S. Korea President, Texas Abortion Lawsuit, Coffee Prices

Summary

Up First from NPR – December 14, 2024: Detailed Summary

Hosted by Scott Simon and Ayesha Rascoe

NPR’s Up First delivered a comprehensive update on three major stories of the day: the impeachment of South Korea’s president, a Texas lawsuit targeting abortion medication prescriptions, and a significant surge in coffee prices due to adverse weather conditions in Brazil. Below is a detailed summary capturing the key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

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1. Impeachment of South Korea’s President

Overview: South Korea’s President Yoon Seung Yeol faced impeachment following his controversial attempt to impose martial law earlier in the month. This political turmoil has significant implications for both South Korea’s democracy and its relationship with the United States.

Key Points:

• Martial Law Attempt and Public Backlash:

  • On December 3rd, President Yoon declared martial law in an effort to quell opposition from political adversaries. However, this move was swiftly reversed within hours due to widespread public outrage.
  • Scott Simon [00:03] introduced the topic: “South Korea's president has been impeached.”
  • Ayesha Rascoe [00:05] detailed the president’s struggle against political opponents: “Earlier this month, he tried to impose martial law as he struggled against his political opponents in the government.”

• Parliamentary Vote and Public Reaction:

  • The South Korean National Assembly voted 204 to 85 in favor of impeachment, marking a clear mandate against President Yoon’s actions.
  • Thousands of protesters celebrated outside the parliament building following the vote announcement.
  • Anthony Kuhn, NPR’s correspondent in Seoul, provided further context [02:25]: “Yoon's original rationale for martial law...never really resonated beyond his base of conservative supporters.”

• Constitutional Process and Future Leadership:

  • With Yoon’s official duties suspended, Prime Minister Han Deok Soo is serving as acting president.
  • The Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide on the impeachment, and if upheld, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.
  • Kuhn [03:48] explained the constitutional procedures and potential outcomes.

• Impact on Democracy and US-South Korea Relations:

  • The impeachment reflects the resilience of South Korea’s democratic institutions despite recent crises.
  • Concerns arise regarding military vulnerabilities and the country’s ongoing technically state of war with North Korea.
  • Kuhn [05:03] highlighted the potential strain on US-South Korea relations, noting Yoon’s role in forging a coalition with the US and Japan to address regional security concerns.

Notable Quotes:

• Anthony Kuhn [03:44]: “It seems that way. One thing that happened was that Yoon tried to hand power over to his ruling party... for a while, people were not really sure who was leading South Korea.”
• Kuhn [05:10]: “Yoon was instrumental in forging a three way coalition of the US, Japan and South Korea to help deter North Korea...”

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2. Texas Sues New York Doctor Over Abortion Medications

Overview: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against a New York doctor for prescribing abortion medication to a Texas resident. This legal battle underscores the ongoing tensions between states with strict abortion laws and those protecting reproductive rights.

Key Points:

• Details of the Lawsuit:

  • The lawsuit targets a New York doctor accused of violating Texas law by providing abortion-inducing drugs to a pregnant Texas woman, resulting in hospital complications.
  • Despite the absence of criminal charges, the civil suit seeks up to $250,000 and aims to prevent the doctor from continuing such prescriptions in Texas.
  • Ayesha Rascoe [06:04] introduced the story, followed by Alyssa Nadworny [06:29], who elaborated on the lawsuit’s specifics.

• Shield Laws and Legal Protections:

  • New York’s shield laws protect abortion providers from criminal prosecution and civil claims, enabling them to prescribe abortion medications via telehealth across state lines.
  • Nadworny [07:16] explained that at least eight Democrat-controlled states have similar protections, though these laws have yet to be tested in court.

• Positions of New York Authorities:

  • The New York Attorney General and Governor Kathy Hochul have vowed to defend their providers against Texas's legal challenges.
  • Nadworny [08:06]: “New York will protect our providers from unjust attempts to punish them for doing their job.”

• Impact on Access to Abortion Services:

  • The lawsuit could set a precedent affecting telehealth abortion services, potentially limiting access for women in states with restrictive laws.
  • Organizations like the Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine emphasize the growing reliance on telehealth for accessing abortion medication, especially post-Dobbs decision.
  • Nadworny [09:38]: “Telehealth has made it much easier for people to access abortion medication...”

Notable Quotes:

• Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General [06:30]: “In Texas, we treasure the health and lives of the mothers and babies. And this is why out of state doctors may not illegally and dangerously prescribe abortion-inducing drugs to Texas residents.”
• David Cohen, Law Professor [08:34]: “Texas is essentially trying to test what the state of New York is going to do with respect to defending the actions of this doctor who was providing legal care in the state of New York.”

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3. Surge in Coffee Prices Due to Drought in Brazil

Overview: Coffee enthusiasts face rising prices as severe droughts in Brazil, one of the world’s largest coffee producers, disrupt harvests. This environmental challenge, exacerbated by climate change, has led to significant market volatility affecting both producers and consumers.

Key Points:

• Harvest Disruptions in Vietnam and Brazil:

  • Abnormal weather patterns, including droughts and heavy rains, have severely impacted coffee harvests in Vietnam and Brazil, driving up bean prices.
  • Alina Selyuk, NPR’s contributor, detailed the initial drought in Vietnam followed by excessive rainfall that hampered coffee production [11:39].

• Impact on Coffee Types and Prices:

  • The price of Arabica coffee has surged by 70% this year, while robusta coffee prices have doubled.
  • Selyuk [12:20]: “The most common coffee, that’s called Arabica, jumped 70% this year. The price of the other type of coffee, called Robusta, at one point doubled in price.”

• Market Dynamics and Speculation:

  • Coffee markets are influenced not only by physical supply constraints but also by financial speculators who drive prices based on anticipated shortages.
  • Selyuk [13:30]: “Coffee markets are complicated...Many traders are just financial speculators...”

• Consumer Impact and Future Outlook:

  • Price increases are already evident at grocery stores and coffee shops, with brands adjusting prices to cope with higher raw coffee costs.
  • Selyuk [14:27]: “Brands like Nescafe, Maxwell House...have all had waves of price increases.”
  • Despite rising costs, demand for coffee remains strong, indicating consumers are willing to absorb higher prices to maintain their habits.
  • Selyuk [15:21]: “The markets will probably eventually calm down...Maybe it’s the days of cheap coffee that are over.”

Notable Quotes:

• John Cassette, Royal Coffee [12:20]: “Once they started harvesting the coffee...it just didn’t happen. It really freaked people out.”
• Selyuk [14:11]: “Historically, adjusted for inflation, we’ve actually been paying pretty low prices for a pound of coffee. So maybe it’s the days of cheap coffee that are over.”

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Conclusion

This episode of Up First provided insightful coverage of significant global and national issues, from political upheaval in South Korea and legal battles over reproductive rights in the United States, to the economic repercussions of climate change on everyday commodities like coffee. By presenting expert analysis and firsthand accounts, NPR ensures listeners are well-informed about the events shaping our world.

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Notable Mentions:

• The episode also commemorated the passing of African American poet Nikki Giovanni, highlighting her contributions through past conversations.
• Behind-the-scenes acknowledgments were given to the production team, emphasizing the collaborative effort in delivering quality journalism.

For more detailed discussions and updates on these stories, listeners are encouraged to tune into NPR’s Up First daily broadcasts.

Transcript

[Scott Simon]

South Korea's president has been impeached.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Earlier this month, he tried to impose martial law as he struggled against his political opponents in the government.

[Scott Simon]

I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And I'm Ayesha Rascoe. And this is up first from NPR News. Thousands of protesters outside the parliament building cheered when the measure was passed.

[Scott Simon]

The impeachment has significant implications for US Foreign policy. Will have more on that story.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Plus, Texas sues a New York doctor for prescribing abortion medication to a Dallas woman.

[Scott Simon]

And coffee prices soar after a bad drought hits Brazil.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend.

[Anthony Kuhn]

This message comes from BetterHelp. This holiday season, do something for a special person in your life. You give yourself the gift of better mental health. BetterHelp online therapy connects you with a qualified therapist via phone, video or live chat. It's convenient and affordable and can be done from the comfort of your own home. Having someone to talk to is truly a gift, especially during the holidays. Visit betterhelp.com NPR to get 10% off your first month. This message comes from NPR sponsor Mint Mobile. From the gas pump to the grocery store, inflation is everywhere. So Mint Mobile is offering premium wireless starting at just $15 a month. To get your new phone plan for just $15, go to mintmobile.com switch this message comes from NPR sponsor ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation. AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into. Enter ServiceNow. It puts AI to work for people across your business, providing intelligent tools to help remove frustration and supercharge productivity. And all of that is built into a single platform you can use right now. That's why the world works with ServiceNow. Learn more at servicenow.com AI for people. This message comes from NPR sponsor Shopify, the global commerce platform that helps you sell and show up exactly the way you want to customize your online store to your style. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at shopify.com NPR South Korean.

[Scott Simon]

President Yoon Seung Yeol declared martial law 11 days ago, only to reverse his order hours later in the face of public outrage.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The political crisis threatened to pull an established democracy back to its days of military rule.

[Scott Simon]

And Pierce Anthony Kuhn joins us now from Seoul. Anthony, thanks for being with us.

[Anthony Kuhn]

My pleasure, Scott.

[Scott Simon]

Parliament has tried to impeach Yun. Just a week ago, how did the vote go this time? Why was it different?

[Anthony Kuhn]

Well, this time, all lawmakers in South Korea's parliament called. The national assembly voted. The vote ended up 204 to 85. Here's what it sounded like when the vote was announced in the main chamber. Of course, there's a lot of celebrating in the streets as well. Now, Yoon's original rationale for martial law was that opposition politicians who were sympathetic or in league with North Korea were paralyzing the government. But he never really stood that charge up. It never really resonated beyond his base of conservative supporters. And it became clear that there was no war or breakdown of public order or anything that legally justified martial law. And as his ministers and generals were arrested or questioned, it became clear that Yoon and not his subordinates were the one who was the one who was orchestrating martial law.

[Scott Simon]

Anthony, how does South Korea choose a new president now?

[Anthony Kuhn]

Well, Yoon's official duties have already been suspended and South Korea's Prime Minister, Han Deok Soo will stand in as acting president. Next, South Korea's Constitutional Court will have 180 days to reject or uphold the impeachment. If they uphold it, Yoon will be officially removed from office and a new election for president will have to be held within 60 days.

[Scott Simon]

Has South Korea's democracy passed a stress test? Is there lasting damage?

[Anthony Kuhn]

It seems that way. One thing that happened was that Yoon tried to hand power over to his ruling party, said, I'm not going to manage things. They will. But experts said that's an unconstitutional arrangement. So for a while, people were not really sure who was leading South Korea. And so many top generals were suspended from their duties. There was also concern about military vulnerability. The country technically remains at war with North Korea. I think South Korea's public image has taken somewhat of a beating. This is a country that with the US co hosted a summit for democracy. And yet here was its leader trying to use the military to roll back people's civil rights. And you know, a lot of people are celebrating right now, people who wanted UN impeached. But I think the sense you get from living here is that this has been a very stressful, even traumatic, 11 days for South Koreans.

[Scott Simon]

And how does it affect the US South Korean relationship and shared policy goals?

[Anthony Kuhn]

Well, publicly at least, the US said it was relieved that Yoon's declaration of martial law was lifted. But I think privately, Biden administration officials have got to be absolutely exasperated that Yoon shot himself in the foot. Because Yoon was instrumental in forging a three way coalition of the us, Japan and South Korea to help deter North Korea, support Ukraine, enforce export controls on China, all these policy goals. Then again, think about this. Yoon is likely to be replaced by a liberal, North Korea friendly administration and if the Trump administration and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un want to do the diplomatic dance again, South Korea could help broker some diplomacy.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Anthony Kun, thanks so much for being with us.

[Anthony Kuhn]

Thank you, Scott.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago, out of state doctors have been prescribing abortion medication to patients in states with strict abortion laws.

[Scott Simon]

A new lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenges that practice, as well as the shield laws that blue states pass to protect their doctors. NPR's Alyssa Nadworny covers reproductive rights and joins us now. Thanks for being with us.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

Good morning.

[Scott Simon]

What does the lawsuit say?

[Alyssa Nadworny]

So the lawsuit accuses a New York doctor of violating Texas law by providing the two drugs used in an abortion to a pregnant patient living in the state. And the suit says this 20 year old woman who received the pills ended up in a hospital with complications. There aren't any criminal charges involved. It's a civil suit, but it seeks up to $250,000 and aims to stop the doctor from continuing to provide abortion medications to patients in Texas. In in a statement, Ken Paxton, the Texas ag, said, quote, in Texas, we treasure the health and lives of the mothers and babies. And this is why out of state doctors may not illegally and dangerously prescribe abortion inducing drugs to Texas residents.

[Scott Simon]

The patient in question received pills under a shield law. Tell us more about that shield law.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

So at least eight Democrat controlled states have enacted these shield laws like the one in New York. They give abortion providers some protection from criminal prosecution, civil claims, extra tradition, things like that, but the laws have yet to be tested. So this case essentially pits a state with a near total abortion ban against the state with laws that not just protect abortion rights, but specifically protect doctors in the state from prescribing pills to people in other states through telehealth. So Texas is essentially trying to test what the state of New York is going to do with respect to defending the actions of this doctor who was providing legal care in the state of New York.

[Scott Simon]

And Alyssa, what is New York's position?

[Alyssa Nadworny]

Well, the New York attorney general released a statement saying that New York will, quote, protect our providers from unjust attempts to punish them for doing their job. The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, who signed the state shield law, said in a statement she will do everything in her power to enforce the laws of New York State. David Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University who helped craft that New York law, talked to me yesterday. Here's his take on the legal wrangling between the states, the courts of Texas.

[Anthony Kuhn]

Are going to try and force the doctor in New York to participate in the lawsuit and they don't have jurisdiction over her. So they have to get the New York courts to try and cooperate and the New York courts are not going to cooperate.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

And yet despite that, anti abortion groups are already celebrating the legal challenge.

[Scott Simon]

And Alyssa, what do we know about the doctor in this case?

[Alyssa Nadworny]

So the New York doctor is one of the founders of an organization called Abortion Coalition for Telemedicine. They help pass shield laws and offer support for providers doing telehealth abortions. In a statement they said that the Texas attorney general was, quote, prioritizing his anti abortion agenda over the health and well being of women. Now, Scott, it's worth noting that telehealth has made it much easier for people to access abortion medication. Like even after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which struck down Roe v. Wade, the number of abortions in the US has gone up. About a fifth are now via telehealth. And then you break that down further. Medication sent by shield law providers now accounts for as many as 12,000 prescriptions a month.

[Scott Simon]

And how could this case potentially affect women in getting access to abortion medication?

[Alyssa Nadworny]

Well, you know, long term worry for abortion rights supporters is that this case ends up in federal court and it has the possibility of making it harder for women in states with bans to get abortion pills by mail. But for now, nothing changes. I talked to Angel Foster about this. She runs the Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project. They call it the map to be more discreet. They operate under Massachusetts shield law. They have four OB GYNs that prescribe abortion medication to people no matter which state they live in.

[Alina Selyuk]

We knew it was coming.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

Obviously it's disappointing and it's a little scary and it's not unexpected. She says the only impact to her organization is that they're going to talk to their lawyers more. Just yesterday they mailed about 150 pills to people all across the country. The largest number went to Texas. And they predict they'll end up sending about 3,000 pills to people, mainly in states with bans this month alone.

[Scott Simon]

NPR's Listen Ed Warnie, thanks so much.

[Alyssa Nadworny]

You bet, Scott.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Did you know coffee is the second most popular beverage in the US after water?

[Scott Simon]

To some of us we only the only form of water I drink is in coffee, as a matter of fact, Aisha.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And for me I just drink a lot of Coca Cola. But I am thinking of all the millions of coffee drinkers out there because this week coffee prices on the futures market hit Their highest level in nearly half a century. We invited NPR's Alina Selyuk here to explain what's going on. Welcome to the podcast.

[Scott Simon]

Hello.

[Alina Selyuk]

Hello. Can you guess what I brought?

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Did you bring some coffee to keep you going?

[Alina Selyuk]

Brought my latte.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Okay, you brought your latte. What is happening with coffee prices?

[Alina Selyuk]

Yes, coffee prices have soared, and it all started with problems with harvests first in Vietnam and then in Brazil. These are the two topics. Top growers of the most common types of coffee beans. And the culprit was abnormal weather, which many in the industry attribute to climate change. I talked to some longtime importers of green coffee. That's raw beans. One of them is John Cassette from Royal Coffee in California. And he says, first you had Vietnam with a serious drought followed by heavier rains than usual, and that drove up prices for the bean that grows there and already had people scrambling to switch to the bean that grows in Brazil. And then Brazil had one of the worst droughts on record. Here's Cassette.

[Anthony Kuhn]

Once they started harvesting the coffee, it's kind of nice to have dry weather when you're harvesting, but as soon as it's done, you want it to start raining, you know, get the soil moisture up and initiate flowering. And it just didn't happen. It really freaked people out.

[Alina Selyuk]

Eventually it did rain, but farmers later said a lot of the damage was irreversible. And so the price of the most common coffee, that's called Arabica, jumped 70% this year. The price of the other type of coffee, called robusta, at one point doubled in price. Both cost more than they ever did.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Arabica and robusta. How different are these?

[Alina Selyuk]

Yeah, so they have different flavor based on where they grow. What I have here in my cup is Arabica. It is the most common. Brazil is the biggest grower. And this coffee grows at higher altitudes. It has a softer, sweeter taste. And that's what you find often in your roast coffee, your ground coffee, Robusta, grows at lower elevation. Vietnam is the biggest grower. And this bean has a harsher, more bitter taste. It's used a lot for instant coffee.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Oh, okay. I think my mom drinks something like that. But back to the prices. Okay. Was it just the irreversible damage to harvest that drove up the cost?

[Alina Selyuk]

You know, coffee markets are complicated. Like all commodities, many of the traders actually need the physical coffee, the bags of beans. But many traders are just financial speculators. They're trying to game the price change. You know, buy cheaper, sell higher, and everyone bets on how much they think beans will cost. In the future. And so when people think those beans won't grow or there won't be enough, those who need those beans, scramble speculators, go nuts, and it all only spirals the price further, which is what's happened. And it doesn't help that this week, one of the world's biggest coffee traders made a forecast that arabica coffee like I have here could see supply decline by nearly a quarter in the next cycle.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Okay, so now we've been talking about record prices on the futures market. But I don't buy coffee at the futures market. Right, you buy it at the grocery store or at Starbucks. So how is this going to translate?

[Alina Selyuk]

So I'm sorry to say those prices have already been rising. If you shop at the supermarket, brands like Nescafe, Maxwell House, Folgers, Dunkin, they've all had waves of price increases. They've cited higher cost of the green raw coffee at your local coffee shop. It really depends. Depends on how they source their products. But yes, likely they're feeling the pressure to raise prices and they're just trying to assess how to do that without scaring away shoppers. But fact of the matter is, as a world, we are drinking more and more and more coffee, so demand has not waned so far. People so far have been willing to pay those higher prices for their coffee habit. The markets will probably eventually calm down. Importers I talked to pointed out, historically, adjusted for inflation, we've actually been paying pretty low prices for a pound of coffee. So maybe it's the days of cheap coffee that are over.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

That's probably bad news for coffee drinkers, but we gotta give it to you straight, no cream and sugar here. That's NPR's Alina Selyuk. Thank you so much.

[Alina Selyuk]

Thank you.

[Scott Simon]

And that's up first for Saturday, December 14th, 2024. I'm Scott Simon.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And I'm Ayesha Rascoe.

[Scott Simon]

Our producer is Martin Patience, with help from Danny Hensel, Andrew Craig, Chris Thomas, and Gabe O'Connor.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

Our director is Michael Radcliffe.

[Scott Simon]

Our editors are Katharine Laidlaw, Emily Kopp, Shannon Rhodes, and Matthew Sherman.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

J. Siz is our technical director, with engineering support from Zach Coleman, David Greenberg, and author Holiday Laurent.

[Scott Simon]

Evie Stone is our senior supervising editor. Sarah Lucy Oliver is our executive producer.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

And Jim Cain is our deputy managing editor. He also did a lot of editing this week.

[Scott Simon]

Really? I wondered what he was doing tomorrow. On the Sunday Story from Up first.

[Ayesha Rascoe]

The celebrated African American poet Nikki Giovanni passed away this week at the age of 81. We remember her and her work with a conversation between her and NPR host Rachel Martin earlier this year.

[Scott Simon]

And for more news, interviews, sports and music, you can tune into Weekend Edition on your radio. You can go to stations.NPR.org to find your local NPR station.

[Rachel Martin]

This message comes from NPR sponsor Lisa Good sleep should come naturally, and with the new Natural Hybrid mattress, it can. A collaboration between Lisa and West Elm, the Natural Hybrid is expertly crafted from natural latex, natural wool and certified safe foams to elevate your sleep sanctuary and support a greener tomorrow. Plus, every purchase helps fuel Lisa's work with shelters and those in need. Visit Lisa.com to learn more. That's L E E S A dot.

[Anthony Kuhn]

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[Rachel Martin]

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