Apple News Today

A massive tornado on Friday killed at least 25 in Mississippi. NBC News has the latest. First Citizens acquired much of the failed Silicon Valley Bank, the Wall Street Journal reports. CNN has the story on protests that are erupting across Israel as pushback continues against a planned judicial overhaul. A Nebraska state senator vowed to filibuster every bill for the rest of the legislative session after a bill was advanced that would ban gender-affirming care for people under 19. Her son is trans. Salon has more.  Most trans adults say transitioning made them more satisfied with their lives. That’s according to a Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation survey, one of the largest to date of U.S. transgender adults. Senior care is crushingly expensive. Boomers aren’t ready. The Washington Post spoke with families who have been forced to put their retirement plans on hold.  A group of surprising teams have advanced to the Final Four in the men’s NCAA tournament. Yahoo Sports has more. ESPN looks at one major contender gone on the women’s side.

It’s Friday, March 23. On today’s show:  The U.S. carried out a series of airstrikes in Syria on Thursday night against Iran-aligned groups. Reuters explains more. Israeli parliament passed a controversial law protecting the prime minister, according to CNN. The U.S. and Canada reached a new immigration deal. The Los Angeles Times has details. Members of Congress grilled the CEO of TikTok about data security on the world’s most popular app. NPR recaps the big moments. And Fox Business takes a closer look at all the information TikTok says it can gather on users in its terms of service.  Physicians in states that have banned abortion procedures say they feel like they’re working under a microscope. The Idaho Capital Sun, Slate, and the Guardian talked with doctors in Idaho, Texas, and Alabama, which have some of the strictest bans in the country.  Lab-grown dairy is here. The Washington Post reports on its potential to shake up the future of animal dairy and plant-based milks. 

It’s Thursday, March 23. On today’s show:   A Trump lawyer was ordered to hand over notes in the Mar-a-Lago documents inquiry. The Guardian has more.  Southern California was hit by a tornado as the state’s severe weather continues. The Los Angeles Times has the story.  Reuters reports on the U.N.’s first conference on global water security in almost 50 years.  The Supreme Court heard arguments yesterday in a surprisingly difficult case about dog toys and potty humor — also, free speech and judicial humility. Vox explains what’s at stake.  Sports Illustrated previews the next March Madness match-ups for the women’s tournament. And the Ringer looks at the men’s tournament. Millennials made “uncool” sneakers trendy. The Atlantic writes about how that may be saving America’s feet. 

It’s Wednesday, March 22. On today’s show:   The Federal Reserve will announce its next move on interest rates today. The Wall Street Journal explains why this will be its toughest call yet. And Bloomberg looks at two possible actions Chair Jerome Powell could take.  The Guardian explains why the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin over the relocation of thousands of children from Ukraine to Russia.  Bus drivers, custodians, teachers, classroom aides, cafeteria staff and other workers in the U.S.’s second-largest school district are striking for better wages and benefits. The Los Angeles Times is following their walkout.  Japan beat the U.S. in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic. USA Today has more.

It’s Tuesday, March 21, 2023. On today’s show:  Biden signed a bill ordering the director of national intelligence to declassify  information related to the Wuhan Institute of Virology as a potential origin of COVID-19 within 90 days. USA Today has more.  Meanwhile, the Atlantic details the strongest evidence yet that an animal started the pandemic.  U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq 20 years ago. CNN reports on what life is like for ordinary people there now.  American veterans won justice for burn-pit exposure. The Washington Post reports on how Iraqis were forgotten.  Gas bills are on a roller-coaster ride with no end in sight. The Wall Street Journal examines the reasons for the turbulence. And, Houston, we have a space-trash problem. Time reports on the scientists sounding the alarm over the jaw-dropping amount of human-made debris circling Earth. 

Time looks at what happens next if Trump is indicted.  China’s Xi and Russia’s Putin are set to meet. The Washington Post previews the high-profile summit. Xi may also talk to Ukraine’s Zelenskyy at a later date, the Wall Street Journal reports. NPR reports that Swiss officials brokered a last-minute emergency takeover of the troubled bank Credit Suisse by rival UBS.  In March Madness news, No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson defeated No. 1 seed Purdue in the men’s tournament. CNN has the story. Meanwhile, the Stanford women’s team, also a No. 1 seed, got knocked out. The San Francisco Chronicle has more. The Washington Post profiles digital news outlet Iran Wire, which has provided critical insight as protests have swept the country over the last six months.

The Trace, a newsroom dedicated to covering gun violence, tries to pin down the number of guns in the United States. The biggest banks in the U.S. swooped in to rescue First Republic Bank with a flood of cash totaling $30 billion, the Wall Street Journal explains.  The French government has been forced to push through unpopular pension reforms, amid weeks of protests. BBC has more. USA Today has a fact check on a claim about retirement in the U.S.  The Los Angeles Times looks at a Ukrainian military’s surrender hotline, which is enticing some Russian soldiers to quit the battlefield as the war drags on. In a divorce settlement in Spain, a woman’s ex-husband was ordered to pay her back for 25 years of housework. The Miami Herald has the story. 

In 2016, U.S. government officials began reporting a mysterious set of symptoms. They first appeared in Havana, but then showed up in other countries around the world. For Vice World News, reporters Adam Entous and Jon Lee Anderson explain everything they’ve learned about what’s now commonly called Havana syndrome, and why the U.S. still can’t explain what causes it. On this week’s episode of Apple News In Conversation, Entous and Anderson discuss their reporting with host Shumita Basu. This is a preview of that conversation.

A federal judge heard a challenge to the FDA’s approval of an abortion drug. The Texas Tribune was in the courtroom. The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. is threatening to ban TikTok if its Chinese owners don’t sell their stakes. They thought loved ones were calling for help. It was an A.I. scam. The Washington Post has the story. As March Madness gets underway, the Ringer has a guide to possible upset winners in the men’s tournament. And ESPN has predictions for the women’s matchups.

The Wall Street Journal investigates the readiness of the U.S. military for a potential large-scale conflict with China and/or Russia. More than 300 bills that would limit transgender rights are under consideration in U.S. statehouses. Grid tracked them. The BBC reports on the deadly destruction of Cyclone Freddy. Bloomberg looks at how sensors pinned to basketball jerseys could help teams prevent injuries.