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.

Farmers in tractors block Brussels to protest EU policies

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “and environmental rules.”

Dozens of tractors sealed off streets close to European Union headquarters where the 27 EU agriculture ministers were planning to address the crisis in the sector that has led to months of protests.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting.

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VERBATIM: The farmers are protesting anything from what they see as excessive red tape to increased environmental measures, cheap imports and unfair trading practices. With protests taking place from Finland to Greece, Poland, and Ireland, the farmers have already won a slew of concessions from E-U and national authorities. They include a loosening of controls on farms to a weakening of pesticide and environmental rules.

Bird flu, weather and inflation conspire to keep egg prices high

( ) -q-19- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “to 2021 levels.”

Egg prices are at near-historic highs in many parts of the world.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. One major culprit is avian flu. In 2022 alone, more than 131 million poultry worldwide died or were culled on farms affected by the disease. Higher chicken feed costs due to weather and inflation have also impacted egg prices.

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VERBATIM: The high cost reflects a market scrambled by disease, high demand and growing costs for farmers. While global prices are lower than they were at this time last year, they remain elevated. A senior global specialist with a Dutch financial services firm doesn’t expect them to return to 2021 levels.

China to challenge Biden’s electric vehicle plans at the WTO

( ) -v-33- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “std.”

China says it has filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization over U.S. subsidies for electric vehicles. Correspondent Jeremy House reports.

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VERBATIM: The Chinese Commerce Ministry says it has turned to the WTO dispute settlement process to protest American requirements that vehicles use parts from specific regions to qualify for subsidies. A statement posted online says the U.S. formulated discriminatory subsidy policies for new energy vehicles under its Inflation Reduction Act in the name of responding to climate change. It says the U.S. move excluded Chinese products, distorted fair competition and disrupted the global supply chain for new energy vehicles…JH reporting.

Netanyahu Calls Off High-Level DC Visit Over Lack Of U.S. Support At UN

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled a planned visit to the U.S. by a high-level delegation after today’s (Monday’s) U.N. Security Council vote demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. The resolution passed 14-0 on Monday after the U.S. decided not to use its veto power and instead abstained. Netanyahu accused the U.S. of “retreating” from what he said had been a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the cease-fire on the release of hostages held by Hamas. The Israeli delegation was to present White House officials with plans for an expected ground invasion of the strategic Gaza town of Rafah,

Senate Democrats Kill Amendment To Stop Illegal Alien Flights

Senate Democrats banded together last week to reject an amendment to stop President Biden from resettling unlimited numbers of illegal immigrants in all 50 states.  United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), last week forced a vote on his amendment to the appropriations bill that would prohibit taxpayer funds from being used to secretly fly illegal aliens from other nations directly into states across the country. The flights allow the illegals to resettle in American communities, at U.S. taxpayer expense. Hagerty also notes the flights allow President Biden to artificially reduce the the record-breaking number of border crossings happening under his watch.

Chick-Fil-A changes its no-antibiotics-in-chicken pledge

( ) -q-24- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “of animal illness.”

The fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A has backtracked from its decade-old “no antibiotics ever” pledge.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Livestock producers have long used antibiotics to boost rapid weight gain in animals such as chickens, pigs, cows and sheep, although many nations, including the United States, have begun to restrict the practice.

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VERBATIM: The pledge was intended to help prevent human antibiotic resistance linked to the rampant use of the drugs in livestock production. Instead, the company says it will embrace a standard known as “no antibiotics important to human medicine.” The new pledge entails avoidance of such medicines commonly used to treat people and limits the use of animal antibiotics to cases of animal illness.

European regulators investigate Apple, Google and Meta

( ) -q-26- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “breaking up businesses.”

European Union regulators have opened investigations into Apple, Google and Meta.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. The rules have the broad but vague goal of making digital markets “fairer” and “more contestable.”

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VERBATIM: They’re the first cases under a sweeping new law designed to stop Big Tech companies from cornering digital markets that took effect earlier this month. The European Commission says it was investigating the companies for “non-compliance” with the Digital Markets Act. It’s a broad rulebook that targets Big Tech “gatekeeper” companies forcing them to comply with a set of do’s and don’ts, under threat of hefty financial penalties or even breaking up businesses.

Big brands could pivot easily if TikTok goes away

( ) -q-24- UNDATED (Correspondent Jeremy House) “social media networks.”

A lot of “What ifs” still surround a bill the U.S. House passed last week that would mandate TikTok′s Beijing-based parent company to sell its stake in the platform or face a nationwide ban.

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TAG: Correspondent Jeremy House reporting. Industry analysts say it will be more difficult for smaller firms and solo entrepreneurs to rebound if TikTok goes away.

285,000 Dodge, Chrysler sedans recalled for side air bag inflators

More than a quarter-million Dodge and Chrysler sedans are being recalled. Stellantis is recalling nearly 285-thousand Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300s from the 2018 through 2021 model years. The automaker says the side air bag inflators can explode with too much force during a crash and hurl metal fragments at drivers and passengers. Documents posted by U.S. safety regulators say Stellantis has seven warranty claims, but no reports of injuries.

Midwest, Northeast hit with winter weather advisories and snow

Winter isn’t over yet in parts of the country. The calendar says spring, but don’t tell that to folks in the Midwest and Northeast. Parts of Montana, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin are under winter weather advisories. Minnesota could see a foot of snow over the weekend, and some New England states could also see 12 to 18 inches in the coming days.