Apple News Today

Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four of 11 charges in her fraud trial. The Wall Street Journal reports on the downfall of a startup founder who claimed to revolutionize the blood-testing industry. Capitol Police officers were attacked and beaten by insurrectionists. The Washington Post details how the force is trying to recover and do its job amid low morale and a wave of resignations. A Wall Street Journal tech columnist recommends you activate this iPhone feature before you die. There’s snow on the ground in parts of America. Is it safe to eat? NPR checks with scientists. Short answer: Yes, but think about a few things first.

COVID isn’t gone, but 2022 may be the first year since its arrival that isn’t defined by the pandemic. The Washington Post looks at what else could define the next 12 months. As we near the anniversary of the Capitol attack, Politico reports on how the January 6 committee is getting new information about what happened. A new law aims to end costly surprise medical bills. CNBC explains how it could affect you. With supply-chain issues pushing chicken prices way up, restaurants are serving up more chicken thighs, which are cheaper than breasts. The Wall Street Journal has the story.

Wally Funk tried for decades to become an astronaut, at a time before NASA allowed women into orbit. This year she finally flew to space at age 82. The Atlantic shares her remarkable story. Two women broke barriers in football in 2021. Sports Illustrated has what you should know about Sarah Thomas, the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl. And NPR introduces Maia Chaka, the first Black woman to officiate an NFL game. It started with a few kids biking to school together for safety. It turned into a mass movement that touched hearts around the world, NPR reports. Two fierce rivals were neck-and-neck for Olympic gold. Sports Illustrated shows what happened next: Instead of going on to a tie-breaking round, they made the surprising decision to share victory. Zaila Avant-garde captured the nation’s attention as the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. But Variety found there was much more to her. In a year with its share of dark times, goofy moments on social media helped give us all a lift. Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay lists some favorites. Apple News Spotlight editors put together a special collection of the best good-news stories of the year.

A primary-care doctor told the Wall Street Journal she’s seen more than three times as many deaths among her patients this year as in 2020. None were from COVID. NPR examines Joe Manchin’s concerns about the climate spending in Build Back Better. And the New Yorker looks at how West Virginians feel about the senator’s latest moves. The Wall Street Journal’s Middle Seat columnist reflects on how air travel has changed in the last two decades. Mostly, it’s gotten worse. Wired reports on a new study showing lemurs have rhythm when they sing, and explains how it could help us solve a longstanding mystery about humans and music.

Omicron is now the dominant variant of coronavirus in the U.S. CNN reports on what doctors and governments are warning us about. A Wall Street Journal investigation finds NYU is top-ranked — in loans that alumni and parents struggle to repay. When it comes to confirming federal judges, President Biden is on pace with Ronald Reagan’s record. The Washington Post explains why it could get harder from here. Finally, a millipede that lives up to its name, and then some. National Geographic looks at the discovery of the first millipede species with more than a thousand legs.

The Atlantic explores what Joe Manchin’s ”no” on the giant spending bill means for Biden’s economic agenda. Democrats in Georgia helped flip the U.S. Senate and turn the state blue. Politico reports on how Republican state lawmakers are trying to dilute those gains. The Omicron coronavirus variant is spreading. The Wall Street Journal explains how to decide whether to change your holiday travel plans because of COVID. A Pulitzer Prize–winning science reporter canceled his 40th birthday party because of the Omicron variant. He writes in the Atlantic about how he came to the decision. Electric cars are expected to be a part of reducing global carbon emissions. But mining the nickel needed for their batteries can itself be very environmentally damaging. NBC News has the story. A Deadspin writer explains why he’s outraged that the New York Giants’ Fan Appreciation Day gift was a medium-sized fountain drink.

In the past year, more than a dozen women have accused Marilyn Manson — whose real name is Brian Warner — of psychological or sexual abuse. Four women have filed civil lawsuits. Warner has denied all of the allegations. For Rolling Stone, Jason Newman and Kory Grow spent nine months reporting on these claims and talked with several of the women who have come forward. They spoke with Apple News Today host Duarte Geraldino about their investigation.

The Washington Post explains why it’s looking unlikely that Democrats will pass the president’s nearly $2 trillion spending package ahead of the holidays. Waves of star athletes are testing positive for the coronavirus, disrupting games. ESPN reports on new COVID protocols being introduced by the NFL and NBA. Claudette Colvin was arrested in 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat for a white person — nine months before Rosa Parks’s act of defiance. Nearly 70 years later, Colvin’s record has finally been cleared. She talks to CBS News. Are brain surgeons and rocket scientists smarter than the rest of us? Not necessarily, according to a new study. The Guardian has the story.

The Apple Original podcast Hooked tells the story of Tony Hathaway. He went from working as a design engineer at the aerospace company Boeing to robbing 30 banks in a single year after becoming addicted to opioids.   In November, Shumita Basu spoke with Hooked host Josh Dean about the podcast when it was just getting started. Now that the final episode has aired, Basu and Dean are joined by Hathaway to reflect on the series as it comes to an end.

One year into her history-making role, Vice President Kamala Harris reacts to recent controversies and looks ahead to 2022, in an extensive interview with the San Francisco Chronicle. Vox looks at the good and bad news about the Omicron coronavirus variant so far. Pandemic student-debt relief is set to end in a few weeks. Business Insider reports on how some Democrats say the Biden administration should do more to help. It also speaks to a woman with $163,000 in student debt who says she feels “betrayed” by the president. The Washington Post has the story of the woman who traded a bobby pin up to a house in 28 steps — and documented the process on TikTok.