Apple News Today

Duarte Geraldino talks with journalist Akilah Johnson about her reporting on COVID-19 and its disproportionate impact on Black Americans. Johnson spent much of the pandemic covering health care at ProPublica and is now at the Washington Post. To understand why the disease hit Black Americans so hard, she says, you have to start with the tale of John Henry. It’s part of our special series marking one year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

March 11 marks one year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. In a special series, Apple News Today is speaking with journalists who’ve done exceptional work covering the subject over the past 12 months. In the first episode, Shumita Basu talks with Eli Saslow, the Washington Post reporter behind the series Voices From the Pandemic. Saslow shares stories of lives that have been impacted by COVID-19, and discusses how much more interconnected we are as a result of this public-health crisis.

Following a string of high-profile attacks on Asian Americans, two writers go beyond the headlines to look at the long history of anti-Asian racism and violence in the United States. Connie Wun writes for Elle and Harmeet Kaur for CNN.  Employees at an Amazon fulfillment center in Alabama are deciding whether to form a union. Bloomberg News went to the town and spoke with workers on all sides of the debate. Elle looks at a wedding in Maine that became a COVID-19 superspreader event linked with nearly 200 infections and seven deaths.

The House canceled Thursday’s session after the U.S. Capitol Police warned of a possible plot by a militant group to attack the building. The Washington Post has more.  Critics say President Biden isn’t being tough enough with the world’s authoritarian regimes. In the New Yorker, Robin Wright argues that Biden’s actions against Saudi Arabia fall short. Her colleague Masha Gessen writes that U.S. measures taken against Russia are also lacking. COVID-19 vaccines may be a major scientific breakthrough, but they rely on a technology invented over 170 years ago: the hypodermic needle. The Wall Street Journal reports on high-tech efforts to develop new ways of administering vaccines. Mars has captured the human imagination for centuries. In National Geographic, Nadia Drake asks: Why are people so obsessed with the red planet?

As COVID-19 vaccine production ramps up in America, some state governors are lifting pandemic restrictions even as the CDC warns against reopening too fast. CNN looks at the tension between state and federal leaders. After the deep freeze, Vox explains how many Texans, and people in nearby states, are still dealing with damage done to water supplies. Shipping companies are using James Bond–like measures to protect COVID-19 vaccine shipments, including armed guards, panic buttons, and kill switches. Bloomberg Businessweek has the story. Germans have coined more than 1,200 new words to describe living in the pandemic. The Washington Post reviews this jawbreaking lexicon.

Today, the Supreme Court will hear two election-law cases that may decide the fate of the landmark Voting Rights Act. Vox’s legal expert Ian Millhiser breaks it all down. Some of the the biggest pro sporting events have seen big drops in ratings during the pandemic. In the Atlantic, Jemele Hill argues that Americans aren’t as crazy about sports as we’ve been led to believe. Should Washington, D.C., become the 51st state? The Washington Post reports that lawmakers in at least nine states have taken formal steps to either support or oppose D.C. statehood. The Post also answers key questions about this debate. It’s time to get to work on your taxes. Like so many other things, the pandemic has made the process even more complicated. Apple News has a guide to this very unusual tax season.

Two former aides have accused New York governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. NBC News has the latest on the allegations, his response, and the coming investigation. More and more civilians are taking part in tactical-training courses in which they learn how to shoot to kill. Rachel Monroe recently took some of these courses, typically taken by law enforcement and military personnel, and wrote about her experience for Wired. On top of treating people with COVID-19, doctors and nurses are also working day and night to stop misinformation spreading online. The Washington Post has the story. In his new book, A World Without Email, computer scientist Cal Newport looks at what scientific research says about why email makes us miserable and how to change for the better. The New Yorker has an excerpt.

The Conservative Political Action Conference features the biggest stars in the GOP — the people who might lead the party in the future. NPR reports that this year, it’s still all about Donald Trump. A Politico analysis says potential Republican presidential candidates will have to decide whether to run as Trump Ultra, Trump Lite, or Trump Zero. President Biden is making important new moves in the Middle East, launching airstrikes against Iran-backed militias and shifting to a new diplomatic approach with Saudi Arabia. CNN looks at the state of play in Iran, while the Wall Street Journal covers the Saudi developments. The Philippines is offering nurses to European countries in exchange for vaccines. Vice reports that many nurses don’t appreciate being treated as tradable commodities. The Golden Globes are Sunday night, and this year there’s controversy involving race, power, and ethics. The L.A. Times reports on how the organization that gives out the awards is under scrutiny for its lack of diversity and accusations of bad conduct.

Tomorrow, an FDA advisory committee meets to review the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and decide whether to grant it emergency authorization. Brown University School of Public Health dean Dr. Ashish Jha explains to NPR why he’s telling his family to take it if that’s what’s offered. The pressure is rising for South Dakota’s top law-enforcement officer to step down after he hit and killed a man while driving last September. Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg said he thought he struck a deer. The Sioux Falls Argus Leader lays out the facts and the unanswered questions.  There’s a huge difference between the generational wealth of white Americans versus people of color, with significant implications for retirements. The Wall Street Journal analyzes a quarter century of data and finds the gap is getting wider and wider.  The Athletic explores the growing popularity of virtual sports-cards and why some are selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars apiece.