podcast
CNN 5 Things
We bring you 5 stories that will get you up to speed and on with your day. Updates at 6am, 9am, 12pm, 5pm and 10pm Eastern, every weekday.
10 PM ET: Biden on possible shutdown, Ukraine claims key kill, US’s Pacific strategy & more
CNN 5 Things
Sep 26, 2023
President Joe Biden called out some House Republicans this afternoon – accusing them of pushing the federal government to the brink of a shutdown. Russia and Ukraine traded fire today, with Ukraine claiming it killed a top Russian naval commander last week. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says roughly 10 percent of New York’s military personnel are now helping with the state’s migrant crisis. The Biden administration announced $1.4 billion in rail investments, after a string of high-profile accidents. Lastly, the US is recognizing two small Pacific island nations - we’ll tell you why it’s a big deal.
Episode Transcript
Anna Sturla (host)
00:00:01
Hello from CNN. I'm Anna Sturla with the five things you need to know for Monday, September 25th.
00:00:06
President Joe Biden called out some House Republicans this afternoon, accusing them of pushing the federal government to the brink of a shutdown.
President Joe Biden (soundbite)
00:00:15
Just a few months ago, the speaker of the House and I agreed to spending levels of the government. Now, a small group of extreme House Republicans, they don't want to live up to that deal. And everyone in America could be faced with paying the price for that.
Anna Sturla (host)
00:00:32
Biden was speaking at a meeting with the president's board of advisors on historically Black colleges and universities, and said certain parts of a government shutdown would disproportionately affect the Black community. A group of far-right House Republicans are demanding huge spending cuts and others want to end U.S. military support for Ukraine. Biden accused those holding out against current proposals to fund the government of not doing their jobs.
President Joe Biden (soundbite)
00:00:55
Funding the government is one of the basic fundamental responsibilities of Congress and if Republicans in the House don't start doing their job, we should stop electing them.
Anna Sturla (host)
00:01:05
Russia and Ukraine traded fire today with Russia saying Ukrainian drones targeted locations inside Russia and occupied Crimea...And Ukrainian officials saying Russian shelling killed at least six people in Kherson. Ukraine also claimed today that it killed the naval commander for Russia's Black Sea fleet last week, along with almost three dozen officers and servicemen. CNN can't independently confirm Ukraine's claims or the number of casualties. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby was cautiously optimistic when he spoke to CNN today.
John Kirby (soundbite)
00:01:35
So if you you're able to kill the commander of the fleet or a lot of his or her staff, obviously that's going to have a significant impact on their ability to command and control that fleet. Now, that doesn't mean it's going to be some sort of permanent fix. Obviously, they'll put a new leader in and the Russian fleet's not going anywhere out of the Black Sea. But for a while, it will have a significant impact on their ability to operate.
Anna Sturla (host)
00:01:58
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said today that roughly 10% of New York's military personnel are now helping with the state's migrant crisis. Hochul said she'll be deploying additional members of the New York National Guard to help with asylum seekers.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (soundbite)
00:02:11
Now, you're part of the effort to help them be able to leave those shelters and help them to be on that path to the life that they sought.
Anna Sturla (host)
00:02:19
Hochul's administration says there are currently 1900 personnel across the Empire State already working on the asylum support mission. Hochul added that more than $50 million has already been invested in case management.
00:02:31
The Biden administration announced almost a billion and a half dollars in rail investments today. It's part of the infrastructure law passed last year after a series of high-profile rail accidents. The $1.4 billion in funding will go to 70 rail projects across 35 states and D.C. With Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg telling reporters it was a, quote, "good day" for communities along rail lines who are afraid of derailments.
00:02:57
The U.S. is recognizing two small Pacific island nations. We'll tell you why that's a big deal, next.
00:03:05
The U.S. formally kicked off diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands and Niue today. Neither are political powerhouses, but the recognition comes as President Joe Biden tries to strengthen America's relationships in the Indo-Pacific region and counter China's rising influence. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended a signing ceremony with the prime minister of the Cook Islands, Mark Brown.
Sec. Antony Blinken (soundbite)
00:03:31
We also recognize in each other a shared commitment to democracy, a shared commitment to dealing with the existential challenge of our time, which is combating climate change, and the shared commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Anna Sturla (host)
00:03:46
That's all for now. I'm Anna Sturla. Our next episode drops at 6 a.m. Eastern.