Monday morning news: April 24, 2023

Sudan » Chaos in Sudan as rival generals continue warring with no end in sight. Foreign governments rushed to evacuate diplomats, staff, and others over the weekend as Sudanese armed forces battled a paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner:

MARK WARNER: First of all, we ought to commend the military and the intelligence community for getting our diplomatic personnel out. That was a dangerous mission to take them out by helicopter.

Retired Marine Col. Steve Ganyard explains just how dangerous:

STEVE GANYARD: Three special operations Chinooks flying 800 miles at 100 feet at night on night vision goggles, having to land halfway, get gas, come into Khartoum, where there’s active combat going on.

While world powers like the United States and Britain airlifted their diplomats from the capital of Khartoum. Many Sudanese citizens are risking dangerous roads to cross the northern border into Egypt.

Many had hoped for a cease-fire to coincide with a major Muslim holiday, but the bullets kept flying.

More than 400 people have been killed, most of them civilians.

Debt limit debate » In Washington, the debate over lifting the nation’s debt limit rages on.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy:

KEVIN MCCARTHY: This is a president that has ignored one of the greatest crises we have before us, our fiscal problem. Every great nation has collapsed when they’ve overextended themselves.

President Biden’s budget, which he unveiled last month, would add nearly $20 trillion dollars to the national debt over a decade.

Republicans say they want to rein in overspending before authorizing the government to borrow trillions more.

McCarthy drafted a 320-page bill that would raise the debt ceiling while cutting spending.

But Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Dingel countered:

DEBBIE DINGEL: I want to be very clear that raising the debt ceiling is a separate discussion from spending. It is making sure that we pay our bills.

Top Democrats charge that Republicans are being fiscally irresponsible by risking default on US debts.

Hutchinson slams DeSantis » GOP White House hopeful Asa Hutchinson took a swipe Sunday at one of his expected rivals.

The former Arkansas governor criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for an ongoing clash with Disney.

ASA HUTCHINSON: Government should not be telling businesses what they can and cannot do in terms of speech.

He said DeSantis appears to be retaliating against Disney for its decision to side with LGBT activists against a parental rights law.

But DeSantis said Disney was enjoying unprecedented privileges and subsidies, and controlled its own private local government. He said the company was exempt from rules that its competitors have to follow, and that’s not free enterprise.

RON DESANTIS: But it’s certainly even worse when a company takes all those privileges that have been bestowed over many, many decades and uses that to wage war over state policy regarding families and children.

He said Florida taxpayers were essentially subsidizing Disney’s pro-LGBT activism.

New polls » DeSantis is expected to announce a presidential bid sometime over the summer.

And recent polls are a mixed bag for the governor.

A new NBC poll found that most Americans don’t to see want Donald Trump or President Biden on the ballot again.

70% said they don’t think Biden should run. And about 60 percent said they don’t think Trump should have launched another White House bid.

But an average of recent Republican primary polls still gives Trump a 25-point edge over second-place DeSantis.

Chevy recall » General Motors is recalling roughly 40,000 of its Chevy Silverado trucks. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: The recall comes after the company discovered a potential brake fluid leak that could spark fires while the truck is moving or parked.

The model covers some medium-duty Silverado models from the year 2019 or later.

G.M. says owners of affected models should park them away from buildings. The company says it is not aware of any injuries related to the leak.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

WWII ship discovered » A team of explorers from Australia and the Netherlands have discovered a sunken Japanese ship from World War II.

The team found the Montevideo Maru in the South China Sea. The ship was transporting more than 1,000 allied prisoners of war when a U.S. submarine torpedoed it.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles:

RICHARD MARLES: This tragedy saw the single biggest loss of life of Australians at sea in our history. And since then, the absence of a location of the Montevideo Maru has represented unfinished business for the families of those who lost their lives, until now. When finally, those families have closure.

Those involved with the ship’s discovery say no efforts will be made to remove artifacts or human remains from the ship out of respect for the families of those who died.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead, A Christian mailman comes to the Supreme Court. Plus: the Monday Moneybeat.

This is The World and Everything In It.

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