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Shumita Basu, Narrating: Good morning! It's Thursday, November 2nd. I'm Shumita Basu. This is “Apple News Today.” On today's show…
Americans trapped in Gaza try to get out…
The number of guns seized in American schools…
And record labels are making contract changes because of Taylor Swift.
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But first, the latest on the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli forces say they killed two high-level Hamas leaders in a series of airstrikes on a refugee camp in Gaza starting Tuesday. Palestinians on the ground say there are extensive civilian deaths there, with hundreds wounded and many people missing under the rubble and feared dead. The attacks on a camp packed with civilians have increased global criticism of Israel, and calls for a stop in fighting to allow humanitarian aid in.
As we mentioned yesterday, the Rafah crossing re-opened to allow civilians with foreign passports out of Gaza into Egypt. Hundreds left through it yesterday. And some severely wounded Palestinians were also allowed into Egypt for treatment. President Biden said opening the crossing into Egypt was an important step.
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President Joe Biden: We're in a situation where safe passage for wounded Palestinians and foreign nationals to exit Gaza has started.
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Only a handful of Americans were among the first to leave Gaza yesterday, but there are believed to be hundreds who want to get out in the days ahead. Citizen Fatih Abu Al-Hassan was waiting near the border, clinging to his family's U.S. passports. He talked about the ordeal on “CBS.”
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Fatih Abu Al-Hassan: No water, no food, no shelter, nothing, nothing.
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Many Americans trapped in Gaza said they felt abandoned and betrayed by the U.S. government. They were frustrated by poor communication and the slow pace of diplomacy. A deal to allow people in Gaza to use the crossing was a complicated one, involving the U.S., Israel, Hamas, and Egypt, with Qatar playing a key role. It's a major breakthrough, but it took too long for Americans forced to dodge airstrikes and live with little water or food while they waited for a chance to get home. Some Americans are suing the State Department. Now that the crossing is open, Americans in Gaza are eager to leave, because it's not clear when the war might close the exits again.
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Let's take a quick look at some other major stories in the news, starting with the debate in Congress over more U.S. aid to Israel's military. New House Speaker, Mike Johnson, says he plans to hold a vote on a bill to give more than $14 billion to Israel. But it's unlikely to become law, as Senate Democrats and the White House want a broader package that also includes aid for Ukraine and other funding.
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Also, several Republican Senators staged a floor showdown to highlight Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville's blocking of hundreds of military promotions. Tuberville says he's doing it to protest the Pentagon's policy of paying for travel for service members to get abortions. Several GOP senators took to the floor to say it's wrong to hold officers back who have nothing to do with the policy. Lindsey Graham spoke out.
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Lindsey Graham: You just denied this lady a promotion. You did that.
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Staying in Congress, indicted New York Republican House member George Santos survived another vote to expel him. A majority of Democrats and a small number of Republicans wanted him out. But most Republicans, and some Democrats, voted against the move, saying that members should have a trial before expulsion. Santos pleaded not guilty to charges including fraud and money laundering. His trial is expected to start in September of 2024.
In New York, Eric Trump is expected to take the stand today in the civil fraud trial involving the family businesses. Yesterday, Donald Trump Jr. testified that he did not recall key details about documents and arrangements in question. His father and Ivanka Trump are expected to testify next week. Donald Trump has denied wrongdoing in this case and others.
And in sports, Major League Baseball has a new champion.
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Sports Journalist: [EXCLAIMS] It's happened. The Texas Rangers win the World Series.
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That's the first title for the Rangers in the team's history. They shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks last night to win the World Series 4 games to 1.
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Now, to reporting from “The Washington Post” on guns in American schools. School shootings often make national headlines, but a “Post” analysis found an alarmingly high number of guns are found at schools, without getting fired, which gets far less attention. Criminal justice reporter, Robert Klemko, told us, more than 1,000 guns were seized last school year, more than six weapons per day.
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Robert Klemko: There were cases of guns in diaper bags of special needs students, guns stuffed up in ceiling tiles and bathrooms. Guns in trash cans outside of school, guns pulled out of waistbands and pant legs, just every way you think you might encounter a gun at a school.
It adds up to more than a million students who were at schools were guns were found. But Klemko says, the true total is likely higher.
Klemko: What we encountered in our reporting, predominantly in terms of schools that tried to cover these incidents up or were, you know, vague about the type of weapon that was recovered in effort to not have it reported on in the press was this desire to avoid public scrutiny, to avoid bad press, to avoid having their school associated with danger.
Also, to avoid alarming parents. But safety experts told Klemko, that's exactly why it's so important for schools to be more transparent - with families and the public - when guns are found on campus. It could remind parents to secure their own weapons at home to make sure kids can't get a hold of them.
“The Post” explains that some schools invest in technology to detect guns. But it's expensive and students can find ways around it. What's most effective in finding guns, school-safety experts say, is students telling adults when they hear about someone with a weapon. So, building that trust is critical for educators and parents.
Klemko: We're in a nation with more guns than people, and far more guns than gun safes. So, there's not really anything an educator can do to keep a gun out of a school. What they can do is create an environment where when students find out about guns or find out about peers having guns that they tell an adult that they trust.
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And finally, another way Taylor Swift is changing the music industry. She just released "1989 (Taylor's Version)," a re-recording of her 2014 studio album. It's the latest in her project to take further control of her music by redoing earlier albums that were made under a business arrangement that she has since gotten out of.
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The re-releases have been a hit with her fans, and a total business win for Taylor Swift. But not so much for the people involved with the original albums. And that has record executives taking new steps to make it harder for other artists they sign to pull Taylor Swift moves down the road.
Billboard reports on how labels are making new demands in contracts. They want artists to wait as long as 30 years - before they can re-do songs after leaving their original record deals. Previously, a typical period was more like 5 to 7 years. Attorneys for the artists are pushing back. This fight is part of a larger industry battle between musicians and companies, as streaming has radically changed how the business works. In traditional deals, the label often owned everything. These days, artists want to own their master recordings and license their songs. Attorneys say it's tough out there, with labels getting stricter about deals. And practically nobody has the power of Taylor Swift.
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You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the News app right now, stick around to hear a narrated article from “The New Yorker.” With West Maui reopening to tourists this week, it looks at how the community is grappling with the botched government response as it tries to rebuild after the wildfire.
If you're listening in the Podcasts app, follow Apple News+ Narrated to find that story.
And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
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