WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.052 --> 00:00:00.552 align:middle line:90% [INTRO MUSIC BEGINS] 2 00:00:05.019 --> 00:00:07.373 align:middle line:90% <v Gideon Resnick, Narrating>Good morning. It's Wednesday, February 14th. 3 00:00:07.605 --> 00:00:11.192 align:middle line:90% I'm Gideon Resnick, in for Shumita Basu. This is Apple News Today. 4 00:00:12.009 --> 00:00:16.251 align:middle line:90% On today's show, why a crucial Palestinian aid agency is in crisis. 5 00:00:16.965 --> 00:00:20.608 align:middle line:90% How an update to the college financial aid process led to some chaos. 6 00:00:21.261 --> 00:00:23.539 align:middle line:90% And celebrating yourself this Valentine's Day. 7 00:00:24.826 --> 00:00:25.326 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC FADES OUT] 8 00:00:28.163 --> 00:00:31.894 align:middle line:90% But first, let's take a quick look at a few major stories in the news. 9 00:00:32.587 --> 00:00:35.963 align:middle line:90% Starting in the Middle East, where officials from Israel, Egypt, Qatar, 10 00:00:35.963 --> 00:00:39.216 align:middle line:90% and the United States met in Cairo yesterday to negotiate 11 00:00:39.216 --> 00:00:41.869 align:middle line:90% a possible second ceasefire in Gaza. 12 00:00:42.549 --> 00:00:45.340 align:middle line:90% The plan would pause fighting there for up to six weeks 13 00:00:45.580 --> 00:00:48.140 align:middle line:90% and involve another swap of Palestinian prisoners 14 00:00:48.260 --> 00:00:49.650 align:middle line:90% for Israeli hostages. 15 00:00:50.518 --> 00:00:53.180 align:middle line:90% Initial conversations ended without a breakthrough. 16 00:00:53.717 --> 00:00:56.524 align:middle line:90% The talks come as Israel plans to invade Rafah, 17 00:00:56.524 --> 00:00:59.044 align:middle line:90% the city in southern Gaza that borders Egypt. 18 00:01:00.142 --> 00:01:03.024 align:middle line:90% Egypt has threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel 19 00:01:03.024 --> 00:01:06.016 align:middle line:90% if the Israeli military moves forward with that offensive. 20 00:01:06.825 --> 00:01:08.369 align:middle line:90% Speaking from the White House on Monday, 21 00:01:08.369 --> 00:01:11.438 align:middle line:90% President Biden said he hopes negotiations continue. 22 00:01:11.707 --> 00:01:12.207 align:middle line:90% [START ARCHIVAL SCENE] 23 00:01:12.207 --> 00:01:15.554 align:middle line:90% <v President Joe Biden>But I'm encouraged Israeli leaders to keep working to achieve the deal. 24 00:01:15.907 --> 00:01:18.746 align:middle line:90% The United States will do everything possible to make it happen. 25 00:01:18.839 --> 00:01:19.339 align:middle line:90% [END ARCHIVAL SCENE] 26 00:01:19.961 --> 00:01:21.841 align:middle line:90% <v Resnick, Narrating>Now to New York, where Democrat Tom Swasey 27 00:01:21.841 --> 00:01:23.509 align:middle line:90% won a snowy special election 28 00:01:23.509 --> 00:01:25.798 align:middle line:90% in the state's 3rd congressional district yesterday. 29 00:01:26.310 --> 00:01:30.013 align:middle line:90% This was the seat previously held by Republican Congressman George Santos. 30 00:01:30.674 --> 00:01:33.185 align:middle line:90% Swasey defeated his Republican opponent, Mazi Pilip, 31 00:01:33.313 --> 00:01:35.477 align:middle line:90% in a race that was seen as a referendum 32 00:01:35.477 --> 00:01:38.324 align:middle line:90% on national political issues like immigration. 33 00:01:39.297 --> 00:01:42.427 align:middle line:90% Swasey's victory narrows the Republican majority in the House. 34 00:01:42.935 --> 00:01:47.324 align:middle line:90% Now Speaker Mike Johnson could only afford to lose two Republican votes 35 00:01:47.500 --> 00:01:48.764 align:middle line:90% on any partisan bill. 36 00:01:50.612 --> 00:01:52.831 align:middle line:90% Speaking of partisan efforts, Republicans in the House 37 00:01:52.831 --> 00:01:56.740 align:middle line:90% voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last night. 38 00:01:57.517 --> 00:02:00.198 align:middle line:90% They have accused him of refusing to comply with U.S. 39 00:02:00.198 --> 00:02:01.956 align:middle line:90% border laws, which he denies. 40 00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:06.230 align:middle line:90% This second effort to impeach him passed by a single vote. 41 00:02:07.131 --> 00:02:09.431 align:middle line:90% Mayorkas is now the first cabinet secretary 42 00:02:09.431 --> 00:02:12.455 align:middle line:90% to be impeached in nearly 150 years. 43 00:02:13.147 --> 00:02:15.187 align:middle line:90% The issue now heads to the Democrat-controlled Senate, 44 00:02:15.187 --> 00:02:18.887 align:middle line:90% where it's unlikely Mayorkas will be convicted and removed from office. 45 00:02:20.061 --> 00:02:22.111 align:middle line:90% And in sports, according to preliminary data, 46 00:02:22.111 --> 00:02:25.504 align:middle line:90% the Super Bowl on Sunday was the most watched television event 47 00:02:25.665 --> 00:02:26.850 align:middle line:90% in U.S. history. 48 00:02:27.507 --> 00:02:31.411 align:middle line:90% More than 123 million people tuned in to watch the Kansas City Chiefs 49 00:02:31.411 --> 00:02:31.911 align:middle line:90% [CALMING SYNTH MUSIC FADES IN] 50 00:02:31.911 --> 00:02:34.031 align:middle line:90% take down the San Francisco 49ers. 51 00:02:34.317 --> 00:02:36.660 align:middle line:90% The Chiefs will have their victory parade today. 52 00:02:45.553 --> 00:02:49.429 align:middle line:90% The main UN agency tasked with providing aid to Palestinians 53 00:02:49.429 --> 00:02:50.498 align:middle line:90% is running out of money. 54 00:02:51.419 --> 00:02:54.976 align:middle line:90% Major donor countries, including the U.S., cut funding to UNRWA 55 00:02:55.055 --> 00:02:55.555 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC FADES OUT] 56 00:02:55.555 --> 00:02:59.864 align:middle line:90% after Israel accused a dozen of the organization's 13,000 staff members 57 00:02:59.901 --> 00:03:02.726 align:middle line:90% of taking part in the Hamas attacks on October 7th. 58 00:03:03.622 --> 00:03:07.072 align:middle line:90% Experts say, so far, the Israeli allegations are unverified, 59 00:03:07.536 --> 00:03:10.832 align:middle line:90% and the UN says Israel has yet to share its intelligence with them. 60 00:03:11.761 --> 00:03:14.496 align:middle line:90% The agency's commissioner fired the accused employees, 61 00:03:14.496 --> 00:03:16.940 align:middle line:90% but he admitted that he did so without due process. 62 00:03:17.565 --> 00:03:20.577 align:middle line:90% The New York Times reports that several employees had been fired 63 00:03:20.577 --> 00:03:24.072 align:middle line:90% or left the agency in the past due to links to Hamas. 64 00:03:24.697 --> 00:03:28.371 align:middle line:90% And two U.N. investigations are looking into the veracity of these new claims. 65 00:03:29.588 --> 00:03:32.221 align:middle line:90% Separately, the Israeli military led a group of journalists 66 00:03:32.221 --> 00:03:34.557 align:middle line:90% on a tour of tunnels that the military claims 67 00:03:34.557 --> 00:03:38.053 align:middle line:90% Hamas had been using beneath a portion of the UNRWA headquarters. 68 00:03:38.736 --> 00:03:41.481 align:middle line:90% UNRWA said in a statement that it had not been informed by Israel 69 00:03:41.481 --> 00:03:42.743 align:middle line:90% of the tunnel's existence 70 00:03:43.067 --> 00:03:45.713 align:middle line:90% and that the headquarters were vacated on October 12th. 71 00:03:46.469 --> 00:03:50.489 align:middle line:90% But the allegations and investigations are threatening to impact the future 72 00:03:50.489 --> 00:03:51.853 align:middle line:90% of the organization's work. 73 00:03:52.622 --> 00:03:55.579 align:middle line:90% To fully put this moment in context, it's important to understand 74 00:03:55.579 --> 00:03:57.872 align:middle line:90% how essential UNRWA is to Palestinians 75 00:03:58.288 --> 00:04:01.260 align:middle line:90% and how UNRWA and Israel have long been at odds. 76 00:04:02.136 --> 00:04:05.004 align:middle line:90% Here's how the U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres 77 00:04:05.164 --> 00:04:07.292 align:middle line:90% characterized the organization's work. 78 00:04:07.799 --> 00:04:08.299 align:middle line:90% [START ARCHIVAL CLIP] 79 00:04:08.299 --> 00:04:12.210 align:middle line:90% <v Antonio Guterres>UNRWA is the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza. 80 00:04:12.417 --> 00:04:15.891 align:middle line:90% I appeal to all member states to guarantee the continuity 81 00:04:15.891 --> 00:04:18.193 align:middle line:90% of UNRWA's life-saving work. 82 00:04:18.193 --> 00:04:18.693 align:middle line:90% [END ARCHIVAL CLIP] 83 00:04:19.269 --> 00:04:20.728 align:middle line:90% <v Resnick, Narrating>The group's full name is: 84 00:04:20.728 --> 00:04:25.343 align:middle line:90% the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. 85 00:04:26.132 --> 00:04:29.820 align:middle line:90% It was established in 1949 as a way to help hundreds of thousands 86 00:04:29.820 --> 00:04:32.713 align:middle line:90% of Palestinians who were displaced after Israel's founding. 87 00:04:33.464 --> 00:04:36.119 align:middle line:90% In this current crisis, it has been the lead agency 88 00:04:36.119 --> 00:04:39.783 align:middle line:90% providing food, water, shelter, and other emergency aid. 89 00:04:40.704 --> 00:04:44.628 align:middle line:90% And it's provided these basic needs for decades for Palestinian refugees 90 00:04:44.628 --> 00:04:45.995 align:middle line:90% across the Middle East. 91 00:04:47.072 --> 00:04:50.792 align:middle line:90% Since the October 7th attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 92 00:04:50.792 --> 00:04:52.611 align:middle line:90% has called for its dismantling. 93 00:04:53.203 --> 00:04:53.703 align:middle line:90% [START ARCHIVAL CLIP] 94 00:04:53.703 --> 00:04:55.228 align:middle line:90% <v Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu>UNRWA is self-perpetuating. 95 00:04:55.296 --> 00:04:59.976 align:middle line:90% It is self-perpetuating also in its desire to keep alive 96 00:05:00.216 --> 00:05:01.931 align:middle line:90% the Palestinian refugee issue. 97 00:05:02.351 --> 00:05:08.235 align:middle line:90% And we need to get other UN agencies and other aid agencies replacing UNRWA 98 00:05:08.427 --> 00:05:10.747 align:middle line:90% if we're going to solve the problem of Gaza. 99 00:05:10.747 --> 00:05:11.247 align:middle line:90% [END ARCHIVAL CLIP] 100 00:05:11.517 --> 00:05:13.864 align:middle line:90% <v Resnick, Narrating>But UNRWA's Commissioner Philippe Lazzarini says 101 00:05:13.864 --> 00:05:16.498 align:middle line:90% there is no other aid agency ready to step in. 102 00:05:17.163 --> 00:05:20.204 align:middle line:90% And he says it's not just about providing emergency help 103 00:05:20.204 --> 00:05:21.568 align:middle line:90% during the current war. 104 00:05:22.189 --> 00:05:25.668 align:middle line:90% He argues that UNRWA is the only group poised to offer essential services 105 00:05:25.668 --> 00:05:29.601 align:middle line:90% and some stability after, whenever that moment of transition comes. 106 00:05:30.131 --> 00:05:30.631 align:middle line:90% [START ARCHIVAL CLIP] 107 00:05:30.631 --> 00:05:35.965 align:middle line:90% <v Philippe Lazzarini>We have half a million girls and boys deeply traumatized 108 00:05:35.976 --> 00:05:40.982 align:middle line:90% that we urgently need to bring back into an education system. 109 00:05:41.342 --> 00:05:47.258 align:middle line:90% And this will not be provided by an emerging local administration. 110 00:05:47.830 --> 00:05:51.152 align:middle line:90% There is absolutely no other U.N. agency 111 00:05:51.152 --> 00:05:55.011 align:middle line:90% or I.N.G.O.s which have been tasked 112 00:05:55.011 --> 00:05:59.664 align:middle line:90% over the last few decades to provide government-like services 113 00:05:59.981 --> 00:06:03.289 align:middle line:90% like education to hundreds of thousands of children. 114 00:06:03.292 --> 00:06:03.792 align:middle line:90% [END ARCHIVAL CLIP] 115 00:06:04.102 --> 00:06:06.709 align:middle line:90% <v Resnick, Narrating>Lazzarini said if funding doesn't resume soon, 116 00:06:06.835 --> 00:06:07.335 align:middle line:90% [DRAMATIC MUSIC FADES IN] 117 00:06:07.335 --> 00:06:11.137 align:middle line:90% UNRWA could be forced to shut down their operations by the end of the month. 118 00:06:21.190 --> 00:06:24.476 align:middle line:90% There have been major issues in the past few weeks with FAFSA, 119 00:06:24.684 --> 00:06:27.647 align:middle line:90% the main form aspiring college students need to fill out 120 00:06:27.647 --> 00:06:29.822 align:middle line:90% to calculate their financial aid packages. 121 00:06:30.066 --> 00:06:30.566 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC FADES OUT] 122 00:06:30.566 --> 00:06:34.316 align:middle line:90% More than 17 million students file for aid every year through FAFSA, 123 00:06:34.316 --> 00:06:36.684 align:middle line:90% or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 124 00:06:37.464 --> 00:06:39.690 align:middle line:90% But the latest version has been riddled with problems. 125 00:06:40.363 --> 00:06:44.121 align:middle line:90% It all started when Congress mandated that FAFSA revamp its system 126 00:06:44.209 --> 00:06:46.044 align:middle line:90% to make it easier for people to apply. 127 00:06:47.195 --> 00:06:49.960 align:middle line:90% Danielle Douglas-Gabriel is a higher education reporter 128 00:06:49.960 --> 00:06:51.008 align:middle line:90% with The Washington Post. 129 00:06:51.581 --> 00:06:55.467 align:middle line:90% She told us the new streamlined FAFSA form was supposed to soft launch 130 00:06:55.467 --> 00:06:57.091 align:middle line:90% at the end of 2023. 131 00:06:57.591 --> 00:07:01.775 align:middle line:90% <v Danielle Douglas-Gabriel>So December 30th rolls around, and the form goes live really quickly, 132 00:07:02.191 --> 00:07:05.434 align:middle line:90% but it's only available for a couple of hours. 133 00:07:05.818 --> 00:07:08.813 align:middle line:90% And parents were livid because many of the ones, 134 00:07:08.813 --> 00:07:11.691 align:middle line:90% especially the ones I spoke with, were waiting hours 135 00:07:11.691 --> 00:07:13.193 align:middle line:90% trying to get into this form. 136 00:07:13.193 --> 00:07:15.499 align:middle line:90% And the next day, they're still waiting hours. 137 00:07:15.499 --> 00:07:17.252 align:middle line:90% New Year's Day, they're waiting hours. 138 00:07:17.252 --> 00:07:21.492 align:middle line:90% And they're just getting error messages or being told to hold tight 139 00:07:21.492 --> 00:07:22.409 align:middle line:90% in a waiting room. 140 00:07:23.293 --> 00:07:26.695 align:middle line:90% <v Resnick, Narrating>Finally, the forum went live in January, but with a lot of issues. 141 00:07:27.335 --> 00:07:29.917 align:middle line:90% As a result, parents, students, and colleges haven't been able 142 00:07:29.917 --> 00:07:32.378 align:middle line:90% to get much needed financial aid information. 143 00:07:33.047 --> 00:07:35.423 align:middle line:90% Some schools have faced no choice but to push back 144 00:07:35.423 --> 00:07:37.008 align:middle line:90% the traditional May 1st deadline 145 00:07:37.008 --> 00:07:39.262 align:middle line:90% that students need to commit to a university by. 146 00:07:40.139 --> 00:07:42.597 align:middle line:90% What's more, Douglas-Gabriel reports that many people 147 00:07:42.597 --> 00:07:44.307 align:middle line:90% who already completed the new FAFSA 148 00:07:44.555 --> 00:07:47.207 align:middle line:90% will likely receive an incorrect estimate for aid. 149 00:07:47.704 --> 00:07:49.020 align:middle line:90% That's because the education department 150 00:07:49.020 --> 00:07:51.762 align:middle line:90% initially failed to update a crucial formula. 151 00:07:52.335 --> 00:07:55.235 align:middle line:90% <v Douglas-Gabriel>And so now we're in February and there are a lot of students 152 00:07:55.235 --> 00:07:59.987 align:middle line:90% who are in this situation worrying, will I be able to submit this form? 153 00:08:00.063 --> 00:08:05.238 align:middle line:90% And if so, will it get to the schools that I'm looking at in time 154 00:08:05.310 --> 00:08:09.004 align:middle line:90% to receive a clearer picture of what I'll actually have 155 00:08:09.004 --> 00:08:10.865 align:middle line:90% to pay for college and what support I'll get? 156 00:08:11.762 --> 00:08:14.259 align:middle line:90% <v Resnick, Narrating>Currently enrolled college students are impacted as well. 157 00:08:14.827 --> 00:08:18.930 align:middle line:90% They use FAFSA to find out what kind of aid they qualify for year to year. 158 00:08:19.707 --> 00:08:23.089 align:middle line:90% Douglas-Gabriel told us about Leah, the mom of a student in Texas. 159 00:08:23.602 --> 00:08:28.016 align:middle line:90% <v Douglas-Gabriel>She is a woman who is helping her husband go through chemotherapy, 160 00:08:28.016 --> 00:08:31.271 align:middle line:90% helping to keep her household in order and wanting to make sure 161 00:08:31.271 --> 00:08:34.917 align:middle line:90% that her oldest daughter, who's enrolled in a public institution in Texas 162 00:08:35.332 --> 00:08:36.892 align:middle line:90% is able to remain enrolled. 163 00:08:37.408 --> 00:08:39.112 align:middle line:90% And, you know, in talking to Leah, 164 00:08:39.112 --> 00:08:41.923 align:middle line:90% it's hard not to have your eyes water up a little bit 165 00:08:41.943 --> 00:08:46.706 align:middle line:90% because you can sense her fear of not being able to help her daughter 166 00:08:46.706 --> 00:08:48.100 align:middle line:90% and her daughter having to drop out. 167 00:08:48.965 --> 00:08:51.583 align:middle line:90% <v Resnick, Narrating>Yesterday, the Department of Education announced new measures 168 00:08:51.583 --> 00:08:53.070 align:middle line:90% to help address these problems. 169 00:08:53.586 --> 00:08:56.004 align:middle line:90% They say they're doing everything they can to work on them quickly, 170 00:08:56.460 --> 00:08:58.588 align:middle line:90% but also that Congress mandated the changes 171 00:08:58.588 --> 00:09:02.085 align:middle line:90% to the FAFSA without giving them adequate funding to support them. 172 00:09:03.105 --> 00:09:05.666 align:middle line:90% Meanwhile, colleges are bracing for more hiccups. 173 00:09:06.166 --> 00:09:07.724 align:middle line:90% And students tell "The Washington Post" 174 00:09:07.836 --> 00:09:11.019 align:middle line:90% they're worried that their dream schools might be slipping out of reach. 175 00:09:11.508 --> 00:09:15.565 align:middle line:90% <v Douglas-Gabriel>It's unfortunate, and I feel for parents who are feeling this pressure 176 00:09:15.565 --> 00:09:18.359 align:middle line:90% and this stress of not being able to help their children 177 00:09:18.359 --> 00:09:23.875 align:middle line:90% with one of the most critical decisions of their life, and it's difficult. 178 00:09:23.875 --> 00:09:24.375 align:middle line:90% [UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC FADES IN] 179 00:09:24.375 --> 00:09:25.268 align:middle line:90% It's a difficult time. 180 00:09:36.502 --> 00:09:38.579 align:middle line:90% <v Resnick, Narrating>Finally, today is Valentine's Day. 181 00:09:38.660 --> 00:09:41.299 align:middle line:90% If you were planning to get someone you love a gift 182 00:09:41.299 --> 00:09:44.163 align:middle line:90% and you haven't yet, you can thank me for that reminder. 183 00:09:44.468 --> 00:09:47.410 align:middle line:90% But also, have you ever considered just treating yourself? 184 00:09:47.514 --> 00:09:48.014 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC FADES OUT] 185 00:09:48.014 --> 00:09:51.411 align:middle line:90% "The Wall Street Journal" reports how more and more people are using the holiday 186 00:09:51.411 --> 00:09:55.383 align:middle line:90% to celebrate themselves and buying gifts that say, "I love me." 187 00:09:56.116 --> 00:09:58.483 align:middle line:90% We live in a country, after all, where nearly half of people 188 00:09:58.483 --> 00:10:00.735 align:middle line:90% are not married and where, according to Pew, 189 00:10:00.735 --> 00:10:04.217 align:middle line:90% most single people say they aren't actively looking for a partner. 190 00:10:04.962 --> 00:10:08.033 align:middle line:90% Which is why the journal says retailers, both large and small, 191 00:10:08.033 --> 00:10:11.574 align:middle line:90% have been adjusting to this growing trend of self-indulgence. 192 00:10:12.139 --> 00:10:15.536 align:middle line:90% Even gifts traditionally marketed for couples, like lingerie or jewelry, 193 00:10:15.536 --> 00:10:19.108 align:middle line:90% are now being marketed as something for women to gift to themselves. 194 00:10:19.732 --> 00:10:23.465 align:middle line:90% This trend is getting so popular that last year, 39% of people 195 00:10:23.465 --> 00:10:26.344 align:middle line:90% in a poll cited by "The Journal" said they bought themselves 196 00:10:26.344 --> 00:10:27.362 align:middle line:90% a Valentine's Day gift. 197 00:10:28.234 --> 00:10:30.556 align:middle line:90% Some people told the journal that buying gifts for themselves 198 00:10:30.556 --> 00:10:31.917 align:middle line:90% made them feel independent. 199 00:10:31.933 --> 00:10:32.433 align:middle line:90% [OUTRO MUSIC FADES IN] 200 00:10:32.660 --> 00:10:35.561 align:middle line:90% And others say it's a nice way to avoid receiving yet another 201 00:10:35.561 --> 00:10:38.489 align:middle line:90% pair of itchy socks from a well-meaning partner. 202 00:10:41.512 --> 00:10:44.178 align:middle line:90% You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. 203 00:10:44.178 --> 00:10:46.072 align:middle line:90% And if you're already listening in the news app right now, 204 00:10:46.072 --> 00:10:48.781 align:middle line:90% we've got a narrated article coming up from "The Atlantic." 205 00:10:49.390 --> 00:10:52.287 align:middle line:90% Silicon Valley startups are building their own societies 206 00:10:52.287 --> 00:10:53.890 align:middle line:90% and designing them to their liking. 207 00:10:54.506 --> 00:10:55.664 align:middle line:90% If you're listening in the podcast app, 208 00:10:55.664 --> 00:10:58.249 align:middle line:90% you can follow Apple News Plus Narrated to find that story. 209 00:10:58.590 --> 00:10:59.983 align:middle line:90% And I'll be back with the news tomorrow. 210 00:11:06.801 --> 00:11:07.301 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC FADES OUT]