Former President Joe Biden announced that he has prostate cancer. CNN has the latest news and reaction. Israel agreed to allow a basic amount of aid into Gaza, as it launches a new ground offensive. Meanwhile, the New Yorker’s Ruth Margalit reports that fewer Israeli reservists are showing up for service, because they are exhausted and increasingly skeptical of the government’s claims for continuing the war. There are nearly half a million open manufacturing jobs right now. Greg Rosalsky with NPR explains why the industry is having a hard time filling them. Plus, a tornado devastated Kentucky, what we know about a fertility-clinic bombing in Palm Springs, and how a Mexican navy ship crashed into the Brooklyn Bridge. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.
Chapter 1: What health diagnosis did Joe Biden receive?
But first, to the news that former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. His office released a statement yesterday which said that this was an aggressive form of the disease, but added that it appears to be hormone sensitive, which allows for effective management and that his family is reviewing treatment options.
Chapter 2: What are the implications of Biden's prostate cancer diagnosis?
Offering some details on his diagnosis, his office said he was seen last week for a new finding of a prostate nodule and diagnosed with prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone. President Donald Trump said he was, quote, saddened by the news and wished him a fast and successful recovery.
Chapter 3: What treatment options are available for Biden's condition?
Kamala Harris, Biden's former VP, said that, quote, Joe is a fighter and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. CNN's medical analyst Dr. Jonathan Reiner doesn't have special insight into Biden's health, but he went on the network to offer some context on the announcement.
The bad news is that his Gleason score, which is how the pathologists grade the aggressiveness of the tumor by looking at it under the microscope, was quite high, so a very aggressive form. The second adverse diagnostic information that we've received is the fact that it's now already metastatic to bone, so it's no longer contained in
In the prostate, you know, prostate cancer is often treated initially with removing the prostate, but that's not an issue here because the cells have already spread into other parts of the body and we're told that it's spread to the bone.
He also said there could be possible treatment options for someone in Biden's position, from cutting-edge immune therapy to more traditional chemotherapy. Biden's health was already a major subject in the news. New reporting suggests the former president's health was deteriorating while in office. There's no indication his diagnosis is linked to those claims.
Chapter 4: How has Biden's health history affected his political career?
His last publicly released physical was in February of 2024, where his longtime doctor declared him fit to serve. Biden has a long and personal history with cancer. His son Beau died of brain cancer, which helped spur him to make cancer research a personal priority for him in office. President Obama put him in charge of a moonshot initiative as vice president in 2016.
And in 2022, as president, Biden announced major new funding to tackle the disease in his State of the Union address.
This is personal to me and to Jill and to Kamala and so many of you. So many of you have lost someone you love, husband, wife, son, daughter, mom, dad. Cancer is the number two cause of death in America, second only to heart disease. Last month, I announced the plan to supercharge the cancer moonshot that President Obama asked me to lead six years ago.
Chapter 5: What recent developments are happening in Gaza?
Our goal is to cut cancer death rates by at least 50% over the next 25 years. I think we can do better than that.
Responding to Biden's health news, former President Obama said yesterday that, quote, nobody has done more to find breakthrough treatments for cancer in all its forms than Joe. And I'm certain he will fight this challenge with his trademark resolve and grace.
Now to Gaza and the desperate scenes unfolding as Israel launches an extensive new ground offensive while at the same time agreeing to resume the entry of some aid. That's the sound of a charity kitchen in northern Gaza as Palestinians rush to secure food before yesterday's announcement.
On Sunday, the Israeli cabinet agreed to allow, quote, a basic amount of food for the population to ensure that a hunger crisis does not develop. Supplies are running low and starvation has gripped the population. No food and no water was allowed to enter Gaza for 78 days.
And the UN relief chief recently surprised many with the strength of his criticism toward Israel, describing events as a 21st century atrocity.
Earlier today, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that his decision to resume limited aid to Gaza came after pressure from allies who said they wouldn't be able to support Israel as long as there were images of hunger coming out of Gaza.
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Chapter 6: Why are Israeli reservists refusing to fight?
And he said Israel's newly launched air and ground offensive aims to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and eventually take control of all of Gaza. Over 100 people were killed in airstrikes over the weekend, according to the local health ministry, and CBS reports talks between Israel and Hamas in Doha are ongoing.
As the war continues, Israel's military is having a harder time finding fighters willing to participate. Attendance rates of reservists are plummeting, and more and more soldiers are simply refusing to fight. Ruth Margoliet with The New Yorker told us about one of those reservists, Iran Tamir. He initially reported to fight after the October 7th, 2023 attack by Hamas.
He was in the United States, heard about the attacks, got on a plane, and, you know, less than 24 hours later, reported to his former base. And this was very widespread. There was a sense in Israel that this was really a war of no choice back then. But since then, things have started to change, not only for Iran, but really for many people.
In recent weeks, Israel has called up tens of thousands of reservists, including Tamir, to help expand its offensive in Gaza. But Tamir decided he wouldn't return. He published an open letter calling Israel's rhetoric around the war deceptive, specifically Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's stated goal of returning the Israeli hostages and destroying Hamas.
and, you know, many other reservists believe that that's no longer the case, that the war goals are being blurred, and that actually sort of giving up on this idea of a negotiated ceasefire in order to occupy Gaza militarily and impose military rule there. And for some government ministers, really the end goal is to see Jewish settlements in Gaza.
Margalit spoke to other members of Israel's military, including a commander, who told her he doesn't know why he's fighting anymore.
He doesn't believe in the war. He doesn't believe in what the country is doing. He said that he's very ashamed of the government and ashamed even of his country, of where it's heading. And I've heard that over and over again.
Now to the domestic manufacturing industry, which is facing a confusing problem.
It seems kind of paradoxical that both political parties have been doing a lot to bring back manufacturing jobs. And if you look at the industry, there's actually a lot of open manufacturing jobs right now.
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