The latest from the U.S. National Hurricane Center is that Hurricane Paula has weakened to a tropical storm over Cuba's northwest coast.

Paula is the ninth hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic season. Earlier this week it reached Category 2 status, but has now dropped to sustained winds of 70 miles per hour. 

Reuters is reporting that the hurricane's center was "located about 110 miles west south
west of the Cuban capital Havana."

Meanwhile much of the Northeast is preparing for a rainy start to the weekend as a Nor'easter (aka Northeast Storm) is scheduled to blast cities like New York and Boston come Friday.