
Plus, an A.I. judge at the X Games.
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Tracie Mumford
From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracie Mumford. Today's Thursday, January 23rd. Here's what we're covering. Donald Trump's dramatic steps to reshape the federal government are causing upheaval across the board. At the Department of Health and Human Services, a memo went out temporarily prohibiting the release of any public communication unless it's reviewed by a Trump administration appointee first. That includes any new health guidance or notices from agencies like the Centers for Disease Control or the Food and Drug Administration. They are essentially muted over at the National Security Council, which is tasked with dealing with crises around the world. The staff were told yesterday to pack up, go home and wait to see if they'd be invited to apply to get their positions back. Trump's national security advisor has said anyone who's brought back will be, quote, fully aligned with Trump's America first agenda. And at the State Department, which Trump has called the deep State Department, insinuating that it's full of people working against him, dozens of senior officials have cleared out faster than usual and many don't have replacements yet. Trump has also put a stamp on the hiring process for new federal employees. Yesterday, he revoked a long standing policy banning discrimination in government hiring. Lyndon Johnson put it in place back in the 1960s during the Civil rights movement. Trump has said that he wants to return to what he calls a merit based and colorblind system. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Republicans have been meeting to try and figure out how to pay for President Trump's ambitious agenda. The immigration crackdown and tax cuts that he's promised voters are enormously expensive. Even just extending the tax cuts he pushed during his first term would cost the government $5 trillion. So lawmakers are passing around a 50 page list of potential options that basically has everything they can think of to offset Trump's sweeping proposals. They could tax people who get perks at work, like free gym memberships. That could raise about $20 billion. They could tax all college scholarships and fellowships to generate 54 billion. Or they could put in place a work requirement for Medicaid recipients that would cause hundreds of thousands of people to lose coverage and save the government about 100 billion. The list is a political minefield, and narrowing it down will be a challenge. Many of the proposals would hurt low income Americans to help pay for tax cuts, which largely benefit the wealthy. And there's a group of hardline Republican lawmakers who say they won't support any new proposals that would add to the national debt. Still, Republicans are hoping to come to a consensus around one major bill that will bundle Trump's priorities along with the measures needed to pay for them. They would then likely use a process called reconciliation to push it through Congress without needing any democratic support. Foreign.
Adam Rasgan
My colleagues and I spoke to people in the west bank this week who said just after the ceasefire came into effect in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces were moving in large numbers into the northern West Bank.
Tracie Mumford
My colleague Adam Rasgan has been covering the new military operation Israel's now carrying out in the occupied West Bank. Nearly 3 million Palestinians live in the territory, along with half a million Jewish settlers. Israel's turned its attention specifically to the city of Jenin, which it raided a dozen times in the last year. The Palestinian health ministry says 10 people have been killed so far.
Adam Rasgan
The city of Jenin has long been a bastion of militancy, but over the past four years the number of militants and the sophistication has grown. Members of Islamic Jihad and Hamas and other groups have taken up arms. They say they're fighting Israel's occupation, but Israel says these people are terrorists and they've carried out a number of attacks against both Israeli soldiers and civilians. Every time there's a major operation by the Israelis, there's enormous impact for civilians. And in the past, when the Israeli military has raided Jenin, they've left behind a trail of destruction, damaging roads, ripping up water lines in sewage systems in what it says is an effort to neutralize improvised explosive devices. The mood in Jenin is very tense. People are wondering how long this operation will last. It's upended thousands of residents lives. Many are unable to reach their homes, and they're wondering whether they'll expand to other parts of the west bank and grow in intensity and scale.
Tracie Mumford
There's a new study out today that looks at life expectancy for adults with adhd. The findings, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, show that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have significantly shorter lifespans than people without it, around seven years shorter for men, nine years shorter for women. The study doesn't identify exactly why that's happening, but the researchers found that people with ADHD are nearly twice as likely to smoke or abuse alcohol, and they have far higher rates of self harming and suicidal tendencies. Overall, it said, adults with ADHD find it harder to manage their impulses and engage in more risky behaviors. Traditionally, a lot of the conversation about ADHD has centered around kids instead of adults, and often around whether they can focus in school. One ADHD researcher said it's now clear it should not be thought of as a childhood issue, but instead as a lifelong disorder. And finally, this was almost perfect. I'm tearing up that frontside 1080 with a tail grab.
Adam Rasgan
Wow.
Tracie Mumford
The Winter X Games start later today in Colorado. She's just gotta hang on front side 900 McTwist back to back tens Craig athletes are strapping on their snowboards at the top of the giant half pipes, and judges are getting ready to decide what's a 1620 and what's just a measly 1400. But now, for the first time, organizers are testing out what they call a potential superpower for those judges, an AI system that will kick out its own ratings. For the snowboarders, the idea is that a system of cameras and computers can track the athletes as they spin, flip and fly through the air better than the human eye can, though for now, the humans will still have the final say. The head of the X Games said the appeal is pretty simple. Sometimes humans make mistakes. It's part of a larger digital shift in sports. Electronic systems are watching for ins and outs in tennis, cameras are on the lookout for offsides and soccer, and officials in gymnastics have already been using AI to review judges scores. How far and how fast the technology will spread is still up in the air. People who love to argue with the ref or scream at the umpire might just have to get used to yelling at a computer instead. Those are the headlines today on the Daily A look at President Trump's plan to turn away from clean energy and double down on oil. That's next in the New York Times audio app. Or you can listen wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.
Podcast Summary: The Headlines
Episode: How Republicans Will Try to Pay for Trump’s Agenda, and a New A.D.H.D. Study
Release Date: January 23, 2025
Host: Tracie Mumford, The New York Times
Tracie Mumford opens the episode by detailing President Donald Trump's significant efforts to overhaul the federal government, leading to widespread disruptions across various departments.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
A recent memo now requires all public communications, including health guidance from agencies like the CDC and FDA, to be reviewed by a Trump administration appointee before release. This effectively silences these agencies.
"At the Department of Health and Human Services, a memo went out temporarily prohibiting the release of any public communication unless it's reviewed by a Trump administration appointee first." [00:37]
National Security Council (NSC):
The NSC staff have been instructed to pack up and await potential invitations to apply for their positions again. Trump's National Security Advisor emphasized that reinstated staff must be "fully aligned with Trump's America first agenda."
"Trump's national security advisor has said anyone who's brought back will be, quote, fully aligned with Trump's America first agenda." [02:15]
State Department:
Referred to disparagingly by Trump as the "deep State Department," there has been a significant exodus of senior officials, with many positions remaining vacant.
"At the State Department, which Trump has called the deep State Department, insinuating that it's full of people working against him, dozens of senior officials have cleared out faster than usual and many don't have replacements yet." [02:45]
Federal Hiring Practices:
Trump revoked a long-standing policy from the 1960s, established during the Civil Rights Movement under Lyndon Johnson, that banned discrimination in government hiring. He advocates for a "merit-based and colorblind system."
"Trump has said that he wants to return to what he calls a merit based and colorblind system." [03:15]
As President Trump pushes forward with an immigration crackdown and proposed tax cuts, Republicans on Capitol Hill are grappling with the substantial costs involved.
Cost of Tax Cuts:
Extending the tax cuts from Trump's first term is estimated to cost the government approximately $5 trillion.
"Even just extending the tax cuts he pushed during his first term would cost the government $5 trillion." [03:50]
Potential Funding Proposals:
Lawmakers are considering a 50-page list of options to offset these expenses, including:
"They could tax people who get perks at work, like free gym memberships. That could raise about $20 billion." [04:10]
"They could tax all college scholarships and fellowships to generate 54 billion." [04:20]
"Or they could put in place a work requirement for Medicaid recipients that would cause hundreds of thousands of people to lose coverage and save the government about 100 billion." [04:30]
Political Challenges:
Many proposed measures disproportionately affect low-income Americans to fund tax cuts benefiting the wealthy. Additionally, a faction of hardline Republicans opposes any new proposals that would increase the national debt.
"Many of the proposals would hurt low income Americans to help pay for tax cuts, which largely benefit the wealthy. And there's a group of hardline Republican lawmakers who say they won't support any new proposals that would add to the national debt." [04:35]
Path Forward:
Republicans aim to consolidate Trump's priorities with necessary funding measures into a single major bill, likely utilizing the reconciliation process to pass it through Congress without Democratic support.
"Republicans are hoping to come to a consensus around one major bill that will bundle Trump's priorities along with the measures needed to pay for them. They would then likely use a process called reconciliation to push it through Congress without needing any democratic support." [04:50]
Adam Rasgan reports on Israel's intensified military activities in the occupied West Bank, particularly focusing on the city of Jenin.
Context and Impact:
Approximately 3 million Palestinians and half a million Jewish settlers reside in the West Bank. Israel has conducted numerous raids in Jenin over the past year, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 people as reported by the Palestinian health ministry.
"The Palestinian health ministry says 10 people have been killed so far." [04:28]
Militant Activity:
Jenin remains a stronghold for militant groups like Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which have become more sophisticated and numerous over the past four years. While these groups claim to fight against Israeli occupation, Israel labels them as terrorists responsible for attacks on soldiers and civilians.
"Members of Islamic Jihad and Hamas and other groups have taken up arms. They say they're fighting Israel's occupation, but Israel says these people are terrorists and they've carried out a number of attacks against both Israeli soldiers and civilians." [04:20]
Civilian Consequences:
Israeli raids often result in significant destruction, including damaged infrastructure like roads and water lines, purportedly to eliminate improvised explosive devices. The ongoing operations have created a tense atmosphere in Jenin, disrupting thousands of lives and raising fears of potential expansion and escalation in the region.
"Every time there's a major operation by the Israelis, there's enormous impact for civilians. ... The mood in Jenin is very tense. People are wondering how long this operation will last." [04:40]
A groundbreaking study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry highlights a concerning trend in the lives of adults diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Key Findings:
"The findings, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, show that people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder have significantly shorter lifespans than people without it, around seven years shorter for men, nine years shorter for women." [05:58]
Behavioral Insights:
Adults with ADHD often struggle with impulse control, leading to riskier behaviors that contribute to their reduced life expectancy.
"Overall, it said, adults with ADHD find it harder to manage their impulses and engage in more risky behaviors." [06:10]
Shift in Perception:
Traditionally viewed as a childhood disorder focused on academic concentration, ADHD is now being recognized as a lifelong condition requiring continuous management.
"One ADHD researcher said it's now clear it should not be thought of as a childhood issue, but instead as a lifelong disorder." [06:30]
Tracie Mumford transitions to a lighter yet technologically significant topic: the integration of Artificial Intelligence in sports judging.
AI in Action:
For the first time, the Winter X Games in Colorado are testing an AI system designed to autonomously rate snowboarders' performances. While judges will retain the final authority, the AI aims to provide more precise and consistent scores by tracking athletes' movements through advanced camera and computer systems.
"They are testing out what they call a potential superpower for those judges, an AI system that will kick out its own ratings." [07:11]
Rationale and Future Implications:
The introduction of AI addresses the occasional human error in judging and aligns with a broader trend of digital integration across various sports, including tennis, soccer, and gymnastics. The extent to which this technology will be adopted remains uncertain, but it represents a significant shift in how athletic performances may be evaluated in the future.
"Sometimes humans make mistakes. It's part of a larger digital shift in sports." [07:20]
Public Reception:
While proponents highlight the accuracy and consistency of AI, there's a speculative nod to how athletes and fans might adapt to interacting with automated systems instead of human officials.
"People who love to argue with the ref or scream at the umpire might just have to get used to yelling at a computer instead." [07:35]
Tracie Mumford wraps up the episode by teasing the next topic: President Trump's plans to move away from clean energy and increase reliance on oil. Listeners are encouraged to access the New York Times Audio app or their preferred podcast platform for future episodes.
Notable Quotes:
"Trump's national security advisor has said anyone who's brought back will be, quote, fully aligned with Trump's America first agenda." – [02:15]
"They could tax all college scholarships and fellowships to generate 54 billion." – [04:20]
"One ADHD researcher said it's now clear it should not be thought of as a childhood issue, but instead as a lifelong disorder." – [06:30]
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the major discussions and insights from "The Headlines" episode, providing listeners with a clear understanding of the topics covered without needing to engage with the full podcast.