Tuesday morning news: November 1, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington.

Kyiv attack » Power crews in Ukraine are struggling to get lights and heat back on after Russian missiles and drones rained down on Kyiv and other cities on Monday.

AUDIO: [Russian spokesman]

A Russian military spokesman said it hit Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with what he called “precision strikes.”

AUDIO: [Russian spokesman]

The strikes were apparent retaliation for what Moscow alleged was a Ukrainian attack on its Black Sea Fleet.

At UN headquarters on Monday, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told world leaders …

KYSLYSTISYA: Terror against civilians has become a hallmark of Russia in this war of aggression against Ukraine.

Russia–grain » The United States is calling on Russia to end its renewed Black Sea blockade of grain exports from Ukraine. State Department spokesman Ned Price …

PRICE: Russia is again weaponizing food in the war that it started.

Russia claims that Ukraine is using commercial shipping“for military and sabotage purposes”.

But UN officials rejected Moscow’s allegation. Martin Griffiths is the UN’s under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.

GRIFFITHS: Coming to alleged misuse of cargo vessels in the initiative for military purposes, none were in the corridor on the night of the 29th of October when the reported attacks took place.

Despite Russia’s declaration that it would block grain exports, 12 ships with grain left Ukrainian ports on Monday. One vessel carried Ukrainian wheat to Ethiopia, where a severe drought is affecting millions.

Election polling one week out » Election Day is one week from today. Most analysts predict Republicans will take control of the House. But the Senate appears to be a dead heat.

A handful of races will likely decide control of the chamber, including a close contest in Georgia.

WALKER: We only got a few more days. And people who haven’t voted, get out and vote and have your voices heard!

Republican Herschel Walker, heard there, holds a slim one-and-a-half point lead over Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in recent polls.

Another pivotal race is happening in Pennsylvania. Democratic candidate John Fetterman.

FETTERMAN: If you come out and step with us, we will be able to stand with you in DC!

Fetterman holds a lead of a little more than a point in an average of recent polls. But the only poll taken since his recent debate with Republican Mehmet Oz shows Oz leading by a few points.

In other close races, GOP candidates lead by 1 to 2 points in Nevada and Ohio.

Republicans need a net gain of one Senate seat to regain the majority.

Trump asks SCOTUS to block Congress from tax returns » Former President Donald Trump filed an emergency appeal with the Supreme Court on Monday. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has more.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: Lawyers urged the high court to block the Treasury Department from handing over Trump’s tax returns to House Democrats.

Trump said the Democratic-controlled Ways and Means Committee could have his returns as soon as Thursday unless the court intervenes.

Lower courts ruled against Trump, finding that the committee does have broad authority to obtain tax returns.

If Trump can persuade the high court to step in, he could potentially delay a final decision until the start of the next Congress in January when Republicans might be in control.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Affirmative action hearings » College admissions in America may soon be colorblind.

Conservative Supreme Court justices on Monday seemed to signal that it might be time for 50-year-old affirmative action policies to go.

Plaintiffs argued that the practice discriminates against Asians and other races.

Harvard and the University of North Carolina argue that they need to consider the race of applicants to ensure diversity on campus.

But Justice Clarence Thomas said…

THOMAS: I’ve heard the word diversity quite a few times, and I don’t have a clue what it means. It seems to mean everything for everyone.

He questioned the benefits of forced racial diversity in modern times.

The court's conservative justices all expressed doubts about the practice, while the three liberals defended the programs. Justice Elena Kegan said she believes what it means to believe in American pluralism…

KAGEN: Is that actually our institutions, you know, are reflective of who we are as a people in all our variety.

The Supreme Court has twice upheld affirmative action. But one of those rulings called the practice “dangerous” and said it would need to end eventually.

Bridge collapse update » Police in western India made arrests Monday in the deadly collapse of a newly repaired, Colonial-era bridge. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has that story.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Police have formed a special team to investigate the accident. And so far, officers have arrested nine people, including managers and staff of the company that operates the bridge, the Oreva Group.

Police opened a case against Oreva for suspected culpable homicide and other violations.

The suspension bridge, built in the 1800s, collapsed into a river on Sunday killing at least 134 people. It had reopened just days earlier after six months of renovations.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

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

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