Apple News Today

The Washington Post looks at how the roughly $2 trillion spending bill Congress is debating would overhaul U.S. health care. A jail term is the latest twist in the complicated story of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner who was later ousted as leader of Myanmar. BBC News reports. The pandemic turned Americans into super savers. The Wall Street Journal explains what to consider if you’ve got extra cash saved up. The world’s first living robots can now reproduce, in a way unlike any known animal or plant. Don’t be afraid, scientists tell CNN.

The pandemic exposed something every working parent in the U.S. already knew: This country’s child-care system is broken. Even after more than $50 billion in COVID-relief funding, the industry is still in crisis. Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Claire Suddath talks with Apple News Today host Duarte Geraldino about the fundamental issues that exist in the U.S. child-care system today, some possible fixes, and how we got here.

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is getting lots of attention, but many hospitals are still struggling to deal with the effects of Delta. The Washington Post has the story. Alabama’s prisons are extremely dangerous and troubled. Politico reports on how the facilities are so unsafe that the federal government may take control. This week’s In Conversation is with the Bloomberg Businessweek reporter who looked into how child care became the most broken business in America. NPR has the story of how a Business Insider report that MLB used two different kinds of balls is throwing a wrench into baseball’s bitter labor dispute.

The story of how Mississippi ended up with only one abortion clinic matters across America, regardless of how the Supreme Court rules in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The Washington Post visited the state to see what happened. CNN explains why the suspected Michigan school shooter has been charged with terrorism. A new California law aims to get people faster access to therapists. Kaiser Health News reports on concerns about how much it will actually help. A typo led some high school kids to a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with Tom Brady and his Super Bowl champion teammates. NBC has the story.

As the Supreme Court hears a major abortion case, Politico looks at how activists on both sides of the issue are already planning for a world where Roe v. Wade is overturned. New York City has introduced America’s first government-run drug-injection sites, in a new effort to reduce opioid-overdose deaths. NPR has the story. The Guardian reports on American librarians who say there’s a major rise in organized efforts to ban books in schools. The New Yorker explains why the battle over what kids read in class may not end anytime soon. Hiring a Santa Claus is a tough task this year, after COVID hit the Santa community hard. The Washington Post uncovers the lengths people are going to in order to find one.

In an extensive investigation, the New Yorker takes a look inside the coastal patrols and brutal, secretive detention centers that Libyan forces use to keep migrants from Africa and the Middle East out of Europe. A little-known Supreme Court clerk quietly and single-handedly transformed American abortion law for decades. The Washington Post has the untold story of Roe v. Wade. The market for starting pitchers is on fire, even as Major League Baseball heads toward a lockout. The Wall Street Journal explains. At midnight, Barbados cut its last remaining ties to the British monarchy, removing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. CNN has the story.

There are lots of questions about the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus. The Atlantic breaks down what we know so far. And Fox News interviews National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins. Opening arguments begin today in the sex-trafficking trial of Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell. USA Today previews what it may reveal. A new book looks into how changes at Boeing may have led to the design flaws implicated in the 737 Max crashes, which killed hundreds of people. Bloomberg Businessweek has an exclusive excerpt. Canada’s maple-syrup cartel is tapping its reserves of the sweet topping amid supply issues and strong demand. The Washington Post has the story.

Closing arguments have concluded in the trial of the three white men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man who was out jogging. The Washington Post reports that many people across the U.S. are viewing the jury’s decision as a test of the movement for racial justice.   Teachers have experienced intense burnout during the pandemic. Unlike workers in many other industries, however, K–12 educators have not left their jobs in alarming numbers. FiveThirtyEight explores why.   With the TSA expecting the number of airline passengers traveling for Thanksgiving to reach pre-pandemic levels this year, USA Today has a guide for any mishaps that may arise along your route. And be warned: Not all Thanksgiving food can fly in your carry-on bag. Travel & Leisure lists what you can bring.   The Wall Street Journal looks at research showing that reconnecting with old friends can boost mood, self-esteem, and confidence.

House Democrats passed President Biden’s $2 trillion spending plan to revamp the country’s health-care, climate policy, education, and tax laws. The Washington Post breaks it down.   Vox reports that more than 140,000 kids have lost a caregiver during the pandemic. Experts worry that the loss, combined with interruptions to social support systems, will result in a generation of traumatized children.    The U.S. has millions more job openings than people looking for work. The CEO of the world’s biggest job portal tells Fortune why he thinks killing the résumé could help address the issue.    We’re bombarded by notifications all day long — and it’s likely making us much less productive. The Wall Street Journal offers tips on how to regain control.

The New Yorker’s Jelani Cobb says conservatives weaponizing critical race theory aren’t acting in good faith. He speaks with Apple News Today host Shumita Basu about his recent piece for the New Yorker about the founder of the concept, Derrick Bell. Cobb says that Bell could have predicted today’s backlash and that real critical race theory can help us understand today’s debate over false depictions of this term.