--:-- Yasmin Khan: Good morning. It's Monday, June 3rd. I'm Yasmin Khan in for Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today.
--:-- Yasmin Khan: On today's show, a ceasefire plan puts the political pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fears for the safety of the jury that convicted Trump, and Mexico elects its first female president.
--:-- Host: After nearly eight months of war in Gaza, the White House has renewed hopes for a possible ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in what might be the most significant proposal yet. President Biden announced the plan on Friday. It's time to begin this new stage. for the hostages to come home, for Israel to be secure, for the suffering to stop. It's time for this war to end.
--:-- Host: And now, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in a familiar position, balancing his own political survival under growing pressure to end the war. The plan put forward by the White House is reportedly backed by Netanyahu's administration.
--:-- Host: It starts with a temporary ceasefire for at least six weeks. Israel would pull troops out of populated areas in Gaza. More humanitarian aid would enter. Some of the hostages taken by Hamas would be let go, and some Palestinians in Israeli prisons would be released. Negotiations would then continue for a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and Hamas releasing all of the hostages, including the remains of people killed on or after October 7th.
--:-- Host: Israeli strikes have caused widespread destruction across Gaza, and the final phase would involve an international reconstruction plan.
--:-- Host: Here's foreign correspondent M.T.S. Tayyip talking about the significance of the phased approach on CBS.
--:-- M.T.S. Tayyip: The fact that you have Israel now, for the very first time, setting out very clear and very defined structure, if you will, of how this conflict could end, which would eventually see not only the hostages come home, but a complete cessation of violence and Israel completely withdrawing from Gaza, which is not something that we've heard.
--:-- Host: And in his statement, Biden specifically called out that Israel proposed and authorized this plan, which Netanyahu's office later confirmed. That put him on the spot with both supporters and critics.
--:-- Host: The deal upsets a critical portion of his base his far supporters who do not want to see a ceasefire until all of the hostages are returned and Hamas is eliminated Already, two far-right ministers have threatened to quit and bring down Netanyahu's slim majority in government if he says yes.
--:-- Host: At the same time, some in the international community, the more moderate members of his war cabinet, and families of hostages want Netanyahu to make a deal.
--:-- Host: White House spokesman John Kirby said the Biden administration is hopeful that this framework could stop the fighting. We have every expectation that if Hamas agrees to the proposal, as was transmitted to them, an Israeli proposal, that Israel would say yes.
--:-- Host: But for now, fighting continues, with Palestinian civilians caught in the middle. And it's not clear when or if Israel and Hamas could reach a ceasefire deal.
--:-- Host: Now that the Trump verdict is in, there's concern about the safety of the people involved in the process, the judge, prosecutors, court workers, and especially the ordinary citizens who delivered the verdict.
--:-- Host: The judge in the case took extra steps to keep jurors anonymous, but there's concern now about their identities becoming public and potential threats against them and their families.
--:-- Host: A trial by jury is a cornerstone of democracy. But if people are afraid to participate because they worry about threats from people who disagree with verdicts, that's a problem for the whole country.
--:-- Host: Each juror is going to have to think about the potential safety consequences of coming out as one of the 12.
--:-- Host: NPR politics reporter Ximena Bustillo talked to us about what could happen now that jurors are able to speak publicly about the trial.
--:-- Ximena Bustillo: They can go to the press. They can write a book. They can go on social media. They can do a live stream. But many may not want to.
--:-- Host: Already, there have been numerous violent threats online aimed at the jury, along with the judge and prosecutors.
--:-- Host: People on pro-Trump platforms are calling for jurors to be killed and encouraging people to share information about them.
--:-- Host: Once you know one detail about a person, it is very easy to find out other details about that person.
--:-- Host: The jury's anonymity also presents a challenge for news outlets that are balancing the need to inform the public and avoid causing potential harm to jury members.
--:-- Host: The judge was critical of the media at one point for publishing information that could have potentially helped people identify jurors.
--:-- Host: One woman was excused earlier in the trial after she said enough details about her identity were public that friends were messaging her asking if she was a juror
--:-- Ximena Bustillo: Overall, this is about much more than just 12 people and their families. The whole legal system is at stake.
--:-- Host: If jurors don't feel safe or if people don't feel safe participating in the process in any way, that can also erode trust in the protection and the different security apparatuses that are in play.
--:-- Host: A lot of legal experts worry about this in an age where extremism is spreading online.
--:-- Host: The state of New York is in the process of increasing privacy protection for judges and their families.
--:-- Host: A new law taking effect next month will allow judges and family to remove personally identifying information from the Internet.
--:-- Host: More laws like this have passed around the country as governments try to keep the justice system safe, from the professionals in the courtroom to the ordinary people in the jury box.
--:-- Host: In Mexico, initial results show that Claudia Sheinbaum is going to be the nation's first woman president. Also, the first Jewish president in an overwhelmingly Catholic country.
--:-- Host: While she's certainly talked about being the first woman, I would say she's also careful about that. She doesn't talk about being a feminist. You know, she's sort of, I think, trying hard not to alienate anybody.
--:-- Mary Beth Sheridan: That's Mary Beth Sheridan, Mexico City bureau chief for The Washington Post.
--:-- Mary Beth Sheridan: She says what Sheinbaum has played up on the campaign trail is that she's a successor of the very popular outgoing president, Andres Manuel López Obrador.
--:-- Host: López Obrador became mayor of Mexico City, and he made her his environment secretary. And that's really where her political career took off.
--:-- Host: She really became a protege of him, although she herself has an impressive resume.
--:-- Host: She has a Ph.D. in environmental engineering, has published books. Sheinbaum developed a reputation for being more introverted and technical than her charismatic mentor and for getting things done.
--:-- Host: One highlight was a major highway project she delivered. She also later served as mayor of Mexico City.
--:-- Host: And I think he's always felt he could trust her to carry on his legacy.
--:-- Host: López Obrador is well-liked, in part, because he's implemented social programs for the poor and working class, programs that Sheinbaum says she would continue.
--:-- Mary Beth Sheridan: There are a lot of questions about what kind of president Sheinbaum will be.
--:-- Host: She called herself a candidate of continuity But she also widely expected to deviate from some policies set by López Obrador
--:-- Host: She likely try to steer Mexico away from fossil fuels And she's shown more interest in foreign affairs than him and has closer ties to the U.S.
--:-- Host: Sheinbaum speaks English, did her postdoc research at UC Berkeley, and has family in the States, including her daughter.
--:-- Host: She certainly has sent a message that she would like a good relationship with the U.S.
--:-- Host: Schoenbaum will have major challenges to confront, including organized crime and widespread violence that made the election season particularly deadly.
--:-- Host: There's also a sluggish economy to deal with, a health system in poor shape, plus issues related to climate change.
--:-- Host: Mexico City, for example, is in the middle of a dire water shortage.
--:-- Host: Schoenbaum had a commanding majority in the early vote counting, so she is on track to be sworn in as president on October 1st.
--:-- Host: Let's finish with a quick look at some other stories in the news, including updates on two other major global elections.
--:-- Host: In South Africa, the party of Nelson Mandela has lost its majority for the first time in the 30 years of democracy after apartheid.
--:-- Host: The African National Congress Party got a much smaller share of the vote than last time, so it will have to form a coalition.
--:-- Host: There's also the election in India, where exit polls show that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to win a third term.
--:-- Host: Official counting of the votes begins tomorrow morning.
--:-- Host: Here in the U.S., Hunter Biden is on trial starting today.
--:-- Host: The president's son has pleaded not guilty to charges related to his purchase of a gun in 2018.
--:-- Host: There are accusations that he falsely filled out paperwork saying he was not using drugs at the time he bought the gun.
--:-- Host: And in sports, Simone Biles is on top once again.
--:-- Host: She won a record ninth all-around title at the U.S. Championships.
--:-- Host: She talked to NBC about how it feels.
--:-- Simone Biles: I do feel like I'm having fun, so it's good to have that and feel that again.
--:-- Host: You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app.
--:-- Host: And if you're already listening in the News app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next.
--:-- Host: Popular Mechanics takes you behind the mystery of a $2 million treasure discovered in a Kentucky cornfield, potentially involving a secret organization from the Civil War era.
--:-- Host: If you're listening in the Podcasts app, follow Apple News Plus Narrated to find that story.
--:-- Host: And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
