Apple News Today

NPR reports on a high-profile civil trial that focuses on the role pharmacy chains may have played in America's deadly opioid epidemic. Several people are under arrest, suspected of running a smuggling ring that moved Haitians, including children, from Chile to Mexico and the U.S. The Miami Herald has the story. Many children rely on school meals as their primary source of nutrition. Right now, pandemic food and labor shortages are making it hard for schools to feed students, the Washington Post explains. A Russian actor and a producer are at the International Space Station to shoot the first feature-length film in space. The Verge takes a look at the mission.

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp have started to come back online after a massive outage. CNN and the Washington Post have more on the cause and the impact. CNN has the story of the newest winners of the Nobel Prize in physics. They include scientists who did groundbreaking work on predicting climate change. As crews race to clean up the massive oil spill in California, the L.A. Times reports on how a previous spill in the state drove policy changes about offshore drilling that had nationwide impact. Many people say work has taken over their lives during the pandemic. The Wall Street Journal looks at how to gain perspective and fight burnout. Premium economy has turned into the most profitable section of the plane for many airlines. Bloomberg Businessweek explains why they’re giving us the hard sell to trade up.

The Washington Post reports on the newly revealed Pandora Papers, which detail an opaque financial universe where global elites shield their riches from taxes, criminal probes, and public accountability. Vox explains how the Supreme Court’s new term will include a number of cases that could alter the trajectory of our legal landscape. Issues on the docket include abortion and gun rights. National Women’s Soccer League players are speaking out and calling for change as accusations of sexual abuse and coercion, reported in The Athletic, rock the organization. National Geographic has the story of the first comprehensive survey of America’s public monuments, which has surprising findings at a time of debate over who should be honored with statues.

What was it like inside the White House when Donald Trump lost — then denied losing — the election? Journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, authors of the new book Peril, sat down with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu to discuss the chaotic period, which they consider one of the most dangerous in American history. Peril is available now on Apple Books.

Congress avoided a government shutdown on Thursday, sending a stopgap spending bill to President Biden’s desk with funding for another nine weeks. Meanwhile, Politico reports that Democrats were unsuccessful in efforts to advance their legislative priorities, leaving a pair of infrastructure bills in limbo. Russell Berman in the Atlantic says they have plenty of time to turn things around. While there is no law preventing judges from owning stocks, they are barred from hearing cases where they or their family have an interest. A Wall Street Journal investigation finds that some have violated this rule. Vaccine mandates may have had controversial beginnings, but a Washington Post analysis finds that anecdotal evidence tells us they’re working. A modern-art museum gave a Danish artist $84,000 to be used in a work of art. Instead of delivering a piece that incorporated the cash, he gave the museum two blank canvases titled “Take the Money and Run.” CBS News reports.

The U.S. government faces a looming shutdown if Congress can’t pass a spending bill by midnight tonight — but that didn’t stop lawmakers from enjoying their annual baseball game. ABC News has the story. Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that President Biden’s legislative agenda is under threat, even as House Democrats are expected to vote on a key infrastructure bill today. Britney Spears is free from her father’s legal oversight, a major development in the singer’s quest for independence. The L.A. Times reports. Salmon is the most popular fish in the U.S. But, according to National Geographic, Americans seeking out sustainably raised salmon might not be getting what they paid for. Netflix says Korean drama Squid Game is likely its most popular show of all time. Variety explains the success of the series, whose violent and dystopian plot sees hundreds of cash-strapped contestants compete in children’s games for a chance at millions.

Politico reports on how Democratic senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin are frustrating some in their party by continuing to offer few specifics on what they would support in the broad spending bill being considered by Congress. The NBA season is set to begin. Rolling Stone describes one of the league’s biggest problems: players who refuse to get COVID-19 shots. The arrival of thousands of Afghans has split a rural Virginia community. The Washington Post looks at how some residents have rushed to help the new arrivals, while others have been unwelcoming. U.S. officials say the ivory-billed woodpecker is officially extinct after years of futile efforts to save it. The Washington Post has the story of a new report that also declares 22 other species extinct.

Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would suspend the debt ceiling, forcing Democrats to devise a new strategy. As the U.S. runs the risk of default, Vox looks at unusual moves that could end the debt-limit debate forever. CNN previews Gen. Mark Milley’s congressional testimony, which could be highly charged. Senators are expected to press him over his conduct during the Trump administration following revelations in Bob Woodward’s new book. Following R. Kelly’s guilty verdict, the New Yorker looks at questions about the singer’s actions over the decades that remain unanswered. Bitcoin is going nuclear. The Wall Street Journal explains why cryptocurrency miners are increasingly partnering up with nuclear-power plants.

Mixed messages on COVID-vaccine booster shots are leaving Americans with lots of questions. The Wall Street Journal has some answers. National Geographic reports on how lawmakers are pushing to compensate survivors of the first atomic-bomb test, which took place in New Mexico. Many people who lived near the blast site have had serious health issues. The latest weapon in the war on drugs is a predictive A.I. on your doctor’s computer. Wired shows how it can determine who receives treatment for pain — and who doesn’t. The Times of London details new research showing that when pandas are too happy with their environment, they don’t go out looking for mates. The key to encouraging pairings that create future generations may be habitats that are a little less comfortable.

Facebook’s internal research shows that Instagram, a platform the company owns, can be harmful to teenagers’ mental health. But Facebook has not disclosed that information to the public — and has reportedly done little to address this problem.  In part two of the investigative series “The Facebook Files,” Wall Street Journal reporters Jeff Horwitz and Georgia Wells bring these revelations to light.