Thursday morning news: July 20, 2023

AUDIO: Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God? I do.

KENT COVINGTON, NEWS ANCHOR: Hunter Biden hearing » Up till now, IRS criminal investigator Joseph Zeigler was only known as “X,” an anonymous whistleblower who ran point on the agency’s Hunter Biden investigation.

But on Wednesday, he testified publicly on Capitol Hill that the IRS recommended serious charges against Hunter Biden.

ZIEGLER: Felony and misdemeanor charges for the 2017, 18, and 19 tax years. That did not happen here, and I am not sure why.

Hunter Biden was allowed to plead down to misdemeanor charges only, likely avoiding jail time.

Another IRS investigator Greg Shapley, said this case was handled differently from any other case he’d ever seen.

SHAPLEY: At every stage, decisions were made that benefited the subject of this investigation.

Shapley also said investigators were not allowed to follow up on text messages from Hunter Biden that mentioned his father. And …

SHAPLEY: Prosecutors instructed investigators not to ask about the Big Guy, or dad, when conducting interviews.

Republicans say the evidence points to a massive bribery scandal in which the Biden family received millions in illicit payments from foreign nationals. Democrats claim the probe is a politically motivated farce.

Herzog » A short time before that hearing …

SOUND: Mr. Speaker, the president of the states of Israel!

Israeli President Isaac Herzog addressed a joint session of Congress telling lawmakers, his country’s bond with the U.S. is unbreakable, despite recent verbal attacks from a small group of Democratic U.S. lawmakers.

HERZOG: Questioning the Jewish people's right to self-determination is not legitimate diplomacy. It is antisemitism.

Herzog also acknowledged division in his country over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to overhaul Israel’s judicial system.

HERZOG: I am deeply mindful of the challenge which this moment presents to Israeli society, and I have made it the priority of my presidency to play a leading role in this critical and emotional public discussion.

Israeli lawmakers are expected to vote next week on the plan, which would grant parliament more power over judicial appointments and decisions.

Ukraine grain » Russia unleashed intense drone and missile attacks again on Wednesday, damaging critical port infrastructure in southern Ukraine.

Officials in Kyiv said the strikes hit grain and oil terminals, destroyed 60,000 tons of grain, and wounded at least 12 people.

Zelenskyy: [Speaking Ukranian]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russian attacks on the grain stores are an attack on the entire world’s food supply.

The Black Sea ports hold about one million tons of grain bound for countries across Africa and Asia.

Kentucky Floods » Western Kentucky is recovering from flooding today after torrential rains lashed parts of the state. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER: High-water rescue teams pulled people from flooded homes and vehicles Wednesday.

Firefighters responded to two 9-1-1 calls from people trapped in their homes in a flood-prone area of Mayfield.

Police restricted travel in the area because numerous roads were underwater. No injuries or deaths have been reported.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

SOUND: [Women chanting in Arabic]

Taliban » In Afghanistan, more than 60 women gathered outside of a beauty salon to protest a new ban on salons.

SOUND: [Crowd dispersed]

The Taliban recently banned beauty salons, saying they offer services forbidden by Islamic law.

The ruling is the latest in a series of edicts restricting Afghan women’s rights and freedoms.

CDC Chestfeeding Guidance » A pair of senators are criticizing new CDC guidance on transgender people attempting to breastfeed infants. WORLD’s Lauren Canterberry has more.

LAUREN CANTERBERRY: Senators Roger Marshall and Bill Cassidy sent a letter Tuesday to CDC Director Mandy Cohen saying the new guidance did not acknowledge the limited research on transgender individuals breastfeeding babies.

The CDC said transgender people can, quote, “chest-feed” their infants and may need their healthcare provider to prescribe medication to induce lactation.

The senators, who are both physicians, said the Food and Drug Administration has not approved any medication that would allow men who identify as women to safely “chest-feed.”

The senators are requesting a response by August 1st, and any peer-reviewed data on the safety of transgender chest-feeding.

For WORLD, I’m Lauren Canterberry.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Drug shortages near record highs. Plus, how funeral homes are bearing the burden of putting the remains of migrants to rest after fatal border crossings.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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