AFN News January 21

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, January 21, 2021

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen. Following the scaled-back inauguration day, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris got down to work. President Biden signing the first executive orders of his administration. And in the Senate, V.P. Harris performing the swearing-in ceremony for the newly elected senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock who won the heated runoff election in Georgia along with Alex Padilla who fills the seat vacated by Harris. “Do you solemnly swear?”, signaling the shift in the Senate to the Democrat control with Chuck Schumer now becoming Majority Leader. The day of traditions in the hallmarks of American democracy taking place like clockwork. “I, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr., do solemnly swear,” Joe Biden sworn in as the nation’s new President and Commander in Chief. Kamala Harris sworn in too, making history as the first woman and woman of color to be elected as Vice President.

2) But today’s inauguration taking place in the wake of the deadly U.S. Capitol siege two weeks ago. Instead of the crowds, Washington, D.C. fortified with 25,000 national guard troops. Biden’s inaugural address, he called for unity to defeat the pandemic and enemies foreign and domestic. “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, moral versus urban, ah, ah, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.” There was a bipartisan show of support at the inauguration. A National Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman delivering a poem “The Hill We Climb,” weaving words to mare America’s painful history with hopeful future. “The loss we carry, a sea we must wade. We’ve braved “the Belly of the Beast.” We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, and the norms and notions of what ‘just’ is isn’t always justice.”

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

Stocks ending in the green and in the record high as Joe Biden becomes the 46th U.S. president. Investors are hopeful that the new administration will provide yet another round of support for the economy in the form of taxpayer cash. Among the gainers; big tech companies while financials lagged behind. The Dow winners; Apple, Microsoft, Salesforce. The Decliners; Golden Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and UnitedHealth. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow finishing up 258 points, the Nasdaq up 260 and the S&P adding 53. And Netflix, the big winner today on Wall Street. Its stocks surging over 17% after the streaming giant reported that the total subscribers topped 200 million at the end of last year. Morgan Stanley stocks closing slightly lower even after the bank reported a 51% increase in the fourth-quarter profit.

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

 

AFN News January 14

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, January 14, 2021

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen. “On this vote, the ayes are 232. The nays are 197.” The House voting moments ago with Democrats joined by 10 Republicans to impeach President Trump on one charge of insurrection for the U.S. Capitol deadly attack one week ago carried out by a mob of Trump supporters. It’s the first time in U.S. history a president has been impeached twice. Democratic Representative Steny Hoyer before the vote says the attack and threat of further violence had urgency. “Only the Civil War has an analogy. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been demonstrations in Washington before and demonstrations throughout this country before, but it is the first and only physical presence other than the 9-11 attack on this nation, which came from abroad.” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy during the debate says he didn’t support impeachment but today acknowledged Joe Biden as the winner of the election and blamed the President for the responsibility of that attack. “The President bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.” Senate Mitch McConnel, Senate Leader Mitch McConnel, says he rejects an emergency session for Trump impeachment trial, which means any trial will take place after Joe Biden takes office.

 2) It comes as the Pentagon confirmed there will be up to 20,000 troops in Washington, D.C. protecting the government during the inauguration week. “Military officials say it could be more than 20,000 national guards within Washington over the next few weeks. That is twice the number of U.S. troops now in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Images of guards have been sleeping on the floors of the Capitol overnight, so they’d be in place for the expected unrest. It’s not clear what conditions will allow them to return home.” Andy Field, ABC News, Washington. You’re listening to ABC News.

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

Stocks closing mixed as investors keep an eye on impeachment proceedings in the prospect of fresh government spending. Among the gainers today, energy, financials and tech. The Dow winners; Intel, Apple and Salesforce. The decliners; IBM, UnitedHealth Group and Home Depot. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow finishing off, down 8 points, the Nasdaq up 57, and the S&P closed up 9. Affirm Holding shares surging around 98% after the financial technology company made it public debut today on Wall Street. Affirm offers payment options that let people make online purchases payment in installments. Intel the Dow’s biggest gainer today, the stock popping 7% after the chip giant said it had a change in leadership ousting Chief Executive Bob Swan.

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

AFN News January 7

 

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, January 7, 2021

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen. The U.S. Capitol under siege; Trump supporters storming the halls and chambers earlier today at the capitol as the certification of the electoral results from each state was taking place. A formal step in the democratic process disrupted with violence. President-elect Joe Biden, “This is not dissent, it’s disorder. It’s chaos and it borders on sedition and it must end now.” Biden says it’s an assault on democracy and called on the President to do his job and stop fanning the flames. The President earlier spoke at the rally urging supporters to march to the Capitol, even suggesting he would too. Then, he tweeted for remaining peaceful until Republican leaders told him that’s not enough. The President putting out video messages past hour continuing unfounded claims that he won the election and told people to leave. “You have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order.” Republican leaders also speaking out. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, one of the lawmakers, rushed to safety during the breach said it was the saddest day in the office. “I condemn any of this. This is appalling. This is un-American. This should never happen in our nation and whatever is going on right now has got to stop.” At one point, shots were fired in the chamber. D.C. police say one civilian woman was shot. Her identity and details of how she was shot unknown.

2) The session today is a ceremonial step before chaos broke out. Senate Leader Mitch McConnel taking a stand against the President and Republican, saying it would move the country into dangerous and uncharted waters. “If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral.” Washington’s Mayor now issuing curfew set to begin in the next hour as the sun sets at the nation’s capital. You’re listening to ABC News.                                                     

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

Stocks closing mixed and pared back from bigger gains the wild unrest forces the U.S. Capitol into lockdown. The major averages gaining on investment. Democratic sweeping Georgia could lead to more fiscal stimulus and infrastructure spending. Stocks were hurt by the pandemic.  Such as banks, industrials and small companies gained today. Internet and tech-heavy Nasdaq failed as investors worried that the Democrat-controlled Congress could lead to higher taxes and a whole lot more regulations. In the bond market the yield on benchmarks 10-year U.S. Treasury rose 1% for the first time since March. The Dow winners Goldman Sachs, Caterpillar, JPMorgan. The Dow decliners; Apple, Microsoft and Salesforce. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow up 438 points for a record high, the Nasdaq finishing off 78. The S&P added 31.

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

                                                       

AFN News December 24

 

ABC NEWS  DECEMBER 24, 2020

                        

1)             From ABC News, I am Michelle Franzen.  President Trump, before leaving for Florida today, vetoed the key military spending bill.  ABC’s Andy Field is in Washington; “As promised, the president gave the thumbs down to the defense authorization bill because Congress did not eliminate liability protection for social media platforms that have censored him.  He also won’t okay the bill.  They would change the names of US bases, now named for Confederate soldiers.  He also says it limits how and when he can bring home US troops.  The House and Senate may have enough votes to override the veto.”  President Trump also says he will not sign the new COVID relief package passed by Congress.  It asks for direct checks, he says, for Americans to be raised to $2,000 up from $600. 

2)             This past week more than 800,000 Americans filed for first-time jobless claims.  That adds to the millions of people receiving aid from programs that were set to expire the day after Christmas.

3)             The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines rolling out to more areas of the US.  The CDC tracking shows more than 1 million Americans have received their first dose of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccines so far. 

4)             And in New York City, the nation’s largest fire department began vaccinating its ranks today,

starting with EMTs.  “The cafeteria at the FDNY Fire Academy became a vaccine ward as EMTs like Marie Mased, rolled up sleeves for a shot of the Madorna vaccine.  ‘People are apprehensive, but it is important.’  Just prior to administering her shot, the FDNY announced the death of her colleague Evelyn Ford of coronavirus, ‘It’s sad to hear her passing, but it also shows how important it is to get vaccinated.’  EMTs were the front line when the virus overtook New York in the spring, and they are now among the first to get a vaccine, that is supposed to end the pandemic.  Aeron Kateresky, ABC News, New York.” 

5)             Coronavirus cases continued to surge around the US despite health officials urging Americans not to fly.  The TSA reporting reports more than a million people travelling. 

6-1)  I’m Connell McShane.  This is the Fox Business report.   

     “Stocks finishing mixed with the latest economic data mixed and President Trump unhappy about the coronavirus aid package passed by Congress.  Travel stocks rebounded today from steep losses earlier this week, while tech stocks lagged.  The Dow winners; Disney, Goldman Sachs and UnitedHealth group.  The Dow decliners; Salesforce, Microsoft and Walmart.  The Dow rising 114 points, the Nasdaq down 37, S&P 500 up 3.

6-2)  And there were 803,000 applications for jobless benefits last week, a decline from the previous week.  And personal income slid 1.1% in November, and consumer spending fell 4/10 of a percent   as COVID-19 cases picked up across the country, and shares of Pfizer rose 2%, following news that the drug maker reached a deal with the federal government to provide 100 million additional doses of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine.

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