Loading summary
Transcript7 lines
- [00:00]
Dr. Horton Advertiser
Your new beginning starts now. Dr. Horton has new construction homes available in Ellensburg and throughout the greater Seattle area. With spacious floor plans, flexible living spaces and home technology packages, you can enjoy more cozy moments and sweet memories in your beautiful new home. With new home communities opening in Ellensburg and throughout the Seattle area, Dr. Horton has the ideal home for you. Learn more@drhorton.com.au Dr. Horton, America's builder and Equal Housing Opportunity Builder.
- [00:35]
Hannah Jewell
Florida is planning to end school vaccine mandates. That's where we're starting the seven from the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Thursday, September 4th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. Yesterday, Florida's Surgeon General, Joseph Latapo announced plans to end all state vaccine mandates. That includes the shots required for children to attend school. At a news conference, Latapo described the mandates as slavery, and he said this your body.
- [01:14]
Joseph Latapo
Your body is a gift from God. What you put into your body, what you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and your God. I don't have that right. Government does not have that right.
- [01:32]
Hannah Jewell
The move will require legislative action, but if lawmakers sign off on it, Florida would become the first state to completely withdraw from a practice that's credited with boosting vaccination rates and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. It comes as the Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Have been pushing to upend U.S. vaccine policy. Kennedy is scheduled to testify before a congressional committee today about upheaval at the cdc. Last week, the White House fired the CDC director. That spurred the resignation of senior agency leaders. In protest, a judge ruled that the Trump administration cannot withhold funding from Harvard. That's number two. Let's recap this one. Months ago, the Trump administration accused Harvard of allowing antisemitism to flourish on campus. Officials made demands for change at the university, demands that Harvard leaders reject it. The government then decided to withhold billions of dollars in federal funding from the country's oldest university. So Harvard sued. Yesterday, a judge ruled that the Trump administration's freeze of federal research funding was unconstitutional and said it amounted to retaliation. She canceled the grant freezes and barred the government from freezing or terminating grants in the future for similar reasoning. The ruling is likely to be appealed by the government. Number three, Jeffrey Epstein's accusers told their stories at the U.S. capitol yesterday. About a dozen accusers of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein joined House lawmakers for a news conference in D.C. together, they are pushing for the Justice Department to release all of its files related to its investigations into Epstein. In emotional testimony before a crowd of hundreds of people, the women recounted how they were lured as teenagers into an elaborate sex trafficking operation run by Epstein. This is Liz Stein, she said she was 21 years old when she met Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
- [04:02]
Liz Stein
I was once bright, fun, outgoing and kind. I loved people and people genuinely enjoyed being around me. But after meeting Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, it felt like someone shut off the lights to my soul.
- [04:20]
Hannah Jewell
Some of the victims said they would be compiling their own list of Epstein's clients and associates who they encountered in his orbit. President Trump has repeatedly urged people to move on from the matter. Yesterday, he called the focus on Epstein a hoax that never ends. Number four, Texas passed a bill to allow people to sue abortion pill prescribers. The sweeping new legislation was passed by the Texas Senate yesterday. It allows private citizens to sue companies and individuals who manufacture or distribute abortion pills to patients in Texas. Winning plaintiffs would get a minimum of $100,000 in damages. The measure is intended to stop the flow of pills from blue states. In eight Democratic led states, abortion providers can prescribe and mail abortion pills to patients across the country under shield laws. Those are designed to give them legal cover from out of state prosecution. But under this new Texas bill, doctors, drug distributors and even package delivery services could be targeted with lawsuits. The measure is expected to be signed by Governor Greg Abbott. A hot mic captured Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping discussing immortality. That's our fifth story. The Russian president and Chinese leader attended a military parade in Beijing yesterday. China was showing off its advanced new weapons. But a fascinating conversation between the leaders about living forever has captured just as much attention after it was caught on a hot mic through their interpreters. She said, in the past, people rarely lived to be 70. But today they say that at 70 you're still a child. Putin, through a Chinese translator, responded, people can keep getting organ transplants. And he said, you might look younger as you live and you might even achieve immortality. She then said, some predict that in this century humans may live up to 150 years. And then they shared a little chuckle. The conversation was broadcast on Chinese state media. Searches for 150 years were then censored on the Chinese social media site Weibo Foreign. The new NFL season kicks off tonight. The long wait is over for lovers of professional football. The defending super bowl champions, the Eagles, will host their rival, the Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia. And it's good news for the Eagles. They're looking like the NFL's best team once again. As for the Cowboys, they just traded One of the NFL's best young players, that's defensive star Micah Parsons, to the Green Bay Packers. Then tomorrow, the Kansas City Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers in Brazil. Something new. That game will be broadcast on YouTube. And if that's not enough to satisfy you, There are then 13 games on Sunday, followed by Monday Night Football. So I wish all you football fans a lovely weekend. I will think of you sitting on your couches with a crisp can of beer, shouting woo. At your televisions. And at number seven, you should avoid spending so much time on the toilet scrolling your phone. Phones are now a bathroom companion for most people. A 2022 study found that 65% of Americans said they used their phones on the toilet. But according to a new study that is linked to a health risk, hemorrhoids. The study found that smartphone users spend significantly more time on the toilet than others. Researchers said the distraction leads to longer toilet sessions and that, dear listeners, leads to the increased risk of hemorrhoids. One expert recommends her patients spend only five to 10 minutes on the toilet and avoid bringing their cell phones into the bathroom. So by my calculations, the seven podcast is the perfect length to entertain you for one toilet visit. Don't forget to wash your hands. All right, you're all caught up for your next listen. The latest episode of Post Reports is truly fascinating. It's about what happens when fake AI celebrities modeled on people like Timothee Chalamet, Chapel Roan and Patrick Mahomes chat to teenagers. Our reporters take a deep dive into this brave new world of AI chatbots. Find Post Reports wherever you listen to podcasts. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.
- [10:00]
Washington Post Subscriber Ad Narrator
Think about why you listen to podcasts. It's like having a friend who makes you think or can help you wind down right? Well, the Washington Post has a lot of people you can turn to at any hour. You can read the most important and interesting stories. We can help you cook something delicious. Give you advice on a tricky friendship. Rave about a movie or book that you shouldn't miss. When you become a Washington Post subscriber, you have a companion for whatever part of your day needs it most. Get it all for just $4 every four weeks. That's for an entire year. After that, it's just $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. Go to washingtonpost.com subscribe that's washingtonpost.com subscrib.