Wednesday morning news: August 17, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Biden signs climate/spending bill » President Biden held a signing ceremony at the White House Tuesday, putting his signature to a massive climate change and health care bill…

AUDIO: There ya go, it’s now law!

Democratic lawmakers cheered the signing of the bill, which passed both chambers on straight party line votes.

President Biden said the new law…

BIDEN: … invests $369 billion to take the most aggressive action ever - ever, ever, ever in confronting the climate crisis.

That’s roughly half of the total $740 billion price tag.

For Medicare recipients, the new law will cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 out-of-pocket annually. It also extends certain healthcare subsidies.

The measure is paid for by new taxes on large companies and stepped-up IRS taxpayer enforcement.

The bill is called the Inflation Reduction Act. But GOP Congressman Kevin Brady said …

BRADY: It doesn’t lower inflation. It doesn’t lower budget deficits. It doesn’t even lower global temperatures. In fact, inflation will go up more next year than global temperatures will go down through the next century.

Republicans say it’s a bad idea to spend more amid high inflation and to raise taxes amid a recession.

Jill Biden has COVID » First Lady Jill Biden is isolating today after testing positive for COVID-19 while on vacation in South Carolina. She started experiencing mild symptoms on Monday.

The 71-year-old is fully vaccinated and boosted. She’s now receiving a course of the anti-viral drug, Paxlovid.

Following CDC guidelines, the first lady will continue to isolate for at least another 8 days.

President Biden recovered from COVID two weeks ago.

U.S. missile test » The Pentagon has confirmed the successful test of a long-range nuclear missile. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin has more.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: The U.S. Air Force launched the unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

It traveled more than 4,000 miles, landing at a test range near the Marshall Islands.

The Air Force said it’s intended to—quote—“demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality … of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.”

The military says it was a regularly scheduled test and is in no way related to current world events.

The launch comes a week before the United States begins joint drills with the South Korean military next week.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Kristen Flavin.

Operation rescues 200+ trafficking victims » Authorities have rescued more than 200 human trafficking victims as part of a coordinated, nationwide operation.

FBI Denver Special Agent Michael Schneider on Tuesday said in his area …

SCHNEIDER: During the operation, FBI Denver and our partners recovered and provided serves to 11 child victims of sexual exploitation.

He said authorities also located 27 missing or endangered children.

John Kellner is a district attorney from Colorado.

KELLNER: The average age of the children recovered—the victims recovered—during this operation was 13 years old.

In total, law enforcement officers rescued 84 children and either identified or arrested 85 trafficking suspects.

Ukraine-Crimea » Explosions ripped through a Russian ammunition depot in Crimea on Tuesday. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher has that story.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: The blasts hit a Russian-occupied air base, sending thick columns of smoke into the sky. And they forced about 3,000 people in the surrounding area to evacuate.

Russian authorities said the blasts were—quote—sabotage but offered no further details.

The explosions marked the second suspected recent Ukrainian attack on Russian military targets in Crimea.

Russia said an attack last week that destroyed nine warplanes was an accident. But military analysts say evidence points to a Ukrainian missile.

Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and has used it to launch attacks against Ukraine.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

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

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