AFN NEWS ON THE HOUR
Thursday, March 22, 2018

 

1)  From ABC News: I’m Richard Cantu. Authorities have been searching the Austin, Texas area home of serial bomber Mark Anthony Conditt who blew himself up before dawn as authorities closed in. Fred Milanowski, Special Agent in Charge, Houston office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, says he didn’t find any completed bombs. “As far as a completed device, there’s no completed devices in the house. There was componentry and the homemade explosive material that we found in the house, and that’s what we are most concerned about.” While reminding the public to remain vigilant, the authorities express reasonable level of certainty they call there are no more bombs.

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2) Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired Andrew McCabe, the Deputy FBI Director, for what Sessions called a lack of candor. Sources tell ABC News that nearly a year ago McCabe oversaw a federal criminal investigation into whether Sessions lacked candor when testifying before Congress about contacts with Russian operatives.

 

3) With just two days left before a government shutdown, congressional negotiators are coalescing around the $1.3 trillion spending bill. “The White House is behind the still undisclosed deal. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s office is confirming he met with the President to discuss the bill this afternoon with the Senate Majority Leader joining by phone. In a statement the White House Press Secretary said they discussed their shared priorities including more fund for the military and fund to combat the opioid crisis.” ABC Serena Marshall on Capitol Hill.

 

3) Cost and money going up. Federal Reserve’s raising its bench mark interest rate by a modest 1/4 point to 1.75%, said Chair Jerome Powell. “Today’s decision to raise the federal funds rate is another step in the process of gradually scaling back monetary policy accommodation as the economic expansion continues.”

 

4) Financial services firm UBS has agreed to pay a $230 million settlement to New York State for its handling the mortgage-backed securities in the run-up to the 2008 financial system meltdown.

 

5) On Wall Street, stocks closed lower. The NASDAQ lost 45 points. The NASDAQ was down 19. You’re listening to ABC News.

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I am Steven Greenberg talking about your next job. Are you hoping for promotion or raise? In addition you’re doing a good job, you might wanna try reading more books. While job interviews rarely include discussions about books, reading can be immensely healthful to your career. To take your leave for management roles, just days are __ __ __ __ among them. Many business leaders who say that reading fictions greatly enhance their effectiveness in business. Reading is shown to promote insight, innovation and personal effectiveness. The National Endowment for the Arts reports that reading is declining among every group of adult Americans. About half of the Americans read four books or less per year. You might consider joining a book group or starting on yourself. Vary your reading. Share books with friends. The wisdom you find in books unlike technology will never get outdated. For Your Next Job, I am Steven Greenberg.

 

 

AFN NEWS ON THE HOUR

Thursday, March 15, 2018　

 
 

1)  From ABC News, I’m Richard Cantu. The White House offering its take on the closely watched special congressional election in western Pennsylvania. Republicans eyed a recount and lawsuit in the race in which Democrat Conor Lamb clings to his lead measured in hundreds of votes over Republican Rick Saccone. Several hundred provisional, military, and overseas ballots still need counting. White House Spokesman Raj Shah; why the race is so tight, “The Democrat in the race really embraced the President’s policies and his vision whereas he didn’t really embrace Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader.” The race still has no declared winner.

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2) Outside the U.S. Capitol, “No more silence, end gun violence.” High schoolers are walking out of class to protest gun violence seen repeatedly across the country. The Sacramento, California McClatchy High junior Maya Steinhart, “We are asking for reasonable gun laws, banning bump stocks, raising the age of people who can purchase weapons, background checks.”

 

3) No, this as a judge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida entered the plea of not guilty on behalf of the accused MSD high school massacre shooter Nikolas Cruz. Accused school shooter Nikolas Cruz sat with his head bowed in a Fort Lauderdale court. Judge laid him on charges that he killed 17 people in a Florida school. “In terms of entering a plea, we stand mute your honor.” Cruz’s attorney Melisa McNeill offering to spare the state a costly trial and instead plead guilty if prosecutors promise not to ask for the death penalty. Andy Field, ABC News.

 

4) Great Britain is expelling 23 Russian diplomats believed to be spies. Punishment for the nerve gas attack to put ex-spy Sergei Skripal in hospital. U.S. UN ambassador Nikki Haley calls this a defining moment for the Security Council. “If we don’t take immediate concrete measures to address this now. Salisbury will not be the last place we see chemical weapons used. They could use here in New York.” Russia denies involvement.

 

5) Wall Street now lost 249 points. NASDAQ closed down 14. You’re listing to ABC News.

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You know that old saying. Bad news travels fast. Well, as it turns out, fake news travels even faster. And no, it’s not the Russians’ fault. Kim Komando is with your Friday “Consumer Tech Update.” So, let’s play a game of what if. What if all those false misleading follies undermine online news? It is not because of the Russians or extreme right wing or left wing political cooperatives. What if the problems is with us? Three researchers at MIT found that regardless of the subject whether politics, science, tech, even urban legends, bogus stories are 70% more likely to be retweeted and shared than factual real news. Who’s doing it? Average everyday folks. It is after all that they are subtracted from the equation and the result is still the same. They’ll get better. The more novel and outrageous the story is, the faster it spreads. I can tell you the number of emails that I get was outlandish and sometimes frightening headlines, but quick fact check and reputable websites before folly stories or tweet go a long way. I’m Kim Komando.

 

AFN NEWS ON THE HOUR

Thursday, March 8, 2018

1)  AP Radio News: I am Ed Donahue. California Governor Jerry Brown says Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Trump Administration continue to divide the country. “There’s a lot of concerns about people, foreign people who sow division and discord. Now, we have the Attorney General doing precisely that.” Sessions was in Sacramento a day after the Justice Department sued the State of California over immigration enforcement. “ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] agents are federal law enforcement officers carrying out federal law. California cannot forbid them or obstruct them in doing their jobs.” Meantime speaking today to the Latino Association, President Trump says Democrats are blocking immigration reform. “The Senate Democrats filibuster a plan because they don’t care about the immigrations. System reform and they don’t want to solve the problem.” The President scrapped the DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] program for young immigrants last year.

 

2) A White House answer raises more questions about the President and the porn star. Here’s what White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said about President’s payment to a porn star. “None of these allegations are true.” Then she added, “This case’s already been won in arbitration and anything beyond that. I would refer you to the President’s outside counsel.” But if there wasn’t arbitration, that would indicate there was a contract. Sanders wouldn’t say anything further about it. The actress Stephanie Clifford who performed as Stormy Daniels claims in a lawsuit against the President that his attorney initiated a bogus arbitration process. I’m Warren Levinson.

 

3) An organizer of last summer’s White nationalists rally in Charlottesville, Virginia is suing the city over its denial of his request to hold an anniversary event. The day ended with three people dead.

 

4) A federal appeals court in Detroit ruled in favor of a woman who said she was illegally fired by a funeral home after disclosing she was transitioning from male to female and dressed as a woman.

 

5) Stocks finished mixed at the close. The Dow finished down 82 points. This is AP Radio News.

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Hello, everybody. I’m Tony Tantillo, your fresh grocer. Today’s tip of the day is gonna be with those cut-up peppers. They are already in a pre-package bag for you. It is so popular to buy already cut vegetables, but a lot of markets are cutting their bell peppers or peppers in general. Put them in containers or put them in package bags, you can buy them and take them home. So, that is a great thing. But remember. When you buy them like this, the rules are applied like you’re buying the fresh ones as a whole, not cut up. You wanna make sure that those bell peppers in that container have bright color still red, nice in red and bright. The orange, the yellow and the green, almost like mother needs you to put them besides bell peppers. That’s how bright they have to be. When you bring those bell peppers sold as already cut up, use them within a day or two. Do not hold them. And I’m Tony Tantillo, your fresh grocer. For some rare recipes of those peppers, just go to tonytantillo.com.

AFN NEWS ON THE HOUR
Thursday, March 1, 2018　 
 

1)  From ABC News, I am Scott Goldberg. Breaking news from Washington; another departure from Trump White House. The President’s 4th Communications Director and one of his longest serving aides Hope Hicks is resigning. ABC’s Cecilia Vega is at the White House. “I’ve got a few statements here that just coming in are from this White House. The President of the United States says ‘Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years. She is smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. I will miss having her by my side. When she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood. I am surely we will work together again in the future.” Hicks is expected to leave in the coming weeks, this announcement coming a day after she spent eight hours testifying behind closed doors about Russia.

2) And the President has not had nice things to say about the Attorney General today. This time, however, Jeff Sessions is fighting back. “For the first time, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is responding directly to President Trump’s very public criticism. The latest is coming in Tweet Wednesday morning. The President’s writing is quote “disgraceful” that Sessions is having Justice Department Inspector General who operates independently from the Attorney General looking the potential abuses of government’s surveillance. Sessions says in the statement that this is the appropriate process, adding quote “I will continue to discharge my duties with integrity and honor. Karen Travers, ABC News at the White House.”

3) The President turned his attention to guns this afternoon. President Trump admonishing members of his own party to get tougher on background checks and gun safety. “Some of you people are petrified of the NRA. You can’t be petrified. They wanna do what’s right.” Lawmakers fear losing NRA campaign money and having their organizations spend it to put them out of office if they defy the gun lobby. Even the President has been reluctant to push laws the NRA will fight. Andy Field, ABC News, Washington.

4) Two weeks after 17 people were shot and killed at Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, students went back there today for half-day classes. One described the experiences as somber but supportive. You’re listening to ABC News.

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It’s called Jiji. That means luck in Mandarin and it is simply the best Asian restaurant on a cruise ship anywhere. It’s on the new Carnival Sunshine. I’m Elizabeth Harryman, and I’m Paul Lasley for OnTravel.com. Chef Roman and a dedicated team in the kitchen turn out such dishes as caramelized pork belly. Shrimp dumplings are so delicate and thin that pink shrimp show through the wrapping, and crispy fried rolls provide a crunchy accent to several sauces. They are heavy Chinese accents but also dishes from Southeast Asia. Carnival levies $12 per person cover charge for dining in Jiji, and it’s probably the best bargain at sea. If there is a downside, it’s at the table just simply not big enough for the many different dishes that you could order. The menu is extensive and we found each dish to be an intense celebration of flavor. The chefs work out of the display kitchen, so you can watch their creative efforts. I’m Paul Lasley, and I’m Elizabeth Harryman for OnTavel.com.