News Wrap: Raging floods in Connecticut claim at least 2 lives

In our news wrap Monday, at least two people died in Connecticut’s catastrophic flooding, a luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, Ukraine reportedly damaged a third bridge in Russia’s Kursk region, a woman in Wisconsin received an 11-year prison sentence for killing the man who sex trafficked her, former Rep. Santos pleaded guilty in his federal fraud case, and Phil Donahue has died.

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William Brangham: Also today, officials in Connecticut say at least two people have died after as much as 10 inches of rain caused catastrophic flooding over the weekend.

Eyewitness video caught water raging down roads in the southwestern part of the state, submerging cars and stranding drivers. Authorities rescued 18 diners at a restaurant that was suddenly engulfed by the nearby Little River.

Today, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal said some businesses will not be able to recover from the damage.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT): They have no flood insurance, because who would have thought the Little River would turn into a gushing torrent of destruction, which is what happened?

William Brangham: Separately, Ernesto has regained hurricane strength in the North Atlantic, bringing dangerous surf and rip currents along the East Coast. It’s due to weaken as it passes Newfoundland, Canada, tomorrow.

Italian authorities say that one body was found and six people remain missing after a luxury yacht sank this morning off the coast of Sicily during a sudden storm. British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch is among the missing. His wife and 14 others were rescued.

Today, near Palermo, divers searched the calm waters under blue skies, a sign of just how quickly conditions shifted from last night’s storm. The British-flagged Bayesian was known for having one of the world’s tallest masts, measuring 246 feet, as seen here lit at night before the disaster.

Russian authorities said today that Ukraine has damaged a third bridge in the Kursk region. It’s the latest strike in Ukraine’s nearly two-week incursion into Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said today that Ukraine now controls more than 480 square miles of the region. He says the goal is to create a buffer zone to prevent cross-border attacks by Russian forces.

Meantime, Ukrainian civilians are fleeing the eastern city of Pokrovsk, as Russian troops advance on that area. Authorities have ordered families to evacuate the city and nearby villages.

Back here in the U.S., a judge in Wisconsin has sentenced a woman to 11 years in prison for killing the man who trafficked her for sex. Prosecutors say Chrystul Kizer shot and killed 34-year-old Randall Volar at his home in 2018 when she was 17 years old. He had been sexually assaulting her for over a year. Kizer’s lawyers claimed she could not be held liable for the killing because of a state law that absolves sex trafficking victims of — quote — “any offense committed as a direct result of that trafficking.”

Former New York Representative George Santos has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft in his federal fraud case. The disgraced Republican left the Long Island courtroom this afternoon, where he admitted that he had — quote — “betrayed the trust” of his constituents. Santos had been charged with stealing from political donors and using campaign contributions for personal expenses. He faces more than six years in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in restitution.

On Wall Street today, stocks built on their recent gains to start the week. The Dow Jones industrial average added more than 230 points. The Nasdaq jumped nearly 250 points for its eighth straight winning session. The S&P 500 also continued its winning streak, adding 54 points.

And a passing of note. Phil Donahue, known to many as the king of daytime television, has died. “The Phil Donahue Show,” later simply called “Donahue,” first launched in 1967 in Dayton, Ohio. From there, it ran on national TV for nearly three decades.

Unlike previous talk show hosts, Donahue would walk up and down the aisles of his studio audience, inviting them to weigh in. He would devote entire programs to one topic, including frank discussions on race, sexuality, the AIDS epidemic, and faith in America.

Sometimes, they were scandalous and sometimes cerebral, like this moment with Nobel economist Milton Friedman.

Phil Donahue, Talk Show Host: Aren’t you ever — did you ever have a moment of doubt about capitalism and whether greed’s a good idea to run on?

Milton Friedman, Economist: Well, first of all, tell me, is there some society you know that doesn’t run on greed? You think Russia doesn’t run on greed? You think China doesn’t run on greed? What is greed? Of course, none of us are greedy. It’s only the other fellow who’s greedy.

(Laughter)

William Brangham: His program racked up 20 Emmy Awards. And, earlier this year, Donahue received the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Donahue also met his future wife on the program, actress Marlo Thomas, who appeared as a guest in 1977. They were married for more than 40 years.

Phil Donahue was 88 years old.