2018 saw a blue wave that swept through the House of Representatives, a historic number of women elected to Congress, end-of-the-year stock market volatility, a government shutdown and a controversial detention policy at the U.S.-Mexico border that erupted in an international scandal, among other milestones and unforgettable images, quotes and events. In perhaps the financial news of the year, NASDAQ hit a 15-month low on Dec. 21, falling as much as 21.5 percent from its Aug. 29 high. The S&P 500 index, which was already on pace for its biggest percentage decline in December since the Great Depression, hit its lowest level since August 2017. Continue ReadingAgainst this backdrop, President Donald Trump — who has been quick to give himself credit when the market was reaching all-time highs — reportedly asked his advisers if he could fire Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, whom Trump appointed earlier this year. Some observers thought that might have caused an even … [Read more...] about 2018 in Review: National Politics
Economist year in review
FOX NEWS FIRST: Michael Flynn to learn his fate; Why Trump is justified in reviewing a Green Beret’s murder case
FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2017, file photo, then - National Security Adviser Michael Flynn speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House, in Washington. Flynn is relaxed and hopeful even as the possibility of prison looms when he's sentenced in the Russia probe Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018. The retired three-star general pleaded guilty last year to lying to the FBI about conversations he had with the then-Russian ambassador to the U.S. during President Donald Trump's White House transition. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File) Welcome to FOX News First. Not signed up yet? Click here. Developing now, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018 Former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday for lying to FBI investigators amid allegations of wrongdoing during his questioning There is an effort to convince President Trump to agree to a short-term spending bill to prevent the government from shutting down on Friday, FOX News has learned Fired FBI Director … [Read more...] about FOX NEWS FIRST: Michael Flynn to learn his fate; Why Trump is justified in reviewing a Green Beret’s murder case
Week in review: Scarborough Downs development wins tax break
HEALTH CARE ACA enrollments down 30 percent over last year Tarun Vaswani talks with Libby Cummings of Portland Community Health Center about signing up for ACA health coverage at the Portland Public Library in March. Early indicators show that Affordable Care Act enrollment for 2019 is down significantly in Maine compared with 2018. Staff photo by John Patriquin Early indicators show that Affordable Care Act enrollment for 2019 is down significantly in Maine compared with 2018, when sign-ups in the state led the nation in terms of a percent increase from the previous year. The change is a sign that the move by congressional Republicans in late 2017 to eliminate the federal income tax penalty for those without health insurance could be contributing to the decline in new sign-ups. According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, net enrollment in ACA-compliant individual health insurance plans in Maine totaled 13,669 sign-ups from Nov. 1 through Nov. 17, a … [Read more...] about Week in review: Scarborough Downs development wins tax break
Week in review: Saco Island plan on hold; low-income Bay Staters to benefit from CMP project
HEALTH CARE Rumford hospital votes no confidence in owner’s CEOLess than a week after Bridgton Hospital medical staff passed a no confidence vote in Central Maine Healthcare CEO Jeff Brickman, Rumford Hospital medical staff have voted no confidence as well. Staff members who were at the meeting but asked to remain anonymous said about 15 to 20 people participated in the vote Tuesday night. A few abstained. The rest voted no confidence. Rumford and Bridgton hospitals are part of nonprofit CMHC, which also owns Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and a collection of medical practices in 15 communities. Tuesday’s meeting means staff at two of CMHC’s three hospitals have now voted no confidence, a symbolic move meant to convey unhappiness to the CMHC board. CMMC staff members in Lewiston have said they plan to hold their own vote, possibly this week. Read the story. Maine Med is buying nearby pizzeria for future possibilities Maine Medical Center is buying the … [Read more...] about Week in review: Saco Island plan on hold; low-income Bay Staters to benefit from CMP project
Journal Record Week in Review for the week ending July 6, 2018
SandRidge broadens buyer search SandRidge Energy Inc. is broadening and extending its search for a buyer. The company announced on June 29 it has dozens of potential buyers and the company’s bank is seeking more, including some outside the U.S., outlining a few details about what’s already been proposed. Wheat harvest only half of average This summer’s wheat harvest looks nothing like last year’s crop, industry representatives said. Projections for Oklahoma’s overall wheat production have been adjusted to 52 million bushels this summer, compared to 99 million last year – just half of the state’s five-year average. In 2014, which was the worst wheat crop since 1957, farmers saw 47 million. Optimism reigns in manufacturing survey Manufacturers in the central U.S. remain worried about the threat of tariffs to their business, according to the latest survey by the Federal Reserve Bank’s Kansas City Branch. But respondents said they are … [Read more...] about Journal Record Week in Review for the week ending July 6, 2018