Wednesday morning news: December 14, 2022

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Biden signs marriage law » On the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, President Biden signed a bill that changes the definition of marriage in federal law.

BIDEN: Today, I sign the Respect for Marriage Act into law.

Biden held a signing ceremony featuring performances by LGBT pop stars Cyndi Lauper and Sam Smith.

The law repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman and codifies a right to same-sex marriage in federal law.

The bill was amended with some protections for the religious liberty of people who hold a biblical definition of marriage. But critics say that protections don’t go nearly far enough.

Putin won’t deliver annual address » Vladimir Putin will not address the Russian people in his traditional annual news conference this month. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown reports.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN, REPORTER: At the end of each year, Putin typically delivers a marathon speech and then answers questions on a wide range of issues, though the events are tightly controlled.

But this year, with his troops on their heels in Ukraine, it could be impossible to avoid uncomfortable questions even at a highly choreographed event.

Putin so far also failed to deliver the annual televised state-of-the-nation address to parliament as the Russian constitution requires.

For WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

U.S. reportedly to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine » As Russia continues to launch airstrikes against Ukraine’s infrastructure, the Pentagon is reportedly planning to ship the Patriot missile defense system to Ukraine.

That’s according to a Fox News report citing a top U.S. official, who said the move is still pending final approval, but an announcement’s expected this week.

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell says both parties remain committed to Ukraine.

MCCONNELL: The Ukrainians’ brave stand has been made possible in part because the United States and a number of other countries have realized that supporting their self defense directly serves our own interests.

The advanced long-range Patriot systems are highly effective at shooting down ballistic and cruise missiles.

Bankman-Fried » The U.S. government has officially charged former billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried with a host of financial crimes.

Bankman-Fried is the founder and former CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

Federal prosecutor Damian Williams:

WILLIAMS: We charge that from 2019 until earlier this year, Bankman-Fried and his co-conspirators stole billions of dollars from FTX customers.

Bankman-Fried was arrested Monday in the Bahamas where he lives.

He faces charges on eight alleged crimes, ranging from wire fraud to money laundering to conspiracy to commit fraud.

Inflation / rate hike » Inflation appears to be slowing in the United States.

Prices on most things are still rising sharply, but not as severely as a few months ago.

President Biden celebrated new numbers released on Tuesday…

BIDEN: Prices of things like televisions and toys are going down. That’s good news for the holiday season. Used car prices fell for the fifth month in row.

Consumer prices rose just over 7% in November from a year ago. That was down sharply from 7.7% in October and a recent peak of more than 9% in June.

But the inflation fight is far from over, and the Federal Reserve is expected to announce another interest rate hike today.

TX Biden adoption suit » Texas is suing the Biden administration to shield faith-based adop­tion groups from an LGBT rule. WORLD’s Josh Schumacher reports.

JOSH SCHUMACHER, REPORTER: In 2019, the Obama administration created a rule stating that any group receiving federal funds related to adoption or foster care can’t discriminate on the basis of gender identity, sexual orientation, or same-sex marriage status.

Texas sued and the Department of Health and Human Services agreed not to enforce the rule, but it remained on the books. Now, the Biden administration is committed to enforcing it.

So Texas is suing once more. Attorney General Ken Paxton said it’s “not right” to force agencies to adopt “a radical woke agenda or surrender their mission of helping children.”

For WORLD, I’m Josh Schumacher.

Fusion energy » Scientists are calling it a major breakthrough. Researchers at a laboratory in California say we’re one step closer to harnessing the process that powers the sun.

They have reportedly produced more energy in a fusion reaction than was used to ignite it.

And U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says that’s a big deal. She said fusion energy could have many uses …

GRANHOLM: Transportation fuels, power heavy industries, so much more. It would be like adding a power drill to our toolbox in building this clean energy economy.

Kim Budil is director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which reported the breakthrough. She called it a “first step”…

BUDIL: A truly monumental one that sets the stage for a transformational decade in high-energy density science and fusion research. And I cannot wait to see where it takes us.

She said they’ve been able to replicate for the first time certain conditions that are found only in the stars and the sun.''

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

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