Wednesday morning news

President Trump takes podium at U.N. General Assembly » President Trump is leading a special meeting of the U.N. Security Council in New York today. That meeting will address potential nuclear threats around the world, including Iran. And in his speech to the General Assembly on Tuesday the president told world leaders…

TRUMP: We cannot allow the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet’s most dangerous weapons. 

The president seemingly shook off criticism from global leaders on a range of issues from immigration to climate change. He said “the United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.”

On trade, President Trump stressed once again that he won’t allow other nations to manipulate currency or cash in on lopsided trade deals, calling out America’s largest trading partner by name.  

TRUMP: I have great respect and affection for my friend, President Xi, but I have made clear our trade imbalance is just not acceptable. China’s market distortions and the way they deal cannot be tolerated. 

The president’s remarks come just after the White House imposed tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports. Beijing responded by taxing $60 billion of U.S. goods.

Trump administration warns Canada is running out of time on NAFTA » Meantime, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Tuesday that Canada and the United States are running out of time to renegotiate NAFTA. The two sides appear likely to miss a U.S. imposed weekend deadline.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau struck a cautious tone Tuesday, saying his country may be able to join an existing trade agreement between the U.S. and Mexico.

TRUDEAU: There’s a possibility there to build on what they agreed, but we know that Canada’s interests are what we have to stand up for and we will. 

The two sides remain split on how to resolve trade disputes. Canada’s protected dairy market is also a major sticking point.

Lighthizer said if the neighboring nations can’t strike a deal this week, the Trump administration will ask Congress to sign off on a bilateral deal between the U.S. and Mexico only.

Britain opposition set to reject Brexit deal » Britain’s opposition Labour Party on Tuesday said it would reject Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit plan for separating Britain from the European Union.

Instead, the party might support a second referendum.

Keir Starmer, the Labour Party’s Brexit spokesman, told a party conference to vote against May’s deal in Parliament because he said it’s on track to fail the six tests applied to any proposed Brexit plan, including keeping access to European markets and protecting workers’ rights.

Starmer said his party would push for a general election if Parliament, where May’s Conservative Party has a slight majority, rejected the deal.

STARMER: It’s right that Parliament has the first say. It’s right that Parliament has the first say, but if we need to break the impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote, and nobody is ruling out ‘remain’ as an option. 

The two major concerns over May’s deal are her plan to retain free trade with the EU for goods but not services and questions about how to control the border between Ireland, an EU member country, and Northern Ireland.

Withdrawal from the EU is slated for March of next year.

Swollen rivers keep flood threat alive in Carolinas » Thousands of resident are bracing for Hurricane Florence’s final punch. Though it’s been well over a week since the storm struck the Carolinas, swollen rivers are still carrying flood waters to the Atlantic.

Five different rivers flowing from eastern North and South Carolina empty into the ocean in or near Georgetown, South Carolina.

Town officials are urging 8,000 people to evacuate their homes as floodwaters are expected to overtake several bridges by early Thursday, leaving only one highway out.

Georgetown County spokeswoman Jackie Broach-Akers said officials are working overtime to get the word out to residents.

AKER: We’re having trouble explaining the areas of evacuation to people because they don’t follow our normal hurricane evacuations zones, which of course are built for storm surge. But here the ocean area is just fine. This is river flooding. 

A few miles upstream in Conway, South Carolina, close to 1,000 homes are flooded, and the Waccamaw River is set to crest four feet above its record level set two years ago after Hurricane Matthew.

Bill Cosby sentenced » Bill Cosby left a Pennsylvania courtroom in handcuffs Tuesday on his way to serve a three-to-10 year prison sentence for sexual assault.

Cosby’s defense team tried to keep the 81-year-old comedian out of prison while he appeals his conviction, citing his age and health concerns.

But Judge Steven O’Neill ruled Cosby could “quite possibly be a danger to the community,” and should be locked up immediately. Cosby will also be classified as a sexually violent predator, meaning his name will appear on a sex offender registry.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents several women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault told reporters…

ALLRED: We’re glad that judgement day has finally come for Mr. Cosby. Mr. Cosby has shown no remorse. 

In April, Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting former Temple University athletics administrator Andrea Constand.

German Catholic Church apologies » A top German bishop has apologized for thousands of sexual abuse cases that took place inside the Catholic Church in Germany. WORLD Radio’s Paul Butler has that story.

PAUL BUTLER, REPORTER: Cardinal Reinhard Marx, head of the German Bishops Conference, told reporters Tuesday: “I’m ashamed for so many (of us) looking away, not wanting to recognize what happened and not helping the victims. That goes for me as well.”

A devastating report released Tuesday concludes that nearly 4,000 people were abused by clergy between 1946 and 2014.

The report on sex abuse inside the German Catholic Church found that more than half of the victims were 13 or younger and most were boys. Every sixth case involved rape and more than 1,600 clergy were involved.

One of the contributors to the report, Dr. Harald Dressing, said the numbers only reflect the abuses that were brought to light, adding—quote—“The figures are only the tip of the iceberg.”

Reporting for WORLD Radio, I’m Paul Butler.

I’m Kent Covington. Straight ahead: Washington Wednesday. And later—Joel Belz on getting real. This is The World and Everything in It.

(AP Photo/Richard Drew) Delegates stand for a moment of silence at the start of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, at U.N. headquarters, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018.

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