Thursday morning news - December 16, 2021

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Biden witnesses devastation from deadly tornado outbreak » President Biden witnessed the destruction in two Kentucky towns firsthand on Wednesday.

BIDEN: As you fly over here as I’ve done in the past — I have not seen this tornado—this much damage from a tornado. You know, you think but for the grace of God, why was I not 100 yards outside that line, which makes it so different.

In Dawson Springs, Biden walked through piles of debris. Shattered Christmas decorations were tangled up with shards of furniture and strewn clothing.

Over the sounds of heavy machinery engaged in cleanup just blocks away, the president stopped to speak with storm victims.

He also met with residents in the devastated town of Mayfield and took an aerial tour of the damage.

FEMA Director Deanne Criswell said she’s been inspired by what she’s seen as people work together in the wake of the storm.

CRISWELL: We’re seeing, as you heard, neighbors helping neighbors, businesses helping businesses. I’ve seen community partners cooking on the street, helping to feed those that have been impacted by this.

More than 30 tornadoes tore through Kentucky and seven other states over the weekend, killing at least 88 people and that death toll is expected to rise.

Fed will tighten credit faster and sees 3 rate hikes in 2022 » The Federal Reserve is planning to shrink its support for the economy more quickly and expects to raise interest rates three times next year.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday.

POWELL: There's a real risk now that inflation may be more persistent and that may be putting inflation expectations under pressure, and that the risk of higher inflation becoming entrenched has increased.

The Fed will pull back its monthly bond purchases at twice the pace it previously announced and likely end them in March. That puts the Fed on a path to start raising rates as early as the first half of next year.

The Fed's key rate influences many consumer and business loans, including mortgages, car loans and credit cards. And borrowing costs may start to rise in the coming months.

U.S. faces a double coronavirus surge as omicron advances » Top U.S. health officials on Wednesday gave an update on the nation’s COVID-19 response.

They warned of a double coronavirus wave as the delta strain surges once more and the omicron variant takes hold. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky…

WALENSKY: We expect to see the proportion of omicron cases here in the United States continue to grow in the coming weeks. Early data suggest that omicron is more transmissible than delta with a doubling time of about two days.

She said omicron is estimated to represent only about 3 percent of U.S. cases right now, but experts say not for long.

Omicron just overtook delta to become the dominant strain in the U.K. and it’s spreading fast globally.

But White House virus response coordinator Jeff Zients said there is no need for a lockdown.

ZIENTS: We have the tools to fight this virus, including omicron, and we’re in a very different and stronger place than we were a year ago.

He said vaccines still appear to offer strong protection against severe illness from both the delta and omicron strains.

But officials said they are afraid a double surge could strain hospitals. They once again urged Americans to get vaccinated or get a booster shot.

Retail sales rise but short of expectations » Holiday shoppers opened their wallets in November, but not quite as much as expected. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Americans actually slowed their spending from October to November, but still continued to shop despite rising prices and shortages.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that retail sales rose a modest, seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent in November. That’s down from 1.8 percent the month before.

Last month’s retail numbers were a little softer than economists expected. But many believe more Christmas shoppers got an early start this year, beginning in October.

While revenue dipped at department stores, sales at restaurants rose 1 percent from October, and that was the biggest gain for eateries since July.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Chauvin pleads guilty to violating George Floyd’s civil rights » Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murder in the death George Floyd changed his plea in court on Wednesday.

Chauvin now says he was guilty of violating George Floyd’s civil rights when he used excessive force against him in May of last year.

Floyd family attorney Jeff Storms told reporters that Chauvin should have pled guilty from the start.

STORMS: He pleaded guilty today after putting this family through a gut wrenching trial.

The guilty plea likely means more time behind bars, but he avoids a separate civil rights trial.

Chauvin is already serving a sentence of more than 22 years in prison. Federal prosecutors agreed to ask the judge to sentence Chauvin to 25 years served concurrently. The deal would allow his time in state prison to count toward his federal sentence.

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

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