--:-- Gideon Resnick: Good morning. It's Tuesday, June 17th. I'm Gideon Resnick, in for Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: On today's show, how a police sergeant's hunch threw off the Minnesota suspect's plan to kill more lawmakers. After Trump's tariff announcement, members of Congress went on a stock trading spree. And the Louvre is so popular that workers there are on strike. But first, to the Middle East, where waves of missiles continue to fly between Iran and Israel.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Yesterday, Israel presented a confident picture of its operation, as the military claimed it had achieved full aerial control above Tehran. In Iran, we witnessed dramatic scenes, and a broadening of the assault quite literally played out on TV, as state media was interrupted at one point by bombings.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Today, we're going to spend some time looking at how the citizens on the ground watching rockets fly above them feel and explore how Iranians and Israelis are reacting to their leaders' actions. Iran's repressive regime means it can be difficult to get an authentic impression of popular opinion. But reporters covering the country suggest a mix of anxiety and anger toward both Iranian and Israeli leadership.
--:-- Nicholas Pelham: And the knee-jerk reaction you had from many Iranians after the attacks was almost one of delight that some of the people that had been oppressing them had been taken out.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has encouraged that sentiment, urging Iranians to, quote, stand up and let your voices be heard against the regime.
--:-- Nicholas Pelham: But as the strikes broadened to civilian areas, I reported for The Economist that there's a feeling that the country itself, not just the leadership, is under attack. And that has changed the mood.
--:-- Nicholas Pelham: That sort of initial dissent and mockery and sort of scorn for the regime is now turning to palpable fear. A large number of people have left the cities. They're moving into the countryside. Petrol is being rationed, so it's becoming harder to get out. And so people are starting to get quite scared.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: The BBC is banned from Iran, but has talked to people inside the country. One student at Tehran University told them that even among his liberal friends, fear has brought unity, not rebellion.
--:-- Student: The minute that happened, even, I don't know, even my friends, some of them are pretty liberal. Some of them are anti-government. Some of them do not like the Iranian state at all. Some of them have deep problems with the regime. Some of them are not even consider themselves as Muslim.
--:-- Student: But the minute that Israel attacked Iran in this way, everyone, they say that Iran should strike harder. This is unacceptable. Our homes have been attacked.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And, you know, it is rallying behind the flag, and I think it's quite understandable. When your house is under attack, when your being is under attack, you rally behind whoever is in charge.
--:-- Nicholas Pelham: Tehran is far more exposed than its neighbors. Israel has dismantled most air defenses, and the government tends not to issue warnings for imminent attacks.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: CNN reports that people have sought safety in mosques in the metro, now open around the clock for shelter, and that the exit roads are reportedly gridlocked as people flee to the more rural north.
--:-- Nicholas Pelham: Israel is sending warning messages to target areas, but Iranian authorities have described this as psychological warfare and urged the population not to panic.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: In Israel, it's easier to get a sense of public opinion. A poll released on Monday suggested as many as 70% supported the strikes on Iran, and only 16% opposed.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: After missiles hit the city of Rehobot, one resident told the BBC they were fully behind the campaign.
--:-- Resident: It's choosing between life and death. Nuclear Iran is a death threat to us. We didn't start this conflict. We have every appreciation for the Iranian people. We love the Iranian people. It's the regime that is threatening us, not just themselves with the nuclear, if they have, God forbid, But all the proxies here, Hezbollah and Hamas, we are an island surrounded.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: NPR reported that residents of Bat Yam, which saw 10 people killed, were chanting Netanyahu's name. That they had been waiting for this war for 30 years and are prepared.
--:-- Nicholas Pelham: Netanyahu certainly remains a divisive figure within the country. But his critics in parliament have rallied behind him on this operation, at least in these opening stages.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: As for the United States, President Trump departed the G7 summit early, in part to deal with the crisis.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Now to Minnesota, where authorities have shared more details about a gunman's terrifying shooting spree that killed Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and wounded State Senator John Hoffman and his wife.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Yesterday, prosecutors said the suspect had planned a much wider assault, visiting at least two other politicians' homes. I should warn you that this story involves descriptions of violence.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Police say the suspect carried out his attacks convincingly dressed as a police officer with a taser, fake uniform and badge, and black body armor. He was also wearing a realistic silicon mask.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And they say he outfitted his SUV with emergency lights and a fake police license plate. Experts told the Minnesota Star Tribune that purchasing police equipment is largely legal, and it's also relatively easy for civilians to do.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And in Minnesota, impersonating a police officer is only a misdemeanor for first-time offenders.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson said based on security footage, the suspect used his disguise to enter the Hoffmans' home, knocking on their front door and declaring himself a police officer who needed to be let in.
--:-- Joseph Thompson: When they opened the door, Belter shined the flashlight in their faces and said there had been a shooting reported in the house. When Belter lowered his flashlight, they realized that he was not a police officer.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: They shouted out, you're not a cop, you're not a police officer. Belter then announced this is a robbery and forced himself into their home.
--:-- Joseph Thompson: When Senator Hoffman attempted to push Belter out and stop him from entering his home, Belter shot him repeatedly. Belter then shot Ms. Hoffman repeatedly.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: The Hoffmans are recovering from their injuries. After hearing about the shooting at the Hoffmans' home, the Star Tribune reports that a police sergeant, acting on a hunch, ordered a couple of officers to go check on Hortman, who lived nearby.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: When they arrived, Thompson says officers found the suspect there. When Belter saw the officers get out of the car, he drew his weapon and began firing. He rushed into the house through the front door, firing into it.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Authorities say the suspect fled after killing Hortman and her husband, leading to a 43-hour manhunt. The encounter at the Hortman residence is what clued authorities into the gunman's larger plan.
--:-- Joseph Thompson: They later searched Belter's car, where they found five more firearms, including assault-style rifles and a large quantity of ammunition. Belter also had in his car notebooks containing a list of more than 45 Minnesota state and federal elected officials including Representative Portman.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: They were all Democrats. The list detailed civic leaders, abortion rights advocates, and Planned Parenthood centers. Democratic Representative Kelly Morrison of Minnesota was told that she was one of those officials named.
--:-- Kelly Morrison: You know, I spent the weekend holed up in my basement with law enforcement outside my home. And I say that only because I want people to know that this is a watershed moment in the history of our country.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: I'm not afraid of these cowards, but I think it's important to remember that this is not just an attack on legislators. This is an attack on the American people.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Hortman's home was not the only place police encountered the suspect. Officials say he went to the homes of at least two other elected state officials besides Hortman and Hoffman.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: In one instance, at the home of State Senator Ann Rest, a police officer conducting a wellness check saw the suspect and tried to speak with him, thinking that he was a fellow officer.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: He reportedly ignored her and fled before other officers arrived on the scene. In the other case, the suspect went to a lawmaker's home but left because they weren't home.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: State prosecutors have charged a suspect with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. Federal officials have charged him with stalking and murder, among other charges, which could allow for the death penalty.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: He did not enter a plea yesterday, and the next hearing in federal court is June 27th.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Let's turn now to Congress, where a controversial practice, lawmakers trading stocks, is back in the spotlight.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: According to reporting from The Wall Street Journal, House members raced to reshape their personal portfolios as President Trump rolled out widespread tariffs in April that sent the markets reeling.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Dozens of House lawmakers and their families made over 700 stock trades between Trump's tariff announcement on April 2nd and April 8th, the day before he paused many of those tariffs.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: They both bought and sold a lot of stocks that week, so it was hard to tell how their portfolios fared overall.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: That's Journal reporter Katy Stech Ferek. But there were some lawmakers who stood out with their purchases.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: Like California Democrat Ro Khanna and Pennsylvania Republican Rob Resnahan. They and their families made the most trades during this period.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And both lawmakers have called for a ban on this activity. Both of them made it very clear that these were trades made by an outside financial investor.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: And both of them, especially Khanna, have taken great pains that they see to try to minimize the appearance of a conflict of interest related to this.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: A spokesperson for Bresnahan also added that he was in the process of moving investments into a blind trust.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: Another lawmaker who stood out in the analysis was Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. She bought at least $28,000 in stock of well-known companies like FedEx and Amazon just before Trump paused some of the tariffs.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: She said her trades are managed by an outside financial advisor and that they were reported with full transparency.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: Setch Farrick says that her purchases have done really well since.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Now, there are some rules around how lawmakers can trade stock. Members are not allowed to trade on insider information, and they must publicly disclose investments.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: But experts told NPR the current enforcement mechanisms amount to little more than a slap on the wrist, a $200 penalty if lawmakers don't report trades by a required deadline.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And Satchfaric explains there are inherent risks for possible insider trading in the way members go about their jobs.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: Just knowing what's coming down the pipeline in terms of hearings or CEOs that will come before Congress, everyone here pretty much agrees that they have access to insider trading. It's just a matter of what they do with that information.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: There are concerns about potential conflicts of interest as well that a lawmaker might be influenced to advocate for or against legislation that could impact the industries and companies they hold investments in all of which impacts public perception and trust in Washington.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: And honestly, these cases, one thing that ethics groups point out, these cases are incredibly hard to try and to successfully prosecute. That's been part of the issue.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: The journal's analysis did not uncover any wrongdoing by lawmakers in April. But Setch Farrick says that the scope of the trading has reinvigorated conversations about regulations.
--:-- Katy Stech Ferek: So right now, there are members on both sides of the aisle, quite frankly, that feel like members should not be allowed to trade individual stocks and that there should be new rules that force lawmakers to sell off individual stocks and move all of their assets into a mutual fund.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: That's one proposal. Other folks have said, hey, hand all this over to a blind trust where you can't see what's in that portfolio and someone can actively trade it.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: House Speaker Mike Johnson said recently he would support proposals that would ban individual stock trading, though nothing substantive has appeared on the House floor yet.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Before we let you go, a few other stories that we're following. First, to Gaza, where local health officials say at least 50 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire yesterday, with nearly half of the casualties taking place near the U.S.-backed aid distribution sites.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Shootings surrounding these centers have become a near-daily occurrence. Israeli military did not immediately comment, but have in the past said that occasional shootings were fired as warnings and blamed militants for provoking the violence.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Independent media cannot gain access to verify the claims. Addressing the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, the human rights chief Volker Turk said that Israel's means and methods of warfare are inflicting horrifying, unconscionable suffering.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And Reuters reports, according to local health officials, that dozens more Palestinians were killed near another aid site on Tuesday.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Now to France, where the world's most popular museum has been forced to close this week. Workers at the Louvre announced a spontaneous strike during a routine meeting, and they say the museum's popularity is a big reason why they're demanding better working conditions.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Basically, so many people want to see the Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo, and other iconic pieces of art that workers say they simply can't keep up.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: They say they're too understaffed, and one union called the conditions untenable. The Louvre is one of many global attractions dealing with overtourism, and protests are currently ongoing in Spain and Italy.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And finally, to a worldwide fashion phenomenon inspired by who else but Mr. Worldwide himself, Pitbull.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: The Miami rapper is on tour right now, and fans across the world, largely women, have decided, why just listen to Pitbull when you can also be Pitbull?
--:-- Gideon Resnick: That's right. Thousands of people are showing up to his concerts in bald caps, suits, and sunglasses, his signature look.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And he's loving it, by the way. He told the BBC it's priceless to look out into the crowd and see thousands of lookalikes.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And he promises that this is not some marketing ploy by his team. But they are embracing it, selling a Mr. 305 kit, that's his nickname based on Miami's area code, complete with a bald cap and bow tie.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: But for the fans, if everyone is dressed as Pitbull, good luck finding each other at the arena.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening to the News app right now, we have a narrated article coming up next.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: Reporters with Time magazine went inside President Trump's mass deportation campaign. If you're listening in the podcast app, you can follow Apple News Plus Narrated to find that story.
--:-- Gideon Resnick: And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
