AFN News November 19

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, November 19, 2020

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen. On track, Georgia election officials say they are nearly finished with its audit hand count of some 5 million ballots, the deadline tonight. The state’s voting system implementation manager Gabriel Sterling. “So, we are still in good shape on getting to our intention, which was to meet the midnight tonight deadline, now obviously and that backtrack of 21 counties. They are some of the biggest counties.” President-elect Joe Biden retaining the lead in the state.

 

2) The Trump campaign continuing to launch legal challenges, the latest in Wisconsin asking and paying to have recounts in Milwaukee and Dane counties. It comes a day after Republican delegates in Michigan’s Wayne County which includes the city of Detroit tried to hold back on certifying votes for that county, then, backtracked. ABC’s political director Rick Klein tells us the campaign is looking at Democratic strongholds. “If you look at how the Trump campaign and Republicans generally are targeting areas, they are raising questions about. It is overwhelmingly Black communities.” Biden leads in Michigan also by 20,000 votes, Wisconsin by 20,000 votes.

 

2) Coronavirus cases raging across states. The Florida Health Department reports cases now topped 900,000. A course of health experts and state leaders urging Americans to scale back or postpone large gatherings for the holidays even with word that two vaccines are on the horizon. “HHS says they expect to begin distributing a vaccine within 24 hours of approval as it’s been preparing stockpiles of vaccine candidate in anticipation. HHS Secretary Alex Azar says the federal government has also been working with states, territories and major cities to make the vaccine accessible. ‘The ultimate goal here is to make getting a COVID-19 vaccine as convenient as getting a flu shot.’ He says they are also partnering with nationwide pharmacy chains and networks as well as nursing homes to allow them to administer the vaccine.” ABC’s Mark Remillard reporting. You’re listening to ABC News.

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I’m Connell McShane. This is the Fox Business Report.  

Stocks reversing course from earlier gains, and losing steams in the final-hour of trading on worries about rising coronavirus cases and lockdown restriction, which overshadowed positive developments on the coronavirus vaccine front. Healthcare, energy, utilities among the biggest laggers. The Dow winners; Caterpillar, Goldman Sachs and Salesforce. The Dow decliners; UnitedHealth and Boeing. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow finishing off 346 points, the Nasdaq down 98, while the S&P was down 42. Lowe’s sales surging in the third quarter. People took on projects at home during the pandemic. Relevant stocks fell 8% today. Some encouraging news on the housing front; home building increasing nearly 5% in October, more than expected as the housing market continues to be driven by record low mortgage rates.

That’s your Fox Business Report. I’m Tom Graham, invested in you.

AFN News November 12

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, November 12, 2020

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen. The nation at a turning point and in limbo; the vote continuing in undecided states with Joe Biden leading and the electoral votes showing him the apparent president-elect. President Trump and his campaign moving forward with more lawsuits. Courts so far dismissed previous lawsuits and decided there was no evidence of voter fraud. “What is happening right now is unprecedented. President Trump not conceding, his administration not helping the Biden team transition into the White House. Experts say this is a very dangerous time for the country. Sources close to President Trump say he knows this race is over. He knows he will not be able to overturn the results in court, but it’s unclear how long it will take for him to concede. Karen Travers, ABC News, Washington.” In Georgia, election officials announcing they will conduct a full audit and hand count of the election results there.

 

2) The coronavirus crisis out of control on the cast of the holiday. Cases surging nationwide, states like North Dakota reporting hospitals are full or nearly full. “As of today, new COVID-19 cases are rising in every state, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam, according to the COVID tracking project. Positivity rates are increasing in 36 states, hospitalizations are up in 43 states and deaths are increasing in 27. Infectious disease specialist Dr. John Brownstein, ‘One of the worst periods of this pandemic ever since is surging in the Northeast,’ Alex Stone, ABC News.”

 

3) Challenges in this pandemic for those who served and sacrificed during peace and war time, Veterans Day parade and ceremonies curtailed are held virtually today. President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence at Arlington National honoring military members there. The President participating in a wreath ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. President-elect Joe Biden, meantime, in Philadelphia at a ceremony, laid a wreath at the Korean War Memorial. You’re listening to ABC News.

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I’m M_ S__ and this is the Fox Business Report.

Stocks finishing mixed with technology stocks are rising after lagging earlier this week on signs that a COVID-19 vaccine raised hopes for a faster-than-expected-economic rebound and many of us getting out of our homes. With the Dow winners; McDonald’s, Salesforce, Microsoft. The decliners; American Express, Honeywell and Disney. Delta Airlines, Royal Caribbean along with several other travel stocks jumped sharply earlier in the week, pulling back some today. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow down 21 points, Nasdaq up 233, the S&P also declined 77. Lyft shares rising up 1%. The ride-hailing company’s quarterly revenue with a number of active riders are also climbing as lockdowns eased in several major cities. Alibaba’s stocks closing slightly lower. Chinese market regulators drafted anti-monopoly guidelines targeted digital platforms.

That’s your Fox Business Report. I’m Tom Graham, invested in you.

                                                       

AFN News November 5

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, November 5, 2020

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. Your voice, your vote. Almost 24 hours after the first polls closed in the 2020 election. ABC News is projecting Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will win Michigan. Former Vice President speaking to supporters not too long ago. “And now, after a long night of counting, it’s clear that we’re winning enough states to reach 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.” Biden is also ahead in Wisconsin. ABC’s Alex Perez says the Trump campaign has requested recount. “The margin here is so small only about half a percent. That means it does in fact qualify for a recount that the Trump campaign has made. It’s clear that that is what they are going to ask for.” The President campaign filing suit in Michigan. “Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien in a statement writing quote, ‘President Trump campaign has not been provided with meaningful access to numerous counting locations to observe the opening of ballots and the counting process as guaranteed by Michigan law, adding that the campaign has filed suit to halt counting until access is granted, also demanding a review of ballots that were already opened and counted. Lionel Moise, ABC News.”

 

2) The Trump campaign is also declaring victory in Pennsylvania. That’s even though they’re still counting ballots in the Keystone State. “The votes totalized gone up to about 82%. Joe Biden continues to chip away just a little bit, and Donald Trump’s lead now turned to about 6.5 or 7% and every time a new chunk of votes is released. That lead seems to dwindle about 20 or 30,000 votes, though President Trump is still winning by a nose of 400,000 votes right now.” ABC’s Trevor Ault in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

 

3) Democrats will continue to control the House but Republicans have picked up at least 7 seats. Senate’s still on play. Republicans will hold on to one more seat though, Maine’s Susan Collins. You’re listening to ABC News.

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I’m Connell McShane. This is the Fox Business Report.                                                        

Even though the presidential race still remains undecided, investors are in a buy mood today. Stocks closing higher for the third straight session. Among the gainers today, big tech, healthcare companies while financials and industrials are lagging. The Dow winners; Microsoft and Salesforce. The decliners; Caterpillar, JPMorgan Chase and 3M. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow up 370, the Nasdaq up 430 points, the S&P 500 closed up 74. // And a good day on Wall Street for ride-sharing companies. Shares of Uber Lyft surging up as the California voters widely approved Proposition 22. That’s the measure that allows gig economy companies to continue to classify drivers as contractors rather than employees. // And Hattrick Sports betting company; shares of DraftKings and Penn Gaming jumping after voters in Maryland, Louisiana and South Dakota all passed for betting ballot measures.

That’s your Fox Business Report. I’m Tom Graham, invested in you.          

AFN News October 29

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, October 29, 2020

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. Hurricane Zeta has made landfall along the Louisiana coast, the latest storm to slam the region. The Category 2 hurricane with 110 m.p.h. winds and the storm surged up at least 11 feet. Gov. John Bel Edwards, “One of the good things about this storm, if there is such a thing as a good thing about the storm, is its forward speed, for means that that’s not going to just sit there and pound for hour after hour and it should move through the area relatively quickly.” And because of that tropical storm, warnings are now in effect along the Gulf Coast and inland into the Carolinas and Virginia.

2) Six days to the election, President Trump holding rallies in Arizona and attacking on the latest poll. “ABC, Washington Post, they’re fakes. Trump 17 down in Wisconsin, 17. Think of it. Think of it. And they tried to do it last time four years ago, too, and that didn’t work out too well.”

3) Democrat Joe Biden voted in his home state of Delaware and criticized the way the President handled COVID-19. “This country can’t afford four more years of the president who thinks he’s only responsible for the wellbeing of the people who voted for him.” More than 75 million ballots have already been cast.

4) Former Department of Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor says he penned that explosive anti-Trump op-ed and book. “Another anonymous op-ed was published in September 2018. It seemed to consume President Trump. He suggested the piece amounted to treason and said the Justice Department should investigate who wrote it. Mr. Trump said it was disgraceful that someone could write a critical op-ed not to put their name on it and had it published by the New York Times. He called it a gutless editorial. Karen Travers, ABC News, Washington.”

5) Stocks tumbled again today over worries about the pandemic, all three of the major indexes losing almost 3.5%.  

6) A 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew takes effect tonight in Philadelphia after two days of unrest over the police shooting of a Black man. You’re listening to ABC News.

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I’m Liz Claman and this is the Fox Business Report.

Stocks tumbled as investors are concerned about rising coronavirus cases causing more lockdowns. Big tech and cyclical stocks along with shares of companies affected by coronavirus restrictions like cruise operators, airlines and hotels suffered sharp loses. The Dow falling 943 points, the Nasdaq down 426, S&P 500 down 119. // And General Electric bringing good things to life on Wall Street. Its shares closing up 4.5% after the industrial conglomerate’s profit and revenue came in well above estimates. GE said it was managing through a difficult environment but added it’s on track with its efforts to contain cost and conserve cash. // And Pinterest’s shares are surging in the extended session as the company continued to experience a surge in new users during the pandemic, which resulted in bigger profit and revenue growth unexpected for its summer quarter.

That’s your Fox Business Report. I’m Hilarie Barsky, invested in you.