How Trump’s DEI crackdown is impacting women in science
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What are the special elections happening in Florida?
Good morning. It's Monday, March 31st. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News Today. On today's show, what happens to health research when studies that use the word women are cut? South Korea's dark history of adoptions. And in men's college basketball, it's an all number one seed final four. But first, there are a couple of important special elections this week that we're following. Tomorrow we'll break down a crucial contest in Wisconsin for a state Supreme Court vacancy that's attracted the attention of Elon Musk. Today we're going to look at two House seats up for grabs in Florida that are making Republicans nervous about their slim majority. One of those races in Florida's 6th congressional district is to replace Mike Waltz, President Trump's national security advisor, who's been in the headlines over the Signal Group chat, where he and several other top officials discussed military strike plans in Yemen. Running to replace Waltz is Republican State Senator Randy Fine.
Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was asked about the contest.
I will tell you this. Regardless of the outcome in that, it's going to be a way under performance from what I won that district by in 22 and what President won it by in November. That is not a reflection of President Trump. It's a reflection of the specific candidate running in that race.
Fein's opponent, Democrat Josh Wheal, has out-fundraised Fein by 10 to 1. And according to CNN, those figures sent shockwaves from Florida all the way to Washington. CNN also reports senior GOP leadership intervened, calling Fein and saying he needs to step up his efforts in the race. One poll showed Fein's lead within the margin of error.
Why are Florida's special elections important for Republicans?
Another pollster also found Fein's lead a lot tighter than expected. Meanwhile, in Florida's other congressional race, Democrat Gay Valamont also outraised Trump's endorsed candidate, Jimmy Petronas, about 7-1. That race is to replace former Congressman Matt Gaetz. Republicans have a 218-213 edge over Democrats in the House, so every seat and every vote matters. NBC national political correspondent Steve Kornacki broke down the race on the network and said it's a big ask for Democrats to flip these seats, given just how Republican these districts are. But these are the exact types of elections where they have a shot.
How do special elections differ in voter turnout?
in the last couple of years, in special elections for the House and in lower turnout elections, not like presidential elections where everybody votes, that's where the Democrats have had an advantage. That's where they've overperformed. They've done well. Why? Because it seems that the Democratic base for elections that do not have Donald Trump on the ballot seems more motivated than the Republican base. That was the story going right into the 24 election. Didn't turn out to be a thing in November, but it may still very much be a thing in special elections. That's something we could find out on Tuesday.
The president has acknowledged the importance of holding on to these and other Republican seats. It's the reason he gave reporters last week for pulling the nomination of loyalist and New York representative Elise Stefanik for U.N. ambassador.
And I said, Lise, would you do me a favor? We cannot take a chance. We have a slim margin. We don't want to take any chances. We don't want to experiment.
Most observers think these seats will likely remain with the GOP. And the campaign arm of House Republicans called talk about it, quote, noise. Democrats have said if their candidates overperform in these races, which minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said shouldn't even be on the radar, it's a sign some attitudes might be shifting.
What is the Trump administration's impact on science funding?
Trump, who won both districts by 30 points, spent part of these final days in teletown halls for both candidates, shoring up support. Let's turn now to recent actions the Trump administration has taken that are impacting science and research. The administration has ordered major cuts to the workforce and funding at the National Institutes of Health and huge reductions of NIH grants to universities. These are institutions that lead research on a huge array of diseases and conditions, everything from pediatric brain cancer to heart disease and asthma.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What are the special elections happening in Florida?
0:05–1:55
2
Why are Florida's special elections important for Republicans?
1:55–2:37
3
How do special elections differ in voter turnout?
2:37–3:53
4
What is the Trump administration's impact on science funding?
3:53–5:14
5
How are DEI policies affecting research on women's health?
5:14–13:27
Speakers
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