AFN NEWS

Thursday, July 11, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. Labor Secretary Alex Acosta is defending his part in negotiating a plea deal for accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Former Jeffrey Epstein’s federal prosecutor and now Labor Secretary Alex Acosta agreed with underage girls who say he raped them. ‘He is a bad man.’ Acosta says he forced the deal with Jeff Epstein’s jail time, made him a registered sex offender because the State of Florida was going to let Epstein go free. ‘There is a value to a short guilty plea.’ Still congressional Democrats wanted to know why Acosta didn’t demand a trial and stiffer sentence.” Andy Field, ABC News, Washington.

2) A Maryland district judge has denied the government’s motion to withdraw the legal team trying to fight for a citizenship question on the 2020 census. A New York judge made a similar ruling yesterday.

3) There were calls for coma at this hour in Salt Lake City. Mayor Jackie Biskupski condemning violent protest to a plan to build a shipping hub in the city. “The injuries sustained by our officers and those who were from the media were a tragic result of this protest.” The Mayor reminded the protestors that she filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the hub. She worries about pollution and safety.

4) First responders are on standby along the Texas and Louisiana coast as the region prepares for the possibility of rough tropical weather over the next few days. Texas Governor Greg Abbott, “We’ve activated the Texas Task Force 1 and they are all standby and they are prepared right now with four high-water rescue boat squads.” Hurricane watch is posted ahead of the system which is expected to become a tropical depression tomorrow.

5) When the head of the Fed speaks, the markets listen, and they were encouraged by what he told Congress about the central bank eyeing at least one rate cut in response to the slowing global economy and ongoing trade tensions. The Dow climbed 77 points, the NASDAQ closed at 60 at all-time high. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network; there was a record day on Wall Street, while the NASDAQ finished at all-time high, the S&P 500 plus 3,000, first time ever on Wednesday. Before closing it was a little bit shy of that. The Dow had strong days as well. // Parents are already thinking about school years. A new survey by Deloitte finds shoppers plan to spend $27.8 billion, which works out $519 per student on back-to-school purchases this year. That’s almost 2% more than last year, now, while most of the spending will be clothes and accessories. Electronic gadgets like smartphones, tablets are said to see the biggest increase up $800 million in 2018. // You may wanna reconsider the dream location for your golden years, because a new report out from Bankrate says the No.1 place to retire is Nebraska. Major factors include affordability and weather. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Connell McShane.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, July 4, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. Will there be a citizenship question on the 2020 census? Yesterday the Justice Department said printing had started without the question, but now a court’s been told that they’re gonna try to figure out what’s going on. “A federal judge meeting by phone with Justice Department and civilian lawyers saying it is up to them to either go back to court and agree not to include the citizenship question or schedule a trial. The President tweeting that the fight isn’t over, but his own government has already begun printing census forms without the question asking if the person responding is an American citizen. Andy Field, ABC News, Washington.”

2) A reduction in rank and four months confinement. That’s the sentence a military jury handed to Navy SEAL Special Ops Chief Edward Gallagher for posing with the corps of an ISIS prisoner. His attorney Tim Parlatore called it an unusual case. “Gallagher is charged like this because it’s attached to a larger case. It’s given a lot more importance than would otherwise be. If you look across the services, the Army, the Navy, Marine Corps when they have this type of incidents they normally handle them in non-judicial punishment.” Gallagher was acquitted of murdering the ISIS prisoner. A judge credited for time spent in his custody.

3) A prosecutor in Alabama decides not to follow through on the case against a woman who was shot and lost her unborn child. Twenty-seven-year-old Marshae Jones didn’t have a gun. She didn’t pull a trigger but because, police say, she started the fight that led to the shooting death of her unborn child. A grand jury indicted her for manslaughter, but now the prosecutor in this case says that won’t stand. She’s dropped the charges against Jones, saying this case is over.” ABC’s Pete Combs.

4) The federal judge temporarily blocked an Ohio law banning abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. The ruling stops the July 11th enforcement of the law.

5) The market closed at record high on Wall Street after a holiday-shortened day. The Dow gaining 179 points. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network; stocks finished on a strong note with all three major indexes reaching new highs, the Dow rising 179 points, the S&P closed up 22 points, the NASDAQ gained 61 points. Markets are closed tomorrow for the July 4th holiday but resume normal hours on Friday. // Netflix shares closed higher heading into the midnight launch of the third season of “Stranger Things”, also back soon on Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black.” // Tesla shares closed higher after the electric car maker reported it delivered more than 92,000 vehicles in the recent quarter. This is in contrast to most automakers whose sales prompted in quarter. Tesla set new productions and delivery record. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Carole Zimmer.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, June 27, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. The stage is set and the candidates are ready as ten Democratic presidential hopefuls square off tonight in the first debate of the 2020 campaign. “The number of candidates on stage and the debate format mean the Democrats here have little time to make a mark, about eight minutes each if the moderator sticks to 60-second answers and 30-second follow-ups over two hours. This registered Democrat’s hopeful substance over flash. ‘In the time frame, what they got right now is not gonna be enough in detail. It’s gonna be rather high probably, I think.’ Even after two nights and four hours of the debate, Americans would have only heard from 4/5 of the crowded field. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, Miami.”

2) On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is commanding his chamber for passing a measure sending emergency, humanitarian relief to the southern border. “I am glad that the bipartisan Senate border supplemental has passed with an overwhelming vote, I commend Chairman Shelby, senators and the members of the Appropriations Committee for breaking the long gap.” The final vote 84-4, senators voted down a $4.5 billion House bill that addressed the conditions of detention centers where migrant children are held. Lawmakers have to reconcile the bills.

3) President Trump is on his way to Japan for the G20 summit.

4) There’s a new problem that could delay the Boeing 737 MAX from getting recertified. “There’s no sign that the Boeing 737 MAX is close to being approved to fly passengers again now, a possible new problem with the plane. The FAA confirming it has found a potential risk involving the aircraft that Boeing must mitigate. It comes as the FAA evaluates updates to the MAX software meant to prevent the nose-down issue that played the role in two deadly crashes. The FAA saying it will allow the plane to fly again once it deems it’s safe to do so.” ABC’s Alex Stone.

5) Stocks closed mostly lower on Wall Street. The Dow slid 11 points, the S&P dropped 4, the NASDAQ gained 25. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network; on Wall Street stocks closing mixed as investors wait for a possible trade deal with China. Among the gainers today, tech and energy companies, while real estate and utilities were among the laggers. The Dow falling 11 points, the NASDAQ up 25, S&P 500 down 4. // And as the summer begins, who’s thinking about going back to school? Apparently Target is and already getting in gear for the season and expanding its uniform selection with the Cat & Jack kids line and launching a new tween girl brand with clothes, school supplies and more. Target will also be having new Back to College sections in more than 700 stores near college campuses. // And although the economy appears to be robust, many Americans are feeling skittish as they look to the future. With 40% of people polled by Bankrate.com saying that they feel the next recession has already begun or will begin within the next 12 months. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

AFN NEWS

Thursday, June 20, 2019　

1) From ABC News, I’m Daria Albinger. Federal authorities say a terror plot in Pittsburgh has been thwarted. Prosecutors have charged a suspect to the ISIS sympathizer with terrorism offences. “Mustafa Alowemer came to the United States as a refugee from Syria two years ago. In recent months, court records said he came in contact with an FBI undercover and discussed a plan to bomb a church on the North Side of Pittsburg. Federal prosecutor said Alowemer wanted to support the cause of ISIS and take revenge for ISIS brothers in Nigeria. The FBI has been increasingly concerned that angry, disaffected people are considering attacks against houses of worship.” ABC’s Aaron Katersky.

2) Former Trump aide Hope Hicks has finished her closed-door testimony with the House Judiciary Committee investigating possible obstruction of justice by the President, but Democrats including California Congressman Ted Lieu expressed frustration with Hick’s claiming absolute immunity and refusing to answer questions about the Trump presidency. “There’s no such thing as absolute immunity. The White House is just making stuff up and they are not asserting executive privilege, which actually is a thing. They’re afraid to assert it, so we’re gonna go to court. We’re gonna win and then we just make Hope Hicks come back again.” President Trump tweeted that Democrats were putting Hicks to hell.

3) A House panel heard impassioned testimony earlier on the idea of slave reparations. Something, Republican Sen. Lindsey graham says, won’t help overcome America’s original sin. “We’re so far removed from the event. It was the original sin of the country, and I think let’s just make it more a perfect union rather than looking backward, because I don’t know where it stops.” It was Congress’ first hearing on reparations in more than a decade.

4) Mexico’s senators voted to ratify a new free trade agreement with the U.S. and Canada. It’s the first of the three countries to sign off.

5) Stocks rose modestly on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve signaled it could cut interest rates in the future. The Dow gained 38 points, S&P added 9. You’re listening to ABC News.

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From the Fox Business Network; on Wall Street, the major averages closing in the green after the Federal Reserve left its key interest rates unchanged and signaled that no cuts are coming for this year unless economic conditions weaken. Fed Chair Jerome Powell, “In light of increased uncertainties and muted inflation pressures, we now emphasize that the committee will closely monitor the implications of incoming information for the economic outlook and will act as appropriate to sustain the expansion with a strong labor market and inflation near its 2% objective.” The Central Bank is also penciling in one interest rate cut for next year, with the Dow rising 38 points, NASDAQ up 33, S&P 500 up 9. // And Panera Bread making a move to expand beond the breakfast and lunch crowd. The chain announcing that they will be testing its new dinner-centric menu in restaurants in Lexington, Kentucky in July before expanding to locations in Providence, Rhode Island in September. With the Fox Business Report, I’m Hilarie Barsky.

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.

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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.