Wednesday morning news - September 1, 2021

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Biden defends Afghanistan withdrawal, evacuation in White House address » President Biden addressed the nation from the White House on Tuesday, mounting his most forceful defense yet of his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and the nature of that exit.

BIDEN: I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a forever exit.

He called the U.S. airlift to extract more than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and other allies an “extraordinary success.” That despite a deadly attack last week that claimed the lives of 13 U.S. troops and nearly 170 Afghans and many Americans and allies left behind.

Biden said many of the Americans stranded in Afghanistan are dual citizens, and added that—quote—“90 percent of Americans ... who wanted to leave were able to leave.”

But GOP Congressman Jim Banks, who’s an Afghanistan War veteran, said the acceptable percentage is 100 percent.

BANKS: Why would any administration, why would any president, commander in chief leave any American behind. It’s never happened before. This has never happened like this in American history that a mission like this would be so botched.

President Biden said his administration has not given up on the Americans left behind. And he signaled a newfound trust in the Taliban.

BIDEN: The Taliban has made public commitments, broadcast on television and radio across Afghanistan, on safe passage for anyone wanting to leave, including those who worked alongside Americans.

Though he added that he won’t simply take the Taliban’s word for it.

As for the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, the president said it was time. He argued that the Al-Qaida network that carried out the 9/11 attacks has been vastly diminished.

But Congressman Mike Waltz, also an Afghanistan War veteran, said the president’s actions will allow Al-Qaida and other terrorist groups to gather strength.

WALTZ: al-Qaida and the Taliban are married at the hip. al-Qaida fully intends to regroup and to attack the West again. And now they have an entire country to deal with and an arsenal of American weaponry to do it with.

On Tuesday, video footage emerged that appeared to show an al-Qaida leader coming out of hiding and arriving in his home province in Afghanistan to some fanfare.

The footage apparently shows Osama bin Laden’s former security chief Amin al-Haq arriving in Nangarhar province as people gathered around his vehicle to greet him.

Republican lawmakers on Tuesday said they will demand answers over the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Louisiana swelter in Ida’s wake with no power or water » Hundreds of thousands of Louisianans sweltered in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida on Tuesday with no electricity, no tap water, and no end in sight to the misery.

Gov. John Bel Edwards…

EDWARDS: We’re asking people to be patient. We’re asking people to be careful, and please be good neighbors. Check on that elderly couple who live across the street from you.

Long lines that wrapped around the block formed at the few gas stations that had fuel and generator power to pump it. People cleared rotting food out of refrigerators. Neighbors shared generators and borrowed buckets of swimming pool water to bathe or to flush toilets.

In New Orleans, officials announced seven air conditioned places around the city where people could get a meal and cool off.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell says 70 buses will serve the same purpose.

CANTRELL: This is a great use of our assets, particularly buses that could be used as cooling centers and deployed, again, strategically throughout the city of New Orleans.

Edwards said that state officials likewise were working to set up places to distribute food, water and ice.

Hurricane Ida knocked out power to more than 1 million homes and businesses on Sunday.

And the storm is now blamed for at least four deaths. That after two people died late Monday after the storm collapsed a section of rural two-lane highway in Mississippi.

Firefighters defend Lake Tahoe as Caldor Fire spreads » A huge firefighting force gathered Tuesday to defend Lake Tahoe from a raging wildfire. That after officials ordered a mass evacuation of the South Lake Tahoe area.

Cal Fire spokesman Dominic Polito…

POLITO: It was a big chaotic but everyone got out of where they needed to get out, and we didn’t have to deal with neighborhoods where there were still people so that part was successful.

The streets of the popular vacation hot spot, normally filled with thousands of summer tourists, were all but deserted as the Caldor Fire closed in.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Tuesday …

NEWSOM: We continue to battle that fire; about 192,000 acres, 16 percent contained.

Thick smoke prevented air firefighting operations periodically last week. But since then, 23 helicopters and three air tankers dumped thousands of gallons of water and retardant on the blaze.

Texas Legislature sends sweeping GOP voting bill to governor » The GOP-controlled Texas Legislature passed a broad overhaul of the state’s election laws Tuesday after a bitter battle with Democratic lawmakers. WORLD’s Kristen Flavin reports.

KRISTEN FLAVIN, REPORTER: Gov. Greg Abbott said he will sign the bill that lawmakers sent to his desk yesterday.

The Republican governor issued a statement minutes after that bill passed, saying the bill will—quote … "solidify trust and confidence in the outcome of our elections by making it easier to vote and harder to cheat.”

But Democrats fought the legislation for months, arguing the bill was tailored to make it harder for young people and minorities— all Democratic-leaning voters — to cast ballots.

A group of Democrats even fled the state, taking a private jet to Washington DC to deny the state House the quorum needed to conduct business. They succeeded in delaying, but not preventing, its passage. The House passed Senate Bill 1 on Tuesday on a vote of 80 to 41.

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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