--:-- Mark Garrison: Good morning. It's Thursday, February 22nd. I'm Mark Garrison, in for Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Coming up, the death of a non-binary teenager raises questions about anti-LGBTQ plus laws in Oklahoma. Concerns about Chinese hacking have the U.S. government planning to spend billions to replace cargo cranes. And Major League Soccer is back. But first, let's take a quick look at some other stories in the news.
--:-- Mark Garrison: We're seeing some of the first impacts of the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos created through IVF are legally children. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is suspending IVF treatments while it considers the legal repercussions.
--:-- Jasmine York: I'm angry. I'm sad. Just a whole slew of things.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Jasmine York, an IVF patient, spoke to CBS about how frustrating the ruling is after spending years and thousands of dollars trying to get pregnant.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Boeing has removed the head of its 737 MAX program. The move comes after a panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines flight in midair.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Last month, the FAA blocked Boeing from expanding its 737 MAX production line while its manufacturing is under review.
--:-- Mark Garrison: In Israel, the military's top lawyer said some troops in Gaza are under investigation for criminal offenses and other misconduct. That includes the destruction of property, looting, abuse, and excessive force.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The announcement comes amid international criticism over civilian deaths and mass property destruction.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The death of a non-binary teenager in Oklahoma is raising questions about the impact of laws targeting LGBTQ plus youth.
--:-- Nex's Grandmother: There's a lot that's unclear about what caused Nex's death. Police say they're waiting for autopsy and toxicology results before they decide whether to refer the case to prosecutors for potential charges.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Nex Benedict died earlier this month, one day after a fight in the girls' bathroom of a high school.
--:-- Nex's Grandmother: Nex was bullied by students for more than a year. It started a few months after Republicans passed a law that required public school students to use bathrooms that matched the sex on their birth certificates.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Nex's grandmother said Nex told her they were knocked down during the fight and hit their head. Nex had multiple bruises and scratches.
--:-- Nex's Grandmother: Nex was suspended from school for two weeks. Nex reportedly wrote in text messages that they were feeling dizzy, nauseous, and might have had a concussion.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Nex later collapsed and stopped breathing and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Oklahoma legislators have been pushing to pass even more laws that affect the LGBTQ plus community.
--:-- Mark Garrison: This year, they've already proposed more than 50 anti-LGBTQ plus laws. That's more than any other state, according to the ACLU.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The head of Oklahoma schools has been a vocal critic of LGBTQ plus rights, and he has ties to a conservative activist who posts anti-LGBTQ plus content on social media.
--:-- Haya Raychik: I'm not accused of making threats myself, and I don't support violence against the people I talk about in my posts.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Haya Raychik has millions of followers and has frequently criticized teachers and administrators who've supported LGBTQ plus issues.
--:-- Mark Garrison: NBC News tracked nearly three dozen threats against schools, libraries, hospitals, and businesses, which came after posts on her social media accounts.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Local LGBTQ plus advocacy groups say Nex's death should serve as a wake-up call about the impact of laws that target the community.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The co of Rural Oklahoma Pride told a local Fox affiliate about why it's important to remember Nex.
--:-- Rural Oklahoma Pride: We're going to light a candle in both memory and showing support not only for that person but for that person's family as well as all the other lives that have been affected.
--:-- Mark Garrison: New leaked documents from a hacking firm linked to the Chinese government show how state, military, and intelligence groups are carrying out large-scale cyber attacks against foreign governments and companies.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The documents provide one of the most detailed looks yet at the Chinese network of hackers who exploit sensitive information for the state's gain.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Recently, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified in Congress that China could launch cyber attacks against critical U.S. targets, including water and power supplies.
--:-- Mark Garrison: China's hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities if and when China decides the time has come to strike.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The Wall Street Journal reports on an unusual potential threat to the American economy.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The Biden administration believes that Chinese-made cargo cranes that operate in U.S. ports could be hacked.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The cranes are designed to be controlled remotely, and there's concern China could exploit that to sabotage shipping, which would damage the economy, or that China could use sensors inside the cranes to spy on the movement of American military hardware through ports.
--:-- Mark Garrison: It's a major concern because cargo cranes made in China account for nearly 80 percent of ship-to-shore cranes in American ports.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Security around shipping is such a concern that the Biden administration is investing $20 billion in port security.
--:-- Mark Garrison: That includes new cranes that are made in America.
--:-- Mark Garrison: China's embassy in the U.S. calls the idea that Chinese-made cranes are a national security risk paranoia.
--:-- Mark Garrison: But the U.S. government is taking it seriously.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Replacing the Chinese cranes will take time.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The Pentagon has already started changing shipping practices to avoid these cranes.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Finally, the MLS season is now underway, starting with a victory by Lionel Messi Miami over Salt Lake City last night.
--:-- Taylor Twelman: They're going to be the team to watch mainly because of the pedigree of the players, but more so people are very curious in a league built on parity.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Taylor Twelman, lead analyst for MLS season pass on Apple TV, talked about how strong Miami is looking.
--:-- Taylor Twelman: Can you buy yourself a championship? I think that makes it a very intriguing watch.
--:-- Taylor Twelman: I think a season where everyone's trying to start a little bit faster, a little bit quicker, a little bit stronger than in years past.
--:-- Taylor Twelman: But now as the league gets more competitive as owners spend way more money than they're used to, I think historically this league's going to change now because of that.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Messi is 36 years old, nearing the end of his career.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The big question for Miami fans is having Messi enough to bring home the MLS Cup.
--:-- Taylor Twelman: The answer is yes. The answer is yes, 100%.
--:-- Taylor Twelman: You put Messi on any team in Major League Soccer, that team's winning games.
--:-- Mark Garrison: You can follow the whole MLS season and other major sports and teams using Apple Sports.
--:-- Mark Garrison: It's a new free app just out this week.
--:-- Mark Garrison: It'll give you access to real-time scores, stats, and more.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Get it by searching for Apple Sports in the App Store.
--:-- Mark Garrison: And if you're listening to us in the Apple News app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The New Yorker profiles Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The staunch Trump supporter has become one of the most prominent and divisive figures in the GOP.
--:-- Mark Garrison: Chaos and controversy have followed Gaetz over the years, including alleged sexual misconduct involving teenage girls, which he's denied.
--:-- Mark Garrison: The New Yorker looks at how he manages to keep so many of his supporters sticking with him.
--:-- Mark Garrison: If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Plus Narrated to find that story.
--:-- Mark Garrison: And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
