--:-- Shamita Basu: Good morning. It's Thursday, July 22nd. I'm Shamita Basu. Duarte Geraldino is off. This is Apple News Today. Each morning, hear about some of the most fascinating stories in the news and how the world's best journalists are covering them.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The U.S. economy has gained back a lot of what was lost when the global pandemic hurled the country into recession. Millions of jobs have been added back. The recession technically lasted only two months. And government stimulus played a role in jump-starting things. President Biden took some credit this week.
--:-- Shamita Basu: For all those predictions of doom and gloom six months in, here's where we stand. Record growth. Record job creation. Workers getting hard-earned breaks. Look, we brought this economy back from the brink.
--:-- Shamita Basu: But the highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus is spreading, and many Americans are still unvaccinated. The Washington Post speaks to business and policy leaders who worry the growing number of COVID cases could upend the U.S. economic recovery, just as federal stimulus programs run out.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Many economic aid programs are set to expire or run out of funds soon, unless Congress or the White House takes action. That includes programs helping people who are unemployed and people who owe rent or student loan payments. In some states, GOP governors have already canceled enhanced unemployment benefits. And the outlook for extending national programs isn't looking good.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Many Republicans already voted against some pandemic aid programs, saying they were too expensive. When your cable out or you got a problem with something you ordered, you call the company, wait on hold, and eventually, hopefully, speak to a real person about your issue.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Maybe you haven't given much thought to how that real person's day is going and what their job is like, but a new report from ProPublica may make you more empathetic. They interviewed dozens of people who have worked these over-the-phone customer service jobs.
--:-- Shamita Basu: For some of them, taking calls from home fits their needs. Some are caretakers. Some are people with disabilities. But their accounts are disturbing. They talk about verbal abuse and sexual harassment from customers who call in.
--:-- Shamita Basu: They're afraid to hang up on abusive callers because they worry they'll get in trouble with their bosses. And they say managers pressure them to avoid breaks, take more calls, and resolve them faster, even when callers treat them terribly.
--:-- Shamita Basu: One woman says she was afraid to take a sick day, so she sat through her calls and had to hit the mute button anytime she needed to throw up. Another person remembers nightmares following days of abuse and pressure.
--:-- Shamita Basu: ProPublica heard back from some of the companies. Several said customer service reps are not required to tolerate abusive behavior. People often call customer service when they've got a problem, when they're mad. It's worth remembering that the people who try to fix those problems are dealing with an awful lot themselves.
--:-- Shamita Basu: A lot of Americans who tried to adopt a dog in the last year have gotten a surprising message: Get in line and don't get your hopes up. Competition is fierce at dog shelters. And it's not just the pandemic puppy effect. That's only part of it.
--:-- Shamita Basu: New York Magazine has an in-depth look at the surprising developments in the world of dog rescue agencies. Not too long ago, animal lovers were begging people to save dogs from shelters instead of buying from breeders.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Remember that ASPCA ad a few years back with a Sarah McLachlan soundtrack? That commercial had emotional impact. It brought kids to tears, and it turned adults into donors. Tens of millions of dollars poured in.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Over time, adopting from a shelter started to be seen as the right thing to do. Also, animal rights groups successfully campaigned for more spaying and neutering, and that led to fewer unexpected puppies being born.
--:-- Shamita Basu: That success is now playing out in shelters. There just aren't as many dogs that need rescuing. And that means tougher screening for people who hope to adopt.
--:-- Shamita Basu: New York Magazine compares it to Ivy League admissions. Would-be puppy parents are asked about their personal relationships, their kids, what they'll feed the dog, whether they can pay for special training.
--:-- Shamita Basu: One woman tried and failed to adopt 60 different times. She ended up making a resume for herself. She even had testimonials. That's what it took to finally get a pug named Penny.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Rescue agencies say they're just trying to find the best homes for the dogs. There are many more stories of the remarkable things people did this year to land their perfect puppy.
--:-- Shamita Basu: You can hear them by listening to the whole piece as a narrated article in the Apple News app. And if you're already there now, just tap the notification we send you midway through the show.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics is happening tomorrow. Apple News is partnering with NBC to bring you all the action. NBC podcast The Podium tells the personal stories of many of the athletes who have trained their whole lives to compete on the international stage.
--:-- Shamita Basu: You can check out the show in the Apple Podcasts app. I spoke with The Podium's host, Lauren Shahadi, about what she'll be paying attention to. She's especially excited for the role women, especially the U.S. soccer team, are playing in this year's games.
--:-- Shamita Basu: We talk about women in general in the games and how they've fought to go from 2% to 49% of the athletes and their evolution in the Olympic Games. It's really, really fascinating.
--:-- Shamita Basu: When you talk to these girls, and we know the U.S. Women's National Team as activists, right? Activists almost before athletes. Which is so interesting because they have a job to do on the field. And now they have little girls everywhere looking up to them on what they're doing off the field as well.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Several athletes have had to drop out of the games after testing positive for the coronavirus. There won't be spectators in the stands.
--:-- Shamita Basu: I asked Lauren about that. We as fans cheer on people. The athletes feed off that energy. And it's in any sport. But when you hear people in the stands screaming USA or screaming your name, it's an added component.
--:-- Shamita Basu: You can't deny it. So the athletes have said it's going to be different. Not that I'll need any extra motivation, but you're not listening for what you're normally listening for. So our focus is focusing in on the athletes and how they kind of now backtrack and figure out a perfect equation of how they can get to that level again.
--:-- Shamita Basu: You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And while you're in the app, keep listening to hear narrated articles from our News Plus partners.
--:-- Shamita Basu: We'll talk with you again tomorrow.
