Israel declares war after Hamas attacks, Afghanistan earthquake: 5 Things podcast

On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Israel has formally declared war after weekend Hamas attacks. At least 2,000 people are dead after a powerful earthquake in Afghanistan. USA TODAY Supreme Court Correspondent John Fritze talks through a case surrounding "conversion therapy," and whether the high court may take it on. Simone Biles keeps adding to her medal count. USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jessica Guynn takes a look at microaggressions against women at work.

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Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Taylor Wilson:

Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson, and this is five things you need to know Monday, the 9th of October 2023.

Today the latest after Israel declares war following a Hamas attack. Plus a major earthquake slams Afghanistan. And the Supreme Court may weigh a ban on so-called conversion therapy.

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A quickly intensifying war between Israel and Palestinian militants reached a second day yesterday with a death toll surpassing 1100 across Israel and Gaza. And the Israeli security cabinet formally declared war yesterday. At least 700 people have reportedly been killed in Israel in recent days, along with at least 400 in Gaza. Hamas militants assaulted nearly two dozen Israeli towns and army bases beginning Saturday and took hostages, including Israelis and possibly some Americans. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said yesterday that the State Department was working to verify the reports. Meanwhile, Israel has responded with airstrikes across the blockade Gaza territory. And as of last night, more than 123,000 people in Gaza were displaced due to fear about the destruction of their homes, according to the United Nations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is warning of a long war ahead and has spent part of the last few days speaking with European and other Western leaders, many of whom have expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself, according to Netanyahu. His far right government has been under fire for controversial judicial reforms that spurred mass protests this year, along with criticism centering on the treatment of Palestinian people. Israel's opposition leader Yair Lapid said he has proposed forming an emergency unity government with Netanyahu. For his part, President Joe Biden spoke with Netanyahu yesterday and assured support. The Defense Department said it was rushing warships, warplanes, and ammunition to the region in support of Israel. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh blamed Israel for the war, accusing it of "creating a climate of hatred, violence, incitement, and violating international law".

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Powerful earthquakes killed more than 2000 people in Afghanistan over the weekend. A magnitude 6.3 quake was followed by strong aftershocks on Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the country's National Disaster Management Authority. And the US Geological Survey said the quake's epicenter was about 25 miles from Herat City. Yesterday, survivors dug out of rubble in Herat while others, dead and alive, remained trapped under buildings. In one video being shared online, people were seen freeing a baby girl who was buried. A hand was seen cradling the baby's torso as rescuers eased the child out of the ground. Rescuers said that was the baby's mother, and it was unclear if she survived. Beyond the dead, at least 1200 people are injured and thousands of homes are destroyed according to officials. The United Nations, Doctors Without Borders, and other groups have sent medical help to the area.

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The Supreme Court is being asked to weigh a ban on so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth. I spoke with USA Today Supreme Court correspondent John Fritze for more. John, thanks for making the time.

John Fritze:

Of course.

Taylor Wilson:

So let's start here. What exactly is conversion therapy and how does it play into this case?

John Fritze:

Right. So the first thing we should say is that when we say "conversion therapy", you can't see me, but I'm putting air quotes. Because it's a controversial term itself, and of course it's a controversial issue, we're basically talking about here is the idea of trying to convert someone who is gay into being straight or someone who is transgender into being cisgender. And so this obviously involves a lot of dated misunderstandings about sexuality and gender identity. And advocates say that it's also super harmful, that it increases rates of suicide, it increases depression and other mental health problems. And so a lot of states, nearly half the states in the country have banned it entirely, but it's still practiced in religious circles, in religious practices. And so what's at issue in this case is a law in Washington State that bans the practice for licensed therapists, and a therapist licensed in the state is challenging that law as a violation of his First Amendment rights.

Taylor Wilson:

How is the issue of professional speech at play here, John?

John Fritze:

Exactly. So what this therapist is arguing is that I have a First Amendment right to pretty much say what I want to my clients. You can't tell me how to do my job or what to say. And there is some support for that idea. The lawyers in this case rely on a 2018 Supreme Court decision actually involving abortion. This involves anti-abortion pregnancy centers. And the state of California had passed a law that basically said, "Look, if you walk into one of these anti-abortion centers, you have to be given some information on how you can access abortion and contraception." And the Supreme Court essentially said that you can't do that or it very likely will run afoul of the First Amendment. And what they said in that case was, "Look, we really haven't carved out some exception that we all enjoy as First Amendment protections." We really haven't carved out some protection for professional speech.

There may be places where there's exceptions, but it's not like a universal exception. And so the therapist in this case, getting back to conversion therapy, is arguing that his professional speech, his speech with his clients should be protected under the First Amendment.

Taylor Wilson:

And John, how does this case compare with a string of decisions from the high court in recent years that impacts both religious protections and protections for LGBTQ+ people?

John Fritze:

Yeah, I mean, this is the backdrop. This case comes as religion has basically won everything. Every time they come up to the Supreme Court, they win. And think about last term, there was Lorie Smith, who your listeners may remember was a website developer in Colorado, wanted to decline to make matrimonial websites for same-sex weddings. She won. Think about a few terms back, there was a big case involving whether a Catholic foster care agency could deny its services to same-sex couples in Philadelphia that wanted to adopt or be foster parents. The Catholic agency won. So in a lot of contexts, both involving LGBTQ rights and not religion is winning the day at the Supreme Court.

Taylor Wilson:

So the justices are mulling over this right now. Just how likely are they to take this case on?

John Fritze:

That's a great question. Certainly a lot of the advocates think they are unlikely to take it. This is the advocates opposed to this therapist. That's because the court has denied similar challenges to similar laws all across the country many times before. Although they haven't done it in a few years, and the court is more conservative than it was just a few years ago since the death of Justice Ginsburg and the arrival of Justices Barrett and the other Trump appointees. And so I think it's probably unlikely they'll take it, but I think there's more of a chance they would take it this year than in the past few years. I also don't think this issue's going away. I suspect that it will continue to come back.

Taylor Wilson:

USA Today Supreme Court correspondent, John Fritze. Thank you, John.

John Fritze:

Hey, thank you.

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Taylor Wilson:

New research is showing the deep and lasting consequences that microaggressions at work can have on women's careers and health. I spoke with USA today's senior reporter, Jessica Guynn, to learn more. Hello, Jessica.

Jessica Guynn:

Hello, how are you, Taylor?

Taylor Wilson:

Good. Thanks for hopping back on the podcast.

Jessica Guynn:

It's my pleasure to be here.

Taylor Wilson:

So starting here, what is a microaggression? We hear this term thrown around a lot. Let's try to define it. And when we talk about microaggressions against women at work, what sorts of things are we referring to?

Jessica Guynn:

Well, microaggressions are everyday slights, indignities, put downs, insults that when taken individually aren't as big a deal as say overt discrimination, but over time they take a major toll. Examples of microaggressions are women being interrupted or spoken over more often than men, having men take credit for their ideas or their work or questioning their judgment or people commenting on their appearance or their emotional state or criticizing them for their demeanor. And the term was coined in the 1970s by a Black Harvard psychiatrist who was studying the portrayal of African-Americans in television commercials. And he came up with a term to refer to these subtle or indirect incidents of bias directed at people of color. More recently in 2007, a Columbia University psychologist expanded on that work, showing that microaggressions affect all people from marginalized identities, including women.

Taylor Wilson:

And a new study looked into this issue. What did the study find specifically?

Jessica Guynn:

The study from LeanIn and McKinsey found that women face microaggressions at a significantly higher rate than men. Essentially, most women experience them, 78% say they've experienced microaggressions at work. And the study also found that women who come from traditionally marginalized identities, such as women with disabilities or LGBTQ+ women, report being subjected to microaggressions at an even higher rate. Women of color, for example, report being frequently confused with someone else of the same race or ethnicity.

Taylor Wilson:

Just how much long-term harm can microaggressions cause? And Jessica, why is there a push from some to stop using this term in general?

Jessica Guynn:

Well, research shows that microaggressions are definitely a big factor in stalling women's careers and preventing their advancement. In part, that's because women have to self shield or self-monitor, meaning they change the way they act or the way they look, or they tone down what they say or they hide aspects of their identity to protect themselves from microaggressions. And women who self shield in this manner are over three times more likely to struggle with burnout or to think about quitting. Microaggressions are also known to take a really big toll on women's physical health and also their emotional wellbeing. And it's for that reason that some people don't like using a term that contains the word micro because they say it tends to minimize the impact of microaggressions.

Taylor Wilson:

How can people push back against this kind of behavior?

Jessica Guynn:

Well, obviously corporations and other organizations have a lot of work to do in combating this kind of harmful behavior that seems to be taking place all the time in our workplaces. But people who study this phenomenon have come up with a strategy that we can all use to counter these slights and indignities that women and other people endure. Some people call them micro validations, others call them micro affirmations, but they're essentially the same thing. They're small but potentially powerful messages that shower women and other folks with something more positive, like sincere compliments or encouraging feedback. And it can be as basic as giving a nod or a warm smile when someone enters the room or highlighting someone's achievements in a meeting. And then they're just simple gestures that we can all make.

Taylor Wilson:

All right. You can find the full piece with a link in today's show notes. Jessica Guynn, thanks as always.

Jessica Guynn:

Thank you so much, Taylor, for having me.

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Taylor Wilson:

Simone Biles capped off her first major international competition since the Tokyo Olympics with two more gold medals yesterday. She won the titles on balance beam and floor exercise after doing the same earlier at the gymnastics world championships in the team competition and all around, along with a silver medal on vault. That makes five medals, four of them gold, at the world championships after not competing for two years. Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history, male or female, with 37 medals between the worlds and Olympics. Of those, 27 have been gold.

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And before we go, are you one of millions of people who struggle with getting a good night's sleep? USA Today national correspondent Mark Ramirez is talking to folks across the country about why they're losing sleep and what can be done about it. If you're interested in being part of our reporting, please write to us with your name and your best contact at [email protected]. We'll put a link in today's show notes and may be in touch.

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And thanks for listening to 5 Things. You can find us seven mornings a week on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your pods. And if you like the show, please subscribe, leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Any comments? You can reach us at [email protected]. I'm Taylor Wilson, back tomorrow with more of 5 Things from USA Today.