--:-- Shamita Basu: Good morning. It's Tuesday, November 7th. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today.
--:-- Shamita Basu: On today's show, the hostage crisis in Gaza one month on. The most important races to watch in today's elections. And the environmental danger we face as the earth gets saltier.
--:-- Shamita Basu: It's been one month since Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,400 people and taking hostages. And Israeli strikes in return have killed more than 10,000 people in Gaza. Palestinian officials say more than 4,000 of the victims are children.
--:-- Afri Bibas-Levy: [Audio clip plays] And we know nothing about where they are. Are they alive? Are they dead? Are they getting food? My nephew is nine months old. He's a baby. I don't know if he's getting his formula.
--:-- Shamita Basu: B-Bos Levy talked about the risks her family faces in captivity as Israel attacks Gaza. I know they are probably somewhere underground hearing all the bombing and the fighting, not knowing exactly what's going on, and they must be terrified.
--:-- Shamita Basu: It's a really complicated situation, and I'm not sure what's the right way to solve this. I just know that Israel has to defend itself and bring the hostages back.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Some families of hostages want Israel to ease or stop attacks and focus on negotiating to get captives out before more are killed. Some support the invasion, saying that defeating Hamas is more likely to lead to a rescue and will prevent future attacks inside Israel.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Many are like Bibas Levy, unsure what the best way forward is in this volatile situation. There are citizens of many nations, including Americans, held captive in Gaza.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Around the world, there are calls for a ceasefire for the welfare of the hostages and the millions of civilians in Gaza. Israel has consistently said no to that, unless all hostages are released.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The U has called for something short of a ceasefire breaks in fighting for humanitarian purposes. President Biden reiterated that in a phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday.
--:-- Benjamin Netanyahu: [Audio clip plays] As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there, we've had them before. I suppose we'll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages to leave.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Netanyahu has also said the only thing that works on Hamas is military pressure. And he told ABC that Israel will aim to take responsibility over security in Gaza for an indefinite period.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Netanyahu has previously said the war against Hamas could be a long fight. So families of people who've been taken hostage are preparing for a long wait. Hoping their relatives survive long enough to be released.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Today is Election Day in several states, with many races that could have national implications. Yesterday, we talked about the abortion ballot question in Ohio. It's on Politico's list of top races to watch.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Today, let's take a look at a few others, starting in Kentucky. There, election observers are watching to see if Democratic Governor Andy Beshear can win again in the deeply red state.
--:-- Shamita Basu: He narrowly won in 2019, but a year later, Trump racked up over 60% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election. Bashir has strong approval ratings, but challenger Republican Daniel Cameron is trying to tie him to President Biden.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The results there could be an important signal on how voters feel about Biden. In Mississippi, a big question is Black voter turnout. Incumbent Republican Governor Tate Reeves is facing a surprisingly close race with Democratic challenger Brandon Presley.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And yes, he is a distant cousin of Mississippi native Elvis Presley. Black voters make up 40% of the state's electorate and overwhelmingly vote Democratic. To pull off an upset win, Presley will need strong turnout from Black voters, as well as some voters who supported Trump.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Biden strategists will be closely studying what happens in Mississippi because Biden will also need strong support from Black voters nationwide to stay in the White House.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And finally to Virginia where control of the state legislature is up for grabs. Right now, Republicans narrowly control the House, and Democrats have a thin majority in the Senate.
--:-- Shamita Basu: If Republicans gain control of both after today's election, it's possible Virginia might be more swingy in 2024 than recent history would suggest. Biden won by 10 points in 2020.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And it would mean Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin could move more conservative policies forward. Steve Kornacki spoke about Youngkin's goals on NBC.
--:-- Steve Kornacki: One part of Youngkin's agenda, he has proposed an abortion legal until the 15th week of the pregnancy. That's something he says he would like to do if he can get control of the legislature.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Democrats have tried to make an issue out of that as well. You can read about the other races' political highlights with more analysis in the Apple News app.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Now let's take a quick look at some other stories we're following in the news. Former President Trump's civil fraud trial continues.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Yesterday, Trump himself was on the stand. Ahead of the highly anticipated testimony, New York Attorney General Letitia James said it's important to look past his name-calling and criticism of the prosecution.
--:-- Letitia James: At the end of the day, the only thing that matters are the facts and the numbers. And numbers, my friends, don't lie.
--:-- Shamita Basu: James alleges that Trump and his family businesses inflated assets, which he denies. When he was on the witness stand, the judge repeatedly cautioned Trump to stop making political points and answer questions, at one point telling him, this is not a political rally.
--:-- Shamita Basu: In other news, the Supreme Court hears arguments today in a major Second Amendment case. It's about a law that blocks people who have domestic violence restraining orders against them from owning a gun.
--:-- Shamita Basu: But the ultimate ruling could have widespread impact on many kinds of gun regulations. In Colorado, a second officer has been acquitted in the killing of Elijah McClain in 2019.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The Black citizen's death after being placed in a chokehold and given ketamine made national headlines a year before George Floyd's murder. One officer involved was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Two paramedics will be tried later this year. And in business news WeWork is bankrupt.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The office company was once a flashy Wall Street darling valued at billion. But it overreached, leading to the ejection of the founder and thousands of layoffs in 2019.
--:-- Shamita Basu: It tried to regroup under new leadership, but pandemic lockdowns wrecked the office market, closing off a potential path to stability.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Finally, striking new research shows that the Earth is getting saltier in the water, soil, and air.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Scientists say it's hitting extremely dangerous salt levels, which could threaten serious or irreversible damage to the planet.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The environmental news outlet, Grist, looks at how this change threatens drinking water, farming, and wildlife. Let's take drinking water.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Excess salt corrodes pipes. That's part of what happened several years ago in Flint, Michigan. Corrosion allowed dangerous levels of lead to move from the pipes into the water supply.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Drinking water is also affected by rising sea levels. They push salt from the ocean into groundwater. And once it's there, the supply becomes undrinkable, without expensive and complicated processes to get the salt out.
--:-- Shamita Basu: There are several human-driven factors pushing up the Earth's salt levels, including mining, agricultural practices, and even household items like detergent.
--:-- Shamita Basu: But the biggest contributor is the way that we de-ice roads. This study says winter treatment recently accounted for nearly half the nation's salt consumption.
--:-- Shamita Basu: But there are a few creative solutions aiming to change things. In D.C., they're de-icing roads with beet juice brine.
--:-- Shamita Basu: And in Wisconsin, they're using liquid cheese brine. Mozzarella and provolone do a pretty good job since they've got the best salt content.
--:-- Shamita Basu: You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the News app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next from New York Magazine.
--:-- Shamita Basu: It takes an in-depth look at New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez and his wife Nadine and how their entanglements led to their recent indictments.
--:-- Shamita Basu: If you're listening in the Podcasts app, follow Apple News Plus Narrated to find that story. And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
