Friday morning news - July 2, 2021

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Biden meets with families, first responders in Surfside » President Biden was in South Florida on Thursday where he met with first responders and the families of those impacted by the collapse of a highrise condo building.

BIDEN: There’s going to be a lot of pain and anxiety and suffering, and even the need for psychological help in the days and months that follow. So we’re not going anywhere.

The president spent several hours meeting privately with families.

To first responders and local officials, he pledged to provide whatever support they need.

Rescue crews had to halt operations on Thursday out of concern about the stability of the remaining structure. Miami-Dade County Fire Chief Alan Cominsky explained that they had to pause operations due to widening cracks and part of the building that shifted.

COMINSKY: Six to 12 inches of movement in a large column hanging from the structure that could fall and cause damage to the support columns in the south terrain garage area.

Hopes of finding more survivors are growing increasingly dim as it has now been more than a week since the 12-story building in Surfside, Florida crumbled to the ground.

Officials have announced the discovery of several more bodies. The death toll now stands at 18, with more than 140 people still missing.

Supreme Court upholds Arizona election rules » The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld election laws in Arizona in a decision that could have big implications for new voting rules in other states. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: In a 6 to 3 ruling, the high court upheld Arizona’s limits on who can return early ballots for another person, as well as the state’s rules barring ballots cast in the wrong precinct.

Thursday’s ruling reversed the decision of a lower court. The federal appeals court in San Francisco had held that the measures disproportionately affected minority voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority that the state's interest in the integrity of elections justified the measures.

The Supreme Court’s three liberal justices strongly dissented. Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the court was weakening the federal voting rights law for the second time in eight years.

The ruling could make it tougher for critics of new voting rules in several Republican-led states to challenge that legislation. The Justice Department recently sued Georgia over its new election laws.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin

Trump Organization, top exec charged with tax crimes » A top executive for the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg, turned himself in to authorities Thursday, hours before being charged with tax crimes.

New York prosecutors later charged the Trump Organization and Weisselberg with 15 felony counts in connection to an alleged tax scheme.

Prosecutors say the executive collected more than $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation, including apartment rent, car payments and school tuition.

Weisselberg pleaded not guilty, turned in his passport, and was released until a court hearing can be held.

The indictment follows a two-year investigation into former President Trump’s business dealings by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and New York Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats.

The Trump Organization criticized what it called a “scorched-earth attempt to harm the former president.”

Jobless claims fall to new pandemic low » The job market is continuing its strong bounce-back from COVID-19. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown has that story.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN, REPORTER: The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid fell again last week to the lowest level since the start of the pandemic.

The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims dropped by 51,000 to 364,000.

The rollout of vaccines has sharply reduced new COVID-19 cases, fueling a strong economic rebound.

Last week's drop in jobless claims was steeper than economists expected. Applications for unemployment benefits have now fallen in 10 of the past 12 weeks.

Employers are still having trouble filling open jobs. In response, dozens of states have begun dropping so-called enhanced unemployment, ending extra $300 weekly payments.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

Hong Kong authorities crack down on ‘handover’ protests » Police flooded the streets of Hong Kong on Thursday in an effort to block protests on the anniversary of the city’s 1997 handover to China.

AUDIO: [Sound of protests]

Police patrolled the streets on foot and in armored trucks, some equipped with water cannons. A government spokesman said one protester died. He claimed it happened after the protester stabbed a police officer. No word on how he died.

A top official on Thursday defended China’s so-called national security law, which the government has used to crack down on protests and other liberties in what used to be a semi-independent territory.

Beijing says it will use the law further in the coming year to ensure stability.

I'm Kent Covington. For more news, features, and analysis, visit us at wng.org.

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