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Mark Garrison, Narrating: Good morning!
It's Thursday, February 29th. I'm Mark Garrison in for Shumita Basu.
This is "Apple News Today." Coming up, lawmakers attempt
to protect IVF after Alabama's court ruling,
why elite colleges are bringing the SAT back into the admissions process,
and the 10 to 20-million-dollar question behind a pro golfer's long-awaited return.
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But first, let's take a quick look at some major stories in the news,
starting with several big developments in former President Donald Trump's
legal cases.
The Supreme Court says it'll hear a case on Trump's claim that he's immune
from prosecution for attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss.
A lower court ruled against him on this. The move delays the federal criminal case
against Trump. Supreme Court arguments are scheduled for April.
The Court has not yet ruled on another key case, which deals
with whether Trump can be taken off the ballot because of his role
in the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
Yesterday Illinois became the third state to block him.
But the judge put her decision on hold. And in the New York civil-fraud case,
Trump lost a bid to pause the close to $450 million judgment
against him while he appeals. Trump's team wanted to pay
a much smaller bond. The judge rejected that, but did say
that Trump could apply for a loan to get the money while he appeals.
In Washington, Congressional leaders say they have a deal on short-term funding
that will prevent a federal government shutdown.
This comes just ahead of the Friday deadline, and still leaves
a lot of work to do in the weeks ahead.
Staying in DC, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell
is stepping down from his leadership post in November. He said he'll keep
his Senate seat and finish his term after the transition.
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Mitch McConnell: This will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.
I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. However, I'll complete my job.
My colleagues have given me until we select a new leader in November
and they take the helm next January.
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Garrison, Narrating: There's been speculation for a while that the 82-year-old would leave
the leadership, given his recent health issues
and disagreements with Trump.
In the Middle East, the death toll in Gaza is now more than 30,000 people,
health officials there say. And there are growing concerns about malnutrition
and dehydration. USAID head Samantha Power talked about the need
for more humanitarian aid.
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Samantha Power: As conditions continue to deteriorate in Gaza
for the Gazan people, two crossings is not enough.
We are talking to Israeli officials about the need to open up
far more crossings, far more passages into Gaza, so that vitally-needed
humanitarian assistance can be dramatically surged.
This is a matter of life and death.
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Garrison, Narrating: In Europe, France took a key step toward becoming the first country
in the world to guarantee access to abortion in its constitution.
Yesterday's Senate vote cleared the way for the constitutional change
to be finalized on Monday.
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In the U.S., a major issue around reproductive health right now
is the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos are children.
Several IVF providers in the state have halted services as a result.
That leaves people there trying to have children through IVF facing
painful uncertainty, and those in other states worried
about the ripple effects. In the wake of the ruling,
Republican lawmakers at the state and national level are trying to show
that they support IVF. Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned
Roe V. Wade, voters in several states have pushed back
on restrictive reproductive health care policies supported by Republicans.
There are signs many in the party worry this could be a dangerous issue for them.
Trump said the Alabama state legislature should preserve access to IVF.
And Republicans there have introduced legislation to help get IVF back on track.
Over in the Florida legislature, Republicans put a bill on hold
that abortion-rights campaigners said could've led to similar problems
as Alabama. And many Republicans in Congress are saying
they support IVF protection. But many of the same Republicans
have co-sponsored the "Life at Conception Act."
It's a bill that uses a similar argument to the ruling
from the Alabama Supreme Court. Some Republicans are struggling
to figure out what to say. When an "NBC" reporter asked
Alabama U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville about the ruling,
he gave a contradictory answer, saying he supported the ruling,
but also supported IVF.
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Tommy Tuberville: We need to have more kids. We need to have an opportunity to do that
and I thought this was the right thing to do.
NBC Reporter: But IVF is used to have more children. And right now, IVF services are paused
at some of the clinics in Alabama. Aren't you concerned that this could
impact people who are trying to have kids?
Tuberville: Well, that's for that's for another conversation.
I think the big thing is right now you protect, you go back to the situation
and try to work it out to where it's best for everybody.
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Garrison, Narrating: Critics pounced on that response, saying Tuberville didn't seem
to understand the massive impact of a ruling on families wanting children
in his own state. He and other Senators had a chance to take action protecting IVF
yesterday. Democrats brought a bill to the floor to preserve access to IVF.
But a Republican Senator blocked it, saying it went too far on issues unrelated
to IVF. The bill was introduced by Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth,
who had children through IVF. Earlier, she talked about what's at stake.
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Tammy Duckworth: It's a little personal to me when a majority male court suggests
that people like me who are not able to have kids without the help
of modern medicine should be in jail cells and not taking care of their babies
in nurseries. I know I'm not alone when I struggle to understand
how politicians who support this kind of policy can possibly call themselves
pro-life.
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Garrison, Narrating: And there could be more complications at the state level.
Previously, more than a dozen states have been considering
so-called fetal personhood bills, which aim to define life as beginning
at fertilization. Reproductive-rights advocates have been
talking about the potential consequences of these kinds of laws for a long time.
And now the Alabama ruling that's blocking IVF for so many families is bringing
that point home in a way that's starting to change the debate.
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This month, Yale became the latest elite college to announce
that it's bringing standardized test scores back
into the admissions process, after making them optional during the pandemic.
Dartmouth and MIT have brought them back, too. "Washington Post" higher ed reporter
Susan Svrluga talked to us about why Yale wanted to mandate test scores again.
Susan Svrluga: The applicant's SAT scores or ACT scores were better predictors
of students' performance at Yale than any other indicator that they had.
So they were very effective at predicting whether a student could be successful
at the college.
Garrison, Narrating: And Yale argues that including test scores can actually help diversify
its student body. It's enrolled more than 1,000 students
who did not submit scores. But data shows that students who withheld scores
were less likely to be admitted, especially those
from lower-income families and high schools
with fewer college-prep classes. Svrluga explains that moves to bring back
test scores have drawn criticism.
Svrluga: There have been concerns about students access to preparation
for the test and wealthier students are able to afford tutors in some cases,
or SAT prep classes, those kinds of intensive practice classes.
Garrison, Narrating: Over the years, concerns have grown that standardized tests amplify inequities
in society. Research shows that students from low-income backgrounds
have lower tests scores and are less likely to test.
Svrluga: There are people who are concerned still that the tests are unfair, that it can
Garrison, Narrating: further disadvantage disadvantaged students.
As another major school requires test scores, Svrluga says
that'll likely influence other universities. But it's likely
the majority of colleges will remain test-optional.
A testing watchdog group says more than 80 percent of four-year schools don't plan
on requiring SAT or ACT scores for fall 2025 admissions.
Svrluga: If you picture a student who's maybe first in their family to ever attend college
and they're trying to figure out the whole application process,
there's a lot of steps. And they would argue that realizing what tests you need
to take and signing up for it on time and paying for it,
that's just another barrier that can keep students who are really bright
but don't have all the resources that other students might have
that might just keep them from implying and applying entirely.
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Garrison, Narrating: Let's say you could get 10, maybe 20 million to stop doing something
you're great at, forever. What would you do?
It's not a hypothetical question for professional golfer Anthony Kim.
Years ago, golfers said he had the potential of Tiger Woods.
But he left the sport before getting the chance to really show
what he could do. A key reason was injuries, and an insurance policy
that reportedly paid him as much as 20 million dollars,
if he stopped playing golf. But as of tomorrow, he's back,
playing at a LIV Golf tournament in Saudi Arabia. "The Athletic" has
the backstory about why people had such high hopes for Kim.
He was the first golfer under the age of 25 to win two PGA tour events
in the same season since Tiger Woods. And Kim was also flashy by golf standards,
known for his wild belt buckles and brash talk.
That combo of a strong game and a strong personality
had a lot of people thinking he could be golf's next big star.
And he sounded confident about his skills.
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Anthony Kim: I've been playing great. I've been swinging great.
And fortunately, I'm making some putts. So, if I can keep that up,
I'll have fun tomorrow as well.
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Garrison, Narrating: Then came the injuries, and his exit from pro golf in 2012.
There are still questions about why he left and stayed away
for so long. But that insurance payout was a big part.
There's been lots of speculation over the years
about whether he'd ever return, and if he did, whether he could still play
at the highest levels. Tomorrow, the world will find out.
Full details of his return agreement aren't clear, but "Golf Magazine" reported
that LIV Golf, funded by Saudi money, talked with Kim about a special deal
for his return. It would cover the insurance money he lost
by playing again, and also give him the chance at winning even more prize
and sponsorship money. Pro golfers and golf fans have been speculating
about this moment for years. Now Kim has the chance to show them
whether he's still got it.
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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,
we've got a Narrated Article from "GQ" coming up next.
It's also about Saudi money in sports, in this case, soccer.
It looks at the potential impact of getting so much cash from a Kingdom
that's funded by fossil fuels,
with a very problematic human-rights record. 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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