Wednesday morning news - September 9, 2021

For WORLD Radio, I'm Kent Covington. 

Biden tours flood ravaged neighborhoods in Northeast » President Biden toured flood ravaged neighborhoods in New York and New Jersey on Tuesday. The remnants of Hurricane Ida mixed with a non-tropical front last week unleashing a devastating torrent of rain in the Northeast.

BIDEN: These waves crashed through these streets here, testing the aging infrastructure and taking lives. More lives were taken here than down in Louisiana.

Biden spoke after walking streets in New Jersey and then Queens in New York City, meeting with victims of the storm.

At least 46 people died in floodwaters in Northeastern states. Six people remain missing.

The president also took the opportunity to push for new spending. He said it’s important to not just rebuild devastated areas, but to build back better.

He wants the House to approve a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure package that has already cleared the Senate and he wants Congress to pass $3.5 trillion in additional spending.

Secretaries Blinken, Austin address U.S. personnel in Qatar » Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Tony Blinken met face to face on Tuesday with American troops, Afghan refugees, and officials at the U.S. embassy in Doha, Qatar.

Secretary Austin praised troops for standing in harm's way to airlift more than 124,000 people from the Kabul airport.

AUSTIN: You came together and you worked through some very difficult and demanding circumstances. I am proud of you. I am grateful for what you have done. Your country is proud of you. The president of the United States is proud of you.

And Secretary Blinken thanked all U.S. personnel for their bravery during the chaotic evacuation.

BLINKEN: To all of you, thank you, thank you, thank you for a job remarkably well done. That’s the good news. The bad news is this mission continues. We have more work to do. We’re determined to do it.

Evacuees plead for action: 'We are in some kind of jail' » Meantime, American veterans groups and others are pleading for U.S. and Taliban action on a weeklong standoff that has left hundreds of would-be evacuees stranded in Afghanistan.

These groups say several dozen Americans, along with a much larger number of U.S. green card holders and family members are stuck. They’re among those waiting to board pre-arranged charter flights but are being prevented from leaving.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday …

PSAKI: We’re working to see what we can do to get flights up and operational, not just from Kabul but from other regional airports in the country, because we know that’s also a part of getting individuals out who want to leave, including the remaining American citizens.

An employee of a U.S.-based nonprofit that works with Afghan women and girls, said those in her group have proper passports and visas, but that the Taliban are blocking them from leaving. She said—quote—“We think we are in some kind of jail.”

She said elderly American citizens and parents of Afghan-Americans in the U.S. are among those being blocked from boarding planes.

Texas Gov. signs voting bill into law » Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a hotly contested elections bill into law on Tuesday.

Democrats called the bill “voter suppression” legislation aimed at minorities. And Democratic lawmakers in the state House tried for months to sink the bill, but succeeded only in delaying its passage.

Republicans say the new law is designed to secure future elections and strengthen public confidence in the integrity of future voting. And Gov. Abbott on Tuesday pushed back against the charge that the law will make it harder for anyone to vote.

ABBOTT: It ensures that every eligible voter will have the opportunity to vote. One way that it achieves that is it provides even more hours of time for people to be able to go cast their vote.

But the law also tightens rules on late-night voting and requires voter identification with mail-in ballots, among other measures.

Already, opponents have targeted the law with at least three federal lawsuits.

The governor said he’s confident the law will stand up to legal challenges.

Idaho public health officials move to ration care amid COVID-19 crush » Idaho public health leaders have moved to begin rationing healthcare as COVID-19 cases overwhelm hospitals.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare announced Tuesday that they have activated—quote—“crisis standards of care.” They warned residents that they may not get the care they would normally expect if they need to be hospitalized.

The move came as the state's confirmed coronavirus cases skyrocketed in recent weeks. Idaho has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S.

Nationally, the United States has now recorded more than 40 million COVID-19 cases.

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

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