MARIA-03
of America Announces Fourth Quarter Earnings, Beat Estimates on Earnings;
J&J Announces Job Cuts; Crude Oil Up More than 2 Percent, but Still Below
$30 a Barrel; Trump-Cruz Rivalry Continues to Heat Up; Trump Bungles Bible
Reference at Liberty University; Winter Storm Heads for Washington Area;
Eagles Founding Member and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Glenn Frey Dies at
Age 67; Search Underway in Iraq for Three Missing Americans; Michigan
Governor Apologizes for Flint Water Crisis; David Patraeus Faces Potential
Demotion from Four-Star Status; Families of several Americans released by
Iran, celebrating the return of their loved ones, Levinson was not among
the five Americans released late last week, when the White House struck
that deal to removed sanctions against the dangerous regime; The battle
for the presidency is heating up, as rival GOP candidates Donald Trump and
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, fight for the Republican nomination - Part 2>
Dominick Tavella, Scott Brown, Nicole Petallides, Maria Molina>
Webb, Ed Moldaver, Wayne Chrebet, Christine Levinson, Dan Levinson, Tim
Kane, David Webb, Dominick Tavella, Scott Brown>
China; Stock Market; BOA; J&J; Oil; Donald Trump; Ted Cruz; Liberty
University; Weather; Glenn Frey; Iraq; Michigan; David Patraeus>
CHRISTINE LEVINSON: Everything they can. And I don't believe it's enough. I know that the FBI has an investigation and they've always worked very hard for us. They have a $5 million reward out, but unfortunately, it's very hard to get information from that area, and they have not received any leads.
SMITH: On that, the FBI -- the reward you're talking about is a $5 million reward for any information on your husband and your father's whereabouts, and you're keeping track of them on social media. You've got #whataboutbob just to try to find out anything about where your family member is.
DAN LEVINSON: We want to raise awareness, because this is -- this shouldn't happen to any -- we're just an average American family and we've been thrust into this, and we want to show -- we want to make sure that my dad is not forgotten, that ordinary Americans and people around the world, and that what's the point of this hash tag and raising awareness in us, continuing to be out there. We're not going to go away, everybody needs to know, we're not going away, we're not going to give up on this, and we're going to keep pressing his face.
SMITH: For those who don't have the details of the story, your father disappeared in March, 2007, and at that time what did -- what was he doing there?
DAN LEVINSON: He was working as a contractor for the CIA and he was meeting with a contact there, supposed to be 24 hours, all points-- all information and points he had checked out of his hotel and was picked up by Iranian security forces. In fact, Iranian state media reported as much, he was picked up by them. They've denied knowing anything about him since, but everybody believes that the Iranian government knows exactly where he is.
SMITH: So, he was working as a contractor for the CIA. Was there some sort of payout that your family received from the CIA?
DAN LEVINSON: Yes. The CIA admitted that they were responsible for his -- him being over there. My dad was the sole breadwinner, I'm one of seven children, my mom had no source of income, and so it was very difficult for her. So, she had -- they provided that settlement for the time being.
SMITH: So, it's hard to project where this is going to go from here, but this prisoner swap, does that make you -- it's a difficult question to ask, but does it make you any less hopeful that the state department, that the president and his administration are tracking down your husband?
CHRISTINE LEVINSON: No, I -- well, it makes me hopeful that they will do their best to get him home. Because they've promised that and I take them at their word. Unfortunately, it will never be enough until he is actually here with us.
DAN LEVINSON: They're been saying -- we've been hearing the same things for years and years, the same thing that Secretary Kerry said in December, they just said the other day. It's just not going to be enough. They've had almost seven years, Obama administration, the last two presidential administrations, it's absolutely ridiculous that he's still not home by now.
SMITH: Very difficult story. So, if you have any information, #whataboutbob is being used. The FBI is offering a reward. But any -- have you received any tips as to your father's health, whereabouts, anything?
CHRISTINE LEVINSON: There are always tips, but there's nothing that can be confirmed or proven.
DAN LEVINSON: The FBI's investigating.
SMITH: All right. Thank you to both of you, Christine and Dan for joining us this morning. I wish you the best and will pray for your father and your husband.
CHRISTINE LEVINSON: Thank you.
SMITH: Alright. Don't forget, Mornings With Maria starts every day, right here at 6 AM Eastern on the Fox Business Network, and before we go to break here are some of the best moments from the morning if you missed earlier in the show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNINDENTIFIED MALE: For the policies are not working together, government policy, and corporate policies, and that's a problem and that's global, by the way, because they're buying America. Everyone is trying to buy America, because we're the last best hope.
UNINDENTIFIED MALE: Thank goodness that the Fox debate came soon thereafter. And Neil and Maria, really kind of raised the bar, which that bar has still been set most recently by what you and they have done.
SMITH: Part of my prepping for the debate, hosting the debate, I was looking at the candidates' layout for how they plan to protect us from these types of attacks.
SMITH: Have you changed the password on your router, Jo?
KENT: I think of doing it right now.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
KENT: It's not that hard, actually.
UNINDENTIFIED MALE: There's a huge Republican grounds hold going on that's going to -- and especially, if the markets are predicting what's going to go on in the future with the economy, we're going to -- that is a sour economy, the president's party suffers from that, we're going to do very well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA VILCHIS, TENNIS CHANNEL REPORTER: Welcome back to another Tennis Channel court report, a special presentation for Fox Business, I'm Jessica Vilchis. Day two of the Australian open, saw American success and disappointment as the first major of the year hit top gear's down under. Venus Williams was the big upset of the day. The number eight seed was taken out by British number one, Johanna Konta, the American going down in straight sets after a disappointing display against the 24-year-old, who enjoyed one of the biggest wins of her career. And the top ranked American John Isner, is safely into round two, the number 10 seeded advancing with a comfortable win over former Wimbeldon semi-finalist, Jerzy Janowicz. Don't forget, Tennis Channel has live coverage of the first major of the year, here daily at 6:00 PM Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SMITH: We're getting new pictures of El Chapo behind bars once again in a Mexico prison. Jo Ling Kent has that and other stories of the morning, Jo.
JO LING KENT, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK: Good morning Sandra. Four hundred new cameras, reinforced steel floors, and trained dogs, those are just some of the new features installed to prevent drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, for escaping from prison for a third time. It is the same prison from which he escaped last year. And guards are moving the Mexican drug lord to new cells at random to stop any escape attempts.
And Trader Joe's is issuing a new recall for its Raw Cashew Pieces after it was contacted by a supplier of a possible salmonella contamination. The recall affects cashew sold in 16-ounce, non resealable bags. No illnesses have been reported so far. And Twitter users around the world regaining access to services this morning after several hours of undetermined disruption from many of its 300 million monthly active users. The company said it's not clear what caused the disruption only that it is, quote, working toward a resolution. We have reached out to Twitter for more.
And White Castle gearing up for Valentine's Day, the burger chain announcing, it's accepting reservations on Valentine's Day, Sunday, February 14th, in case you don't know from 3 PM to 9 PM. The dining experience includes hostess seating and table side service. Sandra, got to know what you think about this.
(LAUGHTER)
SMITH: Well, first of all, we showed pictures of champagne at White Castle.
(CROSSTALK)
SMITH: David Webb said, sign me up.
DAVID WEBB: Sign me up. This is our first burger chain in America. This is a great place. In high school we used to go to White Castle for late night food, eats some castles. I mean.
SCOTT BROWN, FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR: It's not going to work in my household. I'm sorry.
SMITH: Love is back in the castle, apparently on Valentines Day. Thank you, Jo.
KENT: Sure.
SMITH: Well, the battle for the presidency is heating up, as rival GOP candidates Donald Trump and Texas Senator Ted Cruz, fight for the Republican nomination. Blake Burman has the latest in Washington, Blake, good morning.
BLAKE BURMAN, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK: Hi there, Sandra. Good morning to you. Ted Cruz launched his harshest critique yet of Donald Trump, calling out the front runner by name in front of voters yesterday, speaking in New Hampshire. Cruz says immigration became a priority for Trump after the businessman announced his candidacy. Cruz also questioned Trump's conservative credentials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TED CRUZ, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Where did you stand on the tarp, piggy bank bailout? Did you oppose or support it? Where did you stand on Obama's massive stimulus plan? On both of those, Mr. Trump supported them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURMAN: Trump, who has labeled Cruz, a quote, nasty guy, in the recent days, actually took a break from scolding the senator. Trump made a prediction though, while courting evangelicals at Liberty University.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We've done great with the evangelicals. The evangelicals have been amazing. The tea party has been amazing. And I think we could really surprise a lot of people by winning Iowa, and then we're just going to clean the table.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURMAN: Trump has this evening what he has calling, a major endorsement to be revealed later today. Sandra, he will make that announcement in Iowa, back to you.
SMITH: All right. Blake Burman, good to see you, by the way, last week.
BURMAN: Great to see you, too. Good to see everybody up there in New York, Jo Ling, everyone, lots of fun.
SMITH: In Charleston. Alright, thank you very much. Joining us now is Hoover Institute senior fellow and economist, Tim Kane, good morning, Tim.
TIM KANE, HOOVER INSTITUTE SENIOR FELLOW AND ECONOMIST: Hi, good morning.
SMITH: How are you feeling about the economy these days? Because if you listen to the Democratic debate or the president, they're painting a pretty rosie picture of the American economy, how do you see it?
KANE: Oh boy, it's a dicey economy. Common sense, you know, knows that. I'd call it, I guess in two words, it's overstimulated and it's underperforming. So the real question is, are these guys going to stop stimulating?
SMITH: Well, you answer that question. You know, we're already talking about a potentially another Fed rate hike, that would be contrary to what you're suggesting.
KANE: Well no. So, the Fed right now is in the stimulating posture. Normal rates are probably around 2 percent, but the fiscal side is the real concern. You know, I was looking at the numbers, this is the first modern election where the debt ratio to GDP is over 100 percent. I mean, this is -- hasn't happened in, like since the great depression. Nobody's talking about debt. In fact, they are talking about rolling out plans, if you will, in the Democratic debate.
SMITH: I have to interrupt you, because if you watched the Fox business GOP debate last week, I asked on the stage of the three candidates, Huckabee, Santorum and Carly Fiorina, I asked Governor Huckabee and Carly Fiorina, how they can say they're going to tackle the nearly $19 trillion debt in this country when they're not willing to address entitlements. That's an issue.
KANE: Absolutely. You know, the conversation, unfortunately, is when it's not about how to build fortress America and cut us off from the world, thanks to Mr. Trump, it's a conversation about taxes. And I'll give them credit. There's a great substantive conversation on the Republican side. And mark my words, Republicans get elected there will be fundamental tax reform. But the Democrats right now, I'm not really hearing any serious conversation.
SMITH: But Tim, I thought it sounded like a little bit of a dig at Donald Trump, do you not think he would be good for the U.S. economy?
KANE: He's completely unpredictable. But no, what he said about trade is just bad. I mean, a 45 percent tariff on China, and now saying Apple is going to have to.
SMITH: He didn't really commit to that in the debate, by the way. He didn't admit to that 45.
WEBB: No. He really didn't commit. But you know, what we're getting here, Tim, what we've seen come out of these candidates, with all due respect, we have a good field running. We have a field that's more diverse, but we're looking at people that are giving you press conference answers and sound bites. The American people are concerned about the how. You've got to start making your case for a vision for America and how you're going to do it. Ronald Reagan won on a vision, what he would put forward, he teamed up with Bush after they fought each other. We have a bunch of guys fighting each other, and I get to look at it and say, how are they going to team up and win?
BROWN: Well, it's been pretty simple, quite frankly, in the whole scheme of political battles over the years, that being said, every candidate in the Republican side is putting out a frame work. That framework will actually be taken by, by obviously, Paul Ryan with his plans, and the members of the senate, providing we keep the senate as Republicans, and that's a good framework to start to get some tax certainty for the American people.
WEBB: I agree, but the problem is when you try to do things like tax reform, real tax reform in congress, you're going to have both Democrats and Republicans fighting on policy.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: sure, that's why everyone says I'm going to lower this to this, I'm going to do this and flat tax and.
(CROSSTALK)
DOMINICK TAVELLA, DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL CONSULTANT PRESIDENT: Just come back quickly to Tim's point, because I think we've glossed over it. Stimulation, we're not getting it here in the United States. We are having the Fed raise interest rates. But, look what's going on in Europe. Europe is stimulating the heck out of their economy. China this morning announced stimulation. Japan is in a stimulus mode. And what happens in those economies, those world economies, which represent basically two-thirds of the world economies, affects us, affects our interest rates, affects our -- the value of our dollar.
SMITH: Alright Tim, we've only got five seconds left. But, which of the candidates, if tax reform is so important, which of the candidates has the best tax plan?
KANE: Among policy wonks, Jeb Bush has been by far the most serious. But look, voters aren't in the mood for serious right now.
SMITH: Alright. Well you -- he did it in five seconds. I asked for it and he delivered, alright. Tim Kane, thanks for joining us this morning.
KANE: You bet, thanks.
SMITH: DOW futures pointing towards triple-digit gains on the open. Look at that, 225 point gain in DOW futures right now, 40 minutes from the opening bell, S&P futures up 26. We're going to have the latest from the floor of the New York stock exchange ahead of this Tuesday morning open. But before we go to break, take a look at this can't-miss clip. A Miami valet decided to go for a joyride in one customer's Lamborghini only to cause the super car to catch fire. You're looking at it.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NICOLE PETALLIDES, FOX BUSINESS NETWORK: Welcome back to Mornings With Maria. I'm Nicole Petallides, live on the floor of the New York stock exchange. What we see U.S. stocks and its futures pointing to a higher, open to the tune of about 230 points. The Dow has been down about 1500 points for the last three weeks. Oil is down 20 percent for the year, this year as oil holds, we're seeing up arrows. China has some news, and there's hope for more stimulus there, after their GDP.
Banks are front and center. Bank of America, Dow component, fourth quarter profit rose 9 percent that stock is looking to the upside. And Morgan Stanley swings to a profit as well, earnings and revenue beats expectations, Tiffany looking lower, Unilever looking higher. Much more coming up, Mornings With Maria. And keep an eye on Sandra Smith.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SMITH: Big morning, guys. Final thoughts, who wants to start? David Webb.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: I'll start, you talk so much. Listen now, politics is a blood sport and it's heating up in New Hampshire and Iowa. It's been somewhat civil. Looking forward to Ted Cruz coming over to our event tonight, we will have 10 presidential candidates to our house, and then I'm going to make a decision sometime next week, I think.
SMITH: Wow, good stuff. Dominick?
TAVELLA: For people who are really nervous about these markets, it's a real good opportunity here if we hit 1870 on the S&P. We bounce off. We could get a nice little rally, 5-10 percent rally. But, if we break through, go under 1870, could be a 5 to 10 percent lower. Watch that number very carefully, and then make a decision.
SMITH: Actionable advice. I like that. Go ahead.
WEBB: This is what I wrote last night when I thought about today, and frankly it plays through. The economy, potus election cycle, the global slowdown, America have just gotten real. Our global national security threats ISIS, Russia, China military buildup. Europe is imploding, Iran and the Middle East arms race, which just began in earnest with this deal. That's a recipe for disaster. We have challenges ahead of us, and we need real leadership in this country.
SMITH: My favorite moment of the morning, Ed Cox sitting next to you. I asked him very simple terms, something David Webb -- let me do this in political speak, does Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have a shot in New York?
WEBB: What he do is the same answer and you could call him on it. I love it, you're the best.
SMITH: You guys are great. Thank you all. Good luck with that back yard barbecue tonight, always good to have you, good to see you Dominick. Coming up tomorrow, Mornings With Maria, headed to Davos for the world economic forum. We're joined by big names like Blackstone chairman, Steve Schwarzman, Marriott CEO, Arne Sorenson, Nissan Renault CEO, Carlos Ghosn, and President Underwood himself, actor Kevin Spacey, will be joining. You do not want to miss any of that. So, please tune in. That's does it for us. Varney & Company is up next, Ashley Webster is in for Stuart Varney this morning, Ashely, good morning.
END
(Copy: Content and Programming Copyright 2016 Fox News Network, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Copyright 2016 CQ-Roll Call, Inc. All materials herein are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of CQ-Roll Call. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.)
