Tuesday morning news: January 10, 2023

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

House rules package » Lawmakers in the House approved a rules package last night that will govern how they conduct business for the next two years.

AUDIO: On this vote, the yeas are 220. They nays are 213. The resolution is agreed to.

The rules include numerous concessions Speaker Kevin McCarthy was forced to make to earn the backing of conservative Republicans in last week’s speaker election. Georgia Congressman Andrew Clyde was one of those 20 holdouts.

CLYDE: Of the many victories we secured for the American people, the Thomas Jefferson motion to vacate the chair is the most important to me, as it holds the speaker accountable to the people.

That means any single member of the House can call for a no-confidence vote on the speaker.

Other agreed-to provisions include more committee seats for members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, more time to review bills before voting on them, and barriers to congressional spending.

Mexico City summit » AUDIO: [Ceremony]

Sounds from a greeting ceremony for President Biden and first lady Jill Biden in Mexico City. Biden paused for a photograph with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador before remarks by Jill Biden.

J.BIDEN: Together, the United States and Mexico imagine a world with these shared values. Together we will build it.

Biden and Lopez Obrador are meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to talk about trade, manufacturing, and immigration.

Separately, Canada on Monday announced a deal to purchase nearly 90 U.S. F-35 fighter jets at a price tag of more than $14 billion. It’s Canada’s largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years.

Brazil » Brazil’s president is vowing to punish those involved with storming the nation’s highest seats of power over the weekend.

DA SILVA: [Portugese]

WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva promised to punish not just those who stormed the government buildings, but anyone who may have financed their travel to the capital of Brasilia.

Supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro invaded and vandalized Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace, claiming the recent election was stolen from Bolsonaro.

Da Silva called the rioters “fanatic fascists.” He said the riot was “unprecedented,” and suggested it was worse than the sins of the past.

He said, quoting here—“It’s important to remember that the left in Brazil has had people tortured, had people killed, it’s had people disappeared,” but he added never has anyone on the left invaded top government buildings.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Ukraine » The White House says Russia may not be the only party guilty of war crimes in Ukraine.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan says Iran shares the blame.

SULLIVAN: Their weapons are being used to kill civilians in Ukraine and to try to plunge cities into cold and darkness.

He said that means Iran may be contributing to widespread war crimes.

And State Department spokesman Ned Price says if the United States is able to determine …

PRICE: That the Iranian government as a whole or that senior Iranian officials are complicit or responsible for war crimes, we will work to hold them to account as well.

He did not specify what that accountability might mean.

Grand Jury in ATL area finishes » A special grand jury in Georgia has finished its probe into whether former President Trump and allies illegally interfered with the state’s 2020 election. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney dissolved the grand jury on Monday. The panel has presented its findings, and it will now be up to Democratic District Attorney Fani Willis whether to pursue charges.

McBurney said the special grand jury recommended that its report be made public. He scheduled a hearing for Jan. 24 to determine whether to release part or all of the report.

The district attorney’s office and news outlets will be able to make arguments at that hearing.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

NYC nurse strike » Thousands of nurses went on strike Monday at two of New York City's major hospitals after contract talks stalled over staffing and salaries.

Union chief Pat Kane said nurses are still waiting for a fair contract …

KANE: That recognize the job they have to do, the dignity and respect that they deserve.

New York State Nurses Association, said members had to strike because chronic understaffing leaves them caring for too many patients.

As many as 7,000 nurses at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan walked off the job.

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

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

House rules package » Lawmakers in the House approved a rules package last night that will govern how they conduct business for the next two years.

AUDIO: On this vote, the yeas are 220. They nays are 213. The resolution is agreed to.

The rules include numerous concessions Speaker Kevin McCarthy was forced to make to earn the backing of conservative Republicans in last week’s speaker election. Georgia Congressman Andrew Clyde was one of those 20 holdouts.

CLYDE: Of the many victories we secured for the American people, the Thomas Jefferson motion to vacate the chair is the most important to me, as it holds the speaker accountable to the people.

That means any single member of the House can call for a no-confidence vote on the speaker.

Other agreed-to provisions include more committee seats for members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, more time to review bills before voting on them, and barriers to congressional spending.

Mexico City summit » AUDIO: [Ceremony]

Sounds from a greeting ceremony for President Biden and first lady Jill Biden in Mexico City. Biden paused for a photograph with Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador before remarks by Jill Biden.

J.BIDEN: Together, the United States and Mexico imagine a world with these shared values. Together we will build it.

Biden and Lopez Obrador are meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to talk about trade, manufacturing, and immigration.

Separately, Canada on Monday announced a deal to purchase nearly 90 U.S. F-35 fighter jets at a price tag of more than $14 billion. It’s Canada’s largest investment in the Royal Canadian Air Force in more than 30 years.

Brazil » Brazil’s president is vowing to punish those involved with storming the nation’s highest seats of power over the weekend.

DA SILVA: [Portugese]

WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva promised to punish not just those who stormed the government buildings, but anyone who may have financed their travel to the capital of Brasilia.

Supporters of former president Jair Bolsonaro invaded and vandalized Brazil’s Congress, Supreme Court, and presidential palace, claiming the recent election was stolen from Bolsonaro.

Da Silva called the rioters “fanatic fascists.” He said the riot was “unprecedented,” and suggested it was worse than the sins of the past.

He said, quoting here—“It’s important to remember that the left in Brazil has had people tortured, had people killed, it’s had people disappeared,” but he added never has anyone on the left invaded top government buildings.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Ukraine » The White House says Russia may not be the only party guilty of war crimes in Ukraine.

National security adviser Jake Sullivan says Iran shares the blame.

SULLIVAN: Their weapons are being used to kill civilians in Ukraine and to try to plunge cities into cold and darkness.

He said that means Iran may be contributing to widespread war crimes.

And State Department spokesman Ned Price says if the United States is able to determine …

PRICE: That the Iranian government as a whole or that senior Iranian officials are complicit or responsible for war crimes, we will work to hold them to account as well.

He did not specify what that accountability might mean.

Grand Jury in ATL area finishes » A special grand jury in Georgia has finished its probe into whether former President Trump and allies illegally interfered with the state’s 2020 election. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney dissolved the grand jury on Monday. The panel has presented its findings, and it will now be up to Democratic District Attorney Fani Willis whether to pursue charges.

McBurney said the special grand jury recommended that its report be made public. He scheduled a hearing for Jan. 24 to determine whether to release part or all of the report.

The district attorney’s office and news outlets will be able to make arguments at that hearing.

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

NYC nurse strike » Thousands of nurses went on strike Monday at two of New York City's major hospitals after contract talks stalled over staffing and salaries.

Union chief Pat Kane said nurses are still waiting for a fair contract …

KANE: That recognize the job they have to do, the dignity and respect that they deserve.

New York State Nurses Association, said members had to strike because chronic understaffing leaves them caring for too many patients.

As many as 7,000 nurses at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan walked off the job.

I'm Kent Covington. 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.