It said applications for building permits dropped 1.9 percent in May, to a 1.43 million rate.

And six-month bill rates dropped 3 basis points, to a late offered rate of 7.83 percent.

Between these episodes, her heart beat dropped to an abnormally slow rate of 38 or 40.

As a result, by August 1988, inflation had dropped to an annual rate of 240 percent.

Sales in July dropped five-tenths of 1 percent, to a 4.14 million annual rate, the group reported.

And six-month bill rates dropped by 8 basis points, to a late offered rate of 6.96 percent.

Six-month bill rates dropped 6 basis points, to a late offered rate of 7.01 percent.

Interest rates on one-year bills dropped by two basis points, to an offered rate of 6.22 percent.

Nonresidential construction dropped 4.2 percent in January, to an annual rate of $84.7 billion.

And six-month bill rates dropped by a similar amount, to a late offered rate of 7.79 percent.