Monday morning news: August 1, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Kentucky flood death toll rises » Raging flood waters have killed dozens of people in Kentucky and there is more rain in the forecast. Gov. Andy Beshear…

BESHEAR: We have got rain and maybe even a lot of rain that’s gonna hit the same areas. Please pray for the people in these areas.

The confirmed death toll climbed to 28 on Sunday and dozens of people remain missing.

The National Weather Service said rainfall of 1 to 2 inches per hour is possible today in some of the same areas swallowed by flash floods last week.

One Hazard, Kentucky, resident said water rose quickly around her home on Saturday.

AUDIO: Within 10 to 12 minutes, I hear the noise and I raise the window and I seen the water. And I knew I had to get out of there.

National Guard troops have performed hundreds of high-water rescues so far.

Gov. Beshear said flash floods have already caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage.

Pelosi confirms Asia trip with no mention of Taiwan » House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will travel to Asia this week. She confirmed Sunday that she’ll lead a delegation to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan—but no mention of Taiwan, following threats from the Chinese government.

But lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say Beijing should have no say in the matter. Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

SULLIVAN: We cannot let the Chinese Communist Party dictate where senior American officials travel.

Beijing sees any recognition of Taiwan’s independence as an affront. China said it would take—quote—“strong measures to thwart any external interference.” And it added, “those who play with fire will perish by it.”

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby responded.

KIRBY: There is no need for that kind of rhetoric. It’s unhelpful. It’s unnecessary.

He said the US government hasn’t changed its One China policy.

Pelosi said the talks in Asia will focus on a range of topics, including…

PELOSI: Security, economy, and governance.

The White House says it will be up to the speaker and her delegation whether they choose to visit Taiwan.

Senators debate burn pit bill » Lawmakers are sounding off about a bipartisan bill currently stalled in the Senate that would expand healthcare access for veterans exposed to so-called burn pits.

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said if this bill doesn’t pass, veterans will have the burden of proving to the VA that toxic smoke from burning waste caused their cancers.

GILLIBRAND: We owe this to them and we cannot fall back on our promises.

The bill passed overwhelmingly in a June Senate vote. But when it went back for a procedural vote last week, some Republicans blocked it.

Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey told CBS’ Face the Nation, that’s because Democrats added an unrelated provision…

TOOMEY: And it’s designed to change government accounting rules so that they can have a $400 billion dollar spending spree.

And he said he’s pushing an amendment that would strip that provision out of the bill.

Biden tests positive for COVID-19 again » President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again on Sunday for the second day in a row.

BIDEN: Hey folks, Joe Biden here. I tested positive this morning. Gonna be working from home for the next couple of days.

The president said he’s feeling well and has no symptoms.

After testing negative and emerging from his quarantine last week, Biden tested positive again on Saturday.

The White House said it’s unlikely that he caught the virus again. Rather, it appears to be a rare case of COVID “rebound” following treatment with the antiviral drug Paxlovid.

The president’s doctor said there’s no need for Biden to receive further treatment.

Protesters camp in Iraqi parliament for second day » In Baghdad, hundreds of protesters camped out Sunday inside the Iraqi parliament for a second day …

AUDIO: [Iraq protest]

That a day after followers of an influential Shiite cleric toppled security walls around the building and stormed parliament.

The demonstrators are trying to derail efforts by their rivals from Iran-backed political groups to form the country's next government.

They’re demanding early elections, constitutional amendments and the ouster of some government officials.

Weekend box office goes to the dogs » The weekend box office went to the dogs.

TRAILER: I have an owner and he’s Superman.

The animated DC League of Super-Pets opened in first place with $23 million in ticket sales over the weekend.

The R-rated thriller Nope finished second with another $19 million.

Meantime, Minions: The Rise of Gru became the first animated pic in the pandemic era to gross $300 million domestically.

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

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