AFN NEWS

Thursday, January 24, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Brian Clark. Several people are dead after a shooting at a bank in Sebring, Florida. “After an assessment of the scene, we were sorry to learn that we have at least five victims, people who were senselessly murdered as a result of his act in this bank.” Sebring Police Chief Ray Harris. The authorities say 21-year-old Zephen Xaver walked into the Sun Trust Bank, opened fire, then called 9-1-1 to report himself. He surrendered after speaking with their hostage negotiator.

2) President Trump says he’ll hold an alternative event after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked him from giving his State of the Union Address before Congress until the partial government shutdown is over. “It’s a sad thing for our country. We’ll do something in the alternative. I’ll be talking you about that at a later date.” Speaker Pelosi was asked by reporters why she won’t invite the President. “The government is still shutdown. I still make the offer as for the mutually agreeable date, as the original date was mutually agreeable.” The address was scheduled for this coming Tuesday.

3) President Trump denied claims for his former personal attorney Michael Cohen that he’s been threatened by him and his lawyer Rudy Giuliani. “I would say he’s been threatened by the truth. He’s only been threatened by the truth.” ABC’s Aaron Katersky has more. Michael Cohen’s appearance before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will be postponed to a later day, his attorney said, because of ongoing threat against his family from President Trump and the President’s attorney Rudy Giuliani. This is a time, Cohen’s attorney said in his statement where Cohen had to put his family and their safety first. The statement did not elaborate on the threat, but President Trump and Giuliani have suggested investigators look into Cohen’s father-in-law. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, Washington.

4) In Venezuela, “__ __.” Nicolas Maduro announced his cutting ties with the U.S. after the Trump Administration said it’s recognizing the opposition leader as a country’s leader. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network; on Wall Street, stocks closing higher boosted by a batch of strong earnings reports from corporate heavyweights. Among the gainers today, utilities and consumer staple companies, while financials and energy companies lagged. With the Dow closing up 171 points, the NASDAQ up 5, S&P 500 up 6. // And shares of Procter & Gamble rising after reporting some strong quarterly results continuing a streak of robust gains and prompting the consumer products giant to raise its outlook for the year even as one of the closest rivals. That’s been Kimberly-Clark reported weaker results. P&G makes Tied detergents, Gillette razors and Pampers diapers. // And shares of Comcast closing up 5% higher after reporting fourth quarter earnings and revenues that beat Wall Street expectations. The company continues to lose its U.S. cable customers but get a boost from NBC Universal media unit and high speed Internet business. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, January 17, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Scott Goldberg. U.S. officials now conform a suicide blast in northwestern Syria has killed four Americans. ABC’s Luis Martinez has details from the Pentagon. “Two were U.S. military service members, one is a DOD civilian and another a contractor. Three other U.S. service members were injured in the suicide bomb blast that has been claimed by ISIS. It’s the deadliest ISIS attack against U.S. troops in Syria since they arrived in late 2015.” Last month, President Trump announced he was pulling U.S. troops out of Syria and that ISIS had been defeated.

2) A day after five gunmen attacked a hotel complex in Nairobi, Kenya, the death toll has risen to 21. The assault started with the explosion of three cars and the detonation of a suicide bomb vest setting off the near stampede. “Some left from the windows, others hid in the dirt, falling over each other in the panic to escape e explosions and gunfire echoing into early Wednesday morning as antiterror police moved room to room to clear the hotel. ABC’s Ian Pannell.

3) President Trump has now signed the bill that ensures federal workers will get back pay once the partial government shutdown is over. Republicans are responding after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested the President postpone his State of the Union Address until the shutdown is over, citing security concerns. “Minority Whip Steve Scalise has tweeted that Pelosi’s move shows (quote) ‘Democrats are only interested in obstructing. And Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen tweets they are (quote) ‘wholly prepared to support and secure the State of the Union.” ABC’s Lana Zak.

4) The new bill has been introduced that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next five years. Tiffany Lowe works in fast food, “My first job was in fast food, I made 6.50 an hour. Eighteen years later, I am here at KFC and I make 7.65 an hour. That’s less than a dollar more in a decade.” Right now the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

5) The Dow gained 140 points today. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network; the major averages closing in the green, following some strong earnings results from major banks. Among gainers today, financials with Goldman Sachs leading the Dow after an upbeat earnings support. The Dow laggards include Verizon and Pfizer with the Dow closing up 142 points, NASDAQ up 11, S&P 500 up 6. // And Airbus expanding its industrial presence in the U.S. and breaking ground on a new assembly plant for the A2-20 in Mobile, Alabama. The European plane maker said it would invest $300 million and create 400 jobs in the new facility. // And shares of Ford tanking over 6% today after the automaker said its profit for 2018 will fall short of Wall Street expectations. Ford declining to give a specific forecast for this year, which is the sign of the challenges ahead as the automaker embarks on a major restructuring amid uncertainty in the global auto-market. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, January 10, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Scott Goldberg. There’s still no end in sight to the partial government shutdown after negotiations with the White House today lasted only 14 minutes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said President Trump slammed a table and walked out of the room when Democrats said no to his demand for a border wall. “He asked House Speaker Pelosi ‘Will you agree to my wall?’ She said, ‘No.’ and he just got up and said, ‘Then we have nothing to discuss,’ and he just walked down.” The President on Twitter called the meeting (in quotes) “a total waste of time.” More from Sen. Schumer. “Again, we saw a temper tantrum because he couldn’t get his way and he just walked out of the meeting.” Karen Travers, ABC News, the White House.

2) Before that meeting, the President met with Senator Republicans on Capitol Hill and urged them to stay united. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his party support the President’s insistence on $5 billion plus to enhance the wall along the southern border. “We’re all behind the President. We think this border security issue is extremely important to the country. And we appreciate your leadership on it.” Several Republicans including Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Shelley Moore Capito and Cory Gardner have been urging the President to reopen the government and separate it from the debate off the border wall. Ali Rogin, ABC News, Capitol Hill. The Mayor of McAllen, Texas Jim Darling said the wall may help some cities but not his. He says the murder rate was zero last year and there are little security concerns. “We are the safest city and we are a progressive city, and it’s an advantage we live at the border, not a disadvantage.” President Trump said he expected to visit the border tomorrow.

3) Attorney General nominee Bill Barr‘s telling one prominent senator he won’t fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller if he’s confirmed by the Senate next week. “I can assure you, based on what I heard, that he has a high opinion of Mr. Mueller, believes that Mr. Mueller is doing a professional job, will do a professional job.” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein who has been overseeing the special counsel investigation is expected to step down in the coming weeks. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network; it’s a choppy session on Wall Street with stocks closing in the green but losing steam into the close after there was a breakdown in government shutdown talks. Tech, energy and industrials were among the gainers while consumer staples and utilities lagged. The Dow leaders today include Boeing, Apple and Microsoft. The major averages posting a fourth straight session of gains for the longest winning streak in two months with the Dow closing up 92 points, the NASDAQ up 60, S&P 500 up 11. // And after 25 years of marriage, Amazon’s founder and CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie are calling it quit. Bezos is one of the world’s richest men, maybe announcement today on Twitter three days before his 55th birthday. The two married in 1993 after they met at a hedge fund in New York where they both worked. MacKenzie is a 48-year-old novelist and supported her husband’s move off of Wall Street and into e-commerce. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, January 3, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Scott Goldberg. A sit-down between President Trump and Congressional leaders has come to an early end. They met in the situation room at the White House to talk border security. “We know that we have a challenge along the border. We want to solve that issue. We want to make sure we open this government up, and I think with the end of the day, the President listening to him. He wants to solve this as well. That’s why he’s asked us to come back Friday.” House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, he says the President was disappointed. Democrats want to go through with a vote on bills to end the shutdown that do not include money for a border wall. And as this shutdown drags on, the impact has been felt across the country. Strangers had to carry a hiker out of the Texas National Park, because rangers weren’t there furloughed without pay. Other agency employees forced to work without pay. Judith Rivette in D.C., finding locked doors on the Smithsonian, “Not necessarily, really just all about posturing, and this could be worked on the whole different way.” The President meeting with Congressional leaders for the first time in two weeks with no clear end to this. Andy Field, ABC News, Washington.

2) President trump reacted today to a critical op-ed by incoming Republican Senator Mitt Romney. “I gave him an endorsement. I was happy that he won.” Romney writes in the Washington Post that the President’s conduct is evidence that he’s (quote) “not risen to the mantle of the office.” The President said in a tweet Wednesday that he would prefer Romney focus on Border Security and other things where he can be helpful. Karen Travers, ABC News, the White House.

3) Stocks ended the first trading day of the year on a positive note. All three major U.S. indexes finishing Wednesday in the green to start 2019, and it could have been much worse considering the Dow dropped nearly 400 points in the early going only to close way back in midday trading. The Dow finished up slightly picking up 18 points. The S&P closed up 3 and the NASDAQ gained 30. ABC’s Mark Remillard.

5) The U.S. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman met with Paul Whelan in a Moscow prison today. Whelan was held on spying accusations. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network; on Wall Street, another volatile session in the first day of trading for the New Year with the major averages ending in the green. This is the market comes off its worst year in a decade. Investors today focusing on more shaky economic news from China. Among the gainers on Wall Street, energy and financial companies, while real estates and utilities lagged. The Dow leaders include Goldman Sachs and DowDuPont, while the decliners include Travelers and UnitedHealth Technologies with the Dow closing up 19 points, NASDAQ up 31, S&P 500 up 3. // And shares of Tesla tummbling around 7% after the electric automaker reported fourth quarter delivery that missed Wall Street expectations. The company also said it’s cutting its prices of the three vehicles by 2,000 bucks. The price slash comes after the $7500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles was cut in half at the end of 2018. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.