Record equity: In the third quarter of this year, mortgage holders withdrew $48 billion of home equity—the largest volume in the two years. Homeowners are sitting on a little over $17 trillion in total equity collectively, roughly $11 trillion of which is tappable. Read more from CNBC.  Shift to GOP: Early voting figures from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office show an increasing shift in favor of the Republican party. East Baton Rouge Parish led the state in early voting, with 94,334 voters casting an early ballot. Read more from The Center Square.  Cone of uncertainty: South Louisiana currently falls in the cone of uncertainty for Tropical depression 18, which is expected to develop into Tropical Storm Rafael on Monday and travel through the Gulf of Mexico later this week. See more from the National Hurricane Center.