--:-- Shamita Basu: Good morning. It's Friday, January 13th. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today.
--:-- Shamita Basu: On today's show, investigating the Idaho murders, some encouraging environmental news, and why there have been so few Black head coaches in the NFL. But first, lots of talk about gas stoves lately. Are they safe? Are they going to be banned?
--:-- Shamita Basu: Well, let's start at the end. No one is suggesting the government is going to haul away your gas stove. What happened is, recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said it would consider, for the first time, regulations for gas stoves, possibly even considering banning new gas stoves. And that set off alarm bells.
--:-- [Rebecca Lieber, a reporter with Vox covering climate change, joins the conversation]
--:-- Rebecca Lieber: This definitely blew up, and I think for the first time, a lot of people were encountering the science that is quite strong showing a risk to gas stoves that people weren't even aware of.
--:-- Shamita Basu: That's Rebecca Lieber. She's a reporter with Vox covering climate change, and she's been writing about gas stoves for years. She told us close to 40 percent of American households have a gas stove, even though both public health and environmental advocates have long said they're less safe than other options like electric or induction ranges.
--:-- Rebecca Lieber: Every time a gas stove or oven clicks on, it spews out pollutants. That includes methane, a bit of formaldehyde, of course, carbon monoxide. But the one we're most concerned about is nitrogen dioxide. And that inflames the lungs. It can harm the cardiovascular system. And it's linked to asthma.
--:-- Shamita Basu: On top of posing a health risk, gas stoves also contribute to a warming planet. For years now, states have been considering different approaches to this issue. In some communities in California and New York, there are bans on gas stoves in new construction. In some Republican-led states, the opposite is happening. They're putting bans on gas bans.
--:-- Rebecca Lieber: And we have this very divided response to electrification that we're going to start to see play out nationally. There are other options short of banning gas stoves that the federal government might consider. That could include tougher standards for emissions filters and venting.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Lieber says warnings from the scientific community are finally being taken seriously. But we're still a long way from the end of the gas stove.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The suspect in the fatal stabbings of four University of Idaho students appeared in court yesterday. Brian Koberger waived his right to a speedy trial, meaning there won't be a preliminary hearing until June.
--:-- [Guest, Sally Kretzig, covering the Idaho murders for the Idaho Statesman, joins the conversation]
--:-- Sally Kretzig: If you haven't been following this case, now might be a good time to catch you up on the murders that have rocked Moscow, Idaho. The college town hadn't seen a homicide in seven years. This is a small, tight-knit community and a crime that got national attention.
--:-- Sally Kretzig: In these small, tight-knit Idaho communities, everyone knows everyone. Everyone is talking about these things. When one of their own gets hurt, you know, it's a very strong thing felt by the community.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The suspect was a Ph.D. student in criminal justice at the nearby Washington State University. He recently applied for an internship at a police department near Moscow. Police are pointing to a few pieces of evidence, including his car. Particularly what they were interested in was a white Hyundai Elantra was seen driving past that house four times shortly before the murders took place.
--:-- Sally Kretzig: It seems that on the fourth time he stopped, and that car that appears to stop in front of the house right before the murders was the same car that Brian Koberger owned. Investigators have records showing his phone was near the victim's home several times, including hours after the killings.
--:-- Sally Kretzig: There's also a DNA match from a knife sheath found at the scene, and they have an eyewitness. One of the roommates we found out who survived the attack, she's still alive, she came out of her room the night of the murders and saw a man that fit Brian Koberger's description leave the house.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Through one of his public defenders Koberger said he hopes to be exonerated though he has not yet entered a plea
--:-- Shamita Basu: Dozens of tornadoes ripped through the South yesterday At least six people were killed in central Alabama. Another died in severe weather in Georgia.
--:-- Shamita Basu: This comes as California expects ongoing storms, bringing more flooding, mudslides, and power outages. Scientists know that climate change is making some weather disasters worse and more common, and there's ample data out there showing that things are getting more intense.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Just yesterday, new research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed last year was the world's sixth warmest year ever.
--:-- Shamita Basu: But this week, there was also some good environmental news that you might have missed. A UN panel says that the Earth's ozone layer is on its way to recovering. It could be back to 1980 levels by the year 2040. That means better protection from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
--:-- Shamita Basu: The latest research underscores what can be accomplished through international cooperation. See, in 1985, that's when scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer. Chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs from things like refrigerants and aerosol sprays were destroying ozone.
--:-- Shamita Basu: Two years later, the international community adopted the Montreal Protocol, an agreement targeting dangerous chemicals. And now, nearly 99% of those substances threatening the ozone layer have been phased out.
--:-- Shamita Basu: It took scientific consensus, a global agreement, and decades of commitment. But the progress we've made on the ozone layer shows that human-made harms to the environment can be mitigated, and in some cases, even reversed.
--:-- Shamita Basu: This weekend is the start of the NFL playoffs, and it's around this time of year that we usually see a lot of coach firings. But one in particular is reigniting decades-long criticism of the league over how few Black head coaches there have been.
--:-- Shamita Basu: This week Lovie Smith was fired from the Houston Texans after only one season as head coach Before him was David Cully another black coach who was also fired after a single season
--:-- Shamita Basu: Black coaches have been frustrated for a number of years about the lack of opportunities that they've received from the NFL, from owners to reach the ultimate position of becoming a head coach.
--:-- [Guest, Michael Lee, a sports reporter with The Washington Post, joins the conversation]
--:-- Michael Lee: That's Washington Post sports reporter Michael Lee. I spoke to him for the latest episode of Apple News in Conversation. We talked about the months-long investigation he did with the team at the Post, poring over the data and history of Black coaches in the NFL.
--:-- Michael Lee: They found that over the past three decades, there have only been 20 Black head coaches in the NFL compared to 154 white coaches. Black coaches and white coaches essentially perform at the same level, but Black coaches usually take a much longer time to get an opportunity.
--:-- Michael Lee: Usually they work nine more years than a white assistant before they get a chance to become a head coach. And then when they get that opportunity, they're on a much shorter leash. And they are getting fired at an unfair rate.
--:-- Michael Lee: For this investigation, the Post spoke with many former Black head coaches, including Hall of Famer Tony Dungy, who led the Colts to a Super Bowl win in 2007. He told The Post, minority coaches have never felt more frustrated and demoralized.
--:-- Michael Lee: We're switching jobs a lot. Half the league turns over every three years, it seems like. And it doesn't seem to matter what criteria we're looking at. It just hasn't been reflected in the hiring process.
--:-- Michael Lee: And that's the disappointing thing, I think, to so many coaches right now. What is the process? All this hard work that I'm putting in, I'm ready to go. Am I going to get the opportunity?
--:-- Shamita Basu: Last year, former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores filed a lawsuit against the league and its teams, alleging racial discrimination during his interviews.
--:-- Michael Lee: Lee says if Flores is successful in that lawsuit, that can make a big difference in how the league decides to address this issue. The league and teams involved have called Flores' claims without merit and denied wrongdoing.
--:-- Shamita Basu: There's much more in that episode of Apple News in Conversation if you're listening in the Apple News app right now stick around we've queued it up to play for you next enjoy the weekend I'll be back with the news on Monday.
