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Israel Strike in Qatar, Kids’ Health Plan & ‘iPhone Air’ - Wednesday, September 10, 2025
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The news to know for Wednesday, September 10, 2025! We’re discussing how the war in the Middle East might have expanded with an unprecedented attack. Also, new health advice for American children that's being called “historic.” And why...
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Today is Wednesday, September 10th. We're talking about how the war in the Middle east may have expanded with an unprecedented attack. Also, new health recommendations for American children that are being called historic. And why experts think a growing number of American high schoolers don't have basic reading and math skills. And hint, it's not just the pandemic. Plus data showing the job market might be struggling more than we thought. Apple's latest reveals, including the skinniest iPhone ever and the newest Girl Scout cookie inspired by ice cream. Those stories and even more news coming up. Welcome. Welcome to the Newsworthy. All the day's news in around 10 minutes. Fast, fair, fun and on the go. I'm Erica. Mandy, thanks so much for being here. You ready? Let's do this. This week, Israel launched an airstrike over the capital of Qatar, taking the war to another American ally. Senior Hamas officials were having a meeting there and they were the target. The strike came after Hamas claimed responsibility for a shooting in Jerusalem earlier this week that killed six Israelis. Well, the terror group says their leaders in Qatar all survived, but some people affiliated with the group were killed. And now Israel is dealing with the diplomatic fallout. Qatari officials called it a blatant violation of all international laws and norms and said their country has a right to respond, though at this point it's not clear how they might do that. The U.K. france, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt and others also condemned Israel's actions. President Trump wrote on Truth Social that he feels badly about the location of the attack since Qatar is, as he put it, bravely taking risks with us to broker peace. But he also said eliminating Hamas was a worthy goal. Qatar's prime minister says the US warned his government an attack was coming 10 minutes after it already happened. At this point, it's not clear what this all means for the future of ceasefire talks, since Qatar has been a key mediator. But for now, Israel is going ahead with an expanded military operation in Gaza. Just yesterday, Palestinians in Gaza City were ordered to evacuate. To be continued in South Asia, Nepal is now dealing with some of the worst unrest in decades. Yesterday, crowds set fire to the parliament and Supreme Court in the country's capital, other government buildings and political leaders. Homes were also attacked all around the country, as well as hotels and airports. And during the chaos, 900 inmates managed to escape from two prisons. The unrest started when the government tried to ban social media platforms. The ban was actually lifted on Monday, but by then protests had grown into a massive movement that quickly turned violent. 22 anti corruption protesters died in clashes with police and at that point, some protesters went on a rampage. Nepal's minister stepped down, along with four cabinet ministers. Now it's not clear who will replace him or exactly what's going to happen next, especially since protesters haven't spelled out any demands. The country's military ended up taking charge last night, deploying troops in Nepal's capital. Stay tuned. Back in the U.S. the Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration, this time, letting the president freeze $4 billion in foreign aid. For now, the order is temporary and will just be withheld while the high court keeps considering the broader case to decide whether Trump has the authority to claw back money lawmakers already approved. The White House says yes, since it impacts foreign policy. Challengers say no, not without going through Congress first. But it's under a deadline, since at least some of the billions of dollars are set to expire at the end of the month. So expect to hear about this again soon. By the way, the Supreme Court also decided to take up the centerpiece of President Trump's economic agenda. We're talking about tariffs. Earlier this year, a federal trade court and a federal appeals court found some of Trump's tariffs were against the law. The White House appealed to the Supreme Court, and now the court says it will hold arguments. In November, President Trump signed an executive order calling for pharmaceutical ads to face more oversight. And with that, the FDA started cracking down. It sent thousands of warning letters and about 100 cease and desist letters to drug companies. Plus, the health department is planning to end a guidance that's been around since the 90s. It says drug makers are allowed to list only the major side effects on TV ads, while posting fuller information elsewhere, like online. That same guidance now applies to social media influencer posts and telehealth advertising. But not for long. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has long criticized drug advertising, saying the ads have hooked Americans on prescription drugs and have made media beholden to drug makers. But one industry group defends the advertising, saying it helps patients make better informed decisions about their treatment options. Either way, the health department is not totally banning the ads like RFK Jr wanted. For now, it says it just wants them to be more transparent and accurate. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Released the government's strategy to, as he puts it, make America Healthy Again, aka MAHA. The new MAHA report includes 128 ideas, all meant to tackle a rise in chronic disease in children. It first listed a few factors possibly driving kids chronic disease, like poor diet, chemical exposure, not enough physical activity, chronic stress, and over prescribing medicines to children but the MAHA report is somewhat vague on the next steps. As many reports point out, it doesn't call for direct restrictions on pesticides and ultra processed foods, even though RFK Jr. Has called them major threats. And critics say some parts of the strategy are at odds with actions the White House has already taken. For example, the report calls for offering whole healthy food through the government funded SNAP nutrition program, but President Trump signed legislation to significantly cut SNAP funding. The MAHA report also suggests prioritizing research on poor water and air quality, but the Trump administration has cut research funds and loosened pollution regulations. Of course, there are plenty of other ideas too. Like it says the government will consider limiting the way companies market unhealthy foods to kids. It will update the US Dietary Guidelines. And the report says the government will come up with policies for, quote, modernizing American vaccines and ensuring scientific and medical freedom. Those are just a few of the takeaways from the report that also mentions autism, mental health, drugs for kids, microplastics, food additives, farming practices, sunscreen, infant formula and more. We have more news for you still coming up, but first, let's take a break for our sponsor. The right outfit can make you feel great, but the right foundation layer that can take your confidence to the next level. When I have a special event coming up, like a wedding or a big night out, Honeylit Honeylove Shapewear is what I trust. It smooths and supports in all the right places so my dress or skirt can lay perfectly and I don't have to spend the night worrying about adjusting anything. Honeylove's targeted compression is designed to work with your body, not against it. It gives shape where you want it, but still feels flexible enough to wear for hours. I can move, sit, dance and just feel comfortable, which is not something I ever expected to say about shapewear. The designs also have a beautiful look, so they feel elegant and well made. Treat yourself to the most comfortable shapewear on earth and save 20% off site wide@honeylove.com Newsworthy Use our exclusive link to get 20% off honeylove.com Newsworthy after your purchase, we'll ask you where you've heard about them. So please support our show and tell them we sent you. Experience the new standard in shapewear with honeylove. Now back to the news. American students are struggling on what's considered to be the nation's gold standard of testing. The report, known as the Nation's Report Card, shows us high schoolers are reading and learning math at historic lows. That's especially true for 12th graders who saw their lowest scores in more than 20 years. Specifically, the report shows almost half of high school seniors are now testing below basic levels in math and reading. Another key issue raised in the report is many kids aren't going to all of their classes. The number of absent students in schools have been rising in all age groups since the pandemic, but experts say falling scores cannot just be attributed to COVID 19. Educators say there are other possible factors like screen time, shortened attention spans and a drop in reading and long form writing both in and out of school. Education Secretary Linda McMahon calls the findings devastating and says it shows why the Trump administration wants big changes to give states more control over education spending. Democrats, though, disagree, saying Trump's effort to uproot the federal Education Department will only make the problem worse. They're calling for more federal investment instead. Either way, educators say it's important for parents to stay engaged and regularly check in with kids and their teachers about assignments and absences. A massive operation spanned 23 states and resulted in more than 600 arrests. The drug Enforcement Administration was behind it, targeting the Sinaloa drug cartel. The DEA says it's one of the world's most violent and powerful cartels and it's responsible for flooding the US with fentanyl, cocaine, heroin and meth. Well, during the operation, authorities seized a massive drug haul, hundreds of firearms and nearly $13 million in cash and assets. The DEA says it won't stop until a cartel is dismantled from top to bottom. It has a long way to go since it estimates tens of thousands of Sinaloa members, associates and facilitators are now working in at least 40 countries. But the DEA administrator says this latest operation is worth celebrating that quote, every kilogram of poison seized, every dollar stripped from the cartels and every arrest we make represents lives saved and communities defended. Apple held its highly anticipated annual event this week and announced a new collection of iPhones. It includes the iPhone Air. Apple says it's the thinnest iPhone ever and also the most durable. Plus, just like in years past, Apple is teasing better cameras, longer lasting batteries and more. It will cost about $1,000. The company also unveiled the iPhone 17 that apparently has a brighter, more scratch resistant screen and improved artificial intelligence features. And that one is $800. Apple's AirPods and watches will also have a range of new features. For example, the AirPods will offer workouts and real time translation. The watch will have more health features and a bigger display. Pre orders have already begun and all the new products will be available to buy next Friday, the Girl Scouts are adding a new cookie to their lineup. It's called the Expl, and it's inspired by Rocky Road ice cream. The organization says it includes flavors of chocolate, marshmallow and toasted almond flavored filling. Explore Mores will be available to buy nationwide during the next cookie season that runs from January to April 2026. Of course, fan favorites like Thin Mints and Samoas will also be making their return. And as always, proceeds from each box stay with local troops and councils to fund programs, experiences and learnings throughout the year. Well, that's it for the Maine News today. So now it's time for Work Wednesday when we break down one interesting career or work related story every Wednesday. But first, a quick break for our sponsor. Lunch and dinner at home don't have to be boring or a big time consuming project that you have to plan days in advance. With CookUnity, I can enjoy chef crafted meals where the chefs hand pick their ingredients to get the freshest seasonal flavors. And yet I don't even have to leave my house or spend much time at all. Meals are delivered fully cooked, so I just heat up in as little as 5 minutes. Quinoa crusted salmon, a Moroccan chickpea and feta bowl and a Mediterranean shrimp grain bowl are just a few of the examples of dinners and lunches I never would have made on my own. But I really enjoyed and could feel great about eating. Who knew I could get that much variety in flavors and nutrition in just a regular work week. There's no shopping, no cooking, no cleanup. Just heat up in minutes and enjoy a meal that balances flavor and nutrition and frees up my time. Fuel your day with the freshest, best tasting meal delivery made by award winning chefs. Go to cookunity.com newsworthyfree or enter the code Newsworthy Free before checkout for Free Premium Meals for Life. That's free Premium Meals for Life by using the code Get Newsworthy Free or going to cookunity.com newsworthy free okay, now back to work Wednesday. So it turns out American employers are adding far fewer jobs than originally reported. The US Labor Department put out revised statistics yesterday that show the economy likely added close to a million fewer jobs in 2024 and early 2025 than first tallied. That's the largest such revision ever recorded. The update is actually a routine step for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, AKA the bls. Every year it checks its monthly jobs numbers that come from a sampling of employers, and it compares them to much more complete data from state tax records. This time, the Trump administration is raising concerns the number crunchers could be politically motivated. Not everyone agrees with that. But remember, President Trump fired the head of the BLS a few weeks ago. And now the White House says the latest data proves two things. One, that former President Biden's economy was a disaster, and two, that, quote, the BLS is broken. The White House also took the opportunity to criticize the leader of the Federal Reserve, saying he's keeping the labor market from growing. The Fed is making a key decision on interest rates next week, and it's expected to start making cuts. Speaking of the Fed, President Trump is still trying to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations, but yesterday a judge blocked him from doing so, at least while she's fighting her removal. So she'll join other governors and Fed bank presidents who will be voting next week. Stay tuned. Thank you so much for listening today and for sharing the show. If you found it valuable, we'll be back tomorrow with the latest news. Until then, have a great day.