Category: Business

(CNBC) — President Donald Trump said he issued an executive order Wednesday grounding all Boeing 737 Max jets, following the second major crash within five months. “We’re gonna be issuing an emergency order of prohibition to ground all flights of the 737 max 8 and the 737 max 9 and planes associated with that line,”

Critics attacked President Trump over the weekend for signing Bibles when he visited tornado survivors in Alabama, but the media frenzy about it is being called a fake controversy.

As CBN News reported, the president visited The Yellowhammer State last Friday to survey the devastation and pay respects to tornado victims. The massive tornado carved a path of destruction nearly a mile wide, killing 23 people, including four children and a couple in their 80s, with 10 victims belonging to a single extended family.

At the Providence Baptist Church in Smiths Station, Trump posed for a photograph with a fifth-grade volunteer and signed the child’s Bible. The president also signed her sister’s Bible. In photos and videos from the visit, Trump is shown signing the cover of other paperback Bibles as well.

On Saturday, The Associated Press wrote about the incident, writing, “President Donald Trump was just doing what he could to raise spirits when he signed Bibles at an Alabama church for survivors of a deadly tornado outbreak, many religious leaders say, though some are offended and others say he could have handled it differently.”

Presidents have a long history of signing Bibles, though earlier presidents typically signed them as gifts to send with a spiritual message. President Ronald Reagan signed a Bible that was sent secretly to Iranian officials in 1986. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the family Bible his attorney general used to take the oath of office in 1939.

Bill Leonard, the founding dean, and professor of divinity emeritus at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity in Winston-Salem, North Carolina told the AP it’s important to remember that signing Bibles is an old tradition, particularly in southern churches.

Leonard said he would have viewed it as more problematic if the signings were done at a political rally. He doesn’t see how Trump could have refused at the church.

“It would’ve been worse if he had said no because it would’ve seemed unkind, and this was at least one way he could show his concern along with his visit,” he said. “In this setting, where tragedy has occurred and where he comes for this brief visit, we need to have some grace about that for these folks.”

James Coffin, executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida, also noted the attention the kind gesture received. “Too much is being made out of something that doesn’t deserve that kind of attention,” he said.

Dr. Ed Stetzer, the dean of the School of Mission, Ministry, and Leadership at Wheaton College serves as executive director of the Billy Graham Center, and he took to Twitter to address the issue.

“The Bible autograph news is a made up controversy,” he wrote. “In some places, particularly the south, people ask you to sign their Bible. I’ve signed several. Most have other signatures already on the same page. Media friends, just b/c @POTUS does a thing does not make it disrespectful.”

The website Slate.com also posted an article about Trump signing Bibles, but it pointed out that other celebrities in the evangelical world are asked to sign Bibles, including Tim Tebow.

CBN Chief Political Analyst David Brody knows about the president’s Christian faith.  He co-authored the book The Faith of Donald J. Trump which was released in 2018.

While covering stories for CBN News in 2011 about a private citizen and later presidential candidate Trump, Brody reports he showed great respect for the Bible. Brody shared on Twitter about what Trump told him about his faith.

FLASHBACK: @realDonaldTrump tells me the following in 2011: “I believe in God. I am a Christian. I think the Bible is certainly, it is THE book.” Then he explains how people send him Bibles and keeps them in a, “very nice place.”

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Political figures who support the so-called Green New Deal and other proposals to restrict carbon dioxide emissions are up against some “inconvenient facts” that Americans may access immediately through a smartphone application, a geologist and author say.

But there’s one big problem.

The app, called Inconvenient Facts, is available only to Android users through the Google Play Store. Since March 4, users of Apple’s iPhone no longer can access the app through the tech giant’s App Store.

Why is that?

The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >>

Gregory Wrightstone, a geologist with more than three decades of experience, told The Daily Signal in an interview that he has his own opinion about what may have transpired inside Apple.

Wrightstone is the author of the book “Inconvenient Facts: The Science That Al Gore Doesn’t Want You to Know,” which served as the basis for the information available from the app.

He notes that former Vice President Al Gore, a leading proponent of the view that mankind’s activities propel dangerous climate change, is a board member of Apple.

“It’s very rare for an app to be approved and then taken down unless there is offensive material or some other extreme issue,” Wrightstone said of Apple’s action in a phone interview with The Daily Signal, adding:

We thought at first it may have been our fault. But I did a search on climate change and global warming in the Apple App Store and pulled up a whole bevy of pro-man-made global warming apps that are really bad. They are not formatted, they have incorrect spellings and no links.

But I suppose they have the political narrative right. Compared to these, our app is the gold standard. I made sure we had charts and links and references to the source for our data. This is all right in the palm of your hand.

A total of 60 facts in Wrightstone’s book are available through the Inconvenient Facts app to Android users. Complete with data, charts, and videos, they challenge the premise of alarmist theories about climate change that link man-made emissions to dangerous levels of global warming.

Gore’s ongoing campaign to convince the public that rising levels of carbon dioxide emissions could trigger catastrophic global warming was the subject of the 2006 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” and the 2017 follow-up, “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.”

Before reversing itself March 4, Apple initially approved the Inconvenient Facts app for sale Feb. 3. Since that time, the app has been downloaded 13,000 times, according to figures Wrightstone provided.

He also points out that the app has earned positive reviews.

“A key takeaway here is that Apple has a monopoly over iPhone apps and the Apple App Store is the only place to get them,” Wrightstone said. “It appears that Apple has chosen to weaponize its control over purchasing apps to stifle science that doesn’t conform to its politically correct notions.”

The Daily Signal sought comment from Apple’s media relations office by phone and email, asking whether the company would address Wrightstone’s allegations of political bias. Apple had not responded by publication time.

The Daily Signal also sent inquiries to Delaware-based Carthage Group LLC, with which Gore is associated, and to the Climate Reality Project, which Gore founded, seeking his comment for this article. Neither organization had responded by publication time.

Users who tap on the Inconvenient Facts app have access to images and data that run counter to much of what was presented in Gore’s documentary films. Some examples:

—Inconvenient Fact No. 53: “There are more polar bears now than we’ve had for 50 years.”

—Inconvenient Fact No. 10 cites a “Recent Inconvenient Pause of 18 years in warming, despite rising in CO2.”

—Inconvenient Fact No. 12: “Modern warming began long before SUVs or coal-fired plants.”

— Inconvenient Fact No. 21: “The current warming trend is neither unusual nor unprecedented.”

The Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation, a Christian public policy group that favors free-market approaches to environmental policy, published a commentary Friday that is critical of Apple. It concludes that the company’s decision to reject the Inconvenient Facts app “smacks of censorship.”

The study of geology provides important insights into the study of climate change because it considers short-term trends within the larger context of Earth’s history, Wrightstone told The Daily Signal.

“Geologists are probably the most skeptical of all the sciences concerning a man-made link to temperature changes,” the geologist said, adding of carbon dioxide:

Just to be clear, I don’t, and my colleagues don’t, dispute that CO2 is increasing, and I agree that it has to have some slight warming effect on the atmosphere. But I argue that it’s modest and overwhelmed by the same natural forces that have been driving temperatures since the dawn of time. …

Looking out across Earth’s history, CO2 levels are extremely low. I always argue we are actually CO2 impoverished.

Information about Wrightstone’s book and the Inconvenient Facts app may be found here as well as on YouTube and Facebook.

A government-run public transportation company in Lafayette, Indiana is reversing course, allowing pro-life ads to be displayed on the side of buses.

After facing litigation from the Alliance Defending Freedom, CityBus has agreed to allow Tippecanoe County Right to Life to run its classy ad showing the humanity of unborn children.

The ad in question featured two ultrasound images of an unborn child, and a third showing a newborn wrapped in a blanket. Superimposed over the photos are the words “ME,” “ME, AGAIN,” and “STILL ME.”

Tippecanoe County Right to Life is a non-profit organization with a mission “to protect the right to life through positive education and compassionate advocacy.”

ADF says CityBus has now revised its advertising policy and will no longer reject the ad. As part of a legal settlement, CityBus has also agreed to pay attorneys’ fees and damages.

CityBus denied Tippecanoe County Right to Life’s ad in the past because it determined the ad publicized a “political viewpoint” that was not in compliance with its advertising policy.

The 2017 lawsuit against CityBus contended “it is critical to educate the public about the humanity of unborn children and the harms of abortion.” It also claimed the nonprofit believes “one reason abortion is permitted in America is that many people do not understand the scientific truth about the humanity of unborn children.”

“It’s a scientific fact that unborn babies are just as human as the newborn babies we cherish, and Tippecanoe County Right to Life’s ad shares that truth in a compelling way,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Legal Counsel Samuel Green.

“We are thankful that CityBus is now allowing this educational message to reach people as they study, shop, and commute. The First Amendment protects freedom of speech for all people, regardless of their beliefs or their viewpoint,” Green continued.

After attorneys filed Tippecanoe County Right to Life v. Greater Lafayette Public Transportation Corporation in the US District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, CityBus agreed to a contract for Tippecanoe County Right to Life to run its advertisement for up to 16 months and amended its advertising policy, ADF reported.

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If you are over age 65 or are retired due to a disability, you may be eligible for a separate tax credit designed to help the nation’s seniors and disabled. Even better than a deduction, the Senior Tax Credit for the Elderly and Disabled could take up to $7,500 directly off of your tax bill. (Deductions can only reduce your tax bill in proportion to your tax rate.)

To qualify for the credit this year, you must meet two sets of criteria:

Age/Disability Criteria – You are at least age 65 or meet these three conditions: you are retired due to a disability, accepted taxable disability income for the 2018 tax year, and had not reached the mandatory retirement age for your employer by January 1 of 2018.

To be qualified under the disability criteria, you must have a signed statement from a physician certifying that you can’t “engage in gainful activity” because of a physical or mental condition. The same goes if the condition has either lasted for at least twelve months or is likely to do so, or that death is expected to result from the condition.

Income Criteria – Your adjusted gross income (AGI) or your combination of non-taxable disability income, pension annuity income, and Social Security income falls below threshold limits listed in IRS Publication 524, “Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled“. Limits on AGI range from $12,500 to $25,000, while limits on the non-taxable income path range from $3,750 to $7,500.

To calculate the credit, you must fill out Schedule R. IRS Publication 524 contains the instructions to help you fill out Schedule R and determine if you qualify for this tax credit.

Schedule R contains three separate sections. In Part I, you select the box that corresponds to your filing status, age, and disability status. This box determines the starting amount of your credit – $3,750, $5,000, or $7,500. Part II is for those qualifying by disability instead of age, requiring a statement of permanent and total disability by a physician. Part III walks you through the series of adjustments to your credit based on your status and other income sources.

Once the credit is calculated, enter the credit value in line 54 of Schedule 3, which should be attached to your Form 1040, and also attach your Schedule R to the tax form. Select box “c” on line 54 and write “Schedule R” in the adjacent blank. Note that the Senior Tax Credit for the Elderly and Disabled is a non-refundable credit, meaning that you can’t receive a credit larger than the remaining taxes that you owe even if you qualify for a larger credit.

If you find the instructions overwhelming, the IRS can calculate your credit for you. Check the box in part I of Schedule R that applies to you. Next, fill out Part II (if applicable). Then include any relevant income in lines 11, 13a, and 13b of Part III. Finally, enter “CFE” in line 54 of Schedule 3.

As an alternative, you can file your taxes electronically using tax software that will automatically calculate the tax credit for you. If you can’t afford tax software, consider using the IRS Free Filesystem for those with incomes below $66,000.

If you think there’s a chance that you may qualify for the Senior Tax Credit for the Elderly and Disabled, take a few moments to review Publication 524 and see if you can save money on your taxes. Never overlook any opportunity to lower your tax bill.

Failing to pay your taxes or a penalty you owe could negatively impact your credit score. You can check your credit score and read your credit report for free within minutes by joining MoneyTips.

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The transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the U.S. from the late 1760s to the 1840’s – the industrial revolution – brought many changes to the lives of the working class. Prior to the revolution, the majority of the workforce were in the agricultural business, but as the cities and factories grew, many of them left for urban areas. The factories had to produce their products 24/7, therefore it was expected that the employees would work fourteen to sixteen hours a day. Wages were dismal, especially for women and children. Workers had only one day off a week. The workday of eight hours didn’t become common until the early 20th century, thanks to activists who introduced “Eight hours labor, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest” idea. However, should the standards of the previous century be applied to modern working life? The 8-hour workday still raises questions for many, especially for those familiar with the research that suggests that this standard is neither efficient nor productive.

The research points out a significant finding: the average worker, who works 8 hours a day, is only productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes. While evaluating nearly 2,000 office employees, the study has also revealed that for most of the time they’re at work, people aren’t working. Surprising? The researchers then layout, that more than 1 hour is spent on reading news, checking social media takes about 44 minutes and talking with co-workers about non-work-related topics, takes up about 40 minutes of time. Searching for new jobs, smoking breaks, making calls, hot drinks, texting, eating and making food also accumulates for a lot of lost time. Therefore, it may be implied that the majority of the time spent in the office is unproductive. If we take away all of the unproductive time from 8 hours, only 4 are left.

The user named thesnarkbait also brought their two cents on the topic, mentioning the research done in Gothenburg, Sweden. It pointed out that the nurses that participated in a 6-hour workday for the research, showed improved productivity, indicated improved work-life balance and even their patients noticed a boost in quality of care. However, it seems as if employers are not very keen on acquiring the new, suggested standards.

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For younger Australians, the early 1990s recession may seem like a black and white photograph.

It sounds important but it happened in the distant past.

But for older Australians who lost their livelihoods as the unemployment rate soared to 11.2 per cent, or faced crippling variable mortgage rates of 17 per cent, as the Reserve Bank refused to pump-prime the economy, the economic and social damage was excruciating.

The political after-shocks of that period are still felt in Australia.

“People really don’t get it,” said Chris Richardson, a director of Deloitte Access Economic, when asked to compare Australia’s economy of 2019 to the early 1990s recession.

“Despite people talking about a less certain and more volatile economy at the moment, the surveys are pretty clear that most people aren’t expecting to lose their job.

“In recessions, there are a hell of a lot of jobs that go. You know it amongst your family, you know it amongst your friends. They’ve been the great tragedies of my adult life time.

“It takes years for the economy to recover.

“The vast majority of people who are unemployed for more than two years in the wake of a recession never get a full-time job again. It’s devastating.”

Australia’s last recession was 28 years ago. It happened before the internet, before smartphones, before Beyonce and Lady Gaga.

It means voters under the age of 45 have no memory of searching in vain for a job during a severe downturn, and some older Australians feel younger Australians are complacent

The global financial crisis was significant — Australia’s economy is still suffering its effects — but we managed to avoid the severe shocks endured by the US and Europe, thanks to a multibillion-dollar stimulus package from the Rudd Labor government, and China’s lifesaving demand for our commodities, many from WA.

Other countries have been long looked at Australia with envy.

But concerns in Australia about a recession are growing. House prices have been tumb-ling, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne, stoking the fears.

And as each year passes without a recession, the probability of a recession occurring increases.

With the economy suffering stagnant wages growth for years, and ultra-low inflation (currently around 1.8 per cent), the Reserve Bank has held the official interest rate at a record-low 1.5 per cent since 2016.

But economists believe it has to be cut again. Some think it will have to be cut to one per cent by the end of 2019.

News this week that youth unemployment is reaching 25.7 per cent in outback Queensland, and four regions in WA are among the 20 worst hotspots for youth unemployment in the country, has sparked fresh concerns for the youngest generation of workers.

But Prime Minister Scott Morrison took a gamble in a speech yesterday.

Feeding on the uneasy feeling in the air, he warned Australians not to vote for Labor in the Federal election, suggesting Labor could lead the country into recession.

“Because they’re going to put $200 billion worth of taxes and take Australia’s industrial relations system back to the time when we had recession in this country,” Mr Morrison said.

“I’m being very clear to Australians. It’s no use on the other side (of the election) going, ‘Oh I didn’t really realise it would have that impact’. It will have that impact.

“Whether it goes to the degree that we said, well, history would show.

“I am trying to ensure that we never know the answer to that question.”

But the word “recession” cannot be thrown around lightly and economists, in private, are shaking their heads.

How can you compare the early 1990s recession with today’s circumstances?

Australia in 2019 has a national unemployment rate of 5 per cent, with the cash rate at 1.5 per cent, and the Australian dollar sitting around US70.76¢.

In January 1990, the RBA’s cash rate peaked at 17.5 per cent, and inflation plummeted from 8.7 per cent to 0.3 per cent by 1992, forcing the unemployment rate up to 11.2 per cent. Hundreds of thousands of people were thrown out of work.

The infamous remark, from then-treasurer Paul Keating, that it was the recession “that Australia had to have” entered the country’s political folklore.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen quickly jumped on Mr Morrison’s comments yesterday, saying it was highly irresponsible for the Prime Minister to talk down the economy.

“Well this morning we’ve seen the shrillness and desperation of an irresponsible and out of his depth Prime Minister on full display,” Mr Bowen said.

“It is highly irresponsible for any Prime Minister, any Treasurer, any politician to talk down the economy like Scott Morrison has talked it down today.”

In 2006, former RBA governor Ian Macfarlane delivered a speech in which he looked back at the 90s recession and its aftermath. He said the coalition, led by John Howard, had been “very good at demonising” the recession for political gain.

But he said it laid the foundations for the uninterrupted growth that was then in its 15th year. “I think the actual handling of the recession was handled excellently. I think that the policy was optimal policy,” Mr Macfarlane said.