Wednesday morning news - April 13, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

U.S., Ukraine investigating possible Russian use of chemical weapons » Top U.S. officials say they cannot confirm reports that Russia may have used a chemical weapon in Ukraine.

Ukraine is investigating a claim that a poisonous substance had been dropped on its troops.

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken:

BLINKEN: We had credible information that Russian forces may use a variety of riot control agents, including tear gas, mixed with chemical agents that would cause stronger symptoms to weaken and incapacitate entrenched Ukrainian fighters and civilians.

But Blinken said the United States is not in a position to confirm anything, and he does not believe Ukraine is either at this point.

Western officials warned that any use of chemical weapons by Russia would be a serious escalation of the already devastating war.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said if the reports are confirmed, it would be …

PAYNE: A further indication of President Putin and Russia’s absolute violation of every single value and every single aspect of the rules-based global order.

Meantime, Vladimir Putin vowed Tuesday to continue Russia's bloody offensive until its goals are fulfilled.

Russian troops are now focusing on the eastern Donbas region after failing to capture the capital city of Kyiv.

NYC commuters injured in subway shooting » A gunman in a gas mask and a construction vest set off a smoke canister on a rush-hour subway train in Brooklyn and shot at least 10 people Tuesday.

AUDIO: I saw a lot of people coming out of the train station screaming, yelling for help. I saw a lady, she was shot right in her leg.

Another commuter said he heard bangs and screams as thick smoke blanketed the subway car and pools of blood formed on the floor.

In addition to the 10 people shot, more than a dozen others were hurt as the panicked crowd tried to escape. Five people were in critical condition but expected to survive.

New York Police commissioner Keechant Sewell told reporters …

SEWELL: He is being reported as a male, black, approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall with a heavy build. He was wearing a green construction-type vest and a hooded sweatshirt. The color is gray.

Police were scouring the city for the shooter and are looking for a particular person of interest. Authorities said they’re not investigating the attack as terrorism, but they’re not ruling anything out.

NY lieutenant governor resigns after arrest in federal probe » New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin resigned Tuesday after being arrested in a federal corruption investigation.

Prosecutors say the Democrat took part in a scheme to obtain campaign contributions from a real estate developer. In exchange, Benjamin allegedly agreed to use his influence as a then-state senator to get a $50,000 grant of state funds for a nonprofit group the developer controlled.

On Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters …

HOCHUL: We’ll have a statement out there. I haven’t had a chance to speak to him. I was doing media interviews this morning. This is not the place, but I will be addressing it very shortly. Let’s focus on the fact that there are people in a hospital right now fighting for their lives. Those are the people worth thinking about and praying for at this moment.

Benjamin is facing charges including bribery, fraud, conspiracy and falsification of records. He pleaded not guilty Tuesday and was released on bail.

U.S. inflation jumped 8.5% in past year, highest since 1981 » We have more new numbers showing just how big a bite inflation is taking out of American wallets.

The Labor Department said Tuesday that its consumer price index jumped 8.5 percent in March from 12 months earlier. That was the sharpest year-over-year rise since 1981.

Costs are up on everything from housing to gas to food. And one shopper in Alameda, Calif. said she’s definitely feeling it.

AUDIO: Milk and bread is very expensive nowadays. So if you’re thinking you’re trying to budget, you know, it’s pretty hard. You have to figure out how much money you’ve got and how long can you stretch till your next payment.

The federal government flooding the economy with cash helped fuel strong consumer demand. That, coupled with supply chain bottlenecks, has helped to trigger inflation.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has only made matters worse. From February to March, inflation rose 1.2 percent, the biggest month-to-month jump since 2005. Gasoline prices drove more than half that increase.

Oklahoma passes law outlawing abortion » Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill into law on Tuesday that makes it a felony to perform an abortion. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Under the bill, anyone convicted of performing an abortion would face up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. It does not authorize criminal charges against a woman for getting an abortion.

The bill takes effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns next month. It does make an exception to save the life of the mother.

Abortion supporters have vowed to challenge the law in court.

Oklahoma lawmakers passed a bill last year to prevent women from ordering abortion medication online, but the Oklahoma Supreme Court blocked that measure.

The bill is part of an aggressive push in GOP-led states across the country to protect the lives of the unborn. They’re hoping the U.S. Supreme Court will vacate the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide.

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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