SPENDING REDUCTIONS:

GOOD MORNING I'M TYNE MORGAN IN FOR CLINTON GRIFFITHS. WITH THE LACK OF ACTION ON CAPITOL HILL, FEDERALLY MANDATED SPENDING REDUCTIONS ARE NOW IN PLACE.

TEXAS RICE:

FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, RICE FARMERS IN TEXAS ARE AT THE MERCY OF MOTHER NATURE. LOW LAKE LEVELS WILL PROHIBIT ESSENTIAL WATER FROM BEING RELEASED TO FLOOD THEIR FIELDS.

DROUGHT MONITOR:

THE LATEST DROUGHT MONITOR SHOWS AREAS OF TEXAS REMAIN IN EXTREME OR EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT. NEBRASKA LOOKS TO BE SUFFERING THE MOST, WITH THE MAJORITY OF THE STATE IN THE WORST LEVEL OF DROUGHT. EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT ALSO BLEEDS OVER TO COLORADO, KANSAS AND SOUTH DAKOTA. THERE IS A BRIGHT SPOT IN THE LATEST MONITOR, AND THAT'S THE SOUTHEAST. AS WE MENTIONED YESTERDAY, AREAS OF NORTHERN FLORIDA AND SOUTHERN GEORGIA ARE OUT OF EXTREME DROUGHT, OR WORSE, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE AUGUST 2010.

CROP WATCH:

JUST HOW ACCURATE IS THE LATEST DROUGHT MONITOR? AND HOW MUCH MOISTURE DID DROUGHT-STRICKEN NEBRASKA GET DURING THE LAST SNOW STORM. MIKE HOFFMAN HAS THE DETAILS IN THIS MORNING'S CROP WATCH.

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