Thursday morning news: December 29, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kristen Flavin. 

Netanyahu » The government of incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be sworn in today.

Netanyahu has already outlined many of the top priorities of his new government.

He plans to legalize controversial settlements in the West Bank and overhaul the country’s legal system.

BEN-GVIR: [Hebrew]

Newly appointed National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir saying the new policies are a victory for those desiring security on Israeli streets.

Southwest » Southwest Airlines predicts it’ll be back to normal before the new work week.

But today’s likely to be business as usual—with the airline flying a reduced schedule—after canceling half its flights yesterday.

Southwest Airlines CEO Robert Jordan.

JORDAN: Whether you haven't been able to get to where you need to go or you're one of our heroic employees caught up in a massive effort to stabilize the airline, to know is that we're doing everything we can to return to a normal operation.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says that isn’t enough.

BUTTIGIEG: What this indicates is a system failure and they need to make sure that these stranded passengers get to where they need to go and that they are provided adequate compensation.

Southwest says it takes responsibility for its system’s failures, but stresses the unusual winter storm made things much worse.

Buffalo » With National Guardsmen in Buffalo, New York, going door-to-door, officials are bracing for a rise in the death toll from the winter storm.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.

BROWN: The loss of life during this winter storm is a very, very painful thing for all of us. We are heartbroken.

The city’s been working to clear roads and most of the power is restored.

But now with temperatures expected in the mid-40s today and near-50 by Friday, the concern is flooding from melting snow.

County executive Mark Poloncarz says the blizzard of 2022 will go down as a painful memory.

POLONCARZ: I offer my deepest condolences and sympathies to the individuals who’ve lost loved ones at this holiday season. It’s just, it’s terrible, I understand that. Every time this Christmas season comes along people are gonna remember the storm and the death of their loved ones.

FTX » Former clients of the failed cryptocurrency firm FTX are filing a class-action lawsuit. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: The lawsuit alleges that FTX ensured clients it would keep their investments secure, but ended up misappropriating their funds.

FTX has filed for bankruptcy and halted all withdrawals.

Meanwhile, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has a new judge overseeing the federal criminal case against him after the previous judge had to recuse.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

China » The United States says it will require COVID-19 tests of anyone arriving from China.

The announcement comes after China said it would resume issuing passports for tourism. That’s the next phase in China’s plans to end COVID lockdowns.

China has struggled economically and officials hope that reopening will help spur growth.

Noko » AUDIO: [Applause]

Speaking to officials of his regime during a party conference, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has laid out plans for boosting his military power.

North Korean state media said the goals were for bolstering the self-reliant defense capability of the country in 2023. It did not elaborate any further.

Tensions between North and South Korea spiked sharply this week. North Korean drones flew across the border into South Korea.

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.