Southeast Asian countries consider ways to boost ‘green financing’ as region chokes on smog

( ) -q-25- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “tinder-dry conditions.”

Senior finance and central bank officials from Southeast Asia and major economies are holding a high-level meeting in Laos.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia have committed to seeking more sustainable ways to feed their people and power their economies. The question is where the money will come from to do that.

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VERBATIM: They are discussing ways to help the region build resilience against shocks like the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters brought on by climate change. The need for faster progress was dramatically apparent as the city and surrounding region were engulfed in heavy smoke from fires. Some of those fires were set to clear forests for crops, some ignited by record high temperatures and tinder-dry conditions.

Senator Cruz Says Dems Have “Put A Bullseye” On Texas

Wisconsin Sen. Johnson Rules Out Role In Potential Trump Administration

Senator Cotton Warns Against U.S. Intervention In Haiti

How to protect yourself from common scams this tax season

( ) -q-25- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “you don’t recognize.”

Scammers look for ways to trick people into giving them money year-round, but tax season can be particularly fraught.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: One of the most common tax scams is identity theft. Taxpayers usually know their identity has been stolen when they try to file their tax returns and the IRS says they’ve already done so. This usually means someone else filed in their name to try to get a refund. There are ways you can protect yourself, including setting up an identify protection pin with the IRS and not answering calls from numbers you don’t recognize.

Biden administration approves nation’s 8th large offshore wind project

( ) -q-24- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “megawatts of electricity.”

The Biden administration approved a new wind project off the Massachusetts coast.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind is another 2,600-megawatt project, to be built east of Virginia Beach, Virginia. The last operating coal-fired power plant in Massachusetts, Brayton Point, at 1,600 megawatts, closed in 2017.

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VERBATIM: The project is expected to be large enough to provide more electricity than the state’s former coal-fired generating station. Avangrid’s New England Wind is the United States’ eighth large offshore wind project to be greenlit. The project, to be built in two phases, was approved for up to 129 turbines capable of generating up to 2,600 megawatts of electricity.

Inflation has slid again in Europe

( ) -q-22- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “of two-percent inflation.”

Inflation has fallen again in Europe, to 2.4% in March.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Analysts say the decline keeps the ECB on track for an interest rate cut in June. The pressure is on to reduce borrowing costs because the economy is failing to grow.

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VERBATIM: It’s welcome news for consumers since spikes in food prices have eased. The annual figure for the 20 countries that use the euro currency has come in below what financial markets expected and marks a decline from 2.6% in February. The figures mean the European Central Bank is getting closer to achieving its goal of 2% inflation.

CDC Reports Sharp Rise In MPOX Cases in 2024

Trump Takes Aim At Critic GOP Senator Bill Cassidy

McConnell Says Will Serve Out Full Term Though 2027

House Conservatives Propose Renaming Dulles International After Trump

Freight railroads must keep 2-person crews under new federal rule

( ) -q-22- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “to ground-based jobs.”

Major freight railroads will have to maintain two-person crews in most circumstances under a new federal rule.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The rule comes amid an intense focus on railroad safety following the fiery February 2023 derailment in eastern Ohio.

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VERBATIM: The Transportation Department’s Federal Railroad Administration released the details of the rule the agency has been working on for the past two years. Rail unions have long opposed one-person crews because of a combination of safety and job concerns. Railroads have sought the discretion to operate trains with only one person and move conductors to ground-based jobs.

College newspaper sweeps up 2 struggling weekly publications

( ) -q-22- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “towns more news.”

Student journalists across the United States have done their bit to cover small town news for years, but a college paper in Iowa is taking a bigger swing at it.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Campus papers in other American communities are also being distributed more widely to help fill the gap left by disappearing newspapers.

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VERBATIM: The Daily Iowan of the University of Iowa just bought two struggling weekly papers for an undisclosed price. It’s a deal believed to be the first of its kind. The students are already redoing the newspaper websites and soon plan to add interns to help write stories. The young journalists will get real-world experience while bringing the towns more news.

Israel clears way to expel Al Jazeera

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “war in Gaza.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The broadcaster condemned Netanyahu’s incitement claim as a “dangerous ludicrous lie.” Al Jazeera said it holds Netanyahu responsible for the safety of its staff and offices and would continue what it described as its bold and professional coverage.

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VERBATIM: Nethanyahu calls Al Jazeera a “terror channel” that spreads incitement. His accusation came after Israel’s parliament passed a law clearing the way for the closure. Netanyahu’s pledge escalates Israel’s long-running feud against Al Jazeera. But it also threatens to heighten tensions with Qatar, which owns the channel, at a time when the Doha government is playing a key role in mediation efforts to halt the war in Gaza.

Speaker Says Ukraine Aid Bill Will Include New “Innovations”.

New $20 minimum wage for fast food workers takes effect in California

California’s new minimum wage law for fast food workers is now in effect. Most of California’s fast food workers are set to be paid at least 20 dollars per hour. The increase has been cheered by workers and labor unions who say it will provide a livable wage. But some business owners say it will cause them to raise their prices or lay off workers in a state already known for its high cost of living.

First thought to be a prank, Gmail turns 20

It’s been 20 years since Google launched Gmail. On April 1st, 2004, Google announced a free email service boasting 1 gigabyte of storage per account. At the time, that was a huge amount of email capacity and many people thought Gmail was the latest prank from Google’s co-founders. But the April Fool’s Day announcement was no joke. Gmail revolutionized email and today there are an estimated 1.8 billion active accounts.

Trump, Republicans Blast Biden Easter Sunday Transgender Declaration

President Biden has drawn a strong response from the Trump campaign and religious conservatives for proclaiming March 31 — which corresponds with Easter Sunday this year — as “Transgender Day of Visibility.” President Biden issued the proclamation on Friday, calling on all Americans to-quote-” join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation…” This year the March 31’s designation fall on Easter Sunday. The Trump campaign is calling on the White House to issue an apology to what it calls the millions of Catholics and Christians across America who believe Easter is for one celebration only — the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, called the president’s decision “outrageous and abhorrent.”

Last quarter’s economic growth revised up to healthy 3.4% annual rate

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “buildings and software.”

The U.S. economy grew at a 3.4% annual pace from October through December.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The Commerce Department says the latest figure was an upgrade from its previous estimate of 3.2%. The department’s revised measure of the nation’s gross domestic product confirmed that the economy decelerated from its 4.9% rate of expansion in the July-to-September quarter. But last quarter’s growth came in the face of higher interest rates and was powered by growing consumer spending, exports and business investment in buildings and software.

Small business owners face tax changes ahead of tax filing deadline

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “tax-filing software.”

As Tax Day approaches, there are plenty of things small business owners should keep in mind when filing taxes this year.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Quarterly estimated tax payments are generally required for small businesses throughout the year.

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VERBATIM: April 15 is still the annual tax deadline for many small businesses. Unlike individuals however, small businesses can have varying deadlines depending on the type of company, the state the taxes are filed in, and other factors. Since business tax filing is complex, most experts recommend small business owners work with a professional tax adviser rather than trying to file on their own or even with tax-filing software.

Interior Department rule aims to crack down on methane leaks

( ) -q-21- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “greenhouse gas pollution.”

The Biden administration has issued a final rule aimed at limiting methane leaks from oil and gas drilling on federal and tribal lands.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The actions follow a more comprehensive methane-reduction plan announced by the Environmental Protection Agency in December. Oil and gas production is the nation’s largest industrial source of methane, the primary component of natural gas.

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VERBATIM: It’s the latest action by the White House to crack down on emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The rule issued by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management, will tighten limits on gas flaring on federal lands. It will also require that energy companies improve methods to detect methane leaks that add to planet-warming greenhouse gas pollution.

Home Depot buying supplier to professional contractors in $18 billion deal

( ) -q-17- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “and pool contractors.”

Home Depot is buying SRS Distribution, a materials provider for professionals.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: It’s a deal valued at approximately $18.25 billion. The home improvement retailer says the acquisition will help speed up its growth with the contractors. SRS provides materials for those including professional roofers, landscapers and pool contractors.

Trump Media Surges In First Day Of Trading On Wall Street

Shares of Donald Trump’s social media company rose about 16% in the first day of trading. The winning session boosted the value of Donald Trump’s large stake in the company as well as that of smaller investors, many of whom purchased shares as a show of support for the former president. Trump holds a nearly 60% stake in Trump Media & Technology Group. Based on Tuesday’s closing stock price the company –which runs the social media platform Truth Social-is worth about $4.6 Billion.

NBC To Cut Ties With Former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel

NBC News will cut ties with former Republican National Committee chief Ronna McDaniel, hired last week as an on-air political contributor.  The decision was conveyed in a memo to staff from the top official of the network’s news division after a furious protest by some of its journalists and commentators. The move comes four days after the network said that McDaniel had joined as a paid contributor to offer political analysis. The response from journalists and others within the network was swift — and public. It’s caused many observers to question the network’s commitment to diversity of perspective in it’s on-air coverage.