Wednesday morning news: August 31, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kristen Flavin. 

Gorbachev obit » REAGAN: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Mikhail Gorbachev has died at age 91. That, according to Russian state media.

Gorbachev ruled in the final years of the Soviet Union. His policy of “glasnost”—or openness—ushered in economic and democratic reforms. The changes led to the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of communist isolation. Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990—just one year before he stepped down—and the Soviet Union collapsed.

Several years ago, a BBC reporter asked Gorbachev about current tensions between Russia and the West.

GORBACHEV: [Speaking]

He said as long as both sides have nuclear weapons, quote, “the danger is colossal.”

Ukraine update » Now, Ukraine is fighting to maintain the independence it gained in 1991. And it’s going on the offensive against Russian invaders.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy predicts his country will take back all of the territory Russia has seized.

Zelenskyy here, speaking through a translator:

ZELENSKYY: this will happen this is ours and just as our society understands it I want the occupiers to understand it too there will be no place for them on Ukrainian land.

Yesterday, Ukrainian forces claimed to have destroyed bridges and ammunition depots in Kherson, a strategic city on the Black Sea.

Jackson drinking water » Jackson, Mississippi, has too much water and not enough.

Heavy rain and floods caused problems at a water treatment plant. That led to low water pressure throughout the city. Bernard Smith is a Jackson resident. He says it could be worse.

SMITH: When I look at Katrina what they had to go. I mean our situation is it is nothing like what they experienced.

Gov. Tate Reeves said the state will provide water for drinking and household use and send contractors to restore the plant.

TATE: We need to provide it for up to 180,000 people for an unknown period of time. We have the best possible expert leadership and manpower, but it will still not be easy.

Some schools in the city are switching to virtual learning. It’s unknown how long the water outage will last.

Pakistan floods » Pakistan, meanwhile, is experiencing its worst monsoon season in years. According to the country’s climate minister, a third of the country is underwater.

AUDIO: [Pakistan camp]

More than 1,000 people have died in flooding since mid-June. Fast-rising rivers have forced millions to move to makeshift camps across the country.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres asked for $160 million to support the country.

GUTTERES: Pakistan is awash in suffering. The Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids.

The water has started to recede, but officials say there is more rain coming.

Iraq protests » Shiite Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to stop shooting and leave Iraq’s government buildings.

AUDIO: [Gunfire]

His followers obeyed, and gunfire ceased within 60 minutes. But not before at least 30 people were killed in the violence.

Sadr said Monday he’s resigning from politics, but he maintains a strong influence over his followers.

Economy » Stocks are still down on Wall Street. That, after the Fed said last week it will continue its severe interest rate hikes.

Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre says the White House is on the Fed’s side.

JEAN PIERRE: We believe they have the strongest tools to deal to deal with that but we know that Americans are feeling the pain of higher cost higher prices.

A strong jobs report this morning was also, surprisingly, bad news: It means the Fed will likely double-down on its strategy for slowing the economy in order to fight inflation.

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

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