Tuesday morning news - September 28, 2021

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Republicans block Democratic bill to fund govt, lift debt ceiling » GOP senators blocked a Democratic bill Monday night that would have funded the government and raised the debt ceiling.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted GOP senators for shooting down the bill and said they could be responsible for what he called two “manufactured disasters.”

SCHUMER: A government shutdown and a first-ever default on the national debt. The impacts of both would gravely harm every single American in this country.

The fiscal year ends on Thursday, and without a new funding bill in place, the government will partially shut down. Many Republicans say they’re on board with passing a funding bill to avoid that.

But Democrats paired it with a measure that would also raise the debt limit. That would help clear the way for a massive $3.5 trillion spending bill, which Democrats would push through the Senate using the reconciliation process without a single Republican vote.

And Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell says Democrats can also lift the debt ceiling on their own without a single GOP vote using a fast track process. And he adds that if Democrats are planning a historic spending spree, that’s exactly the way they’ll have to lift it.

MCCONELL: There’s no chance Republicans will help lift Democrats’ credit limit so they can immediately steamroll through a socialist binge that will hurt families and help China.

Democrats said they will try again before Thursday’s deadline to pass a bill to fund the government. Next time they’ll likely take the debt ceiling provision out of the bill, saving that debate for another day, closer to a separate October deadline.

Biden rule to shield 'Dreamers' seeks to bypass Congress » The Biden administration released a revised DACA plan on Monday, hoping to overcome a court ruling against the program. WORLD’s Sarah Schweinsberg has details.

SARAH SCHWEINSBERG, REPORTER: DACA is short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The program has shielded hundreds of thousands of so-called dreamers from deportation. Those are immigrants who were brought into the United States illegally as young children.

Back in July, U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen, said the Obama administration overstepped its authority when it went around Congress to create the program in 2012. He also said the administration did not properly seek public feedback.

The ruling allowed for renewals to continue but barred any new applicants.

The Biden administration is appealing. In the meantime, the new rule would solicit public comment to address the issue raised by Hanen. But it’s not clear if that would be enough.

In any event, only an act of Congress could make the DACA protections permanent. And Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday once called again on lawmakers to take swift action on DACA.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Sarah Schweinsberg.

Uncertain start to post-Merkel era after close German vote » The road ahead remains unclear for Germany after an election that failed to set a clear direction. That means Europe’s biggest economy could still be in for weeks or months of uncertainty.

The party that narrowly beat outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centrist Union bloc is struggling to form a new government.

Both parties finished with well under 30% of the vote. That apparently put the keys to power in the hands of two opposing parties.

And it means Merkel could remain chancellor, heading up a caretaker government, potentially for months as the main German parties battle for coalition partners to form a government.

U.K. pumps run dry amid fuel supply chain disruption » Lines of cars continue to wrap around British gas stations, the ones that actually have fuel, as shortages persist.

One Uber driver said without gas he can’t earn a living.

AUDIO: It’s quite difficult for me. I need petrol and obviously there’s not a lot around. So if I don’t get petrol, I don’t get food. That’s the way I look at it.

A shortage of truck drivers caused a minor disruption as fuel deliveries were delayed in some places. But that triggered a run on gas stations, creating a much bigger supply shortage.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps:

SHAPPS: It’s not like we don’t have the fuel in the country. We do need to just ensure that people are filling up when they need to fill up, rather than thinking ‘I’ve got to go fill up now just in case I need it next week or the week after.’

The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents more than 5,000 independent outlets, said Sunday that about two-thirds of its members had run out of fuel.

The government is now thinking about sending the army in to help with supply disruptions. But UK officials said Monday that they have “no plans at the moment” to deploy troops.

R&B superstar R. Kelly convicted in sex trafficking trial » R&B superstar R. Kelly is guilty as charged. That was the word from a New York jury on Monday in the singer’s sex trafficking trial. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has that story.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The court convicted Robert Kelly of racketeering and of violating the Mann Act, which makes it illegal to take anyone across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”

Prosecutors said an entourage of managers and aides that helped the singer meet girls—and keep them obedient and quiet—amounted to a criminal enterprise.

The singer, known for his anthem “I Believe I Can Fly,” has faced numerous allegations of misconduct with women and minors dating back to the 1990s.

Authorities arrested him in 2002 and accused him of making a recording of himself sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl. During the trial, jurors saw videos of Kelly engaging in sex acts that prosecutors said were not consensual.

Kelly is also facing sex-related charges in Illinois and Minnesota. Trial dates in those cases have yet to be set.

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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