LAST? PLUS, THE WEEKEND FORECAST IS COMING UP IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES STUFF.
MARK.
THANK YOU. MICHAEL WILDFIRE IN
CENTRAL TEXAS STATE PART HAS
FORCED THE EVACUATION OF DOZENS
OF HOMES IN THE CITY OF
BASTROP.
>> THE FIRE STARTED TUESDAY
CONTINUES TO BURN. SARAH ACOSTA
JOINS US LIVE IN THE STUDIO
WITH THE VERY LATEST. GOOD
MORNING. GOOD MORNING, MARK
AND STEPHANIE. WELL, HERE’S THE
GOOD NEWS THAT FIRE HAS CALMED
DOWN OVERNIGHT, WHICH HAS
ALLOWED FIREFIGHTERS CREATE A
CONTAINMENT LINE FOR THE 640
ACRE FIRE BURNING IN BASTROP
STATE PARK IS THE SAME LOCATION
OF THE BASTROP COUNTY COMPLEX
FIRE. THAT WAS THE MOST
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN TEXAS
HISTORY. STRIKING AREAS OF
BASTROP COUNTY BACK IN 2011.
BUT WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR ABOUT
THE CURRENT FIRE IS THAT IT
STARTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON IN
BASTROP STATE PARK AS WIND
GUSTS OF UP TO 20 MILES PER
HOUR SPREAD THE FLAMES,
PROMPTING THE EVACUATIONS OF
200, 50 FAMILIES IN THE CITY
OF BASTROP AS A PRECAUTION.
FIRE OFFICIALS SAY A PLANNED
BURN FROM EARLIER IN THE DAY
MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE.
NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED
AT THIS TIME AND THE FIRE HAS
NOT SPREAD TO NEARBY
RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THE 2011 WILDFIRE DESTROYED
1600 HOMES IN BASTROP SPANNING
MORE THAN 34,000 ACRES ABOUT
30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF AUSTIN.
MARK STEPHANIE.
>> WE REMEMBER THAT ALL TOO
WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH,
CHAIR FOR THE LATEST THERE.
WELL, NOW TO THE UPDATE ON THE
BATTLE OVER VOTING RIGHTS IN
WASHINGTON, DC IT’S HAPPENING
JUST AS PRESIDENT BIDEN BEGINS
HIS SECOND YEAR IN OFFICE WITH
HIS POLL NUMBERS AT A NEW LOW.
>> ABC FAITH HAS MORE.
>> THIS MORNING, PRESIDENT
BIDEN MARKS ONE YEAR IN OFFICE
WITH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
IN A STANDOFF OVER VOTING
RIGHTS. A BILL ON THE SENATE
FLOOR WOULD MAKE ELECTION DAY A
FEDERAL HOLIDAY AND GUARANTEE
ALL VOTERS CAN REQUEST A MAIL
IN BALLOT. IT WOULD ALSO 4
STATES THAT REQUIRE VOTERS SHOW
AN ID TO BROADEN THE TYPE OF ID
THAT’S ACCEPTABLE. A MEASURE
REPUBLICANS OPPOSE GOP
CONGRESSMAN STEVE SCULLY SAYS
THE BILL WOULD ALSO MAKE IT
HARDER FOR STATES TO PURGE
DECEASED PEOPLE FROM VOTER
ROLLS EVERY YEAR.
>> AS WE KNOW PEOPLE DIE,
PEOPLE MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE
AND YET THEY MAKE IT VERY HARD
TO CLEAN UP THOSE ROLES.
DEMOCRATS ACCUSE REPUBLICANS
OF STIFLING DEMOCRACY, 19
STATES, MANY CONTROLLED BY
REPUBLICANS RECENTLY IMPOSED
NEW LAWS RESTRICTING ACCESS TO
VOTING. WE CAN A SETBACK AND
THAT ONE POLITICAL PARTY
CONTINUE TO UNRAVEL THE THREADS
OF OUR DEMOCRACY TO PASS THE
BILL. DEMOCRATS NEED 60 VOTES
OR THE SUPPORT OF 10
REPUBLICANS.
>> WHICH THEY DON’T HAVE.
AND NOW 2 KEY DEMOCRATS,
KIRSTEN SINEMA AND JOE MANSION
ARE REFUSING TO CHANGE THE
SENATE RULES TO LET DEMOCRATS
PASS THE BILL WITH A SIMPLE
MAJORITY. THERE’S NO CHECK AND
BALANCE BECAUSE BASICALLY JUST
SWEEP RIGHT THROUGH THE SAME
THING COULD HAPPEN IF
REPUBLICANS SAID EVERYTHING.
>> ALL OF THIS COMES AS
PRESIDENT BIDEN HOLDS A NEWS
CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON TO
DISCUSS WHAT LIES AHEAD FOR
HIS SECOND YEAR IN OFFICE WITH
THE PANDEMIC STILL RAGING
INFLATION AT A 40 YEAR HIGH
AND HIS APPROVAL RATING
SINKING.
>> THE WORK IS NOT DONE.
THE JOB IS NOT DONE AND WE’RE
CERTAINLY NOT CONVEYING IT SO
OUR OBJECTIVE. AND I THINK WHAT
YOU HEAR THE PRESIDENT TALK
ABOUT IS HOW TO BUILD ON THE
FOUNDATION WE LAID IN THE FIRST
YEAR.
>> FAITH ABUBEY ABC NEWS, NEW
YORK.
>> THIS MORNING, SOME
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS ARE OTHER
AIRLINES ARE CANCELING FLIGHTS
TO THE U.S. OVER CONCERNS ABOUT
POTENTIAL 5 G INTERFERENCE WITH
CRITICAL AIRPLANE TECHNOLOGY,
EMIRATES, AIR INDIA, ALL NIPPON
AIRWAYS AND JAPAN AIRLINES HAVE
ALL ANNOUNCED SERVICE CUTS AT
CERTAIN AIRPORTS, INCLUDING
BOSTON, CHICAGO, DALLAS, FORT
WORTH AND HOUSTON BEGINNING
TODAY THAT FALLS URGENT
WARNINGS FROM TOP U.S. AIRLINE
EXECUTIVES ABOUT THE IMPACT OF
FRIGHT FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS
BECAUSE OF THE 5 G ROLLOUT.
AND SO FAR, ACCORDING TO FLIGHT
SAN ANTONIO FLY SAN ANTONIO
DOT COM. NO FLIGHTS HAVE BEEN
DELAYED OR CANCELED JUST YET
HERE.
>> THE HOUSE COMMITTEE
INVESTIGATING THE U.S. CAPITOL
INSURRECTION HAS SUBPOENAED
RUDY GIULIANI AND OTHER MEMBERS
OF DONALD TRUMP’S LEGAL TEAM
WHO FILED BOGUS LEGAL
CHALLENGES TO THE 2020
ELECTION. THE PANEL’S DEMANDING
INFORMATION AND TESTIMONY FROM
GIULIANI AND 3 OTHERS, ALL 4
PUBLICLY PUSH TRUMP’S VOTER
FRAUD CLAIMS IN THE MONTHS
AFTER THE ELECTION. AT LEAST
ONE OF THE 4 SUBPOENAED IS
CALLING A COMMITTEE
ILLEGITIMATE. AND THEN ITS
EFFORTS ARE PART OF A QUOTE,
WITCH HUNT AGAINST TRUMP AND
HIS SUPPORTERS. THE OTHERS WHO
WERE SUBPOENAED DID NOT RESPOND
TO MESSAGES SEEKING COMMENT.
>> THE
>> THE COST OF FILLING UP A
LIKELY KEEP GOING UP. CRUDE OIL
PRICES IN THE U.S. ROSE 1.9%
TUESDAY FINISHING OVER $85 A
BARREL. THAT’S A HIGH NOT SEEN
SINCE OCTOBER OF 2014, SOME
WALL STREET WATCHERS SAY THE
ENERGY RALLY HAS JUST STARTED
GAS PRICES WHICH LAG BEHIND OIL
PRICES HAVE BEEN ON THE RISE
RECENTLY IN ANALYSTS EXPECT
THAT TREND TO CONTINUE THE
NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR A GALLON
IS 3.31, ACCORDING TO TRIPLE A