins Wednesday and runs through Nov. 30, but for millions, it feels like it's already here. Texans have<span style="color: Red;">*</span>been getting pounded by storms and flooding for months.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Bonnie, which was downgraded from a tropical storm on Sunday,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>drenched<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the Carolina coasts<span style="color: Red;">*</span>over the holiday weekend. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has<span style="color: Red;">*</span>forecast a near-normal season, with four to eight hurricanes expected. Of those hurricanes, one to four could<span style="color: Red;">*</span>be rated as Category 3, 4 or 5, with wind speeds of 111 mph or higher.
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Overall, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts 10 to 16 named tropical storms will develop in the region, which includes the Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, the agency announced Friday. The season officially be
[h=2]Swiss open world's longest, deepest rail tunnel[/h]Switzerland will celebrate an engineering marvel 20 years in the works on Wednesday:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the debut of the world's longest and deepest railroad tunnel. The new tunnel will go through the 7,000-foot Gotthard Mountain, which has long served as Europe's main north-south axis through the Alps.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The tunnel is 35.5 miles long, exceeding by 2 miles the current record-holder, Japan’s Seikan Tunnel.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>It will carry 325 passenger and freight trains a day, with each trip taking 20 minutes at speeds up to 150 mph. The goal is to reduce heavy auto traffic that creates pollution.
A view of the 35-mile railway tunnel under construction under the Alps May 6, 2009.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)
[h=2]The battle for the Iraqi city of Fallujah continues[/h]The battle to wrest control of the Iraqi city of Fallujah from the Islamic State continued Wednesday, as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)<span style="color: Red;">*</span>warned that an estimated 20,000 children remain trapped there. It comes after Iraqi forces repelled a fierce<span style="color: Red;">*</span>counterattack by the militants as government troops continued a slow advance to recapture the city.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"Children face the risk of forced recruitment into the fighting, strict procedures for security screening and separation from their families," said<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Peter Hawkins, UNICEF's representative in Iraq. He called on all parties to protect<span style="color: Red;">*</span>children in the city and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>provide safe passage to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>people who want to leave.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Fallujah has been under the control of the Islamic State since 2014.
Displaced Iraqis who fled fighting between government forces and the Islamic State line up to collect donated food on the southern outskirts of Baghdad on May 31, 2106. Only a few hundred families have managed to slip out of Anbar's Fallujah area ahead of the assault on the city, with an estimated 50,000 civilians still trapped inside, sparking fears the jihadists could try to use them as human shields<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: SABAH ARAR, AFP/Getty Images)
[h=2]Striking Verizon workers return to the job[/h]Nearly 40,000 striking Verizon workers are scheduled to return to work Wednesday after reaching a tentative agreement on a new contract. The Communications Workers of America said the deal terms include 1,300 new East Coast call center jobs and 10.9% wage hikes over four years, a boost from the company's pre-strike offer. Verizon said the company will achieve cost savings and avoidance through health care plan changes, adoption of Medicare Advantage plans for retirees and increased flexibility in call sharing. The strike, which began in April, became one of the broadest U.S. job actions in recent years.
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Nearly 40,000 striking Verizon workers will return to their jobs Wednesday after reaching a tentative contract agreement over the Memorial Holiday Weekend. The Communication Workers of America say the new deal includes 1300 new call center jobs, nea Newslook
[h=2]Breast and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>ovarian cancer gene database helps patients weigh treatment, prevention options[/h]Doctors can now give women with the BRCA1 and BRCA2<span style="color: Red;">*</span>genes a clearer genetic picture of their risk for developing ovarian and breast cancer by tapping a database that in its first year has helped scientists parse hundreds of genetic variations. Researchers will announce the result of the initiative's first year<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Wednesday. Previously, a lab could<span style="color: Red;">*</span>identify a genetic variation<span style="color: Red;">*</span>but could not always<span style="color: Red;">*</span>pinpoint whether a particular form of the mutated gene<span style="color: Red;">*</span>indicated a cancer risk.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Now, participating commercial labs can tell doctors more specifically which form of the gene a patient has.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The screenings garnered<span style="color: Red;">*</span>worldwide attention last year when Angelina Jolie announced she had the BRCA1 gene and had<span style="color: Red;">*</span>her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed. Jolie, whose mother died of ovarian cancer at 56, two years earlier opted for a preventative double mastectomy.
A woman and her young child walk through a "mini-field of women" planted in support of the Breast Cancer Network Of Australia on May 15, 2016 in n Melbourne. The field consisted of pink lady silhouettes representing the women diagnosed with breast cancer this year.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Scott Barbour/AFL Media, Getty Images)
And the essentials:
Weather:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Sodden Texas will see another rainy day Wednesday, potentially leading to flooding, while high heat cranks up in the West.
Stocks: Global<span style="color: Red;">*</span>stock markets were lower<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Wednesday after reports on China’s manufacturing activity indicated weaknesses and U.S. consumer confidence dropped for a second month.
TV Tonight: Wondering what to watch tonight? TV critic Robert Bianco looks at<span style="color: Red;">*</span>American Ninja Warrior, Genius by Stephen Hawking and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>The Night Shift.
Be inspired:Special-needs couple become prom king and queen
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