Apple News Today: “Make America Healthy Again”? RFK Jr.’s Plans for 2025
Host: Shemitah Basu
Release Date: December 17, 2024

1. Tragic School Shooting in Madison, Wisconsin

Incident Overview

On Tuesday, December 17th, Apple News Today reported a heartbreaking school shooting at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin. A 15-year-old female student, identified as Natalie Ruppnow (also known as Samantha), tragically took the lives of a fellow student and a teacher, wounded six others, and then succumbed to an apparent self-inflicted gunshot.

Police Response and Investigation

Madison Police Department Chief Sean Barnes provided detailed insights during a press conference:

• Time of Alert: The incident was reported at 10:57 AM, when a second-grade student discreetly dialed 911 to report the shooting.
  • Sean Barnes (01:26): “At 10:57am a second grade student called 911 to report a shooting had occurred at school. Don't let that soak in for a minute. A second grade student called 911.”
• Access to Firearm: Authorities are investigating how a 15-year-old obtained the handgun used in the attack.
  • Sean Barnes (01:53): “How does any 15 year old get a hold of a gun or anyone for that matter? You know, you get into the philosophical question about guns and gun safety, something that we all should be talking to our loved ones about.”

School and Community Response

Barbara Weirs, director of elementary and school relations at the school, commended both staff and students for their response during the crisis:

• Training and Student Behavior: The school had recently updated its shooter situation training, which reinforced effective student reactions under duress.
  • Shemitah Basu (02:35): “Barbara Weirs...said school officials received updated training for shooter situations this year and she commended students for how they reacted. The students handled themselves magnificently.”

Statistical Context

This unfortunate event marks the 83rd school shooting in the United States for the year 2024, the highest since CNN began tracking such incidents in 2008. Notably, female perpetrators in mass shootings are exceedingly rare, comprising only about 2% of such cases according to the Violence Prevention Project’s 2023 report.

2. RFK Jr.’s Initiative to “Make America Healthy Again”

Public Distrust in Food Policy

Shemitah Basu highlighted a growing skepticism among Americans regarding food policy experts and government institutions' ability to safeguard the food supply:

• Gallup Poll Insight (03:XX): Public confidence in the government’s protection of the food supply is at an all-time low.

RFK Jr.’s Role and Ambitions

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has emerged as a prominent figure aiming to restore trust and healthiness to America’s food systems:

• Confirmation Process: RFK Jr., endorsed by former President Trump, is vying to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He is actively engaging with senators to secure support for his confirmation hearing scheduled for January.
• Platform Highlights:
  • Ultra-Processed Foods: Kennedy advocates for removing ultra-processed foods from school lunches, a move that requires collaboration with the FDA.
    • Shemitah Basu (05:07): "Kennedy has talked a lot about the dangers of ultra processed foods, which many health experts have blamed for rising rates of obesity and chronic disease in the U.S."
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): He proposes restricting SNAP benefits from purchasing items like soda and processed foods.
    • Jesse Newman (05:47): "He's also talked about SNAP... and he has, you know, talked about how he thinks that SNAP beneficiaries really shouldn't be using their food stamps to buy things like soda or processed food."

Challenges and Legislative Coordination

Kennedy’s proposals extend beyond HHS, necessitating cooperation with other federal agencies:

• Federal Dietary Guidelines: He aims to reform these guidelines by excluding recommendations for reduced ultra-processed food consumption and enforcing strict conflict-of-interest rules for panel members.
  • Jesse Newman (06:30): "He's concerned with conflicts of interest in how these dietary guidelines are drafted."
• Additional Policy Areas: Initiatives such as limiting fluoride in drinking water and regulating pesticide use in farming will involve the EPA and Department of Agriculture, respectively.
  • Shemitah Basu (06:37): "His proposal to limit fluoride in drinking water, for example, would be up to the EPA, not HHS."

Expert Insights

Jesse Newman, a Wall Street Journal food reporter, provided context on the erosion of trust in food policies:

• Jesse Newman (04:46): “Consumers want to be sure that what they're putting in their bodies is, you know, is good for themselves and their children. And there's a sort of an increasing sense that, you know, food companies in fact are putting profit above public health.”

3. Combating Climate Change: Reducing Methane Emissions from Livestock

Methane’s Role in Global Warming

Benji Jones, an environmental correspondent for Vox, emphasized the significant impact of methane—a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide—on climate change:

• Benji Jones (07:43): “Actually, molecule for molecule, methane is more potent than carbon dioxide is when it comes to its impact on warming.”

Agricultural Emissions

Agriculture is identified as the largest human-related source of methane emissions, primarily from the digestive processes of ruminant animals such as cows and sheep.

Innovative Research in Colombia

Jones reported on pioneering research in Colombia aimed at reducing methane emissions by altering livestock diets:

• Research Methodology: Scientists are experimenting with different types of forage, such as specific grasses and legumes, to identify feeds that result in lower methane production.

  • Benji Jones (08:28): “So certain kinds of forage, like different kinds of grasses or legumes, are thought to be associated with lower methane production.”

• Testing Procedures: The research involves placing sheep in specialized chambers equipped with high-tech gas measurement devices to accurately gauge methane output when fed various plants.

  • Benji Jones (08:46): “...they put sheep into metal chambers that look a lot like walk in refrigerators. The chambers are hooked up to high tech machines that measure gas emissions.”

Seed Bank Utilization

The research leverages a vast seed bank containing 67,000 samples stored in freezing conditions, ensuring a diverse range of forage options for testing.

• Benji Jones (09:06): “I mean, it has like 67,000 samples and they're stored in like these freezing rooms in vacuum sealed aluminum bags...”

Early Results and Scalability

Preliminary findings indicate promising reductions in methane emissions. The proposed solutions are low-tech, making them accessible and scalable, especially in low-income regions.

• Benji Jones (09:49): “This would just be changing the kind of forage that they use... It just feels like pretty low hanging fruit in terms of trying to fix some of the climate crisis.”

4. Additional Featured Stories

a. Donald Trump’s Legal Challenges

A New York judge upheld 34 felony convictions against President-elect Donald Trump related to falsifying records in a sex scandal. Trump contested the ruling, citing a Supreme Court precedent granting presidential immunity. However, the judge maintained that the convictions predated Trump's presidency.

• Source: The New York Times

b. TikTok’s Legal Battle Against U.S. Ban

TikTok is mounting a final effort to prevent a U.S. ban by seeking a temporary halt to a Congressional law that mandates ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, to divest or face prohibition in the United States. The Department of Justice argues that TikTok poses national security risks due to its extensive data access and potential content manipulation capabilities.

• Source: Reuters

c. Italian ‘Pasta Grannies’ Under Scrutiny

Authorities in Bari, Italy, are enforcing new hygiene regulations on traditional pasta vendors, affectionately known as "pasta grannies." Some have been accused of selling factory-made pasta as handcrafted. New rules require these vendors to operate within certified kitchens and introduce an official stamp of approval to ensure authenticity.

• Source: The Telegraph

d. Higher Education Scandal Narrated Article

Apple News Today promoted an upcoming narrated article from the Los Angeles Times about a 2019 higher education scandal involving parents, coaches, and college administrators colluding to secure elite school admissions for students. A former college administrator implicated in the scandal claims she was made a scapegoat.

Conclusion

In this episode of Apple News Today, Shemitah Basu navigates through a spectrum of pressing issues—from the immediate tragedy of a school shooting to the broader challenges of public health policy and climate change. With insightful interviews and expert analyses, the podcast provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the current socio-political landscape, underscoring the complexities and interconnections of these pivotal topics.

For ongoing updates and detailed reporting, listeners are encouraged to follow the Apple News app.