Francine: The center of Tropical Storm Francine was about 60 miles north of New Orleans this morning as the storm continued to lose strength while at the same time dumping torrential rain that has resulted in flooding. When the storm made landfall yesterday it was a Category 2 hurricane. Up to 8 inches of rain fell in the New Orleans area. The storm is forecast to move through the mid-south today and tomorrow. Â
Springfield, Ohio: Donald Trump continued yesterday to tell his lie about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, sealing and eating house pets. CNN sent a reporting team to Springfield and they found that the story is not true. The city manager of Springfield, Bryan Heck, yesterday told reporters that what Trump said is not true and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine also went on the record yesterday and said that what Trump claimed is false. Trump’s vice presidential candidate J. D. Vance is starting to back away from the claim, saying the story may be false. Â
Boeing contract: About 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists are due to vote on a proposed contract with Boeing. Although the union leadership has recommended approval of the contract, there is strong opposition among union members. Boeing has about 150,000 employees in the U.S. The company says it contributes about $79 billion a year to the U.S. economy.
Bon Jovi: Officials in Nashville are praising singer Jon Bon Jovi and a member of a video crew for helping to save a woman who apparently was going to commit suicide by jumping from a bridge into the Cumberland River. Bon Jovi was shooting a music video at the bridge. A video assistant spotted the woman getting ready to jump. Both the assistant and Bon Jovi approached her and engaged her in conversation and were able to pull her back from the railing.
Unemployment: The U.S. Department of Labor reported this morning that for the week ending Sept. 7, there were 230,000 initial claims for unemployment benefits, an increase of 2,000 from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2% percent for the week ending August 31, unchanged from the previous week. The highest insured unemployment rate in the week ending August 24 was in New Jersey at 2.8%. Connecticut’s insured unemployment rate was 1.9% and in New York it was 1.8%.
Railroad: The Norfolk Southern railroad says its Board of Directors has appointed Mark George, the company’s executive vice president and CFO as president and CEO effective immediately. The board fired President and CEO Alan Shaw for cause, effective immediately. An ongoing investigation determined Shaw violated company policies by engaging in a consensual relationship with the company’s chief legal officer. Norfolk Southern said Shaw’s departure is unrelated to the company’s performance, financial reporting and results of operations.
