Apple News Today

Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man, was shot and killed while jogging in 2020. As the murder trial begins, NPR reports from the Georgia community where his killing happened. Colin Powell, America’s first Black secretary of state, who shaped American foreign policy in recent decades, has died from complications from Covid-19, CNN reports. He was 84. Reuters has a trove of internal documents revealing how Amazon created knockoff goods and manipulated search results to boost its own product lines in India. Democrats in Congress are working to pass an ambitious spending plan to further their agenda. Politico explains why the next few days are so important. The appearance of an Arctic walrus on European shores was fun at first. But scientists needed to convince him to head home, for his own sake and to stop the damage he’s been doing to boats. The Wall Street Journal has the story.

Delivery workers are a vital part of New York City’s infrastructure, so much so that during the pandemic, they were hailed as heroes. But this class of workers is also abused, underpaid, exploited, and largely ignored. Now they’re fighting for protections and better working conditions — and making some headway. Investigations editor Josh Dzieza spoke with more than 20 delivery workers for this story, published by the Verge and New York Magazine.   Thanks to Danilo Parra, New York Magazine, the Verge, and Vox Media for providing audio content for this episode. You can find their full video, “The Invisible 65,000,” here.

Congress approved $47 billion to pay back rent and prevent evictions. NPR explains why so little of that money has made it to the millions of people who need it. The controversy over jokes about transgender people in Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special is reaching a critical point. Bloomberg lays out some key facts. Supply-chain issues are still causing problems for the automobile industry. Car and Driver reveals how the car shortage is so bad that dealers are putting unfinished vehicles on the lot just to fill space. A shredded Banksy painting sold for $25.4 million, a record. Quartz reports on how a surprise move by the mysterious artist to destroy the work wound up making it far more valuable.

The House committee probing the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol subpoenaed a former Justice Department official described as having been at the center of then-president Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Bloomberg has details. An investigation from the Intercept found that a network of right-wing health-care providers made millions selling bogus COVID treatments. America’s national parks are drawing huge crowds, and the National Park Service is making changes to balance access and preservation. The Deseret News reports from Arches National Park in Utah. Only 33 living people have been the son or daughter of a president. People talked to some about the quirks and perks.

Supply-chain issues and labor shortages mean companies are fighting for workers. Time reports on how growing numbers of employees are testing their power, by striking to demand better pay and benefits. And the Washington Post looks at the battle lines in the dispute between cereal-plant workers and Kellogg’s. Many therapists don’t take insurance. The ones who do are often booked. The Wall Street Journal shows you why, and what you can do about it. There’s a dark side to free return policies. The Atlantic details how when you send back something you bought, there’s a good chance it’s going in the trash. Major League Baseball games are getting longer and more boring. Bloomberg Businessweek goes behind the scenes of experiments the league is quietly running to help speed up games and add more drama.

Jon Gruden is stepping down as Las Vegas Raiders coach following revelations of racist, antigay, and misogynistic emails. The Wall Street Journal has more. An interpreter who helped rescue Joe Biden in 2008 had trouble getting out of Afghanistan with his family. The Wall Street Journal has the exclusive story of their narrow escape. After decades of success at increasing police diversity, forces across America are having trouble hiring young Black citizens. The Atlantic explains why. Matt Amodio finally lost on ‘Jeopardy,’ bringing to a close his 38-game run on the show, Variety reports.

Day-care providers are struggling with a worker shortage while federal relief has been slow to help. USA Today looks at what’s happening, as well as possible solutions. Many of the smugglers who bring migrants into the U.S. are Mexican teenagers. One of them tells his story to the Washington Post. CNN reports on a Maryland husband and wife accused of attempting to sell U.S. nuclear secrets to another country in exchange for cryptocurrency.After nearly 80 years of marriage without a wedding photo due to World War II, a couple finally has one. NBC News shows how hospice workers decided to fix things.

For the past few decades, it seems like Congress has been stuck in a perpetual state of gridlock. Lawmakers may say they want to work together, but when push comes to shove, the party that’s in the majority often ends up going it alone. For FiveThirtyEight, Lee Drutman breaks down why bipartisanship in Congress is dying — and what that means for democracy. You can read Drutman’s article in FiveThirtyEight now on Apple News. 

The Nobel Peace Prize went to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their work fighting for press freedom under dangerous circumstances. BBC News has more. Divorced parents are going to court over whether their kids should be vaccinated against COVID. The Washington Post has the story. The Wall Street Journal explains how Trump’s trade war and the pandemic have driven cotton prices to sky-high levels.Bloomberg reports on how a cameo in a James Bond film can increase a car’s value by 1,000 percent.

A judge has the controversial Texas abortion ban on hold. The Texas Tribune explains why it’s not clear the new ruling will actually increase access to the procedure. Senators seem to have become more optimistic about a deal to prevent the U.S. defaulting on its debt. The Washington Post reports on the talks. The Wall Street Journal has the story of a lawsuit that says computer outages from a cyberattack led hospital staff to miss troubling signs, resulting in a baby’s death. The hospital denies the allegations. If proven in court, it would be the first confirmed death from a ransomware attack. The Verge details how Taylor Swift fans are getting caught up in the Virginia governor’s race. Printed books are getting harder to find because of growing demand for reading material and pandemic-driven supply and labor shortages. Vox has details.Abdulrazak Gurnah is the latest winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. BBC News has more.