K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For June 29th, 2017 – Evening

WASHINGTON (AP) - THE U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS IT HOPES FOR A "GENEROUS APPROACH" FROM THE UNITED STATES AS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ADJUSTS U.S. REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT POLICIES. SPOKESMAN WILLIAM SPINDLER OF UNHCR NOTED THE U.S. "TRADITION OF GENEROSITY TOWARD THOSE FLEEING WAR AND PERSECUTION" AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION SET NEW CRITERIA FOR VISA APPLICANTS FROM SIX MOSTLY MUSLIM NATIONS AND ALL REFUGEES.
WASHINGTON (AP) - PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S TWEETS ARE GETTING TOUGH COVERAGE ON A USUALLY FRIENDLY MEDIA OUTLET. FOX NEWS ANCHOR SHEPARD SMITH LED HIS AFTERNOON NEWSCAST WITH TRUMP'S ACTIONS, WHICH HE SAID "SOME CRITICS ARE CALLING SEXIST CYBER-BULLYING." HE INTERVIEWED "MEDIA BUZZ" HOST HOWARD KURTZ WHO NOTED THAT TRUMP FREQUENTLY PUNCHES BACK AT CRITICS, BUT THIS TIME "HE HAS ACTUALLY WOUNDED HIMSELF." KURTZ SAID THAT "IT'S PERFECTLY CLEAR TO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT PAID TO DEFEND HIM THAT HE CROSSED A LINE."

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK (AP) - ONLINE RETAILERS ARE WARNING CUSTOMERS TO PREPARE FOR DELAYS AS THE DISRUPTION CAUSED BY TUESDAY'S CYBERATTACK SPREADS ACROSS THE SHIPPING INDUSTRY. SEVERAL FIRMS HAVE ISSUED WARNINGS AFTER THE SUDDEN OUTBREAK OF MALICIOUS SOFTWARE THAT CENTERED ON UKRAINE AND SPREAD TO MAJOR MULTINATIONALS

MOSUL, IRAQ (AP) - IRAQ'S PRIME MINISTER IS DECLARING AN END TO THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP'S SELF-PROCLAIMED CALIPHATE AFTER IRAQI FORCES CAPTURED THE COMPOUND OF A LANDMARK MOSQUE IN MOSUL THAT WAS BLOWN UP LAST WEEK. HAIDER AL-ABADI SAYS "WE ARE SEEING THE END OF THE FAKE DAESH STATE ... WE WILL NOT RELENT, OUR BRAVE FORCES WILL BRING VICTORY," ACCORDING TO A STATEMENT POSTED TO TWITTER THURSDAY WHERE HE USED THE ARABIC ACRONYM FOR IS.
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AROUND THE COUNTRY, GASOLINE PRICES ARE AT RECORD LOWS LEADING INTO THE FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND, LARGELY DUE TO LOW OIL PRICES.

AND ANALYST PATRICK DEHAAN OF GASBUDDY DOT COM SAYS THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE SWIMMING IN OIL RIGHT NOW.

AND THAT MEANS FOR THE MOMENT, SUPPLY IS EXCEEDING DEMAND, WHICH MEANS, OIL PRICES ARE STUCK IN THE LOW $40 RANGE FOR NOW.

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CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP'S EFFORTS TO ROLL BACK COAL AND CLIMATE-CHANGE REGULATIONS AREN'T DISCOURAGING A UTILITY FROM MAKING A $3.5 BILLION INVESTMENT IN WIND ENERGY.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER PLANS TO SPEND BIG ON WIND POWER AND RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE IN THREE WESTERN STATES BY 2020. UTILITY OFFICIALS SAID THURSDAY THEY'RE READY TO PRESENT DETAILS OF THEIR PLAN TO REGULATORS IN WYOMING, UTAH AND IDAHO.

THE PLAN INVOLVES BUILDING NEW POWER LINES AND PUTTING LONGER BLADES ON EXISTING WIND TURBINES. BUT THE BIGGEST PART WILL BE BUILDING MORE WIND TURBINES IN WYOMING, THE TOP COAL-PRODUCING STATE. THE NEW WYOMING TURBINES WILL GENERATE ENOUGH ELECTRICITY TO POWER AS MANY AS 190,000 HOMES.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN POWER SPOKESMAN DAVID ESKELSEN SAYS THE UTILITY PLANS FARTHER OUT THAN THE POLICIES OF ANY ONE PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION.