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Gideon Resnick
Good morning. It's Monday, January 6th. I am Gideon Resnick in for Shamita Basu. Hope you had a great holiday season. This is Apple News today. Coming up on today's show, remembering Jimmy Carter, a new warning about alcohol and how to prepare for the cross country winter storm. But first, today, Congress will formally certify Donald Trump's presidential election victory. Despite a snowstorm that's closed federal offices in D.C. congress will still meet. And USA Today reports that the certification process is expected to go smoothly with no reports of threats to the process. But just four years ago, it was a very different story. That is the sound of Trump's support attacking the U.S. capitol on January 6, 2021, as they tried to stop the certification of that presidential election. One protester was shot and killed. About 140 police officers were injured in what the Justice Department has called possibly the largest single day mass assault of law enforcement in American history. Today's certification is expected to be without incident. No one is publicly contesting the results for one. And after the riot four years ago, Congress passed an updated version of what is called the Electoral Reform Act. It makes it clear that the vice president, in this case, Kamala Harris, does not have any power to determine the results of certification. It also makes it more difficult for a member of Congress to make an impactful objection. And there are now more security measures in place. Still, some of those on the front lines of the attack in 2021 remain haunted by that day. NPR visited with the family of Brian Sicknick. He was a Capitol Police officer who was sprayed with a chemical substance as he defended the building from rioters. Sicknick died of multiple strokes the following day. Sicknick's father told NPR that the conspiracy theories that followed the day's events have led him to distance himself from others.
Brian Sicknick's Mother
I have lifelong friends that I don't associate with anymore because of what happened, you know, to them it's not a big deal because it wasn't their son.
Gideon Resnick
You know, Sicknick's mother told NPR she's worried Trump may pardon the people who were convicted of crimes on January 6th.
Brian Sicknick's Mother
What I'm very upset about that might happen is that he's going to let all these people out of jail. It's just not right.
Gideon Resnick
The president elect has not specified who of the more than 1500 charged in the attack may end up getting pardons, but he has said that he might issue them as soon as his first day in office. Let's turn our focus now from the upcoming president to the legacy of a former one. All of this week, Americans are honoring former President Jimmy Carter, who died at the age of 100. Over the weekend, his body was transferred from his hometown of Plains, Georgia, to Atlanta, where he will lie in repose at the Carter Presidential center until Tuesday. From there, Carter will be Transferred to Washington, D.C. to Lyon State, and a national funeral service will be held on Thursday. At a service this past Saturday, Carter's son, Chip Carter, spoke about working on his father's peanut farm as a young boy, where he learned the value of hard work. And he praised both of his parents for the sacrifices they made for their family and the country.
Chip Carter
He was an amazing man, and he was held up and propped up and soothed by an amazing woman. And the two of them together changed the world. And it was an amazing thing to watch from so close.
Gideon Resnick
Over the past few days, there have been many remembrances of Carter's time as president. He accomplished historic things like negotiating the Camp David Accords and brokering the return of the Panama Canal to Panama. But he also lost public support as the country struggled with inflation, high gas prices and the threat of a recession. And he faced severe criticism for his handling of the Iran hostage crisis. But perhaps Carter's biggest legacy will be what he did after the presidency, particularly with the Carter center, which he and his wife, Roslyn, founded. Here's Carter's grandson, Jason Carter, thanking the people who work at the Carter center this past weekend.
Jason Carter
Your expertise, your track record will continue to drive a world where people can participate in free and fair and credible elections. A world where the rule of law and human rights are respected and enjoyed not just by some people, but by everyone. A world where kids don't go blind from preventable diseases like trachoma.
Gideon Resnick
CNN has a roundup of just how impactful the Carter center has been. It's observed more than 100 elections in dozens of countries and worked to end tropical diseases. One of Carter's biggest life goals was to eradicate guinea worm. He made it a top mission for his organization and traveled to Africa more than 40 times after his presidency to work with public health leaders, politicians and donors to lobby people to this cause. When the Carter center began this work in 1986, guinea worm disease infected 3.5 million people. By 2022, there were just 13 cases reported in the world. In 2002, Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts. Here he is accepting that award.
Jimmy Carter
War may sometimes be a necessary evil, but no matter how necessary, it is always evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other's children.
Gideon Resnick
As for how he wants to be remembered, here's what Carter told CBS News in 2018 well, I would say as.
Jimmy Carter
Far as public service is concerned, I was a champion of peace and human rights. I've sought to carve out for myself a productive and I hope, useful and certainly a gratifying life. I've been very lucky.
Gideon Resnick
It's that time of year again when people in your life might be embarking on dry January. And this year there might be even more good reason to abstain from alcohol.
Vivek Murthy
There is a causal link between alcohol and seven types of cancer, including breast cancer and colon cancer.
Gideon Resnick
That's U.S. surgeon General Vivek Murthy talking on CNN.
Vivek Murthy
What we also found is that alcohol is now the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, behind smoking and obesity.
Gideon Resnick
Last week, Murthy issued an advisory noting that alcohol, which is classified as a carcinogen, contributes to 100,000 cancer cases and 20,000 cancer deaths every year, and called for more awareness about the links to cancer, particularly female breast cancer.
Vivek Murthy
What is also clear is that the majority of Americans do not know about this link between alcohol and cancer, and it's one of the reasons. One of the many things I'm calling for, in addition to more public education around this, is for the warning label on alcohol containers to be updated to include cancer risk.
Gideon Resnick
Now, currently there are health warnings on alcohol bottles, but they warn of the risks of drinking while pregnant and while driving, and that warning has not changed since its inception in 1988. Murthy says it's time for updates, given how much more we know now about alcohol and its effects on our health. But updating those warning labels isn't easy. It would require an act of Congress.
Vivek Murthy
It's also worth keeping in mind that in 1964, when the surgeon General issued the first report on tobacco and its relationship to cancer, the very next year Congress passed legislation calling for and placing a warning label on cigarette boxes. So we have an opportunity to take that kind of action here as well.
Gideon Resnick
It's unclear how the next administration or the next Congress would react to this proposal. Stat explains that President Elect Donald Trump seems to have mixed feelings on the issue. On the one hand, he personally does not drink because his brother died of alcohol use disorder, and his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Also gave up alcohol decades ago. But in his last term, Trump cut alcohol taxes, a win for the industry if the US did include a cancer warning label. They would join only a small group of countries doing the same, including South Korea and Ireland. Before we let you go, a few other stories being featured in the Apple News app. Dangerous weather is sweeping across the nation over the next few days as winter storms wreak havoc on travel and everyday life. 70 million people are under severe weather alerts, with another 4 million under blizzard warnings. Multiple states have declared states of emergency. The National Weather Service has a handy guide on how to prepare if your area is affected. They say to be sure you have a flashlight, batteries, a generator, fuel and a weather radio to receive updates in case your area loses power, heat or phone service. And if you have a pet, be sure to bring them inside and stock up on extra pet food. Another big tip, be aware that alternate heating sources like generators can lead to greater levels of carbon monoxide poisoning. Be sure you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and keep generators at least 20ft from your home. And finally, if you do have to be outside, bundle up. Temperatures are expected to drop 10 to 30 degrees below average across the central and eastern US and you can get frostbite from being outside with exposed skin in just 10 minutes. Now to new developments in the terror attack in New Orleans on New Year's day that killed 14 people. The FBI says the suspected driver of a truck that plowed into a crowd of people had visited the French Quarter two times before to stake out the area. The suspect also used a pair of meta smart glasses to record where the attack took place. Shamsu din Jabbar, a 42 year old Texas native, allegedly also planted a series of ied, or improvised explosive devices around the area, but officials said Sunday they had failed to go off. In a recorded video before the attack, Jabbar, an Army veteran, said that he had joined the terrorist group isis. He's believed to have acted alone. And finally, last night was Hollywood's first major award show of the year, the Golden Globes, which honors both movies and television. Comedian Nikki Glaser hosted the event, becoming the first woman to solo host the awards. Here's how she opened her monologue.
Nikki Glaser
Good evening and welcome to the 82nd Golden Globes, Ozempic's biggest night. If you're watching on CBS, hello. If you're watching on Paramount, just you have six days left to cancel your free trial.
Gideon Resnick
Big winners of the night included the FX television series Shogun, which took home awards for best Male Actor, best Female Actor, best Supporting Male Actor, and Best TV Drama. The LA Times reports it's the most expensive production in FX history and the HBO show Hacks was named best series. On the comedy side. As for movies, the Brutalist won for best Motion Picture drama and Amelia Perez won best Motion Picture comedy or musical. 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 that's coming up next. Bloomberg Business Week has a sweeping investigation into the global fertility industry and how women around the world are often taken advantage of. If you're listening in the podcast app, you can follow Apple News Narrated to find that story. And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.
Podcast Summary: Apple News Today – Why Alcohol May Be Worse for Our Health Than You Thought
Release Date: January 6, 2025
Host: Gideon Resnick (in place of Shamita Basu)
Gideon Resnick opens the episode by addressing the formal certification of Donald Trump's presidential election victory by Congress. Despite a significant snowstorm that has led to the closure of federal offices in Washington, D.C., the certification process is proceeding smoothly without any reported threats. Resnick contrasts today’s calm with the turmoil of January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters violently attacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to halt the certification. He highlights the changes implemented since then, including the Electoral Reform Act, which limits the Vice President's role in certification and makes it harder for objections to impact the process.
Notable Quote:
"Today's certification is expected to be without incident. No one is publicly contesting the results."
— Gideon Resnick [00:37]
Resnick also shares the poignant reflections of Brian Sicknick’s family, emphasizing the lasting emotional scars from the 2021 events.
Notable Quote:
"What I'm very upset about that might happen is that he's going to let all these people out of jail. It's just not right."
— Brian Sicknick's Mother [02:30]
The podcast transitions to honoring the late former President Jimmy Carter, who passed away at the age of 100. Resnick details the arrangements for Carter’s final journey from Plains, Georgia, to Washington, D.C., where a national funeral service will take place. He shares personal anecdotes from Carter’s family, highlighting his dedication to hard work and his profound impact on both his family and the nation.
Notable Quote:
"He was an amazing man, and he was held up and propped up and soothed by an amazing woman. And the two of them together changed the world."
— Chip Carter, Jimmy Carter’s Son [03:43]
Resnick reviews Carter's presidential achievements, such as the Camp David Accords and the return of the Panama Canal, as well as challenges like economic struggles and the Iran hostage crisis. He emphasizes Carter’s post-presidency contributions through the Carter Center, focusing on global health initiatives and election monitoring.
Notable Quote:
"Your expertise, your track record will continue to drive a world where people can participate in free and fair and credible elections."
— Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter’s Grandson [04:35]
Additionally, Resnick highlights Carter’s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance remarks, underscoring his lifelong commitment to peace and human rights.
Notable Quote:
"War may sometimes be a necessary evil, but no matter how necessary, it is always evil, never a good."
— Jimmy Carter [05:46]
As January ushers in Dry January, Resnick pivots to public health concerns regarding alcohol consumption. He features U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s alarming findings on the link between alcohol and cancer.
Murthy reveals that alcohol is causally linked to seven types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, and is now the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, following smoking and obesity.
Notable Quote:
"Alcohol is now the third leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, behind smoking and obesity."
— Vivek Murthy [07:03]
Murthy criticizes the lack of public awareness about these risks and advocates for updated warning labels on alcohol containers to reflect the cancer risks, drawing a parallel to the 1964 tobacco warning labels.
Notable Quote:
"What is also clear is that the majority of Americans do not know about this link between alcohol and cancer."
— Vivek Murthy [07:27]
Resnick discusses the political challenges of implementing these changes, noting President Elect Donald Trump's mixed stance on alcohol-related policies. While Trump personally abstains from alcohol and his pick for the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also does not drink, Trump's previous decision to cut alcohol taxes poses potential conflicts with public health initiatives.
Notable Quote:
"In 1964, when the surgeon General issued the first report on tobacco and its relationship to cancer, the very next year Congress passed legislation calling for and placing a warning label on cigarette boxes."
— Vivek Murthy [08:05]
Resnick provides a comprehensive overview of the severe winter storms affecting the United States, impacting 70 million people with additional areas under blizzard warnings. Multiple states have declared states of emergency as citizens face travel disruptions and daily life challenges.
He shares essential preparation tips from the National Weather Service:
Resnick reports on the latest developments regarding the terror attack in New Orleans that occurred on New Year’s Day, resulting in 14 fatalities. The FBI has identified the suspected driver, Shamsu din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texas native and Army veteran, who allegedly used a truck to plow into a crowd and planted improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that failed to detonate.
Jabbar had previously visited the French Quarter to scout the area and was recorded in a video expressing allegiance to ISIS. Authorities believe he acted alone in this attack.
The episode wraps up with coverage of the Golden Globes, Hollywood’s first major award show of the year. Comedian Nikki Glaser made history as the first woman to solo host the event, delivering a memorable opening monologue.
Notable Quote:
"Good evening and welcome to the 82nd Golden Globes, Ozempic's biggest night. If you're watching on CBS, hello. If you're watching on Paramount, just you have six days left to cancel your free trial."
— Nikki Glaser [11:07]
Resnick highlights major winners:
Gideon Resnick concludes the episode by directing listeners to the Apple News app for comprehensive coverage and additional stories, promising to return with more news updates the following day.
End of Summary