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.

AFN NEWS ON THE HOUR

Thursday, August 23, 2018　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. The bull market: it is now the longest in history. That means for more than 3400 days the benchmark, S&P 500 Index of major stocks, has gone without a drop of 20% or more. “Consumers are spending in more buying the product that corporate America makes. When corporate America is making more money because of that and also paying fewer taxes, facing fewer regulations, they make more money. Stock investors turn around and buy those companies.” ABC’s Rebecca Jarvis. The S&P closed down a point today. The Dow Jones 88.

2) __ __ __. Co-owner of Yarrabee Farms, Dane Lang, says the man accused of murdering Mollie Tibbetts, 24-year-old Cristhian Rivera, gave them a different identity when he applied for a job four years ago. “In this case, the individual did provide a state-issued photo-ID and the social security card.” Dane Lang didn’t say what identity Rivera who’s in the country illegally gave.

3) FEMA Administrator Brock Long says they’re ready for what Hurricane Lane now a Category-5 storm is to bring to Hawaii. “Bottom line is a lot of uncertainty in the track forecasts that we’re currently monitoring. However, what is certain is that Hawaii is going to be impacted and see torrential rains over the next several days.” So far, Lane is forecast to pass west of the Big Island tomorrow and come close to Honolulu on Friday.

4) White House Spokeswoman Sarah Sanders says President Trump did nothing wrong one day after former Attorney Michael Cohen said in court that then candidate Trump directed them to make   hush money payments to two women. Sanders says there are no charges against the President.

5) The President awarded the Medal of Honor to Air Force Technical Sergeant John Chapman who died on an Afghan mountain top of fighting two bunkers of Al-Qaeda militants in 2002. “At over 10,000 feet, they fought the enemy at the highest altitude of any battle in the history of the American military.” Chapman was providing a cover for his teammate trying to carry out the rescue mission. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network, Stocks entering the longest bull run ever on Wednesday. The current rally started 3,453 days ago on March 9th of 2009. The major indexes have been soaring. That’s welcome to folks investing in their golden years. In fact, nearly 3 in 10 working Americans just telling Bankrate.com that they’re stashing away more money for retirement this year than last year. // But fewer folks are investing in homes. The National Association of Realtors is reporting existing home sales slipping in July for the 4th straight month. The combination of rising prices and the shortage of homes on the market keeping many potential buyers on the third __. // And finally parents can relate to this. More than half of all teens in America say they spend too much time on their cellphones. The study from Pew Research also says that the same number of teens are trying to cut back on their usage. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Connell McShane.