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Transcript

What South Carolina can tell us about Biden’s 2024 chances · Apple News Today

• 0:00
  [MUSIC FADES IN]
• 0:05
  Yasmeen Khan, Narrating: Good morning.
• 0:05
  It's Friday, February 2nd.
• 0:07
  I'm Yasmeen Khan in for Shumita Basu.
• 0:10
  This is "Apple News Today."
• 0:12
  Coming up, President Biden tries to win back his core voters in South Carolina,
• 0:18
  an unusual deadline for one NBA veteran
• 0:21
  and safety concerns one year after the toxic train derailment
• 0:25
  in East Palestine, Ohio.
• 0:31
  [MUSIC FADES OUT]
• 0:33
  But first, let's take a quick look at some stories in the news.
• 0:38
  President Biden is ordering sanctions for Israeli settlers
• 0:41
  in the West Bank who've been attacking Palestinians.
• 0:44
  To start, four people are getting financial sanctions and visa bans.
• 0:49
  The administration may sanction others.
• 0:51
  Biden says that violence against West Bank Palestinians has reached,
• 0:55
  quote, "intolerable levels."
• 0:57
  He also said it threatens the security of the entire Middle East.
• 1:02
  Today, Biden will meet with families of three American soldiers killed in Jordan.
• 1:07
  They're gathering at a military base in Delaware,
• 1:09
  where the remains of service members killed abroad are brought home.
• 1:13
  One of those killed was Kennedy Sanders, who was posthumously promoted to sergeant.
• 1:18
  Her father, Shawn Sanders, told "WJXT" that being in the Army Reserve
• 1:23
  was important to her.
• 1:24
  [START WJXT ARCHIVAL CLIP]
• 1:25
  Shawn Sanders: She was excited.
• 1:26
  Boot camp, she enjoyed boot camp.
• 1:28
  All through the process, she enjoyed it.
• 1:30
  [END WJXT ARCHIVAL CLIP]
• 1:31
  Khan, Narrating: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the U.S. will launch a series of strikes
• 1:35
  over several days in response to the attack in Jordan.
• 1:39
  He didn't go into details, but the retaliation is expected
• 1:42
  to hit Iran-backed militias in Syria and possibly Iraq.
• 1:47
  And good news for the economy.
• 1:49
  New numbers out this morning show the U.S. economy adding 353,000 jobs last month.
• 1:56
  That's a good bit higher than forecasters expected.
• 1:59
  The new data also shows that December's payroll gains
• 2:02
  were stronger than previously reported.
• 2:05
  Elsewhere, Tesla is recalling 2.2 million vehicles.
• 2:09
  That's nearly every electric Tesla in the United States.
• 2:12
  Federal regulators say the problem is the fonts on its warning lights are too small,
• 2:17
  which can increase the risk of a crash.
• 2:20
  Tesla had another recall only two months ago
• 2:22
  to install new safeguards in its autopilot system.
• 2:25
  The latest fix will happen through a free software update.
• 2:29
  Regulators say they're also looking more closely at a steering issue reported
• 2:33
  in a smaller number of vehicles.
• 2:36
  And seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton is changing teams.
• 2:41
  He's leaving Mercedes to join Ferrari, and it's a big shock
• 2:45
  to the world of motorsports.
• 2:47
  The British driver recently finalized a contract extension,
• 2:50
  and he'd said he'd wanted to end his career with Mercedes.
• 2:53
  [GENTLE MUSIC]
• 2:54
  Hamilton will keep driving for Mercedes through the end of the year.
• 3:07
  One year ago tomorrow, a train with hazardous materials on board derailed
• 3:12
  in East Palestine, Ohio.
• 3:14
  [MUSIC FADES OUT]
• 3:15
  To prevent a larger explosion, authorities decided
• 3:17
  to do a controlled release of a toxic chemical on board.
• 3:21
  You might remember seeing the videos of huge plumes of toxic smoke
• 3:25
  billowing over the small town.
• 3:28
  Abigail Bottar covered the aftermath of the derailment
• 3:30
  for "Ideastream Public Media" in Ohio.
• 3:33
  We asked her how people in East Palestine are feeling about their safety today.
• 3:38
  Abigail Bottar: There are people in town who are a little hesitant about
• 3:40
  what their health might look like in 10 years or 20 years.
• 3:44
  And there are people who aren't worried at all.
• 3:46
  Khan, Narrating: And the people who are worried don't like how the rail company is handling things.
• 3:51
  Bottar: There's just a lot of hesitancy and distrust
• 3:53
  between Norfolk Southern and some residents
• 3:56
  where they are just not really happy with anything Norfolk has done
• 3:59
  because they don't think that they're doing this cleanup
• 4:02
  for the best interest of the town.
• 4:04
  Khan, Narrating: The EPA ordered Norfolk Southern to pay for cleanup and monitoring
• 4:09
  of East Palestine.
• 4:10
  Things like removing contaminated soil and water, testing air quality.
• 4:15
  Norfolk Southern says the major site remediation steps are now complete.
• 4:19
  Bottar: The EPA has been testing the air and water essentially since
• 4:23
  the derailment has started,
• 4:24
  and they say that it is totally okay and safe to live in town.
• 4:29
  But people want testing inside of their houses.
• 4:31
  Khan, Narrating: There has been some air quality testing in residential homes in East Palestine.
• 4:36
  But as "ProPublica" reported last year, some residents and some experts
• 4:41
  on environmental health and toxicology do not feel the testing was sufficient.
• 4:45
  They told "ProPublica" they were alarmed that Norfolk Southern hired the company
• 4:50
  responsible for testing air quality in homes,
• 4:52
  not the government or an independent watchdog.
• 4:55
  The company, CTEH, has been repeatedly accused
• 4:59
  of downplaying health risks in the past.
• 5:02
  It told "ProPublica" that it stands by its testing protocol,
• 5:05
  and the EPA and government health agencies reviewed it.
• 5:09
  But Bottar told us some people in East Palestine still question the results
• 5:13
  they've gotten and wonder if their homes are safe.
• 5:17
  Some have not felt safe enough to return home full time since the accident.
• 5:21
  Bottar told us about Zsuzsa Gyenes.
• 5:23
  Bottar: Her son has asthma and some other medical concerns,
• 5:26
  so when they went back to town originally,
• 5:29
  he got these rashes that were really concerning.
• 5:32
  She said his allergist couldn't figure out what they were from,
• 5:34
  and so she hasn't taken him back to town since then.
• 5:37
  Khan, Narrating: They've been staying in a hotel, getting reimbursed in part by Norfolk Southern.
• 5:42
  Starting next week, that money will stop for her and other families
• 5:46
  displaced by the toxic derailment.
• 5:49
  Gyenes told Bottar she doesn't know where they'll go next,
• 5:52
  and she wishes going home felt like a safer option.
• 5:55
  [TRANQUIL MUSIC]
• 6:06
  Tomorrow is the South Carolina Democratic primary.
• 6:09
  [MUSIC FADES OUT]
• 6:10
  Incumbent President Biden isn't expected to face much trouble there,
• 6:14
  but the race is still one to watch because it could tell us a lot
• 6:17
  about what kind of support he might have in the general election.
• 6:20
  Black voters in South Carolina gave Biden a primary victory in 2020
• 6:25
  that revived his campaign.
• 6:27
  So he's spent a lot of time in recent days reengaging with them.
• 6:30
  Tolu Olorunnipa is the White House Bureau Chief for "The Washington Post."
• 6:35
  He told us about Biden's campaign strategy.
• 6:38
  Tolu Olorunnipa: They want to show Black voters across the country,
• 6:40
  not only in South Carolina, that President Biden is paying attention
• 6:42
  to their views and their thoughts.
• 6:44
  And so a big theme was the idea that President Biden has made all these
• 6:48
  promises to Black voters and that he's kept those promises.
• 6:53
  Khan, Narrating: Olorunnipa talked to voters who have mixed opinions on a second term for Biden.
• 6:58
  Olorunnipa: They give him credit for the economy in some areas and bringing back jobs.
• 7:03
  We have historic low Black unemployment in a number of different places.
• 7:06
  But at the same time, there are a number of other issues other than the economy
• 7:10
  that Black voters were waiting for President Biden to deliver on,
• 7:13
  things like criminal justice reform, voting rights,
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  that because of the political situation we have in Washington,
• 7:21
  President Biden has not been able to pass those things through Congress.
• 7:24
  And so those promises haven't been kept, and a number of Black voters,
• 7:28
  especially young Black voters, are looking to hold Biden accountable
• 7:32
  for that and are not enthusiastic about a second term for him.
• 7:36
  Khan, Narrating: In 2020, Biden won 92% of Black votes nationwide.
• 7:41
  But a recent poll from "AP" shows a sharp drop
• 7:44
  in his approval rating among Black voters.
• 7:46
  And in a close election, any decline in support like that could have an impact.
• 7:51
  Olorunnipa: Upwards of 20% of Black voters are willing to look outside of the Democratic Party
• 7:56
  and look for another option.
• 7:58
  And even if the numbers aren't that high in November,
• 8:01
  it would only take a pretty small defection of the Black vote
• 8:05
  going to another party or deciding to stay home to flip some of these key states.
• 8:11
  Khan, Narrating: As Biden put it to South Carolina voters recently,
• 8:14
  you're the reason I am president.
• 8:17
  Now the question is whether they'll turn out for him in November.
• 8:20
  [UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC]
• 8:32
  Now to a story out of the NBA,
• 8:34
  one with stakes far beyond the court, which a lot of parents can relate to.
• 8:39
  [MUSIC FADES OUT]
• 8:39
  One veteran player, Tony Snell,
• 8:41
  has been playing in basketball's minor league lately,
• 8:44
  and he's desperately hoping to get called back up to the NBA
• 8:48
  so he can get medical coverage for his sons,
• 8:51
  who are two and three and on the autism spectrum.
• 8:54
  Like a lot of jobs in the U.S., health insurance for NBA players
• 8:57
  is tied to employment, and how long players are in the league matters.
• 9:02
  Those who play for 10 years can get long-term coverage for their families.
• 9:07
  Tony Snell has nine NBA seasons under his belt,
• 9:11
  and if he's not invited to play with a team for the rest of the season
• 9:14
  by the end of the day today,
• 9:16
  his family won't have insurance through the Players Union.
• 9:19
  He told "Yahoo Sports" his family really needs it.
• 9:23
  Autism Spectrum Disorder is treatable, but it can be expensive.
• 9:27
  Kids with autism may need more health services and intensive therapies.
• 9:31
  Recently, Snell learned he is on the autism spectrum, too.
• 9:35
  He told "The Today Show" the diagnosis put his whole life into perspective.
• 9:40
  [START THE TODAY SHOW ARCHIVAL CLIP]
• 9:40
  Tony Snell: I was not surprised because I always felt different.
• 9:43
  I was just relieved, like, "Aw, this is why I am the way I am."
• 9:47
  And it just made my whole life, everything about my life,
• 9:51
  make so much sense.
• 9:53
  [END THE TODAY SHOW ARCHIVAL CLIP]
• 9:53
  Khan, Narrating: Snell told "Yahoo Sports" he's excited about potentially playing
• 9:57
  in the NBA again, but he has a bigger purpose now, his kids.
• 10:01
  Which is why, off the court, he spends so much of his time
• 10:04
  working to advance autism research and better understand the challenges
• 10:08
  around diagnosing children.
• 10:10
  [UPBEAT MUSIC]
• 10:12
  You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app.
• 10:15
  And check out our weekend interview show, "In Conversation."
• 10:19
  [MUSIC FADES OUT]
• 10:19
  This week, you'll hear our first guest host filling in
• 10:22
  for Shumita while she's out on maternity leave, David Greene.
• 10:25
  He's a former co-host of "NPR's Morning Edition."
• 10:29
  In this episode, David talks to sports journalist Kevin Blackistone
• 10:33
  about the core contradiction in college sports.
• 10:36
  [MUSIC FADES IN]
• 10:36
  The universities make a fortune, but don't pay a salary to the players.
• 10:40
  Kevin Blackistone: I think people are uncomfortable acknowledging the critique
• 10:46
  of college sports as a plantation economy.
• 10:49
  And the reason I bring up the plantation economy
• 10:52
  is because the laborers in college sports who generate the bulk of the revenue
• 11:00
  are Black males who play college football and college basketball.
• 11:05
  Those are the two sports that are behind the billion-dollar industry
• 11:10
  that college sports have become.
• 11:12
  Khan, Narrating: If you're listening in the Apple News app right now,
• 11:14
  that episode is queued up to play for you next.
• 11:17
  Enjoy the weekend, and I'll be back with the news on Monday.
• 11:24
  [MUSIC FADES OUT]