Prices rose at an annual pace of 2.6% in July, the same rate as the previous month and in line with economist forecasts.

The NCSU Index of North Carolina Leading Economic Indicators showed a slight 0.1% decrease in February, marking the ninth consecutive month of decline.

But what do all the numbers actually mean? The number that has been used most often is Air Quality Index (AQI), which reached "hazardous" levels on Wednesday.