AFN NEWS 

Thursday, September 27, 2018　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. President Tramp is standing by his Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh who appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow with one of three women accusing him of sexual misconduct. Even before the public testimony, the President said he doesn’t believe the sex assault charges against Brett Kavanaugh. “They know it’s a big, fat con job.” Mr. Trump blaming Democrats for smearing Kavanaugh, “and they go into a room and I guarantee you they laugh like hell.” But the President says he is open to withdrawing the nomination if he believes the testimony. “I’m gonna see what happens tomorrow.” Andy Field, ABC News, Washington.

2) Some tech giants appeared on Capitol Hill. Leaders from Google, Apple, Twitter, Amazon, AT&T and Charter Communications testified at the senate hearing calling for increase and registration that would better regulate consumer privacy and make customers feel safer. Google’s Keith Enright has concerns about how his company tracks data. “We acknowledged that we had made mistakes in the past, from which we learned and improved our privacy program.” Facebook which has come under scrutiny in the aftermath of the 2016 election was not at the hearing. Kenneth Moton, ABC News, the Capitol.

3) Chairman Jerome Powell says the Federal Reserve is boosting interest rates 1/4 of a percent to a range of 2 to 2 and 1/4%. “We expect the job market to remain strong, and the median of committee participants’ projections for the unemployment rate later this year is 3.7% and a bit lower than that in 2019.” The increase will make borrowing more expensive.

4) The father of a missing 6-year old autistic boy from North Carolina says it wasn’t unusual for his son to run ahead of him. “He usually runs but he’ll slow down or stop to give me a chance to pick him up.” And Ritch says he panicked when he couldn’t find the son Maddox, who’s been missing since Saturday.

5) And estimated 80,000 Americans died of the flu and its complications last year, the highest death toll in at least four decades. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Report, on Wall Street, the major averages giving up all the year gains with all the major averages closing in the red after the Federal Reserve made its third interest rate hike this year, raising its benchmark rate by a quarter point, indicating another increase is likely before the year’s end. // Financial and industrial stocks were among the laggards today with the Dow closing down 107 points, the Nasdaq down 17, S&P 500 down 10. // And shares of Bed Bath & Beyond tumbling 15% in the extended session after the home goods retailer reported earnings and revenue missing Wall Street estimate. // And Amazon is opening a new store that sells items from its website rated 4 stars or above, the company is saying in a blog post. The store called Amazon 4-star is said to open this Thursday in New York SoHo neighborhood. Amazon Prime members will pay “the Amazon.com price” when they shop there. An Amazon spokesperson said the store is permanent, not a pop-up location. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS 

Thursday, September 20, 2018　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. The shooter is dead and the police officer is wounded after a mass shooting at the Pennsylvania courthouse. Attorney Eric Randolph said he came face to face with the gunman at the Fayette County Magistrate Court in Masontown. “Where am I gonna get shot? Is it gonna be the head or the body? I looked back up and he was gone, so I presumed then that he went back, and then he went back into the waiting area.” Police say all four people wounded, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

2) Another mass shooting: this one in Middleton, Wisconsin, where Police Chief Charles Foulke says the suspect opened fire inside the software company where they worked, wounding three people before being shot by officers. “The shooter had a pistol, semiautomatic pistol and we’re told that he had a number of magazines, extra magazines and so on.” Foulke says the suspect died at a hospital.

3) A friend of the woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sex assault takes exception to comment on Sen. Orrin Hatch who suggested Dr. Christine Blasey Ford was confused or mixed up in recollections of what happened. “When you have someone’s hand over your mouth and you think that you might die by accident, you know who you are dealing with.” Samantha Guerry says Ford didn’t ask to become political football.

4) President Trump is in the Carolinas surveying the destruction from Hurricane Florence. The President warning those at the Horry County South Carolina Emergency Operations Center. It may be sunny outside but there are still some tough days ahead. “We just left North Carolina. They got hit really, really hard, and they are working. And all of that water is coming your way,” but the President assuring residents and first responders “Washington is with you. Trump is with you. We are always with you 100%.” The President visiting victims of the storm as well as state and federal officials during his two-state visit. Ryan Burrow, ABC News, Fayetteville, North Carolina. Students in North Carolina affected by Florence will get free school lunches through October 26th, courtesy of the government. You are listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network, stocks mostly surging today. The Dow up 159 points, the S&P climbing nearly 4, while the NASDAQ fell 6. Financial loss was up that includes Bank of America, City Group, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley. // Delta Airlines join two rivals in raising fees to check a bag on a flight within the U.S. The Airline now says it will cost $30 for checking the first bag and $40 for checking the second. Changes match increases imposed by United Airlines and JetBlue. Last year US carriers raised more than $7 billion from fees on checked bags and ticket changes. // And big pot worth big bucks. Shares of marijuana grower Tilray soaring sky-high, up more than 60% and raising up Wall Street, hitting the market value of nearly $23 billion. That’s more green than American Airlines or the CBS corporation. Shares of the Canadian-based weed firm up tenfold since its debut on the NASDAQ back in July. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Tom Graham.

AFN NEWS 

Thursday, September 13, 2018　

1) From ABC News, I’m Chuck Sivertsen. More than 10 million people are now under storm watches or warnings in Carolina and Virginia as Hurricane Florence shifts south. “Florence is now a Category 3 storm, but don’t let that fool you. We are on the wrong side of this storm where most of the damage is done.” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper says life-threatening rain may last for days as he urges people who haven’t evacuated the coast to leave now. “The Red Cross already housing more than 1600 people fleeing storm from South and North Carolina. They’ll open more evacuation centers today. Red Cross officials say as many as 100,000 residents may need places to stay and wait out the storm. The Red Cross supplementing local schools and stadium shelters with FEMA making sure they get supplies they need. Andy Field, ABC News. Forecasters say Florence will hit the Carolinas and then stall extending the length of Hurricane-force winds, storm surge, and rainfall.

2) Former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort is in negotiations with special counsel Robert Mueller’s office over a possible plea agreement. Sources tell ABC News. Manafort’s second trial on failing to register as a foreign agent is slated to begin later this month.

3) President Trump has signed an executive order that will impose sanctions for election interference. “Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats says the administration signs an attempted interference in U.S. elections, not just by Russia but from China and capabilities from potentially Iran and North Korea. Coats told reporters on a conference call, there’s an ongoing effort to catch and stop these attempts. In an effort they will continue on a 24-hour basis until the midterm election. The DNI said the administration wants to have a full assessment after the election to, quote, ensure the American people know exactly what may or may not have happened. Karen Travers, ABC News at the White House.

4) Food and Drug Administration calls e-cigarettes an epidemic among miners. The agency has written fines to retailers found unlawfully selling e-cigarettes to those underage. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network, on Wall Street major averages ending mixed with weakness in the tech sector pushing the NASDAQ in the red. The Dow closing up 28 points. The NASDAQ down 18. S&P500 up a point. // And for the third straight year, household income rising with a median average of $61,372, according to the Census Bureau, boosted by a large number of Americans with full-time jobs and calling back some losses in income from the great recession that started at the end of 2007. Yet, householders are still earning essentially the same income that they did back then as inflation adjusted median income remains below the record for a typical household which was $62,000 in 1999. // And mobile devices are driving 60% of all e-commerce traffic, according to data provided by customer relationship management company Salesforce. Additionally, 71% of shoppers use mobile devices in store to read reviews, make purchases. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS 

Thursday, September 6, 2018　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. President Trump calls the New York Times Op-Ed piece by a senior administration official gutless, while Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says that person should resign. “The Times to see unusual step of granting an anonymity to the official who says I’m part of a liberal resistance instead of working to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump’s more misguided impulses until he is out of office. It’s not clear where exactly in the administration the official serves or what the level of direct access to the President might be. Alex Stone, ABC News, Washington.”

2) President Trump also continues to push back on Bob Woodward‘s book that’s critical of his administration. “We do run a strong White House. There’s no question about it and we are doing things that nobody else has ever been able to do and our country is stronger now than it’s ever been.” The President calls the book pure fiction.

3) Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh answering pointed questions during his confirmation hearing. Constitutionality of investigating sitting president, something he says he hasn’t taken a position on. “No one is above the law in the United States including the President of the United States.” The question’s coming from Republican Sent. Ben Sasse of Nebraska. “If you believe that presidents should have the power to do whatever they wanted, I couldn’t vote for you, either. So I’m headed toward voting for you because I don’t believe any of those things are true.” Protesters have interrupted the hearings for the second day.

4) Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey spending a day fielding questions from House Committee members on allegations that the company suppresses conservative views, something New Jersey Democrat Frank Pallone takes exceptions to. “I think it’s the height of hypocrisy that President Trump and congressional Republicans criticize Twitter for its supposed liberal bias, when President Trump uses the platform every day for his juvenile tweets and spreading lies and misinformation to the whole country and to the world.” The hearing was briefly interrupted by a protester.

5) A magnitude 6.6 earthquake hit northern Japan. Officials don’t know the extent of the damage at this point. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network, on Wall Street, major averages closing mixed with tech stocks dropping which weighed on the NASDAQ. The Dow closing up 23 points, the NASDAQ down 96, S&P500 down 8. // And shares of American Express falling after the Wall Street Journal reported the FBI has launched probe into the company’s foreign exchange pricing practices. The investigation is in its early stages and is focused on whether the foreign exchange international payments division misrepresented pricing to clients in order to win their business. // And Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says that the ride-hailing company is on track to launch an initial public offering next year and it has no plans to sell its self-driving car research arm, Advanced Technologies Group. In fact, Khosrowshahi says that the company is quite optimistic. It’ll be able to reduce testing of self-driving cars later this year, this after a fatal crash involving an autonomous Uber car in Tempe, Arizona. With the Fox Business Report, I am Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS ON THE HOUR

Thursday, August 30, 2018　

1) From ABC News, I’m Chuck Sivertsen. Hundreds of people have lined up to file past Sen. John McCain’s casket at the Arizona State Capitol. “Linda Gordon was the first one in line so she could pay a respect to John McCain, arriving seven hours early. “We are respecting him and showing him. We love him and thank you so much that we’re grateful.” Many in line hear veterans who say they want to thank McCain for his service. McCain’s casket is protected by the Arizona National Guard. Alex Stone, ABC News, Phoenix.” At the end of an earlier ceremony, Sen. McCain’s wife Cindy could be seen laying her cheek on his flag-draped casket.

2) President Trump praising outgoing White House counsel Don McGahn, who will leave this fall. “Don McGahn‘s a really good guy, been with me for a long time. Privately before this, he represented me. Been here now, it’ll be almost two years and a lot of affections for Don.” McGahn represents the office of the President.

3) In a series of tweets, President Trump says joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises have been called off, citing costs. He also downplayed the report that talks with North Korea broken down. At the White House, the President blaming his trade fight with China for derailing talks to denuclearize North Korea. “I have a fantastic relationship with Chairman Kim as you probably know, and we’re just going to have to see how it all ends up.” China appears to ease their economic sanctions on North Korea, giving the U.S. less leverage to make a deal with North Korea. Andy Field, ABC News, Washington.

4) Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Kirk Tucker says 29 people at the Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, Ohio were being treated for likely exposure to fentanyl including 23 correctional officers. “This is a very unique event. This is once in a lifetime event, something in my position ___ ___ have to experience.”

5) Temporarily, prisons in Pennsylvania are on lockdown for following the treatment of 29 employees at ten prisons for exposure to drugs in recent weeks.

6) A major up day on Wall Street today. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network, on Wall Street, stocks continuing their upward march to end in the green with the major averages boosted by the new trade talks with the U.S. and Canada. // And a rally in tech stocks with Amazon and Apple hitting new record high, the Dow closing up 61 points, the NASDAQ notching a new record high up 80, the S&P 500 also hitting a new record high up 17. // And after the closing bell, Salesforce reporting quarterly earnings with the customer-relationship management software company’s quarterly result beating Wall Street estimates but its earnings outlook for the third quarter did not. // And Chick-fil-A is heading into fall, and adding some new menu items in catering option. New to the menu, 30-count nuggets, waffle potato chips, and an improved fruit cup. Additions to its catering menu include a grilled chicken bundle which allows you to assemble your own grilled chicken sandwiches and a spicy chilled grilled chicken sub. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.