Italy to elect far-right leader, Hurricane Ian update: 5 things podcast
From today’s episode of the 5 Things podcast: Russian police arrest hundreds during mobilization protests
Dissent hits the streets in Russia. Plus, Italy elects a far-right government, journalist Celina Tebor looks at legal human composting, Tropical Storm Ian could become a serious hurricane, and journalist Marina Pitofsky talks about Rosh Hashanah.
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Hit play on the player above to listen to the podcast and follow the transcript below. This transcript was auto-generated and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be differences between audio and text.
Taylor Wilson:
Hello. I’m Taylor Wilson and here are 5 things you need to know Monday, September 26, 2022. More protests in Russia today as dissent hits the streets. In addition, a far-right government is coming to Italy and more.
Here are some of the main titles:
- The British pound fell to a historic low against the US dollar. The currency has lost more than 5% of its value against the dollar since Friday.
- At least six people are dead and 20 injured after a school shooting in central Russia. A pattern is unclear.
- And there are only two 3-0 teams in the NFL. The Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles are always perfect. The New York Giants at 2-0 could join them with a win tonight.
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The United States again warns Russia of the consequences if nuclear weapons were used in Ukraine. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ yesterday: “If Russia crosses this line, there will be catastrophic consequences for Russia. The United States will respond decisively. In private channels, we explained in more detail exactly what that would mean.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he did not believe Putin was bluffing when he said last week that using whatever force necessary would be justified.
Meanwhile, protests continued across Russia this week after President Vladimir Putin announced a new military mobilization, something of a draft. Russian police arrested nearly 750 people on Saturday.
Taylor Wilson translates for a Russian protester:
“Tell me, why are you taking me? Why ? Why are you taking her? Why ?
Taylor Wilson:
The New York Times reports that Russia is also trying to force Ukrainians in certain regions to fight against their own country. And the Institute for the Study of War says Russia may be on the verge of coercing Ukrainian POWs into fighting for Russia.
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Italy appears to be on track for its first far-right-led national government since World War II. The Brothers of Italy, a party with neo-fascist roots, won the most votes in national elections with most votes counted. Its leader, Giorgia Meloni, is set to become the country’s first female prime minister. Yesterday she talked about bringing pride back to Italy.
Taylor Wilson translating for Giorgia Meloni:
Those who dream of a proud Italy are not afraid. Those who want to be proud of their nation, its people, its flag again.
Taylor Wilson:
Although seen as a Euro-skeptic, Meloni is pro-NATO and will likely support Ukraine’s continued arms supply as it fends off the Russian invasion. It can, however, separate itself from much of Europe on migration. Meloni called for a naval blockade to prevent migrant boats from leaving North Africa. Meloni is chairman of the right-wing conservative and reformist European group in the European Parliament, which includes Sweden’s Democrats, who have just won big in elections there with pressure to limit immigration.
Turnout in Italian elections hit a historic low of 64%. Pollsters have suggested voters have been left at home with a lack of motivation after behind-the-scenes deals created three governments since previous elections.
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California is the fifth state to legalize human composting after Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Vermont. Proponents say the process is a more environmentally friendly option than casket burials and cremation. And experts say it’s no different from many cultures’ traditional practices of bringing a body down to the ground. National reporter Celina Tebor has more with producer PJ Elliot.
Celina Tebor:
I would say that human composting is a relatively new burial practice, so it’s not very common yet. Cremation and casket burials are still very popular options. In my report, I spoke to two funeral homes. One of them has a waiting list of over 1000 people who have signed up to do human composting after they die. And the other funeral home I spoke with, since it was legalized a year ago in Colorado, that funeral home has done about 30 human composting processes in the last year.
PJ Elliot:
So what are the benefits of going this route over a traditional burial?
Celina Tebor:
Yes, so most people I spoke to said it was a really good option for people who want to make sure they are stewards of the environment. I think it’s a decision a lot of people make to align themselves with their morals of environmentalism, but there are also more practical benefits to going that route rather than something more typical. It can be much cheaper than a casket burial. These can run into the tens of thousands, so they can be quite expensive. Human composting costs an average of around $7,000 and it’s also much more environmentally friendly. For example, in 2017, the Paris Municipal Government Funeral Services Unit found that the greenhouse gas emissions of standard coffins and headstones are roughly equal to the carbon footprint of a car traveling more of 2,400 miles. And cremation has a big carbon footprint too. This equates to approximately one car driving nearly 700 miles. And cremation also releases toxic pollutants into the air like nitrogen dioxide and mercury.
PJ Elliot:
Well, let’s get into the process of it all. How is it made? How do these funeral homes handle composting?
Celina Tebor:
Yeah, so it depends on the company, but there are a few funeral homes I’ve spoken to that do, and basically what happens is the body is placed in a container. It can be metal or wood, and over time it breaks down and is placed in there with other materials to help with this process. So one funeral home I spoke to, their process takes about 30 days because I think they handle the body a bit more and turn it over so it can decompose. But another funeral home I spoke with, their human composting process takes about four to six months. And then after that process is complete you are left with a ton of land and the family of the deceased loved one they either have the option of taking the land or they can choose to give it back to the land and the funeral home will plant this soil somewhere for the family.
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Taylor Wilson:
Tropical Storm Ian continues to gain strength. Ian was about 400 miles from Cuba last night and is expected to reach hurricane status this morning. And as it approaches Florida, AccuWeather said the storm could reach Category 4 status, which means sustained winds between 130 and 156 miles per hour. State Governor Ron DeSantis told residents to stock up on food and supplies, but it was too early to see if the storm would make landfall. The National Hurricane Center, however, has already issued a tropical storm watch for the lower keys of Florida. NASA also canceled a launch scheduled for tomorrow due to the storm.
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Rosh Hashanah began yesterday at sundown and will continue until tomorrow evening. The New Year celebration is the only Jewish holiday that lasts two days, both inside and outside Israel. PJ Elliott spoke with journalist Marina Pitofsky to find out more.
Marina Pitofsky:
Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important holidays for the Jewish people across the country and around the world. It’s the Jewish New Year. This translates from Hebrew to the kind of head of the year, and it is the start of a kind of period of reflection for the Jews before another very important holiday in the coming weeks, Yom Kippur.
PJ Elliot:
So how is it celebrated?
Marina Pitofsky:
Thus, some Jews will go to the synagogue or other places of worship, recite special prayers, sing special songs. Some will meet for festive meals with friends and family, eat certain foods that represent a good new year, a good start to the year, things like that.
Giorgia Melon:
Well, let’s get to food. What are some of the traditional foods for the holidays?
PJ Elliot:
Probably the most traditional, at least for some groups in the United States, is apples and honey, which together represent a sweet new year. Another really classic example is the round challah. Challah is a kind of braided bread that is very, very common in Jewish holidays. It’s eaten in a sort of round loaf on Rosh Hashanah to represent the cycle of the year, starting the year over, things like that.
Giorgia Melon:
What else should people know about Rosh Hashanah that they may not know or have never heard of?
PJ Elliot:
Yeah, maybe just as I was talking to rabbis and other Jewish educators about this year’s Rosh Hashanah celebrations, many of them are really excited that this year brings a return to more normal celebrations and on a large scale that we have seen in the past as the celebrations in 2020 and even 2021 have been very twinned due to the pandemic.
Taylor Wilson:
Thank you for listening 5 things. You can find us every morning here, wherever you get your audio. Thanks to PJ Elliott for his great work on the series, and I’m back tomorrow with 5 more things from USA TODAY.
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