Remembering Colin Powell, FBI working to free missionaries kidnapped in Haiti: 5 Things podcast

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Former Secretary of State Colin Powell died Monday at the age of 84. The FBI is working to help free kidnapped missionaries in Haiti, a House committee votes on whether to hold Steve Bannon in contempt relating to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, we look back to the civil rights fight in 1961 with a new podcast and the NBA season tips off.

Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here

Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and this is 5 Things you need to know Tuesday, the 19th of October, 2021. Today, remembering Colin Powell, plus a look back at fighting for racial justice in 1961 and more.

Taylor Wilson:

Here are some of the top headlines.

1. North Korea earlier today fired a ballistic missile into the sea. South Korea's military describes the weapon as likely designed for submarine-based launches, marking maybe the most significant demonstration of the North's military power since President Joe Biden took office.

2. Washington State has fired football coach Nick Rolovich after he repeatedly refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19. That's despite a state mandate requiring it unless he was approved for an exemption.

3. And Apple unveiled a new series of MacBooks yesterday, and the third generation of AirPods. Head to the tech section on usatoday.com for more.

Taylor Wilson:

Colin Powell has died from COVID-19. His family said he was fully vaccinated. The military commander was the first Black secretary of state whose career was largely defined by America's two wars with Iraq. Powell was born in New York City to Jamaican immigrants and served four US presidents, rising to become the first Black and the youngest chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the country's highest ranking military officer. Powell was remembered by Democrats and Republicans alike yesterday, including President Joe Biden and Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

President Joe Biden:

Thinking about Colin Powell, he's not only a dear friend and a patriot, one of our great military leaders and a man of overwhelming decency. And he rose to the highest ranks, not only in the military, but also in areas of foreign policy and state craft.

Mitch McConnell:

As a senior leader, he helped four presidents protect our nation, represent us on the world stage, and chart our course through uncertain and turbulent times.

Taylor Wilson:

Powell served two combat tours in Vietnam before climbing the ranks and overseeing the first Gulf War in 1990 and '91. Then, American forces drove invading Iraqi military from Kuwait. But his career was later tarnished by his time as the nation's top diplomat when president George W. Bush led the US into the second Iraq war in 2003. That invasion and the numerous human rights violations by the US during its time in Iraq was based on false claims that Saddam Hussein's government had weapons of mass destruction. Powell himself called that a blot on his career, while many around the world, particularly in Iraq, see it as much more. Critics point in particular to his speech to the UN in 2003 when he insisted that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

Colin Powell:

What you will see is an accumulation of facts and disturbing patterns of behavior. The facts in Iraq's behavior demonstrate that Saddam Hussein and his regime have made no effort, no effort to disarm as required by the international community. Indeed, the facts in Iraq's behavior show that Saddam Hussein and his regime are concealing their efforts to produce more weapons of mass destruction.

Taylor Wilson:

Residents in Iraq today don't often have good things to say about Powell or that Bush Administration. One Baghdad resident told the AP that Powell will face the Lord, but with a lot of Iraqi blood on his hands.

Taylor Wilson:

Powell initially resisted the push to invade Iraq, hoping instead to keep the US focused on its military campaign in Afghanistan. But he later changed course. No weapons of mass destruction were ever found there and the Iraq war cost thousands of Iraqi and American lives along with billions of dollars. Later in his career, Powell flirted with the idea of running for public office with encouragement from Republicans, but he became increasingly disenchanted with the Republican Party. And in 2008, he endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for president. He then said last year that he would vote for President Joe Biden. Colin Powell was 84.

Taylor Wilson:

The FBI will continue to work with the State Department today on efforts to release the US missionaries that were kidnapped in Haiti over the weekend. White House press secretary, Jen Psaki.

Jen Psaki:

The President has been briefed and is receiving regular updates on what the State Department and the FBI are doing to bring these individuals home safely. The FBI is part of a coordinated US government effort to get the US citizens involved to safety. Due to operational considerations, we're not going to go into too much detail on that, but can confirm their engagement. And the US embassy in Port-au-Prince is coordinating with local authorities and providing assistance to the families to resolve the situation.

Taylor Wilson:

17 people, including 16 Americans and a Canadian, and some children were taken on Saturday outside the capital of Port-au-Prince. They are in the country working for the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries. Haitian police say they were taken by the 400 Mawozo gang which controls the area where the attack took place. It's not clear why they would target foreign missionaries since aid groups in Haiti typically rely on guarantees of safe passage from crime leaders. But parts of the Haitian government have disintegrated in recent months after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July. The same group also kidnapped a group of priests and nuns in April before they were released.

Taylor Wilson:

The House committee investigating the January 6th attack on the US Capitol will vote today on whether to hold former President Donald Trump advisor, Steve Bannon in contempt. Bannon has been subpoenaed by the committee, but has refused to comply. Trump lawyers are advising witnesses not to comply with congressional investigators, though the Biden Administration has rejected Trump's attempts to withhold documents from the investigating panel.

Taylor Wilson:

There's a new trailer out today for the Seven Days of 1961 podcast that my team has been working on. With each episode, you'll hear directly from people, including some who were just teenagers at the time who fought for racial justice in 1961. They're taking listeners back in history to the moments when they risked everything to fight for integration. Here's the trailer.

Kenneth Dious:

Are we going to be brave enough to go in with that huge crowd?

Hank Thomas:

I think we were all thinking the same thing. What are we in for?

Nathalie Boyd:

We're bringing you stories of resistance from the year 1961, a time that led to sweeping change in the United States, directly from the people who lived them.

Ethel Sawyer Adolphe:

We were taken back in those police cars. Had we not been in a car with us on the road back, we probably would not be alive now.

Natalie Boyd:

From USA TODAY, Seven Days of 1961 highlights the people and everyday acts of resistance that fueled the civil rights movement. Their work helped to create major changes in national policy, including the Voting Rights Act of 1965. They are monumental stories of fighting injustice, despite the threats of death, violence and jail at the hands of their white neighbors, law enforcement, and the KU Klux Klan.

Charles Mason:

So I was always aware of being hurt, but it wasn't enough to scare me not to go on a demonstration because I thought that we could accomplish something.

Nathalie Boyd:

The civil rights veterans are sharing lessons and fighting racist laws and white supremacy against all obstacles.

Hank Thomas:

When the bus started to burn, we all knew that if we got off the bus, we'd probably be killed. I made a decision. I'm only 19 years old. Whether I'm going to be beaten to death or whether I'm going to die on that burning bus.

Nathalie Boyd:

I'm Nathalie Boyd, a podcast producer with USA TODAY. In each episode, an activist shares how they dared to challenge the powerful in a segregated society.

Brenda Travis:

The students walked out with me and here are these people. It was like a wall engulfing me. At that point, I knew I wasn't alone.

Natalie Boyd:

New episodes of the Seven Days of 1961 podcast drop weekly, starting Tuesday, November 2nd. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Taylor Wilson:

You can find a link to the show in today's episode description and by searching Seven Days of 1961 on whatever your favorite podcast app is. Be sure to subscribe or follow so you don't miss an episode.

Taylor Wilson:

The NBA season is here. The association tips off another season tonight with a pair of games. Back are full arenas with fans, though the league is keeping the popular pandemic playoffs change that has teams ranked seven through 10 in each conference play each other to get into the postseason. As for the basketball, there are plenty of question marks, including whether Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving will even be able to play this year as he continues to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. Also in the east, the Milwaukee Bucks will try to defend their NBA championship while the Atlanta Hawks try and build on their greatest season in franchise history last year. In the west, LeBron James has a star packed roster with him on the Los Angeles Lakers and people are keeping an eye on the Golden State Warriors who finally get Klay Thompson back around Christmas to shoot alongside Steph Curry. Tonight's doubleheader features the Nets at the Bucks at 7:30 Eastern before the Warriors play the Lakers in LA at 10:00 Eastern. You can tune in on TNT.

Taylor Wilson:

And thanks as always for listening to 5 Things. You can find us right here wherever you're listening right now, seven mornings a week. Thanks to Shannon Green and Claire Thornton for their great work on the show. And I'm back tomorrow with more from 5 Things on the USA TODAY Network.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colin Powell remembered, NBA season tips off: 5 Things podcast