On this day….

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On April 12, 1861, the Civil War began. In 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died at age 63; he was succeeded by Vice President Harry S. Truman. In 1955, the Salk vaccine against polio was declared safe and effective. In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man to fly in space. In 1963, … Read more

2022 Seminoles debut in Garnet and Gold Spring Game

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Seminole fans got their first chance to take a look at the 2022 Florida State Football team on Saturday as the ‘Noles offense racked up 38 points at the annual Garnet and Gold Spring Game. The format included two traditional scrimmage quarters followed by the “Main Event” which featured guest coaches Danny Kannell and Peter … Read more

David Gilmour: Why I’m Bringing Back Pink Floyd After 28 Years

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The courage of the people of Ukraine inspired Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason to release their first new song as Pink Floyd since 1994: “We want to spread this message of peace, and we want to raise the morale of the people who are defending their homeland” A few days after Russia invaded Ukraine, singer-turned-soldier … Read more

Exxon signals record quarterly profit from oil and gas prices

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Exxon Mobil Corp on Monday said its first-quarter results could top a seven-year quarterly record, with operating profits from pumping oil and gas alone of up to $9.3 billion.

A snapshot of the largest U.S. oil company’s quarter ended March 31 showed operating profits from oil and gas, its biggest unit, could jump by as much as $2.7 billion over the prior quarter’s $6.6 billion.

March 24, 1989 Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill, the largest in US history

Exxon does not hedge, or lock in oil sales, and results generally match changes in energy prices. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed up oil by 45% last quarter over the final period of 2021, to an average of $114 per barrel, the highest in seven years.

The estimates suggest total earnings for the quarter of about $9.8 billion at the mid-point of Exxon’s estimates, according to Scotiabank global equity research.

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The Party is Over – Refi Applications Plunge to Two-Year Low as Rates Surge

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Even for a week containing a holiday, last week was a bad one. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) said its Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, fell 7.1 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the Index decreased 6 percent compared to the previous week. The week ended January 21 started with the observance of Martin Luther King’s birthday although MBA did not indicate it adjusted its data to account for it.

The Refinance Index decreased 13 percent from the previous week and was 53 percent lower than the same week one year ago. The refinance share of mortgage activity declined to 55.8 percent of total applications from 60.3 percent the previous week, the lowest for refinancing since Christmas week 2019.

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House passes landmark marijuana legalization bill

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The House passed legislation Friday that would legalize marijuana nationwide, eliminating criminal penalties for anyone who manufactures, distributes or possesses the substance.

Lawmakers approved the measure in a 220-204 vote.

Download a summary of the bill here (Word Format) :Download

The legislation, dubbed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, passed in the House last year, but did not move forward in the Senate. In addition to decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, the bill would establish procedures for expunging previous convictions from people’s records and impose a tax on the sale of cannabis products.

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