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Homeless shelters aren’t ready for a wave of aging Americans · Apple News Today

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  Shumita Basu, Narrating: Good morning! It's Friday, May 26th. I'm Shumita Basu. This is "Apple News Today." On today's show, the U.S. shelter system isn't prepared to take care of homeless seniors, streaming giants are reverting back to cable's business model, and why this weekend's Memorial Day travels are being seen as a test for the summer travel season.
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  But first, let's check in on some other big stories in the news. Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the January 6th Capitol attack. He was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other felonies in November. This is the longest sentence to date that a judge has given to someone involved in the insurrection. Another far-right leader, Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys chairman, will be sentenced later this summer on the same seditious conspiracy charge.
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  In Texas, state lawmakers are set to consider impeachment proceedings against Attorney General Ken Paxton. This would be a major fall for one of the GOP's most prominent legal voices, who in 2020 asked the Supreme Court to overturn President Joe Biden's election win. A bipartisan panel in Texas voted unanimously to consider articles of impeachment after a hearing where investigators laid out years of crimes they allege Paxton committed, including conspiracy, bribery and obstruction of justice. Paxton has denied the allegations, calling them political attacks.
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  Now to the Supreme Court, which issued a ruling yesterday that severely weakens the EPA's ability to regulate water pollution under the Clean Water Act. It changes and considerably narrows the definition used by the EPA since the 1970s to regulate which wetlands fall under federal protection. Experts said the decision would leave many wetlands subject to pollution without penalty.
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  More and more American seniors don't have a place to live. "Washington Post" reporter Christopher Rowland told us about what he saw on the ground in Phoenix.
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  Christopher Rowland: What's really striking when you wander around and start talking to people is just there's enormous numbers of wheelchairs, and walkers, and elderly people with gray hair and beards throughout the shelter system and throughout this tent encampment.
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  And not having a permanent home accelerates the health problems that come with aging.
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  Rowland: People who are homeless tend to age very quickly. Faster than their actual age. So, it's definitely a big challenge for these shelter operators, and aid workers, and physicians who are trying to care for this population. They're grappling with a real crisis of old people with a lot of geriatric conditions and comorbidities.
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  As Baby Boomers age, the number of unhoused seniors could double or triple from 2017 levels in some places. And many aid facilities aren't set up to deal with their particular needs.
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  Rowland: Things like eating, bathing, toileting, mobilizing, getting in and out of a wheelchair, getting in and out of bed. Homeless shelters just are not equipped to deal with this whatsoever, and yet they find themselves having to grapple with this.
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  Rowland reports on some of the factors to blame for this trend. People who grew up during the recessions of the 1970s and 1980s are at a serious economic disadvantage. Medicaid will only cover long-term nursing home or assisted living if individuals are unable to care for themselves. So many unhoused elderly people don't qualify. It leaves a huge gap in the system.
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  Rowland: The safety net just is failing them. They're not getting enough money in social security, there's not enough subsidized housing available for them that they can afford, and they're there through no fault of their own whatsoever. And so, I think that, you know, people really need to understand the economic conditions that are driving this crisis.
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  Some communities are working on setting up shelters designed around the needs of unhoused seniors. And they're hiring staff with long-term care experience. But the exploding demand for these services threatens to outpace the supply.
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  It has been an interesting week in the world of streaming. HBO relaunched its platform yet again. It goes by Max now. And Netflix finally started its long-promised crackdown on password sharing in the U.S.
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  And with all this going on, you might be reevaluating your watching habits. "Vox" looks at a different corner of the industry that might be looking more appealing to some people right now: free ad-supported streaming TV, or the acronym some insiders use, FAST. Maybe you've heard of Tubi or Pluto. Or maybe you're watching "Jury Duty" on Freevee, which is a documentary-style comedy series about serving on a jury that's got lots of people talking.
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  All of these are FAST apps. Some are owned by familiar names: Fox, Paramount, Amazon. The funny thing is, they're basically cable. But they're having a moment as viewers evaluate their subscriptions and consider more cost-efficient options.
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  A lot of FAST services have huge TV and movie archives, many of which aren't on premium services. It's a win for studios and cable companies, too. They get to monetize that content, and these services help them reach viewers who might not want to pay for a subscription right now but might someday.
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  Some companies are using their free platforms to house shows that used to be on premium. HBO recently moved "Westworld" to FAST services after viewership dropped. And "Vox" says we can expect to see more deals like this. As one media analyst puts it, FAST is like a throwback to television before Netflix. It may also be a big part of its future.
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  This Memorial Day weekend is already shaping up to be one of the busiest ones on record. And what happens in the next few days is gonna be seen as a test of sorts for the upcoming summer travel season, particularly for airlines. If last year was the summer of lost bags and cancelled flights, federal regulators are hoping new rules will make this year go more smoothly.
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  In the past year, congressional committees have held hearings on problems in the aviation industry, the DOT got airlines to clarify their policies when flights are canceled or delayed, and airlines did a lot of hiring. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said this week that preliminary numbers show fewer than 2% of flights were canceled early this year. That's the lowest rate in years.
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  Pete Buttigieg: I think all of us have airline stories from last summer and the disruptions that took place then. Cancellation and delay rates were at unacceptable proportions last year, and it's important that that not happen again.
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  But the majority of Americans who will travel this weekend won't be getting on a plane, they'll be driving. Or more likely, they'll be sitting in traffic.
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  The "Miami Herald" talked to experts about the best and worst times to hit the road. Today is forecast to be the busiest day. If you're listening to this and it's already after 10 a.m. where you are, you might've missed that window to get out before the roads get packed. Saturday and Sunday will also be less busy than today, generally.
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  Whether your plans have you traveling or staying put, I hope you enjoy your weekend. And if you're looking for something good to listen to, check out our weekend interview show, "In Conversation." This week, we're bringing you an episode from our "Think Again" series from last summer. The series was all about exploring common ideas and experiences in new and different ways. In this episode, I spoke with Malcolm Gladwell about why changing your mind can be so difficult and how to get better at it.
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  Malcolm Gladwell: It's a real mistake to think that your personality is something cast in stone, right? The people I know in my life all change over time, sometimes in really lovely ways. So, why would you try to put a label on who you are, if who you are is in a state of largely good flux?
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  If you're listening in the Apple News app right now, that episode is queued up to play for you next. Enjoy the long weekend. We will too. My team is off on Monday, so I'll be back with the news on Tuesday.
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