Apple News Today — Episode Summary

Episode Title: The Surprising Reason Many Fossil-Fuel Companies Support EPA Rules
Host: Shumita Basu
Date: August 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores three major stories making headlines:

1. Israel’s aggressive advances in Gaza and the occupied West Bank
2. The dire, overlooked civil war in Sudan
3. Why some major fossil-fuel businesses and trade groups surprisingly support the EPA’s authority on greenhouse gas regulation
   Additional quick news includes new U.S. redistricting fights, a Russian drone attack in Ukraine, and how artificial light affects urban birds.

Israel’s New Moves in Gaza and the West Bank

Timestamps: 00:05–03:56

• The Israeli government continues two controversial plans amid international backlash:
  • A new military offensive to take control of Gaza City, currently holding about half of Gaza’s population.
  • Approval of the E1 settlement plan, which would divide the West Bank and diminish prospects for a Palestinian state.

Key Insights and Quotes

• UN warns of famine and potential mass displacement in Gaza.
  • Oren Lieberman, CNN:
    “The UN has just warned that this operation will lead to more death and destruction in Gaza because you have to move so many people, many of whom are suffering from malnutrition, starvation or other diseases or illnesses or frankly, injuries.” [01:35]
• The E1 settlement is viewed by Israeli leadership as an attempt to undermine the possibility of a Palestinian state.
  • Oren Lieberman:
    “He blatantly said he views this as the erasure of the Palestinian state.” [02:46]
  • Lieberman:
    "It separates the north of the occupied West Bank from the south and then it cuts off East Jerusalem, the future capital of a Palestinian state in the eyes of the international community and the UN, from what would be the rest of the country." [02:54]
• Growing domestic unrest within Israel, with large anti-government protests and warnings from the military about the risk to hostages and further destabilization.
  • “Repeated polls have shown that a majority, and in some cases an overwhelming majority of the country, support a deal to release the hostages and end the war.” [03:36]

The Overlooked Civil War in Sudan

Timestamps: 03:56–07:29

• The Sudanese conflict, raging since 2023, continues to devastate civilians with minimal international engagement and media attention.
• Over 12 million people have been displaced—more than in Gaza and Ukraine combined.
• Official UN reports now confirm famine in parts of the country, with risks of severe expansion if the war continues.

Key Insights and Quotes

• Anne Applebaum (The Atlantic) on the conflict's vacuum:
  "What's happened in Sudan is the breakdown of the state, the breakdown of a kind of social order. But that vacuum hasn't been filled by people trying to create a solution or people trying to make peace. It's been filled by other parties, other countries in the region trying to take advantage of the situation." [05:02]
• Lack of international leadership or mediation, as the US withdraws aid and diplomatic engagement, worsening the humanitarian crisis.
  • Anne Applebaum:
    “There's nobody who's stepping in to mediate, nobody who's trying to say, wait, let's stop, let's try and fix this. Nobody who's got the clout to pull the sides apart, certainly not the UN, not the US which is barely there, not Europeans.” [05:43]
• Heartbreaking on-the-ground consequences:
  • Applebaum, recounting a pediatrician's words:
    “We still have [Plumpy Nut] and we're very careful with it and we don't waste it, we just use it. You know, we use it only for these children. I had this moment of really horrible shame, you know, that somebody like that should be explaining to me that he doesn't waste food for malnourished children when there are malnourished children in a room 100 yards away from us.” [06:49]

Why Many Fossil-Fuel Companies Support EPA Greenhouse Gas Rules

Timestamps: 07:29–09:29

• The EPA’s push to relinquish federal authority over greenhouse gas emissions has unexpectedly met resistance from fossil-fuel companies and industry groups.
• Reason: Federal standards provide legal protection for companies, shielding them from a patchwork of state and local lawsuits.

Key Insights and Quotes

• Michael Copley (NPR climate correspondent): “Although companies often complain federal rules are too strict, many of them still prefer having the EPA set standards because it helps to shield them from lawsuits at the local.” [08:11] “One of the defenses that industry has made in those cases successfully in some instances, is to say it is the federal government that ultimately has the authority to deal with climate pollution, not state courts.” [08:28] “What companies want is predictability and consistency. They don't want to have to meet different regulations in every state that they operate. And so having sort of a national standard is good for businesses.” [09:17]
• Recent legal precedent backs this up:
  • In a South Carolina case, a judge cited federal authority as grounds for dismissing a climate lawsuit against oil companies. [08:57]
• Major industry groups (e.g., the American Petroleum Institute, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, Edison Electric Institute) went on record supporting continued federal regulation. [09:29]
• Deregulation is also creating political rifts inside the Republican party, between business interests that want regulatory certainty and ideological camps pushing for less federal oversight. [09:29]

Other Noteworthy Headlines

Timestamps: 09:29–end

• US Congressional Redistricting Battles
  • California and Texas push rival plans to alter maps and shift Congressional seat majorities.
  • Political maneuvering driven by both Democratic and Republican leaders.
• Ukraine War
  • Russian drone strike hits US factory in western Ukraine; 15 injured.
  • Diplomatic progress and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia remain stalled.
• Impact of Urban Light on Birds
  • Study finds city birds sing at night about an hour more than their rural counterparts due to light pollution.
  • Larger-eyed species are most affected; potential ecological consequences are discussed.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Anne Applebaum’s emotional encounter in a Sudanese hospital:
  “I had this moment of really horrible shame, you know, that somebody like that should be explaining to me that he doesn't waste food for malnourished children when there are malnourished children in a room 100 yards away from us.” [06:49]
• Michael Copley on business and legal predictability:
  “What companies want is predictability and consistency. They don't want to have to meet different regulations in every state that they operate. And so having sort of a national standard is good for businesses.” [09:17]

Listen Further

• For a deeper dive, check out Shumita Basu’s extended conversation with Anne Applebaum on the Sudan conflict, available in the Apple News app.

This summary captures the main events, analysis, and memorable moments from the August 22, 2025 episode of Apple News Today.