Tuesday morning news: September 20, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Fiona update » Hurricane Fiona is taking aim at another island chain this morning after wreaking havoc in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Jamie Rhome with the National Hurricane Center:

RHOME: It’s starting to make a more northward turn towards the Turks and Caicos, which are now under a hurricane warning.

In Puerto Rico, Rhome said Fiona may have dropped as much as two and a half feet of rain in some areas.

The governor of the U.S. territory called the damage “catastrophic.” The storm knocked out electricity to the entire island.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday…

SCHUMER: The federal response should be swift, robust and continue for as long as the island needs.

Fiona is expected to continue gaining strength and could become a category-3 hurricane by the time it likely approaches Bermuda later in the week.

Taliban prisoner swap » An American contractor held hostage in Afghanistan for more than two years is now a free man.

The Taliban freed Mark Frerichs in a prisoner swap with the United States. The US government agreed to release a convicted Taliban drug lord in exchange.

His father, Art Frerichs, said Monday…

FRERICHS: I’d like to thank all the people that had him in their prayers.

Mark Frerichs was abducted in 2020 and was believed to have been held since then by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.

Biden: US would defend Taiwan » Beijing is voicing anger after President Biden once again indicated that the U.S. military would step in if China invades Taiwan.

In an interview, CBS’ 60 Minutes host Scott Pelley asked if U.S. forces would defend the island.

BIDEN: Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.
PELLEY: So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, US men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?
BIDEN: Yes.

Soon afterward, the president’s staff walked back his remarks, stating that, officially, the White House won’t say whether the US would defend Taiwan.

Biden has made similar remarks in the past.

Both the president and his staff said America’s “One China” policy has not changed

Ukraine update » Ukraine accuses Moscow of nuclear terrorism after recent Russian losses on the battlefield. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: A Russian missile carved a massive crater close to a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine Monday.

The missile struck just a few hundred yards from the reactors at the plant near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk.

It blasted a hole 6 feet deep and damaged nearby equipment, but it did not hit the plant’s three reactors.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry released video showing two large fireballs erupting one after the other in the dark.

Following recent battlefield setbacks, Vladimir Putin threatened last week to step up Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Military intel chief: Putin can’t achieve Ukraine goal »
Meantime, the Pentagon’s intelligence chief says Russia’s recent battlefield losses have shown that its forces are incapable of achieving Vladimir Putin’s initial aims.

Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier is director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

He said, quote, “We’re coming to a point right now where I think Putin is going to have to revise” his objectives.

Berrier added—his words—“The Russians planned for an occupation, not necessarily an invasion, and that has set them back.”

Queen funeral » Royal Guardsmen carried the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II to a hearse for its final journey on Monday to Windsor Castle where her remains were laid to rest.

That followed a morning funeral service attended by hundreds of world leaders…

AUDIO: [Bagpipe]

… and a private committal service later in the day at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. That service was not televised. Royal officials said it was a “deeply personal family occasion.”

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

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Fiona update » Hurricane Fiona is taking aim at another island chain this morning after wreaking havoc in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Jamie Rhome with the National Hurricane Center:

RHOME: It’s starting to make a more northward turn towards the Turks and Caicos, which are now under a hurricane warning.

In Puerto Rico, Rhome said Fiona may have dropped as much as two and a half feet of rain in some areas.

The governor of the U.S. territory called the damage “catastrophic.” The storm knocked out electricity to the entire island.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday…

SCHUMER: The federal response should be swift, robust and continue for as long as the island needs.

Fiona is expected to continue gaining strength and could become a category-3 hurricane by the time it likely approaches Bermuda later in the week.

Taliban prisoner swap » An American contractor held hostage in Afghanistan for more than two years is now a free man.

The Taliban freed Mark Frerichs in a prisoner swap with the United States. The US government agreed to release a convicted Taliban drug lord in exchange.

His father, Art Frerichs, said Monday…

FRERICHS: I’d like to thank all the people that had him in their prayers.

Mark Frerichs was abducted in 2020 and was believed to have been held since then by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network.

Biden: US would defend Taiwan » Beijing is voicing anger after President Biden once again indicated that the U.S. military would step in if China invades Taiwan.

In an interview, CBS’ 60 Minutes host Scott Pelley asked if U.S. forces would defend the island.

BIDEN: Yes, if in fact there was an unprecedented attack.
PELLEY: So unlike Ukraine, to be clear, sir, US men and women would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion?
BIDEN: Yes.

Soon afterward, the president’s staff walked back his remarks, stating that, officially, the White House won’t say whether the US would defend Taiwan.

Biden has made similar remarks in the past.

Both the president and his staff said America’s “One China” policy has not changed

Ukraine update » Ukraine accuses Moscow of nuclear terrorism after recent Russian losses on the battlefield. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: A Russian missile carved a massive crater close to a nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine Monday.

The missile struck just a few hundred yards from the reactors at the plant near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk.

It blasted a hole 6 feet deep and damaged nearby equipment, but it did not hit the plant’s three reactors.

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry released video showing two large fireballs erupting one after the other in the dark.

Following recent battlefield setbacks, Vladimir Putin threatened last week to step up Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.

For WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Military intel chief: Putin can’t achieve Ukraine goal »
Meantime, the Pentagon’s intelligence chief says Russia’s recent battlefield losses have shown that its forces are incapable of achieving Vladimir Putin’s initial aims.

Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier is director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.

He said, quote, “We’re coming to a point right now where I think Putin is going to have to revise” his objectives.

Berrier added—his words—“The Russians planned for an occupation, not necessarily an invasion, and that has set them back.”

Queen funeral » Royal Guardsmen carried the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II to a hearse for its final journey on Monday to Windsor Castle where her remains were laid to rest.

That followed a morning funeral service attended by hundreds of world leaders…

AUDIO: [Bagpipe]

… and a private committal service later in the day at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. That service was not televised. Royal officials said it was a “deeply personal family occasion.”

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.