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Gideon Resnick, Narrating: Good morning! It's Monday, August 29th. I'm Gideon Resnick in for Shumita Basu. This is "Apple News Today". Each morning, hear about some of the most fascinating stories in the news and how the world's best journalists are covering them.
NASA has postponed the launch of a rocket to the moon due to an issue with an engine. The next launch opportunity for NASA is Friday, but the agency is currently collecting data and making that decision.
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"WIRED" reports on the Artemis 1 mission, which would be a huge step forward in a plan to put humans back on the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions.
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Neil Armstrong: Okay, I’m gonna step off the LEM now…
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It's been more than 50 years since this milestone.
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Neil Armstrong: That's one small step for man… one giant leap for mankind.
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And if you know Greek mythology, you'll hear a nod to NASA history. Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo. Now, 50 years later, the goal of bringing humans back is to build a sustained presence there. That includes a space station and a lunar colony. The lessons learned could help prepare for a future trip to Mars.
Now, there won't be any human passengers on the mission but there will be three mannequins on board. They have sensors for detecting space radiation. That's to help NASA study how future missions could affect astronauts. There will also be a Snoopy doll on board that will serve as a zero-gravity indicator.
If early Artemis missions succeed, more will come over the next few years. As early as 2025, the mission could include the first woman to walk on the moon. NASA administrator Bill Nelson talked about what it means to go back.
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Bill Nelson: To all of us that gaze up at the moon, dreaming of the day humankind returns to the lunar surface… Folks, we're here. We are going back. And that journey, our journey, begins with Artemis 1.
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Earlier this year, a shortage of baby formula pushed parents to the edge. Shelves in stores were empty, social media was filled with posts from desperate parents seeking food for their babies. People were downright frantic.
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A major factor was the shutdown of an Abbott Labs plant in Michigan that supplies around 20% of infant formula made in the U.S. "Bloomberg" recently investigated how a deadly bacteria spread in the plant, and how both the company and the FDA are accused of mishandling the problem.
In 2021, FDA investigators found evidence in company files of deadly Cronobacter. It can live for months or even years in powdered baby formula. "Bloomberg" senior investigative reporter Susan Berfield explains how dangerous it can be.
Susan Berfield: Cronobacter can escape the stomach, enter their bloodstreams. It can cause sepsis. If it gets into their brain, it can cause it can cause brain inflammation, seizures, and meningitis. And if it gets that serious, about half the time, the infants who are infected with Cronobacter die.
Her reporting uncovers moments where the FDA and Abbott did not act fast enough.
Susan Berfied: And so when the inspectors saw Cronobacter had been found in the plant, they should have been a lot more worried than they actually were.
The Michigan factory stayed open even after the FDA learned about a baby in Minnesota who was hospitalized after consuming Similac made at the factory. Eventually, Abbott recalled around 70 million containers.
Berfield: And that created a nationwide shortage, particularly of some of the special formulas that the plant made for kids who had allergies, you know, who couldn't tolerate kind of the basic formula. And parents really panicked because, for some kids, infant formula is their sole source of nutrition for probably the first six months of their lives.
Seven infants died, and others got very sick. The FDA investigation did not rule in or rule out a definitive link to formula at the Abbott plant. Jane Hernandez is one of the parents who spoke to "Bloomberg". She's one of the people suing Abbott. Her son became seriously ill a week after he was born.
Berfield: He was diagnosed with Cronobacter. He developed meningitis, encephalitis and inflammation in his kidneys. He came so close to death that a priest came in to give him last rites. He eventually was able to go home with his mom. The right side of his brain is damaged but, you know, because he's young, now he's about eight months old, it's too soon to know how severe that damage is.
More than two dozen families in total are suing Abbott. Abbott says the lawsuits lack merit. Meanwhile, the FDA is under investigation by the U.S. Health Department. The FDA says it's arranging both internal and external reviews.
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In the not-too-distant future, every car that drives off a sales lot in California will have one thing in common: they will not run on gasoline. The state's air pollution regulators unanimously agreed last week that by 2035, all cars sold in the state must produce zero greenhouse gas emissions.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the move on ABC News…
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Gavin Newsom: In California, this is a game changer as it relates to the environment. There's nothing else that will move the needle on greenhouse gases more than tailpipe emissions.
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And this could be a game-changer beyond California. The state's rules tend to influence other states. Seventeen of them in fact, including New York, Pennsylvania and Colorado, have previously adopted California's rules on cars.
<v "Vox" reports this is the largest government move against gasoline and diesel to date, and the auto industry will take notice because California is the most populous state and buys the most cars and trucks, so car-makers don't love the idea of designing a car that Californians cannot buy. Now, there is one big caveat>the policy applies only to new sales. So people who already own gas-powered cars can continue to drive them. And the average car stays on the road more than eleven years.
A professor of public policy tells "Vox" electric vehicles are expected to dominate the new car market in the United States, and California's new rule could accelerate that. But they will have to get car-makers on board, not to mention drivers. And that could be tough, because many electric vehicles currently cost more than gas-powered cars, though the recent federal climate law could make things a little smoother. It provides $7,500 in credits for new electric cars.
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If you're a tennis fan, or perhaps even if you're not, you might remember this moment…
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Serena Williams: I didn't get coaching. I didn't get coaching. I didn't get coaching. You need to take-- you need to make an announcement that I didn't…
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Okay, if it's still not ringing any bells for you, that was Serena Williams at the 2018 U.S. Open
final. The chair umpire warned her for allegedly getting hand signals from her coach, something that was not allowed. Her response led to a penalty which contributed to her losing the match to Naomi Osaka.
Today, as this year's U.S. Open begins, and as Williams approaches retirement, the rules have changed. For the first time at a Grand Slam tournament, players can be coached from the stands.
"The Wall Street Journal" explains how the new rule allows coaches to instruct players, as long as they don't interrupt play. Verbal communication has to be only "a few words or short phrases" when the player is at the same end of the court.
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Resnick: Now, this doesn't sound like a lot, but for a sport that is as traditionalist as tennis, it is pretty huge. Chris Evert says part of the sport is players making their own choices on the court. John McEnroe says he's not a fan of the rule change, but he can be okay with it if it works for the game. Good thing he wasn't asked about players shouting, though.
Resnick: You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And when you're in the app, keep listening to hear narrated articles from our News+ partners. We'll talk with you again tomorrow.
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