Monday morning news: August 29, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kristen Flavin. 

Mar-a-Lago/Special Master » The public has now had a chance to review the FBI’s reasons for searching former President Trump’s home and many are asking, what’s next?

President Joe Biden said Sunday,

BIDEN: We’ll let the Justice Department determine that.

An affidavit unsealed Friday detailed the back-and-forth between Trump and the National Archives after he left office. Archivists alerted the Justice Department when the former president turned over 15 boxes of records, some containing classified documents.

The DOJ blacked out more than half of the information in the affidavit it released. Here’s Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican:

YOUNGKIN: I would just caution folks to not draw too many conclusions from today’s release and yet continue to ask for more transparency. That’s gonna be the key here.

Meanwhile, a federal judge said Saturday she is leaning toward granting Trump’s request to appoint a “special master” to review the seized documents. U.S. Rep. Greg Steube of Florida thinks that’s a good idea.

STEUBE: Anytime you can have somebody who’s outside of this process to be able to determine the legality of what can be searched, what can’t be searched, what information can be used and can’t be used, I think, is a good thing.

Trump says some of the documents may be subject to attorney-client privilege and should not be reviewed by investigators.

Fed retreat » In the resort town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gave a stark forecast for the U.S. economy.

POWELL: While higher interest rates, slower growth, and softer labor market conditions will bring down inflation, they will also bring some pain to households and businesses.

Powell told economists and bankers to expect more interest rate hikes—an unfortunate but necessary measure to slow down skyrocketing prices.

Monkeypox » Good news about the monkeypox outbreak: The number of global cases dropped by 21 percent last week. The World Health organization says Europe has made the most progress fighting the disease.

Cases in the United States are still rising, but CDC Director Rochelle Walensky says:

WALENSKI: There are certain jurisdictions, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, that are starting to report that they're starting to see a downward trend.

The Biden administration said Friday there’s enough monkeypox vaccine available in the United States. The CDC is working to distribute it to those most at risk—including men who have sex with other men.

Ukraine » Residents in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk say Russian missiles sent glass and debris flying through their homes on Sunday.

DAINEKO: [Speaking Ukrainian]

Kostiantyn Daineko said it was the second time he survived a Russian strike. He was in the nearby town of Kramatorsk when explosions hit a railway station.

Amid heavy fighting in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv and Moscow continue to trade blame for risky attacks on a nuclear plant. On Sunday, Ukraine’s atomic energy agency released a map showing where radiation could spread from the plant in Zaporizhzhia if a disaster occurred.

Pakistan floods » In Pakistan, families waded through flooded homes looking for belongings to salvage. Heavy monsoon rains across the country have killed nearly 1,000 people, officials said Saturday.

Residents told how the homes they built with their own hands lay in ruins.

AUDIO: [Speaking Urdu]

This year’s rainy season has displaced thousands of people. Pakistan’s prime minister asked for international help battling the deadly flood damage.

Mississippi » In Mississippi, the Pearl River is expected to crest at seven feet above flood stage this morning. Water could spill into parts of Jackson where floods devastated homes just two years ago. Days ago, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba warned area residents:

JACKSON: Get out now. Get out as soon as possible to prevent any incident or any challenge with people trying to leave the area all at once.

Heavy rains have caused other rivers in the state to swell, also. The National Weather service predicted flood warnings would stay in place throughout this week.

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

WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.