Pick of the day: Batten down the hatches


OK, it’s far too early to panic, but today marks the start of the six-month Atlantic hurricane season, and the experts have increased their forecast for trouble: 15 named storms (from Arlene to Ophelia), including eight or nine hurricanes. At least one major storm is expected to hit the United States, with a 59 percent chance the East Coast will be hit. So today’s a good time to stock up on some emergency supplies, just in case.