The reason Americans aren’t having more babies
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What is the reason Americans aren't having more babies?
Good morning. It's Monday, May 5th. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, at 94 years old, Warren Buffett is stepping down. The Trump administration's plan to convince more Americans to have babies and a little history behind tonight's Met Gala theme. But first, the trial of Sean Combs, the music mogul known as Diddy, starts today.
What are the charges against Sean Combs?
He faces federal charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. Prosecutors say he ran a criminal enterprise that included kidnapping, drugging, and threatening women into sexual activity. Combs denies all the accusations against him, and last week he turned down one last chance at a plea bargain. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Recently, the New Yorker profiled one of the lawyers on his defense team, a man named Brian Steele. He first got on Combs' radar after defending the rapper Young Thug in a racketeering case. Last fall, Steele helped Young Thug secure a plea deal for probation and community service, far better than the alternative, which could have been decades in prison.
Who is Brian Steele and what is his role in Combs' defense?
He told me that he likes to take on the most challenging cases possible.
Charles Bethea spent around four months reporting on Steele's career and courtroom style for The New Yorker.
He also doesn't seem interested in the money and the sort of toys that come with the millions of dollars he's paid to do this work. His work ethic is legendary. I mean, I talked to dozens of attorneys, including rivals, who ultimately admitted that he works harder than anyone they've ever encountered in the practice of law.
And Bethea told us Steele seems to have almost the opposite values of Combs, or at least the public's perception of Combs, who branded himself as a bad boy. Steele, meanwhile.
He's something of a Boy Scout. He won't curse, even when reading from court transcripts. He's remarkably kind and generous in the course of his daily life. I witnessed him stopping to pick up trash while jogging, offering food to homeless people outside the grocery store.
What makes Brian Steele a unique lawyer?
I kept trying to find skeletons in his closet during my reporting, but I didn't find anything more scandalous than a parking ticket.
Bethea says that reputation might help Combs in the courtroom.
Steele's polite, principled, even formal approach to defense may help a jury see Combs in a better light than a more sort of classic, slick, pugnacious defense attorney would. He might also cross-examine some of Combs' accusers with his kind of gentle and sympathetic touch, which I witnessed during another recent trial of his
The list of witnesses has not yet been made public. But according to CNN, former sexual partners, a business associate, and a male sex worker are among those expected to appear. So is Combs' ex-girlfriend, the singer Cassie Ventura. A video of Combs brutally attacking her in a hotel back in 2016 was made public by CNN last year. The New Yorker also mentions other lawyers on Combs' legal team, including Mark Agnifilo. In the past, he's represented Keith Ranieri, the founder of the NXIVM sex cult, and Martin Shkreli, the so-called pharma bro. He is also, along with his wife, Karen Friedman Agnifilo, currently representing Luigi Mangione, who's charged in the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO.
Jury selection starts today, and opening arguments are next week. Now to billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who is stepping down from his role as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway after 60 years with the company. In a surprise announcement at the company's annual meeting over the weekend, Buffett said he's recommending that his vice chairman, Greg Abel, take the mantle next, starting in 2026. The time has arrived where...
Greg should become the chief executive officer of the company at year end.
On Sunday, the board of directors approved Abel as his successor and voted to keep Buffett on as chairman of the board next year. Buffett told the crowd over the weekend, although he won't be the final word on business matters, he remains loyal to the company.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the reason Americans aren't having more babies?
0:05–0:39
2
What are the charges against Sean Combs?
0:39–1:21
3
Who is Brian Steele and what is his role in Combs' defense?
1:21–2:18
4
What makes Brian Steele a unique lawyer?
2:18–4:51
5
What was Warren Buffett's recent announcement?
4:51–9:21
6
How does Warren Buffett view Trump's trade policies?
9:21–10:42
7
What is the significance of Buffett's legacy in investing?
10:42–14:38
Speakers
5 identifiedMore from Apple News Today
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