News Wrap: Claudia Sheinbaum sworn in as Mexico’s first female president

In our news wrap Tuesday, Claudia Sheinbaum was sworn in as Mexico’s first-ever female president, North Carolina election officials say they have their work cut out for them to ensure a smooth vote in November following Hurricane Helene, breast cancer rates are on the rise, especially among younger women and former President Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday.
Geoff Bennett:
And we start today’s other headlines with three new world leaders stepping into the limelight from France to Japan to Mexico, where the country’s first ever female president was sworn in.
Claudia Sheinbaum, a scientist and Mexico City’s former mayor, officially kicked off her six-year term after coasting to victory in June’s elections. At Mexico’s Congress, she vowed to continue the social policies of her predecessor and laid out what she herself brings to the role.
Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexican President (through interpreter):
I am a mother, grandmother, scientist and woman of faith, and as of today, by the will of the people of Mexico, the constitutional president of the united Mexican states.
Geoff Bennett:
Also today, Japan’s Parliament confirmed Shigeru Ishiba as the country’s new prime minister. He immediately unveiled a new Cabinet and pledged to maintain close ties with the U.S. while focusing on the economy. Ishiba also called for a snap parliamentary election for later this month.
And the new prime minister of France, Michel Barnier, gave his first major address to Parliament. The longtime conservative was heckled by angry lawmakers as he promised to cut that nation’s debt.
In North Carolina, election officials say they have their work cut out for them to ensure a smooth vote in November following Hurricane Helene. Today, the executive director of the state’s Board of Elections said that the destruction is unprecedented and this level of uncertainty this close to Election Day is daunting. She added that the storm closed 12 county election offices in the western part of the state, but no voting equipment was damaged.
In-person early voting is set to begin there on October 17.
Breast cancer rates are on the rise, especially among younger women. A new report from the American Cancer Society shows that one in 50 women will develop invasive breast cancer before they turn 50 years old. The sharpest increase was among women in their 20s. There was also a steep rise among Asian American and Pacific Islander women.
Across all age groups, breast cancer rates went up 1 percent each year from 2012 to 2021. Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. for women, though fatalities actually dropped by 10 percent in the last decade due to more screenings and better treatments.
On Wall Street today, worries about the situation in the Middle East weighed on stocks. The Dow Jones industrial average gave back around 100 points. The Nasdaq dropped more than 250 points, or nearly 1.5 percent. The S&P 500 also ended lower on the day.
And the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has awarded its latest so-called Genius Grants to 22 luminaries in the arts, literature, academia, and science. This year’s fellows include more writers, artists, and storytellers than in past years.
They include trans cabaret singer Justin Vivian Bond, Sterlin Harjo, the filmmaker behind the FX on Hulu series “Reservation Dogs” about indigenous teens, and author Jason Reynolds, whose work often reflects the experience of Black children. Each winner receives an $800,000 grant they can use however they wish. You can see the full list of winners on our Web site, PBS.org/NewsHour.
And former President Jimmy Carter celebrates his 100th birthday today. He’s the first president to live for a century, going from a peanut farmer to the 39th president of the United States. Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his humanitarian work and defense of democracy around the globe. He was also a longtime ambassador for Habitat for Humanity, which is building 30 houses over five days to mark his birthday.
The White House put up a sign today wishing Carter a happy birthday. The building’s current resident, Joe Biden, was the first sitting senator to endorse Carter’s presidential campaign back in 1976. The White House shared this video tribute today.
Joe Biden, President of the United States: Happy 100th birthday. You have always been a moral force for our nation and the world. I recognized that as a young senator. That’s why I supported you so early. Put simply, Mr. President, I admire you so darn much. May God continue to bless you, Mr. President. You have been a good friend.
Geoff Bennett:
Carter has been spending the day in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he was born and has lived for more than 80 of his 100 years.
And we have a passing of note. Actor John Amos has died.
John Amos, Actor:
You want to run me by me again?
(Laughter)
Geoff Bennett:
Arguably, his most famous role was as the stoic family patriarch James Evans Sr. in the 1970s hit “Good Times.” He later earned an Emmy nomination for his seminal portrayal of the adult Kunta Kinte in the 1977 miniseries “Roots.”
John Amos:
I tell you, Fiddler, sometimes, it seem like being alone and being free, all the same for a slave.
Louis Gossett Jr., Actor:
You don’t be free. You be dead.
John Amos:
Then I be free.
Geoff Bennett:
His publicist confirmed today that Amos died last month of natural causes in Los Angeles. John Amos was 84 years old.