--:-- Shamita Basu: Good morning. It's Thursday, November 2nd. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today.
--:-- Shamita Basu: On today's show, Americans trapped in Gaza try to get out, the number of guns seized in American schools, and record labels are making contract changes because of Taylor Swift. But first, the latest on the Israel-Hamas war.
--:-- Israeli Forces: Israeli forces say they killed two high-level Hamas leaders in a series of airstrikes on a refugee camp in Gaza starting Tuesday.
--:-- Palestinian on the Ground: Palestinians on the ground say there are extensive civilian deaths there, with hundreds wounded and many people missing under the rubble and feared dead.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The attacks on a camp packed with civilians have increased global criticism of Israel and calls for a stop in fighting to allow humanitarian aid in.
--:-- Shamita Basu: As we mentioned yesterday, the Rafah crossing reopened to allow civilians with foreign passports out of Gaza into Egypt.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Hundreds left through it yesterday, and some severely wounded Palestinians were also allowed into Egypt for treatment.
--:-- President Biden: President Biden said opening the crossing into Egypt was an important step.
--:-- Shamita Basu: We're in a situation where a safe passage for wounded Palestinians and foreign nationals to exit Gaza has started.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Only a handful of Americans were among the first to leave Gaza yesterday, but there are believed to be hundreds who want to get out in the days ahead.
--:-- Fatih Abu al-Hassan: Citizen Fatih Abu al-Hassan was waiting near the border, clinging to his family's U.S. passports.
--:-- Fatih Abu al-Hassan: He talked about the ordeal on CBS. No water, no food, no shelter, nothing, nothing.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Many Americans trapped in Gaza said they felt abandoned and betrayed by the U.S. government.
--:-- Shamita Basu: They were frustrated by poor communication and the slow pace of diplomacy.
--:-- Shamita Basu: A deal to allow people in Gaza to use the crossing was a complicated one, involving the U.S., Israel, Hamas, and Egypt, with Qatar playing a key role.
--:-- Shamita Basu: It a major breakthrough but it took too long for Americans forced to dodge airstrikes and live with little water or food while they waited for a chance to get home.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Some Americans are suing the State Department.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Now that the crossing is open, Americans in Gaza are eager to leave because it's not clear when the war might close the exits again.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Let's take a quick look at some other major stories in the news, starting with the debate in Congress over more U.S. aid to Israel's military.
--:-- Mike Johnson: New House Speaker Mike Johnson says he plans to hold a vote on a bill to give more than $14 billion to Israel.
--:-- Shamita Basu: But it's unlikely to become law, as Senate Democrats and the White House want a broader package that also includes aid for Ukraine and other funding.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Also, several Republican senators staged a floor showdown to highlight Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville's blocking of hundreds of military promotions.
--:-- Tommy Tuberville: Tuberville says he's doing it to protest the Pentagon's policy of paying for travel for service members to get abortions.
--:-- Lindsey Graham: Several GOP senators took to the floor to say it's wrong to hold officers back who have nothing to do with the policy.
--:-- Lindsey Graham: Lindsey Graham spoke out. You've just denied this lady a promotion. You did that.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Staying in Congress, indicted New York Republican House member George Santos survived another vote to expel him.
--:-- Shamita Basu: A majority of Democrats and a small number of Republicans wanted him out.
--:-- Shamita Basu: But most Republicans and some Democrats voted against the move, saying that members should have a trial before expulsion.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Santos pleaded not guilty to charges including fraud and money laundering.
--:-- Shamita Basu: His trial is expected to start in September of 2024.
--:-- Shamita Basu: In New York, Eric Trump is expected to take the stand today in the civil fraud trial involving the family businesses.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Yesterday, Donald Trump Jr. testified that he did not recall key details about documents and arrangements in question.
--:-- Shamita Basu: His father and Ivanka Trump are expected to testify next week.
--:-- Donald Trump: Donald Trump has denied wrongdoing in this case and others.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And in sports Major League Baseball has a new champion That the first title for the Rangers in the team history
--:-- Shamita Basu: They shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks last night to win the World Series four games to one.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Now to reporting from The Washington Post on guns in American schools.
--:-- Robert Klemko: School shootings often make national headlines. But a post analysis found an alarmingly high number of guns are found at schools without getting fired, which gets far less attention.
--:-- Robert Klemko: Criminal justice reporter Robert Klemko told us more than 1,000 guns were seized last school year, more than six weapons per day.
--:-- Robert Klemko: There were cases of guns in diaper bags of special needs students, guns stuffed up in ceiling tiles in bathrooms, guns in trash cans outside of school, guns pulled out of waistbands and pant legs.
--:-- Robert Klemko: Just every way you think you might encounter a gun at a school.
--:-- Robert Klemko: It adds up to more than a million students who were at schools where guns were found.
--:-- Robert Klemko: But Klemko says the true total is likely higher.
--:-- Robert Klemko: What we encountered in our reporting, predominantly in terms of schools that tried to cover these incidents up or were vague about the type of weapon that was recovered in effort to not have it reported on in the press, was this desire to avoid public scrutiny, to avoid bad press, to avoid having their school associated with danger.
--:-- Robert Klemko: Also to avoid alarming parents.
--:-- Robert Klemko: But safety experts told Klemko that's exactly why it's so important for schools to be more transparent with families and the public when guns are found on campus.
--:-- Robert Klemko: It could remind parents to secure their own weapons at home to make sure kids can't get a hold of them.
--:-- Robert Klemko: The Post explains that some schools invest in technology to detect guns, but it's expensive and students can find ways around it.
--:-- Robert Klemko: What's most effective in finding guns, school safety experts say, is students telling adults when they hear about someone with a weapon.
--:-- Robert Klemko: So building that trust is critical for educators and parents.
--:-- Shamita Basu: We in a nation with more guns than people and far more guns than gun safes So there not really anything an educator can do to keep a gun out of a school
--:-- Shamita Basu: What they can do is create an environment where when students find out about guns or find out about peers having guns, that they tell an adult that they trust.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And finally, another way Taylor Swift is changing the music industry.
--:-- Shamita Basu: She just released 1989 Taylor's Version, a re-recording of her 2014 studio album.
--:-- Shamita Basu: It's the latest in her project to take further control of her music by redoing earlier albums that were made under a business arrangement that she's since gotten out of.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The re-releases have been a hit with her fans and a total business win for Taylor Swift, but not so much for the people involved with the original albums.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And that has record executives taking new steps to make it harder for other artists they sign to pull Taylor Swift moves down the road.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Billboard reports on how labels are making new demands in contracts.
--:-- Shamita Basu: They want artists to wait as long as 30 years before they can redo songs after leaving their original record deals.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Previously, a typical period was more like five to seven years.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Attorneys for the artists are pushing back.
--:-- Shamita Basu: This fight is part of a larger industry battle between musicians and companies, as streaming has radically changed how the business works.
--:-- Shamita Basu: In traditional deals, the label often owned everything.
--:-- Shamita Basu: These days, artists want to own their master recordings and license their songs.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Attorneys say it's tough out there, with labels getting stricter about deals.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And practically nobody has the power of Taylor Swift.
--:-- Shamita Basu: You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And if you're already listening in the News app right now, stick around to hear a narrated article from The New Yorker.
--:-- Shamita Basu: With West Maui reopening to tourists this week. It looks at how the community is grappling with the botched government response as it tries to rebuild after the wildfire.
--:-- Shamita Basu: If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Plus Narrated to find that story.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
