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Duarte Geraldino, Narrating: It's Thursday, February 24. I'm Duarte Geraldino.
Shumita Basu, Narrating: And I'm Shumita Basu. This is "Apple News Today." Ukraine is under attack. Early reports from Ukrainian leadership say its military has killed dozens of Russian troops. President Biden said the latest moves from Russia are "an unprovoked and unjustified attack." He's promising severe sanctions against Russia. The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell had a grim assessment.
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Josep Borrell: These are among the darkest hour for Europe since the end of World War II. A major nuclear power has attacked a neighbor country and is threatening reprisals of any other states that come to its rescue."
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Geraldino: "BuzzFeed News" reporter Christopher Miller is on the ground in Ukraine. He told us explosions woke him up around five in the morning…
Christopher Miller: There was a series of missile strikes on the airfield at Kramatorsk, just 2000 feet from where I was sleeping, and it shook the hotel, the sky lit up bright yellow and orange, and a bunch of foreign journalists spilled outta their rooms in their underwear wondering what was happening. And of course we all knew what was happening, that this was the start of what would certainly be a brutal, large-scale war.
Basu: "Reuters" reports Russian forces launched missiles at several cities and landed troops on the coast. Miller told us how Ukrainians are reacting…
Miller: We saw some Ukrainians lining up at the ATM across the street to take out cash. A lot of people were getting in their cars to go down to the petrol station, fill up their gas tanks. There was two or three, um, we believe Ukrainian jets, but possibly also Russian jets, flying over the sky, and it was pretty loud, they were flying very, very low.
He says it's hard to know what is factual in the early hours of this assault…
Miller: There is just a mess and a tangle of information and misinformation floating around the situation is really fluid, and I think a lot of people are really scared. My Ukrainian friends are really scared. They're reaching out and asking what they should do, where they should go, and right now it's really difficult to give anybody a-- an answer.
Geraldino: Miller has been covering Ukraine and the region for twelve years. He was there when Russia invaded Crimea, but he says this, this feels very different.
Miller: You know, nothing compares to what we're seeing now. These are missiles being fired from Russian territory in-- into Ukraine, this is, uh, a large-scale air attack, this is a helicopter assault on an airfield in Kyiv, this is a multi-pronged incursion of the country…
In international markets, stock prices fell sharply as news of the attacks came out. Global oil broke through the $100 barrier. This is the first time it's done that since 2014. The Russian Ruble plummeted, hitting its lowest level against the US dollar.
Basu: This is a fast-moving story. You can get news and analysis throughout the day in the Apple News app.
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Let's move on to another big story today. There's a development in the investigation of Donald Trump and his family business. Two prosecutors who were leading the Manhattan D.A.'s investigation resigned. As "The Wall Street Journal" reports, this raises questions about the future of the years long probe.
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Geraldino: "The New York Times" first broke this story. It's reporting these resignations happened while the D.A.'s office has been in a month-long pause in their presentation of evidence to a grand jury. This is a big deal, because the grand jury's term expires in April. "The New York Times" also reports the resignations come as the new Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, has suggested he has reservations about this case.
Basu: "The Wall Street Journal" reports the prosecutors who are leaving the D.A.'s office did not respond to requests for comment. The D.A.'s office says the investigation is ongoing. This probe has been looking into whether Trump's company misled lenders and banks and whether it committed tax fraud by giving off-the-books payments and perks to some of its employees, perks like cars and apartments. That's what led to indictments of the Trump Organization and Allen Weisselberg, the company's long-time CFO. They've pleaded not guilty and are seeking to have the case dismissed. Trump and the company have denied the allegations.
Geraldino: It's not clear what these resignations are gonna mean for the future of the Manhattan D.A.'s case, but either way, Trump isn't out of legal trouble yet. New York State Attorney General Letitia James is also pursuing a civil case against the former President. Last week, she got permission from a judge to question Trump and two of his adult children under oath.
Basu: Plus, a district attorney in Georgia is investigating possible election interference by Trump. A judge in that case recently approved the convening of a grand jury. And there's another criminal investigation in New York's Westchester County looking into Trump's financial dealings at one of his golf courses.
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Some parents of transgender children in Texas are trying to make sense of new government moves that say state agencies will investigate hormone therapy and other health care for transgender kids as child abuse. The state's child welfare agency confirmed this following a directive from the governor and the legal opinion from the attorney general. The non-binding legal opinion stated that gender confirmation surgery and hormonal medications fall under the state's broad definition of child abuse, which includes mental, emotional, or physical injury.
Geraldino: An ACLU attorney tells the "Houston Chronicle," legally this doesn't change anything, not Texas law or the constitutional rights of transgender youth. What the attorney general's office issued is an interpretation of law, and, as the "Chronicle" points out, it contradicts recommendations made by the biggest professional medical organizations for the health and well-being of children with gender dysphoria, which is the medical term for psychological distress over gender identity. Groups like the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association agree that for these children it's best to leave healthcare decisions to families and their doctors. Now, if adopted state-wide, this new rule would make Texas one of the most restrictive states in the nation for transgender youth who are seeking medical treatment.
Basu: What's happening in Texas has been developing in other states too. Last year, 15 states introduced bills to ban or criminalize gender-affirming health care for minors, according to the ACLU. Two ended up passing laws, Arkansas and Tennessee. The Arkansas law is blocked while a court challenge is underway.
Geraldino: "Kaiser Health News" is out with an article that looks at the impact on transgender youth. According to a recent survey, 85% of LGBTQ+ youth reported that recent debates about anti-trans bills have negatively affected their mental health. In a separate survey in 2020 of this community, nearly half said they seriously considered suicide in the past year.
Basu: "Kaiser Health News" speaks to a transgender 18-year-old about the strain he's under. He's testified with his parents against bills in Texas, and he says seeing people who are supposed to make laws to protect children say things that make it clear you're not worth fighting for, it's incredibly painful. But he's also hopeful things can change. He says "I am a human being and I'm also trans. Seeing us as the multifaceted human beings that we are is the first step in fighting this."
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Geraldino: This is a day of heavy news and we're covering all these stories extensively in the Apple News app. You'll find the latest developments in Ukraine from reporters on the ground, along with diplomatic developments in Moscow, Washington, and around the world. There's also deeper analysis of the background and bigger picture of how we got here, and you gonna learn more about the Trump investigation.
Basu: And if you're listening to us from North Carolina's Triangle or Toronto, be sure to check out the new local coverage we're rolling out there. We've got the best reporting from local news outlets there, just like we've been doing in the Bay Area, New York, LA, Chicago, Miami, DC, Texas, and other places. You can check out the Apple News app to see what's available where you live.
Geraldino: We'll talk with you again tomorrow.
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