AFN NEWS

Thursday, June 13, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Chuck Sivertsen. Moving ahead with contempt, hours after the White House asserted the executive privilege over census documents, the House panel votes to hold two administration officials in contempt of Congress. “In a 24-to-15 vote nearly along party lines, the House Oversight Committee voted to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for defying congressional subpoena related to the 2020 citizenship question. Michigan Congressman Justin Amash was a loner Republican to vote in favor of the resolution. Prior to the vote, President Trump under the request of the Justice Department exerted executive privilege over the subpoena documents. The Committee vote now sends the contempt solution to the full House. Monica Salandy, ABC News, Washington.”

2) House Judicial Chair Jerrold Nadler announcing that former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks has agreed to testify in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation on June 19th. Earlier this month, the White House instructed Hicks not to cooperate with committee subpoena.

3) President Trump hosted Poland’s President at the White House, where he announced the U.S. will send 1,000 more service members to that country. “This year our nations mark 100 years of diplomatic relations. The U.S.-Polish alliance is stronger by far than ever before.” President Trump says Poland is also buying more than 30 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets from the U.S.

4) Arrests were made in the attempted murder of the former Boston Red Sox slugger. “Dominican authorities said they arrested a gunman who shot David Ortiz and then held up the gun. Police said it was used in the shooting. Police said they found it buried near where they located one of the suspects. Five have been detained and the sixth was being sought. Police said there was a bounty on Ortiz’s head of less than $8,000. In Boston where Ortiz remains in the intensive care, his wife said the former Red Sox star was able to sit up and take some steps.” ABC’s Aaron Katersky.

5) The major indexes ended the day mostly lower around Wall Street. The Dow lost 44, the NASDAQ 30. You’re listening to ABC News.

…………………………………………..

From the Fox Business Network; on Wall Street, stocks closing lower amid a continuing cloud of trade uncertainty between the U.S. and China. Among the laggers today, tech, financials and energy companies which fell as the price of crude oil continues to decline. With the Dow falling 43 points, the NASDAQ down 30, S&P 500 down 6. // And shoppers are buying more yoga pants of Lululemon in the first quarter. Shares of the apparel retailer spiking in the extended session after beating sales and profit expectations with the company saying it continues to see momentum across its businesses. // And General Motors is making a hefty investment and will be spending $150 million, so it can rev up production of heavy-duty pickup trucks at its Flint, Michigan, assembly plant. The money will be used for improve the factory’s conveyor system and for other equipment to boost output. The factory builds heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups which are all-new for the 2019 model year. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, June 6, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. Family members who lost loved ones in the care of Ohio doctor William Husel reacting to the murder charges. He is facing for the fentanyl overdose death of 25 patients. Christopher Thomas’ mom Jan died in his care. “I don’t have any ill will or anything toward him, just even knowing why he did it, probably isn’t going to affect me, because I love my mom so much, it doesn’t matter.” Husel pleaded not guilty in court today as his lawyer says he was trying to provide comfort care.

2) The Trump Administration announcing it’s suspending the use of fetal tissue in the research conducted by government scientists. A senior administrational official tells ABC News it was the President’s call to end medical research by government scientists using human fetal tissue from elective abortions. The announcement is coming from the Health and Human Services Department overriding the opinion of the government top medical scientist who says scientific benefits come from fetal tissue research. The practice has been used for decades by the government to research arranged medical issues like childhood cancer and the Zika virus. __, ABC News, the White House.

3) The top diplomats in Mexico met with Vice President Pence and the Secretary of States at the White House, trying to reach a last-minute deal to avoid tariffs. Five percent tariffs on all imported Mexican goods are set to begin on Monday.

4) Money in the $19 billion disaster aid bill on President Trump’s desk can help residents recover from flooding. “Acting FEMA Director Pete Gaynor says thousands of flooded Americans can recover flood losses with just help from Uncle Sam. “FEMA will not make you whole but we’ll in a hurry encourage flood insurance because that will get you back to normal faster.” FEMA’s average flood payout, only about $ 3,000. Expensive private flood insurance often pays more than $100,000 in aid. Andy Field, ABC News, Washington.”

5) Stocks closed higher on Wall Street for the second day in a row. The Dow added 207 points, the S&P gained 23, the NASDAQ rose 48. You’re listening to ABC News.

…………………………………………..

From the Fox Business Network; on Wall Street, stocks closing in the green as investors are growing even more confident as the Federal Reserve will lower interest rates this year to jump-start the economy; with the Dow rising 207 points, the Nasdaq up 48, S&P 500 up 23. // And shares of Stitch Fix soaring in the extended trading session after the online personal styling company beats earnings and sales expectations for its recent quarter. Its active clients -- people who received a box of clothing increasing 17% year over year. // And if you need a fashion recommendation, Amazon is launching an AI-powered shopping feature called “StyleSnap.” It helps shoppers figure out their wardrobe. Users can upload a photo of an outfit that they like on the Amazon app and StyleSnap will suggest items from the site that match their look. Members of the Amazon Influencer Program are eligible for commissions on purchases that they drive. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, May 30, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. The White House says it’s time to move on after two years special counsel Robert Mueller breaks the silence about the Russia investigation, but White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders says there was no new information. “There was no real news in there. He reiterated the points that he’d already made in the report, and we agree with them. There was no collusion. There was no conspiracy. We consider this case closed.” Mueller said he didn’t have the option of charging President Trump with obstruction because of Justice Department policy. “It explains that under longstanding department policy, a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while he is in office. That is unconstitutional.” With that statement, even more Democratic presidential candidates are calling for impeachment. Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, many other top candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination are calling for Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Trump. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders says he will go along with impeachment if the House Judiciary Committee initiates those proceedings, and front runner Joe Biden says impeachment might be unavoidable.” ABC’s Pete Combs in Atlanta.

2) Tornado cleanup is under way in Douglas County, Kansas. Public works director Keith Browning, “The most part of debris was cleared last night, other debris was just pushed out of the pavement. Today we’re concentrating on picking up that debris from the right of way.” The National Weather Service says an EF-4 tornado stayed on the ground in Kansas for nearly 32 miles before lifting.

3) Israel’s Parliament voted to dissolve itself, sending the country into an unprecedented second snap election this year despite winning the election in April. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a government before the midnight deadline.

4) Stocks slid on Wall Street but investors once again favoring bonds over worries about slow economic growth. The Dow lost 221 points, the S&P fell 19, the NASDAQ gave up 60 points. You’re listing to ABC News.

…………………………………………..

From the Fox Business Network; uncertainty is setting Wall Street. Investors who are already worrying about trade with China really hit the panic after the special counsel for the Russia investigation made comment about his finals. Now while investors are worried about stocks, more than three in four Americans tell Bankrate.com they are experiencing financial regret and their biggest regret is not saving enough money. Meanwhile, one in five people have no plan to address the issue. // Good news. If you’re flying this summer, according to the J.D. Power, airline satisfaction just hit the highest level in history. Newer planes, better ticket value, and improved check-in time are among the reason why. // Well, this might prove that we are really addicted to our mobile devices. There’s a new report out from the company Common Sense Media. It finds more than a third of teens and more than a quarter of parents wake up at least once a night to check their device for something other than the time. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Connell McShane.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, May 23, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Chuck Sivertsen. A federal judge in New York is refusing to block Congressional subpoenas seeking President Trump’s financial records. U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos ruled the congressional subpoenas seeking records from Deutsche Bank and Capital One and President Trump do have a quote “legitimate legislative purpose.” Lawyers for the House Financial Services and Intelligence Committee say they need access to documents to investigate possible foreign influence in the U.S. political process. Trump’s attorneys asked the judge to block Congress from obtaining the records, saying if the court allows their release, it will mean Congress can issue subpoenas quote “on any matter at any time, for any reason to any person.” Mark Remillard, ABC News, New York.

2) President Trump abruptly ended the meeting with Congressional leaders at the White House, telling Democrats that he won’t work with them unless they stop investigating him. “When they get everything done, I’m all set to, let’s get infrastructure, let’s get drug prices down. In the meantime, we’re doing tremendous work without them.” President Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden that he doesn’t do cover-ups, the term House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used at least twice. “In plain sight in the public domain, this President is obstructing justice and he’s engaged in a cover-up, and that could be an impeachable offence.” Speaking to the Center for American Progress Ideas Conference, Pelosi called today’s meeting strange.

3) According to court documents unsealed today, President Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen exchanged hundreds of calls and texts with Columbus Nova. That’s an American financial firm tied to a wealthy Russian.

4) Authorities say an infant has died after being left in a hot van for hours outside a Florida day care.

5) Wall Street, major indexes closed lower because of a mixed batch of corporate earnings reports. The Dow lost 101 points, the S&P fell 8, the NASDAQ slid 35. You’re listening to ABC News.

…………………………………………..

From the Fox Business Network; stocks falling, dragged down by makers of semiconductors after a U.S. federal judge ruled that Qualcomm illegally suppressed competition for cellphone chips; with the Dow falling 101 points, the NASDAQ down 35, S&P 500 down 8. // And Tesla’s stocks dropping 6% today, closing below 200 bucks, a share for the first time since late 2016, as analysts and investors expressed concerns over demand for its lower-priced Model 3 vehicles, management credibility and plans for some hard-core cost cutting. // And you may have to wait a bit for a newly design of the $20 bill. The bill featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman will no longer be unveiled next year according to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Mnuchin telling lawmakers during a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee that a primary reason for the delay is due to counterfeiting issues and no new imagery will be unveiled until 2028. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, May 16, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Chuck Sivertsen. Prioritized visas in modernizing ports of entry, President Trump expected to announce a new immigration plan tomorrow. “Not changing, the number of green cards given out each year, that stays at 1.1 million despite the push from some Republican lawmakers for a dramatic reduction, but what the White House would do is change who makes up that pool? ‘I don’t think most countries are giving us their finest. Do you agree? And that what’s happening and it’s causing tremendous problems with crime.’ Under this proposal, priority for visas would be given to highly skilled workers, applicants with higher education and those of English proficiency. Karen Travers, ABC News, the White House.”

2) Shanahan says DHS (the Department of Homeland Security) has requested troops to build tents at six locations to house up to 7500 detained migrants. It’s further expansion of the military’s role at the southern border.

3) The father of the student killed trying to stop one of two gunmen during the Colorado charter school shooting says it was no surprise to him what Kendrick Castillo did. “We all really, really loved Kendrick, but to carry on his life’s message, we need to be more like him. That’s what this world needs for change,” John Castillo spoke before a

 crowd of about 2,000 at his son’s memorial.

4) Cal Fire has officially determined that last year’s deadly fire in Paradise was caused by PG&E‘s transmission lines. It’s not a big surprise it’s been expected that Pacific Gas and Electric power lines likely caused the Camp Fire on a windy dry day, but legally it’s a problem for PG&E (Pacific Gas and Electric). The company links numerous recent big fires to potentially being on the line for a lot of money and liability. PG&E even said the Camp Fire could bankrupt the company if they were to be found liable. Now Cal Fire says it was PG&E’s equipment. ABC’s Alex Stone, Los Angeles.

5) Wall Street, major indexes closed higher, the Dow ended 115 points, the NASDAQ climbed to 88. You’re listening to ABC News.

…………………………………………..

From the Fox Business Network; if you’re tired with those scam phone calls, well, help may be on the way. The FCC (the Federal Communications Commission) proposes new rules that will make it legal for phone companies to automatically block robocalls, but it can’t come soon enough, for one report saying that there were more than 23 billion robocalls in the U.S. last year alone. // Look like folks are shopping less. The Commerce Department says retail sales dipped in April for the second time in three months. Americans are cutting back on spending for things like appliances, clothes and cars. // And a major auto recall, I’ll tell you about Ford calling back around 270,000 Fusion models made from 2013 to 2016, apparently a transmission glitch can cause the vehicles to just roll away when the driver thinks to park. // And get ready for crowded roads and airports over the Memorial Day weekend. AAA estimating nearly 43 million Americans planning a getaway for the upcoming holiday. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Connell McShane.