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The heart-wrenching scenes of Afghan refugees attempting to flee Taliban persecution have America throwing open its arms, but where will they go? |
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Can the US deliver on its pledge to take in Afghan refugees? The horrific images of Afghan citizens trying to reach the Kabul Airport and evade the conquering Taliban army has Americans supporting efforts to help them escape. But the mass evacuation also raises the question about whether the US can take them in. Tensions escalated in the war-torn country Wednesday when Afghans who had been promised safe passage to the airport were stopped at Taliban checkpoints and prevented from catching flights. There were also scenes of "chaos" (President Joe Biden's word) reminiscent of the Taliban's rule before US forces arrived in 2001. Now many Americans are wondering whether welcoming thousands of Afghans into the country is good for national security and if it's our obligation, especially with immigration woes the southern border. FIND OUT THE US PLAN TO WELCOME AFGHAN REFUGEES
Wall Street suffers second straight setback amid Fed news Wall Street hasn't been accustomed to losing streaks lately, but Wednesday marked the second straight day of losses for all three major indices. While Tuesday's drop was a reaction to the COVID surge and Taliban takeover, Wednesday's downward sessions were chalked up to some discouraging words from the Federal Reserve. The minutes of the Fed's last policy meeting in July showed broad consensus among policymakers for a drawback in economic stimulus measures, including the massive monthly bond purchases that have kept interest rates low. Although somewhat expected, the news sent stocks sliding into the closing bell with a near 1% drop. FIND OUT WHAT THE FED'S WORDS MEAN FOR INVESTORS
New home construction experienced 7% drop in July Record-high housing prices won’t be receiving any relief from additional inventory any time soon. Amid growing concerns over increasing construction costs and a surge in the number of COVID cases, the pace of new home-building slowed by 7% in July. The latest report comes as the real estate market continues to see strong demand while still dealing with supply bottlenecks and all-time high prices. New single-family projects fell 4.5% and construction started on apartment buildings dropped 13.6%, creating an even tough climate for prospective buyers to realize the American dream.. FIND OUT WHICH US REGION SAW THE BIGGEST DECREASE
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Markets
| DJIA | 34,960.69 | -1.08% |
| S&P 500 | 4,400.27 | -1.07% |
| Nasdaq Composite | 14,525.91 | -0.89% |
| Japan: Nikkei 225 | 27,415.00 | -0.62% |
| UK: FTSE 100 | 7,169.32 | -0.16% |
| Crude Oil Futures | 64.37 | -1.67% |
| Gold Futures | 1,783.50 | -0.05% |
| Yen | 110.18 | 0.38% |
| Euro | 1.17 | -0.25% | | * As of market close |
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Senators call for probe into Tesla's claims
Already under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Board, Tesla caught more heat over its Autopilot system Wednesday when two senators called for a probe into the company's false advertising claims about the Autopilot and Full-Self Driving features of its electric vehicles. At least 11 crashes involving passengers using the self-driving system sparked the investigation and led lawmakers to get involved in the matter. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has longed contended that his cars are not for use without an active driver behind the wheel, but his tendency to hype his company and his cars could land him and the EV maker in hot water. FIND OUT WHAT LEGAL ISSUES TESLA AND MUSK MAY BE FACING
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Abbott, DeSantis facing masks controversy
The governors of two of the most COVID-stricken states in the nation -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis -- seem to be holding each other's beer while they play a game of "top this" for pandemic stupidity. Wednesday's matchup went into extra innings. DeSantis made a strong play by threatening to withhold funding from school districts that enforce mask mandates even as the Sunshine State set records for new cases. But Abbott proved even idiots are bigger in Texas by testing positive for COVID while getting outflanked by school districts using masks as part of their dress codes. With that kind of leadership, it's no wonder they lead the nation in COVID outbreaks. SEE WHY FLORIDA AND TEXAS ARE AGAINST MASKS IN SCHOOLS
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Garth Brooks pulls plug on concert tour
Country music fans across the country took a big kick in the teeth Wednesday when superstar Garth Brooks canceled the remainder of his highly anticipated "Fun" tour. Citing the recent spike in COVID cases, particularly in the Southeast where the pandemic is peaking, Brooks apologized for cutting the concert schedule short but felt it was only right. “In July, I sincerely thought the pandemic was falling behind us,†Brooks said in a statement. “Now, watching this new wave, I realize we are still in the fight and I must do my part.†Fans received full refunds but still might get to see him at a later date as Garth "Ain't Going Down" without a fight. FIND OUT WHEN BROOKS MAY RESCHEDULE HIS TOUR DATES
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Vinyl virtuoso
Making it big before music went the way of digital downloads, Garth Brooks has sold more than 148 albums, second only to what musical act? Wednesday’s answer: Introduced in 1950, the Diners Club Card allowed Americans to "charge it" instead of paying by cash or check. The concept now has them over $800 billion in debt, or an average of $5,000 a person. SEND YOUR ANSWER HERE TO SHOW OFF YOUR KNOWLEDGE
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Fast Start for friends
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