Tuesday morning news - June 14, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

House panel holds second public hearing on Capitol riot » On Capitol Hill, members of a House panel Monday held their second public hearing on the Capitol riot.

Democratic chairman Bennie Thompson said the committee was presenting…

THOMPSON: Our initial findings about the conspiracy overseen and directed by Donald Trump.

Monday’s hearing focused heavily on Trump’s claims that the election had been stolen from him. Members said those claims fueled the Capitol siege.

Former Justice Department official Richard Donoghue said he advised Trump that claims of widespread voter fraud were not credible.

DONOGHUE: I said something to the effect of - sir, we’ve done dozens of invstigations, hundreds of interviews. The major allegations are not supported by the evidence developed. We’ve looked at Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada …

Lawmakers heard pre-recorded testimony from former Attorney General William Barr, who was appointed by Trump. Barr commented on the former president’s claims that voting machines had been rigged.

BARR: I was somewhat demoralized because I thought boy, if he really believes this stuff, he has lost contact with — he has become detached from reality.

Republican leaders say the public hearings are an attempt to distract from major pressing problems in the country and from Democratic policy failures.

Zelenskyy: Russian deaths could top 40,000 this month » ZELENSKYY: [Speaking in Ukrainian]

Ukraine’s president says Russian deaths in his country could top a major milestone this month as casualties mount on both sides. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Addressing the nation on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia has paid a heavy price for its invasion. He said Russian deaths in his country now stand at about 32,000 and could top 40,000 this month.

But of course, the loss of life is tragically high for Ukraine as well. Its government says 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died defending their nation. And according to the UN, roughly 5,000 civilians have also perished.

Zelenskyy is again urging the West to send more weapons and equipment as Russia continues its offensive in the eastern Donbas region.

He said—quote —"How could mass killings, torture, burned cities,” and Russian filtration camps, “which resemble Nazi concentration camps, come to pass?” He added, “Help us speed up the supply of weapons to Ukraine so that we can liberate the occupied territories.”

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

NATO chief: Sweden ready to address Turkish fears » NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the Swedish government is stepping up its efforts to win Turkey’s approval as it seeks to join NATO.

Sweden and Finland have both applied to join the alliance, but to add a new member, all existing members must agree to it. And right now, Turkey is the holdout.

Stoltenberg said Sweden is taking “the Turkish concerns very seriously," including “their security concerns when it comes to the fight against terrorism.”

STOLTENBERG: Sweden has already started to change its counter-terrorism legislation and Sweden will ensure that the legal framework for arms exports will reflect their future status as a NATO member.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Sweden and Finland of supporting Kurdish militants.

Stoltenberg has invited both Nordic nations to attend the NATO summit in Madrid two weeks from today. He wouldn’t say whether he expects the countries to iron out their differences with Turkey before the summit.

New York passes pro-abortion laws as Roe v Wade decision looms » The Supreme Court did not issue a decision Monday on reversing Roe v. Wade. Analysts now say that announcement could come as early as tomorrow.

In the meantime, states continue to prepare for that announcement. Some have enshrined pro-life laws while other states move to ensure abortions will continue.

In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul asserted Monday that every woman has a right to an abortion…

HOCHUL: Except in the eyes of some neanderthals who say women are not entitled to those rights.

The Democratic governor heard there on Monday after signing a package of bills into law.

One of those new laws will block New York law enforcement from cooperating with the investigations of other states on abortion-related cases. Another will enable people to sue others for inhibiting access to abortions.

Fire crews battle wildfires from California To New Mexico » Fire crews continue to battle wildfires from California to New Mexico as hot, dry, windy weather bears down.

Authorities have evacuated several hundred homes on the outskirts of Flagstaff, Arizona. One area resident said she’s ready to leave home at a moment’s notice.

AUDIO: I’m ready to go if I need to go, but I‘m not in this situation yet. So I’m going to go back to my house and see what else I can find and pray … pray, pray, pray.

Crews were expecting gusts of up to 50 mph as they battled the blaze that has burned through parts of the footprint left by another springtime fire that destroyed more than two dozen homes.

Wildfires broke out early this spring in multiple states in the Western United States amid chronic drought.

The number of square miles burned so far this year is more than double the 10-year national average, and states like New Mexico already have set records.

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

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