AFN News February 18

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, February 18, 2021

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen. The Lone Star State heading into another dangerously cold night with more storms on the way. Millions remain without power after extreme cold caused a cascade of troubles for the state’s power grid. FEMA is now sending help and equipment. The winter weather has forced states like Texas to close many vaccination sites. But once they’re able to reopen, the Biden Administration plans to ask governors to extend hours to allow those states to catch up.

  2) White House coronavirus taskforce coordinator Jeff Zients also says the Administration is increasing resources on the ground to keep up the pace. “For the first time, we’ve activated over 1,000 members of the military to support community vaccination sites.” The Biden Administration hopes to have enough vaccine for 300 million Americans by the end of July. Faith Abubey, ABC News, Washington.

 3) President Biden-Vice President Kamala Harris met with labor leaders in the Oval Office today. He touted the stimulus plan and also the need to improve roads and services nationwide. “We want to talk about the Recovery Act we have here that we’re trying to pass, and I think it’s going to get done, and building infrastructure in this country.”

 4) A developing story out of Philadelphia today. Multiple people have been shot. Philadelphia police said seven people were shot near a SEPTA station at Broad Street and Olney Avenue that happened around 3 o’clock in the afternoon. One person is in custody and police said they recovered two weapons. The circumstances of the shootings were not immediately clear, neither were the conditions of the victims.” ABC’s Aaron Katersky. 

 5) Legendary conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died. “Rush Limbaugh’s wife Kathryn Rogers alerting the world in a way. Limbaugh would have appreciated on his radio show. ‘It is with profound sadness I must share with you directly that our beloved Rush, my wonderful husband, passed away this morning due to complications from lung cancer.’ Limbaugh had been off the air in poor health since February 3rd.” ABC’s Jason Nathanson. You’re listening to ABC News.

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

Stocks closing mixed with the Dow notching a third straight record close. The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell as investors retreat from shares of many technology companies that have powered markets higher. The Dow winners; Verizon, Home Depot, Chevron. The decliners; Apple, Caterpillar and Amgen. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow up 92 points, the Nasdaq down 82, the S&P down a point. Apple, one of Dow’s biggest laggers, its shares sinking 2% toward a one-month low after two of the technology giants, largest shareholders, disclosed they trimmed their stakes, one of them being Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway. And Shopify stocks falling over 3% despite the Canadian e-giant commerce posting stronger than expected quarterly earnings and revenue.

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

AFN News February 11

 AFN NEWS

Thursday, February 11, 2021

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen. House trial managers spent five hours so far presenting evidence in the impeachment trial of former president Trump that includes showing unseen video and audio from the January 6th inside the Capitol building, police calling for help on dispatch. “__ __ __ riot.” In the battle along with Trump’s past tweets, video and paid campaign, they say just “Stop to Steal,” then incited the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Trial Manager Joe Neguse says the mob of Trump supporters went to the Capitol and encourage to fight like hell. “Senators, this clearly was not just one speech. It didn’t just happen. It was part of a carefully planned, monthlong effort with a very specific instruction; Show up on January 6 and get your people to fight the certification.” Trial managers and Trump’s defense team will have 16 hours apiece to present the case.

 2) President Joe Biden keeping his focus on the new administration, making a trip to the Pentagon today to mark Black History Month, and also working to build bipartisan support for his American rescue plan. Press Secretary Jen Psaki at the White House says that it includes funding for central services. “He’s proposed $350 billion in support for state and local government. That means keeping cops, firefighters, public health workers, teachers and other public servants on the job in the fight against the virus.”

 3) A handful of states now reporting cases of the South African variant. California is the latest. Then, the CDC is pointing to a recent study showing doubling upon masks could help. “Wearing a single mask is good but you can do more according to a new CDC study being presented in a medical journal JAMA. Researchers finding double masking is better with a surgical mask on the bottom layer on a cloth mask above and making sure whatever mask you wear is sealed tightly to the face.” ABC’s Alex Stone. You’re listening to ABC News. 

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

Stocks finishing mixed with the Dow notching a record close as investors digest a fresh batch of earnings and remarks from the Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell who painted a small, dismal picture of the state of the U.S. labor market. Among the gainers, financials and energy while tech stocks lagged behind. The Dow winners, Goldman Sachs, Home Depot, Chevron. The decliners, Boeing, Cisco, McDonald’s. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow finishing up 63 points, the Nasdaq down 35, while the S&P was down a point. Shares in cannabis companies soaring with Tilray leading the charge jumping over 50%, as the Reddit community behind a recent trading frenzy talked up marihuana stocks. Brokerage firm Charles Schwab laying off about 200 employees from the combined Schwab-TD Ameritrade company.

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

 

AFN News February 4

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, February 4, 2021

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen. The race to vaccinate getting a boost. Next week, the federal government will start sending shipment to pharmacies. There is also a rush to finalize another relief package for millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet in this pandemic. Republicans say the price tag for President Biden’s rescue plan is too high. Biden says the stakes are too high to scale back. After a 90-minute meeting with President Biden at the White House, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are unified in their desire to pass a big, bold stimulus package. He added Democrats will work with Republicans on the proposal when they can. “Vast majority of Republican voters support large parts of the program. We want to do it bipartisan, but we must be strong.” Democrats are moving forward with an effort to pass Biden’s $1.9 trillion plan, while Senate Republicans are pushing a deal roughly 1/3 that size. Elizabeth Schulze, ABC News, Washington.

 2) The House Rules Committee meeting considering a resolution to remove GOP freshman congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from committee post. Democrats say House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has failed to take action for Greene’s past comments including claims that mass school shootings for false flag events and promoted QAnon conspiracy series. GOP Representative, Jackie Walorski says Democrats are overstepping. “It’s not a function of majority party to make this determination unilaterally. It is unprecedented for the majority party to take actions to remove a minority member from his or her committee assignment for any reason.” That vote expected tomorrow.

 3) Nearly a month after the violent insurrection at the Capitol, a ceremony today for fallen U.S. Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick. He was given a rare distinction of “lying in honor” at the Capitol. Police say Sicknick died from the injuries a day after trying to fight the mob of Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol. You’re listening to ABC News.

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

Stocks ending mixed as investors reacted to a slew of corporate earnings and monetary progress in Washington for yet another round of coronavirus stimulus aid. Among the gainers, energy stocks after oil briefly rose to a 12-month high, while financials edged higher with bond yields. Among the laggers, real estate, healthcare companies. The Dow winners; Boeing, Microsoft, Home Depot. The decliners, Amgen, Travelers, and Caterpillar. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow finishing up 35, the S&P also up 4, while the Nasdaq was down 2 points. Some stocks had soared in popularity among traders, and online forums rising today with GameStop rising 3% and AMC Entertainment rising 14%. Meantime, Silver, another WallStreetBets’ favorite, rising slightly.

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

AFN News January 28

 

AFN NEWS

Thursday, January 28, 2021

 

1) From ABC News, I’m Michelle Franzen.

For the first time in the year, Homeland Security issuing a terrorism alert. This time warning domestic extremist groups are plotting more attacks. The public bulletin warned of ideologically motivated violent extremists who object to President Biden’s victory, inciting or committing violence. The Department of Homeland Security issued the warning through the public National Terrorism Advisory System that replaced the color-coded alerts after 9/11. The bulletin said the extremists are motivated by anger over coronavirus restrictions, the 2020 election or police use of force. The same drivers to violence, the bulletin said, will remain through early 2021. Aaron Katersky, ABC News, New York.

 2) Newly sworn-in Secretary of State Antony Blinken held his first briefing today. Russia among the topics asked by reporters, he was asked about the jailing of opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, in Russia. “We have a deep concern for Mr. Navalny’s safety and security, and, and the larger point is that his voice is the voice of many, many, many Russians and it should be heard, not muzzled.” The White House also confirmed President Biden and Russia’s President spoke today.

 3) President Biden also signing executive orders to make clean energy a top focus. “One big fear whenever President Biden mentions climate change, ‘We’re not going to ban fracking. We’ll protect jobs and grow jobs.’ President Biden ordering the government to use more clean energy, limit offshore drilling, protect federal lands, and opening a domestic climate office to manage transition to clean energy. Andy Field, ABC News, Washington.

 4) The White House COVID-19 response team holding its first briefing today. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky says they’re working to surpass goals of more than a million shots in the arm a day. So far, they’ve surpassed 1.6 million doses a day in the past week. Health experts so say it will still take months for the majority of Americans to be vaccinated. You’re listening to ABC News.

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

It’s bad, a selloff on Wall Street with stocks closing sharply lower. The Dow suffering the fifth straight session of losses, and valuation worries that the Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell offered a sobering outlook for the U.S. economy amid the pandemic. And the Central Bank is keeping short-term interest rates near zero, and Federal keeps stimulus measures in place until its goal of lower unemployment and 2% of inflation are achieved. The Dow winners today; 3M, Walgreens and Cisco. The decliners; Home Depot, Caterpillar and Boeing. Take a look at Wall Street by the numbers. The Dow down whopping 634 points, the Nasdaq off 355, while the S&P 500 dropped 99. There was no stopping for GameStop. Shares of the video-game retailer’s surging more than 133%.

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

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.