[INTRO MUSIC BEGINS]
Shumita Basu, Narrating: Good morning! It's Friday December 8th. I'm Shumita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show: Young activists pressure leaders at the global climate conference, a preview of soccer's MLS Cup Final, and how to buy less junk this holiday season.
[MUSIC FADES OUT]
But first, let's take a quick look at some other big stories in the news.
Hunter Biden now faces nine new charges. Prosecutors say he engaged in a scheme to evade $1.4 million in taxes. He could face up to 17 years in prison if convicted. Biden's lawyer says he paid his taxes in full. This is the latest legal issue for the president's son. In an earlier case, Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to charges that he lied about his drug use when buying a gun.
In Texas, a major new ruling will allow one woman to get an abortion, despite strict state laws against the procedure. Doctors told Dallas woman Kate Cox that her fetus has a rare condition that will almost certainly lead to a stillbirth or painful death for the child, and that her pregnancy could endanger her health and future fertility. Cox sued the state to get an abortion. Judge Maya Guerra Gamble said the case was clear for a temporary restraining order that would allow Cox to abort.
[START ARCHIVAL CLIP]
Judge Maya Guerra Gamble: The idea that Ms. Cox wants desperately to be a parent and this law might actually cause her to lose that ability is, uh, shocking and, would be a-- a genuine miscarriage of justice.
[END ARCHIVAL CLIP]
After the ruling, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened legal action against any doctors who perform the procedure for Cox, saying the judge was not medically qualified to determine whether this is a life-threatening scenario that should be exempt from the state ban. A lawyer representing Cox said Paxton is misrepresenting the
court's order.
And in international news, as Israel launches more attacks in Gaza, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is out with new criticism of Israel. He says the military must do more to adhere to its stated goal to limit civilian deaths.
[START ARCHIVAL CLIP]
Antony Blinken: There does remain a gap between exactly what I said when I was there: the intent to protect civilians and the actual results that we're seeing on the ground.
[END ARCHIVAL CLIP]
Also, a series of images from Gaza are getting a lot of attention. They show dozens of men detained by Israeli forces. They're stripped to their underwear and blindfolded. A lot of important context around the images is still unknown or disputed. Some Israeli media have said the photos show a mass surrender of Hamas members. The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor says this is evidence of Israeli abuse of Palestinian civilians. "CNN" investigated and found that several of the people in the photos were civilians with no known connection to any militant groups. Israel's military did not initially respond to "CNN"'s request for comment.
[GENTLE SYNTH MUSIC FADES IN]
[MUSIC FADES OUT]
At COP 28, the UN climate summit in Dubai, one of the big remaining questions is whether world leaders will agree, for the first time, on a global plan to eventually phase out all fossil fuels. There's support for this, but strong opposition is coming from oil-producing countries including Russia and Saudi Arabia. Also, some developing
countries say they need that energy to lift people out of poverty, and that rich nations who've been doing most of the polluting should clean up their fossil-fuel use first. A major deal at at this summit may not be possible before it ends on Tuesday.
Still, climate activists are pushing for concrete commitments on a range of issues. And some of the strongest voices are the youngest people at the conference. Like 21-year-old Xiye Bastida from Mexico, who spoke there this week.
[START ARCHIVAL CLIP]
Xiye Bastida: What I would like to share today is from my indigenous community, our language, Otomi Nyanyu. The word for skin in our language is the same as the word for the outer layer of the earth. The message there is, when you hurt the earth, you're hurting yourself.
[END ARCHIVAL CLIP]
In recent years, young climate activists like Bastida have played a larger role in COP delegations and shaping climate policy. This year, some participants are as young as 13. And today at the conference, there's a major focus on the impact of climate change on young people.
UNICEF put together a report on how climate change is especially dangerous to children. Their developing bodies make them more vulnerable to air pollution and heatwaves. Climate disasters disrupt their education. And crop failures and rising food prices are increasing child malnutrition worldwide.
<v Being a teenage climate activist can be frustrating. Often young people are told, it's up to them to speak out, be the change. Yet, when they do, they're not always taken seriously. There is a special argument that only a younger person has in this debate>they didn't cause the problem. But they will inherit all of its consequences unless things change.
[UPBEAT MUSIC FADES IN]
[MUSIC FADES OUT]
Tomorrow is a big day for soccer fans: the MLS Cup final, with defending champions Los Angeles FC taking on the Columbus Crew. Taylor Twellman, the host of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, sat down this week with Apple News Sports editor Shaker Samman to talk about the match.
Shaker Samman: Set the stage for us. What are fans going to see when they turn on their televisions this Saturday?
Taylor Twellman: I think you're going to get a showcase of what major league soccer is all about in 2023. I think Columbus Crew are one of the more aesthetically pleasing teams to watch. They get after it. They're stubborn. Their manager loves to be very aggressive. They're going to be aggressive at home and LAFC's the reigning champions. And they've had an opportunity five times this year to win a trophy. They've missed that. But the granddaddy of them all was to repeat his MLS cup champions and they're going to try and do so in Columbus.
Samman: Absolutely. Are there specific players on either team that you're really looking at as, "Oh, this could be the X factor today?"
Twellman: Well, I think you're looking at two of the best players Major League Soccer's ever had. Denis Bouanga, 37 goals in all competitions to tie his teammate Carlos Vela for the most ever in a calendar year.
And arguably the best number nine in the league for Columbus in Cucho Hernández. I often describe him as playing with his hair on fire. He's all over the field. He can score. He can create. He's got 20 plus goals on the year. Twelve plus assists on the year in all competitions.
But all eyes are going to be on Diego Rossi for me. He won the golden boot for LAFC. He left major league soccer. He's now returned, but he's going to be on the other side. I think the X factor is going to be Diego Rossi for the Columbus crew.
Samman: I am going to put you on the spot there real quick. Who's going to win? Walk me through this.
Twellman: This is going to be the most exciting MLS cup ever. And I know the listeners are thinking, wait, hold on a minute. Gareth Bale, Philadelphia, LAFC last year, winning on penalty kicks, et cetera. But the difference is that Columbus; they're going to be aggressive. They're going to have the home crowd behind them. They're going to try to score two or three goals, but they will leave themselves exposed. And they're leaving themselves exposed to arguably the best team in this league in transition. And I think you have to tip yourself to the away team. You look at LAFC, it almost feels like they've been waiting for this moment to put a stamp on 2023. It wouldn't surprise me if they
won on the road this weekend.
Samman: Taylor Twellman, thank you so much.
Twellman: Thanks, brother.
[RELAXING GUITAR MUSIC FADES IN]
[MUSIC FADES OUT]
Holiday spending is expected to reach record levels this year and already Americans have a habit of overbuying, especially when it's as easy as shopping online. The average household gets 3 packages delivered a week. That's a lot of boxes, of potential returns, and junk.
To better understand how the consumerism machine works, and the hidden costs to our wallets and the environment, I called up Amanda Mull. She's a staff writer for "The Atlantic" and my guest this week on Apple News In Conversation. For years, she's written about how the internet has shaped shopping and how online shopping has
shaped us.
Now one thing she points out is just how easy online retailers have made it to click and buy things with fairly little thinking. So her tip: add some friction to your online shopping by not saving your payment information on your phone or computer.
Amanda Mull: Force yourself to get up and get your credit card and type it in every time you buy something. If I have to get up and get my credit card, quite frequently, more often than not, I go, "I don't really need this."
Now, especially at this time of year, when it comes to gift-giving, Mull says, it's worth considering, maybe, what your friends and family actually want isn't more stuff. Giving an experience like a special meal or a thoughtfully chosen outing can leave just as big of an impression as a present wrapped in a box. And it won't end up in a landfill someday.
Mull: The idea that that the best gift is something brand new and expensive is something that I think, especially, you know, parents with little kids have the opportunity to reset and that we have the opportunity to reset with each other as adults.
[OUTRO MUSIC FADES IN]
If you're listening in the Apple News app right now, stick around for the rest of my conversation with Amanda Mull and all of her tips on how to be a smarter, more ethical consumer. That's playing for you next. Have a great weekend, and I'll be back with the news on Monday.
[MUSIC FADES OUT]