Thursday morning news - January 27, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

White House mulling replacement for retiring Justice Breyer » President Biden is mulling over possible replacements for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

News broke on Wednesday that the 83-year-old justice will soon retire after nearly three decades on the court. Though the justice himself did not immediately confirm the reports.

The White House is not naming possible replacements, but Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters…

PSAKI: The president has stated and reiterated his commitment to nominating a black woman to the Supreme Court and certainly stands by that.

Senate Democrats say they will move quickly once the president has made his pick.

One senate aide said Democrats could hold committee hearings and even a full vote in the Senate before Breyer steps down. The Senate would simply hold off on sending President Biden the paperwork on the final confirmation vote until Breyer has officially retired.

Breyer is one of three liberal justices currently serving on the high court. Former President Bill Clinton nominated him in 1994.

U.S. offers no concessions in response to Russia on Ukraine » The U.S. government on Wednesday delivered its answer in writing to Russian demands involving Ukraine. Those include a guarantee that Ukraine and other ex-Soviet countries will never be allowed to join the NATO defense alliance.

Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the answer to that is still a hard “no.”

BLINKEN: I can’t be more clear. NATO’s door is open, remains open. And that is our commitment.

The United States also said Allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are not negotiable.

But he said the letter did outline some areas in which some of Russia's concerns could be addressed, provided it de-escalates tensions with Ukraine.

Russia offered no immediate response but officials there have warned Moscow would quickly take “retaliatory measures” if the United States and its allies reject its demands.

President Biden said he’s not ruling out sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin himself if he gives the order to invade. And British Foreign Secretary Lis Truss also said Wednesday that all options are on the table.

TRUSS: We’re not ruling anything out. We will be bringing forward new legislation to make our sanctions regime tougher so we are able to target more companies and individuals in Russia.

Secretary Blinken said he hopes to speak with his Russian counterpart in the coming days. But he stressed that what happens next is entirely up to Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

Fed to cut interest rate soon to battle inflation » Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the Fed is planning to take action soon to help rein in inflation.

POWELL: The economy no longer needs sustained high levels of monetary policy support. That is why we are phasing out our asset purchases and why we expect it will soon be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate.

The Fed has indicated that it could raise interest rates as soon as March.

It also plans to reduce its nearly $9 trillion in bond holdings. Some analysts expect that to happen as soon as July.

The changes will, over time, raise the cost of borrowing money on everything from mortgages to credit cards to auto loans.

And some worry that higher borrowing costs could, in turn, slow consumer spending and hiring. But Powell said inflation is the top concern.

He said “The best thing we can do” to support continued gains in the labor market “is to promote a long expansion, and that will require price stability.”

Coast Guard mounts frantic search for occupants of capsized boat » The Coast Guard battled currents and winds on Wednesday as its ships and planes searched for 38 people missing after a boat capsized off the coast of Florida.

Coast Guard Captain Jo-Ann Burdian told reporters…

BURDIAN: We do suspect that this is a case of human smuggling. This event occurred in a normal route for human smuggling from the Bahamas into the southeast U.S.

As of Wednesday evening, authorities had found only one occupant of the boat alive, and one person is confirmed dead.

Capt. Burdian said “With every moment that passes, it becomes much more dire and more unlikely” that survivors will be found.

Homeland Security Investigations has opened a criminal probe.

Calif. city first to require gun liability insurance » San Jose, California has passed a first-of-its-kind ordinance that requires gun owners to buy liability insurance.

Mayor Sam Liccardo, a Democrat, said the move is designed to promote gun safety.

LICCARDO: We can’t wait for Congress. Cities are stepping up across the country. States are increasingly stepping up as well. We want to encourage folks to deploy approaches that will reduce gun harm in their own communities.

The ordinance requires liability insurance to cover losses or damages resulting from accidental use of a firearm. Those who don't get insurance must pay a $25 fine.

The new measure also assesses a fee to gun owners for firearm safety education, and domestic violence and mental health services.

Sam Paredes heads the group Gun Owners of California. He said the city cannot attach these strings to a constitutionally protected right and that legal challenges are in the works.

PAREDES: California either affects or infects what happens across the country. In this case, we would look at this as an unconstitutional infection that we want to stop here.

The ordinance is part of a broad gun control plan proposed after a fatal shooting in a San Jose rail yard in May.

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

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