--:-- Shamita Basu: Hey there, it's Shamita. Before we get started, I have a quick request. On an upcoming episode of In Conversation, we're going to be talking about money and romantic relationships. And we want to hear from you. What would you say are some of the biggest challenges for you when it comes to managing finances with your partner? Maybe it's deciding whether to combine your bank accounts or coming up with shared goals or even considering whether or not to get married because of the financial benefits. Whatever you're wrestling with, we want to hear about it. Just use your iPhone's voice memo app to record yourself. Tell us your name, where you're from and your money and relationship story. And please, I know this is hard. Try to keep it around a minute or so. You can send it to us at Apple News Today at Apple.com. Again, that's Apple News Today at Apple.com. And we might include your story on the show. Thanks.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Good morning. It's Wednesday, January 25th. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, understanding America's growing problem with classified documents, South Carolina's Murdoch murder trial, and a behind-the-scenes look at an Oscar-worthy performance by a donkey. But first, California Governor Gavin Newsom is calling for federal action on banning assault-style weapons after a string of deadly mass shootings in his state. But what the hell is wrong with us that we allow these weapons of war and large-capacity clips out on the streets and sidewalks?
--:-- Shamita Basu: The group Every Town for Gun Safety ranks California number one in the nation in the strength of its gun laws, and the state's gun violence rate is well below the national average. Vox reports on how the recent killings show that state-by-state gun laws can leave gaps. The attacker in the Monterey Park shooting used a pistol with a high-capacity magazine, allowing him to fire more bullets before reloading. Those magazines are banned in California. Now it's not clear how the suspected shooter got it, but it could have been legally bought before the ban went into effect or legally purchased in a neighboring state, Arizona, which doesn't require gun background checks. The ATF says it's the largest outsource of guns traced to California.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The kind of national ban that Newsom and President Biden are renewing calls for could close some of those holes. Pew polling shows a majority of Americans support banning assault-style weapons, but there is a strong partisan split. And in the divided Congress, there's little chance of that kind of bill passing.
--:-- Dustin Volz: Transitions to final weeks of administrations are especially hectic and frenzied for officials who are looking to pack up their offices and move out. In both the Biden and Trump cases, at least some of the documents appear to have been moved in the final days before the transition of power. People are rushing to pack up, but they still have to run the country. This is not like an area donut shop. This is the federal government. And so you can't just have people wind down weeks before and go on a vacation and then wait for the other guys to come in. You do, by necessity, have to have people working up to that final minute.
--:-- Dustin Volz: It's estimated that there could be up to one trillion classified documents in existence. The more documents there are, the harder they are to track. Critics say too much stuff is getting classified even when it really doesn't need to be. Officials may classify something that's simply embarrassing to keep it quiet, and officials sometimes tend to err on the side of classifying something because it might be sensitive.
--:-- Dustin Volz: Now, there are some people advocating for changes to the classification system. The National Security Agency's former top lawyer and others called for classified information to be printed on pink or yellow papers to make them easier and clearer to identify. Other experts want better training for White House staffers. Another fix could be sending in teams from the National Archives when an administration ends to secure records. Another solution could be to go digital. Just stop printing so many documents. But the thing is, presidents like paper. Bolts reports that the CIA wanted to deliver its daily brief to President George W. Bush as a digital version, but his staff killed the idea. In part, they were concerned that intelligence agencies could track his screen time, and the president might be accused of not paying enough attention.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The heir to a South Carolina legal dynasty is on trial for double murder this week. Alex Murdoch has pleaded not guilty to charges that he shot and killed his wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul, in June of 2021. This case has gotten a lot of attention because the Murdochs are one of South Carolina's most powerful families. Generations have worked as prosecutors or trial lawyers, winning multi-million dollar settlements. They're so well known locally that finding an impartial jury was challenging. More than 900 potential jurors were considered.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty. They're arguing that Murdoch killed his family to make himself seem like a victim, to protect himself from multiple investigations into alleged financial crimes. Murdoch's attorneys argue that the state's theory about his motive doesn't make any sense. They say he has an alibi, and they're also challenging a key piece of evidence. The prosecution has an analysis of a t-shirt worn by Murdoch that says it was spattered with blood. The defense says the crime lab work on the shirt was twisted to help the prosecution.
--:-- Shamita Basu: You can follow the trial on the Apple News app, where we have coverage from the local newspaper, The State. And there's also long-form journalism from The New Yorker. If you're listening to us in the News app right now, we'll play The New Yorker article for you right after this show.
--:-- Shamita Basu: This year's Oscar nominees confirm it. Donkeys are having a moment on the big screen. Triangle of Sadness, The Banshees of Inesharin, the documentary Navalny, they all have donkey scenes. But only one dares to put a donkey in its starring role. The Polish movie EO, nominated for Best International Film. The movie has minimal dialogue and is largely told from the viewpoint of the donkey. The quick, no-spoiler synopsis is, after EO is separated from his human handler at a circus, we follow his journey to survive as he wanders around Europe.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The film's writer-director team talked to The Hollywood Reporter about the unusual challenge of casting a donkey for such a big role. And actually, there are six donkeys who play EO. Each one had a specialty. There's the Tom Cruise donkey, that is the one who did all the action shots, all the stunts, crossing rivers, navigating forests. The Sunset Boulevard donkey, who was always ready for their close-up. See, the filmmakers wanted to do a movie with an animal at the center of it, but they weren't sure what. There were already so many cat and dog movies out there. They did consider cows, sheep, and pigs, until they stumbled on a live, kind of chaotic Christmas nativity scene. And they say they were mesmerized by this donkey standing in the corner, calmly observing everything with these big, sad eyes. That's when they knew they found a star.
--:-- Shamita Basu: You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening to us in the News app, as I mentioned earlier, keep on listening to hear that narrated article from The New Yorker about the Murdoch family and the South Carolina trial. I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
