News Wrap: At least 18 dead from severe storms and flooding in southeastern Europe

Read the Full Transcript

• Geoff Bennett:

  Central Greece has been especially hard-hit, with some areas getting a year's worth of rain in 12 hours. Entire villages were cut off today, with water six feet deep in places. and rescuers brought more stranded people to safety, many of them stunned by the disaster.

• Maria Stamati, Greek Flood Victim (through interpreter):

  We have never experienced anything like this before in all these years. Even old people we spoke with told us they have never seen this before. There's so much water.

• Geoff Bennett:

  Elsewhere, drone footage in Southern Brazil showed widespread destruction from a storm this week that claimed at least 39 lives. Authorities say high winds and flooding rain affected more than 80 cities.

• Amna Nawaz:

  U.S. forecasters are warning that Hurricane Lee could become the first Category 5 storm of the Atlantic season. It grew today to Category 4 with winds of 130 miles an hour. The projected track would skirt the Northeast Caribbean this weekend. After that, the storm's path is uncertain, but it could stall east of the Bahamas.

  Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro was convicted today of contempt of Congress in the House January 6 investigation. A federal jury in Washington found he defied a subpoena for documents and a deposition. Navarro had pushed false claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election.

  In Ukraine, funerals began for 16 people killed Wednesday in a Russian missile strike. The attack struck an outdoor market in the eastern city of Kostyantynivka and left it in ruins. Today, local people left makeshift memorials. To the west, Russian missiles hit the grain port of Izmail along the Danube River today, its fourth strike there in just five days.

  Meanwhile, Moscow said its forces shot down Ukrainian drones inside Southern Russia.

  Mexico may be on track to elect a woman as president for the first time. Former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum chosen last night as the ruling party's candidate. The main opposition party has also nominated a woman. Sheinbaum celebrated with supporters after beating out five other contenders, and she urged voters to back her in next June's election.

• Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexican Presidential Candidate (through interpreter):

  Today, democracy won. Today, the people of Mexico decided, and I am the national coordinator to defend the transformation. This work is teamwork. For this reason, I say we all need each other.

• Amna Nawaz:

  Political analysts in Mexico say it is still possible that a third party will nominate a man to appeal to those who won't accept a woman as president.

  Microsoft reports China may be using fake social media accounts to influence American voters. The company says its researchers have found an apparent network controlled by China. It allegedly uses artificial intelligence to post politically charged content. China's embassy in Washington dismissed the claims as — quote — "full of prejudice and malicious speculation."

  Japan fired a moon-bound craft into space today, joining a new wave of attempted lunar landings. A rocket blasted off from Southern Japan carrying a robot moon lander, plus an X-ray telescope designed to orbit Earth and study the origins of the universe.

  The lunar craft will take a long, fuel-saving route, arriving in February. Japan would be the fifth nation to land on the moon, along with the U.S., the Soviet Union, China, and India.

  Back in this country, the White House says first lady Jill Biden has tested negative for COVID-19. She'd turned up positive on Monday with mild symptoms. Dr. Biden remained in Delaware after the Labor Day weekend, when the president returned to Washington.

  And on Wall Street, stocks struggled amid fears that strong economic data will push the Federal Reserve to keep raising interest rates. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 57 points to close at 34500. But the Nasdaq fell 123 points. The S&P 500 slipped 14.

  Still to come on the "NewsHour": Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson discusses the race for the White House; the school year gets off to a rough start, with the heat forcing some schools to cancel classes; plus much more.