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The Independent
7 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Most US adults do not think Trump's $45M military parade is ‘a good use of money,' poll finds
It's an OK idea ... but way too expensive. A new poll has found that a majority of Americans don't think the massive military parade that President Donald Trump has ordered up for his 79th birthday on Saturday is a good use of taxpayer dollars, even as most adults either approve of the parade itself or have no opinion of the plan. An Associated Press and NORC survey of 1,158 adults across all 50 U.S. states asked respondents whether they believe the parade, which is ostensibly meant to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, is 'a good use of government funds' or 'not a good use of government funds.' According to results published on Thursday, a full 60 percent of respondents said they agreed with the latter statement that the parade — the first military parade in Washington since a victory parade held after Operation Desert Storm in 1991 — was 'not a good use' of money collected from taxpayers. Just 38 percent said the parade was a good use of funds. But when asked whether they approve, disapprove, or have no opinion of the parade itself, respondents were far more accepting of Trump's plan. Roughly four in 10 Americans said they either somewhat or strongly approve of the parade compared with 29 percent who said they somewhat or strongly disapprove of it. Approximately 31 percent of respondents said they neither approve or disapprove of the parade plans, which will include a fireworks display and performance by Army parachutists. The parade is expected to require spending somewhere between $25 million and $45 million, including a significant portion that will be spent after the parade to repair damage caused to D.C. roads by the numerous tanks expected to roll through the streets in a scene reminiscent of the annual Victory Day parade held in Moscow's Red Square, an Army spokesman said. Trump has pushed for the U.S. military to parade through the streets of Washington with tanks and missile launchers since he returned from a state visit to France early in his first term. During that July 2017 trip, the president saw the annual Bastille Day parade in Paris and wanted to replicate the martial display in the nation's capital, complete with Abrams battle tanks and Bradley fighting vehicles. But the military leadership in place during his first term balked at the idea because it's not something that is part of the American military tradition. Pentagon brass eventually permitted some static displays of tanks and other heavy for Independence Day celebrations on the National Mall in 2019, where they served as part of a backdrop for Trump to deliver a speech in which he credited the Continental Army — the forerunner to the U.S. Army founded during the American Revolutionary War — with having 'took over the airports' from the British. The bizarre remark drew ridicule from historians, who correctly noted that were no airports for either side to control during that conflict because powered flight would not be invented until 1904. At least one Republican senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, has spoken out against the parade plans, telling NBC News this week that he had never supported "goose-stepping soldiers and big tanks and missiles rolling down the street," and he "wouldn't have done it." "I'm not sure what the actual expense of it is, but I'm not really, you know, we were always different than, you know, the images you saw in the Soviet Union and North Korea. We were proud not to be that,' Paul said. For his part, Trump has downplayed the cost of the parade, telling NBC News last month that the expenditure is "peanuts compared to the value of doing it." "We have the greatest missiles in the world. We have the greatest submarines in the world. We have the greatest army tanks in the world. We have the greatest weapons in the world. And we're going to celebrate it," he added. The parade is expected to include as many as 6,000 soldiers from National Guard, the Army Reserve, Special Operations Command, West Point and Reserve Officers' Training Corps elements, as well as 50 aircraft, 150 vehicles — including tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, HIMARS launchers — plus 34 horses, two mules and a dog.
Hindustan Times
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
California track-and-field championships draw limited protest over trans student's participation
CLOVIS, Calif. — California's high school track-and-field state finals will award one extra medal Saturday in events where a transgender athlete places in the top three, a rule change that may be the first of its kind nationally by a high school sports governing body. The new California Interscholastic Federation policy was written in response to the success of high school junior AB Hernandez, a trans student who competes in the girls high jump, long jump and triple jump. She led in all three events after preliminaries Friday. The CIF said earlier this week it would let an additional student compete and medal in the events where Hernandez qualified. The two-day championship kicked off in the sweltering heat at high school near Fresno. The atmosphere was relatively quiet Friday despite critics — including parents, conservative activists and President Donald Trump — calling for Hernandez to be barred from girls competition leading up to the meet. There was some pushback Friday. A group of fewer than 10 people gathered outside the stadium ahead of the meet to protest Hernandez's participation. Some of them wore 'Save Girls' Sports' T-shirts. At one point as Hernandez was attempting a high jump, someone in the stands yelled an insult. An aircraft circled above the stadium for more than an hour during the events, carrying a banner that read, 'No Boys in Girls' Sports!' The rest of the night ran smoothly for Hernandez, who finished the triple jump with a mark close to 41 feet , nearly 10 inches ahead of her closest competitor, San Francisco Bay Area junior Kira Gant Hatcher. Hernandez also led in the long jump with a mark close to 20 feet to advance to the final. She advanced in the high jump, clearing 5 feet, 5 inches with ease. She did not address the press. The CIF rule change reflects efforts to find a middle ground in the debate over trans girls' participation in youth sports. 'The CIF values all of our student-athletes and we will continue to uphold our mission of providing students with the opportunity to belong, connect, and compete while complying with California law,' the group said in a statement after announcing its rule change. A recent -NORC poll found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults think transgender female athletes should not be allowed to participate in girls and women's sports at the high school, college or professional level. That view was shared by about 9 in 10 Republicans and roughly half of Democrats. The federation announced the rule change after Trump threatened this week to pull federal funding from California unless it bars trans female athletes from competing on girls teams. The CIF said it decided on the change before then. The U.S. Department of Justice also said it would investigate the state federation and the district that includes Hernandez's high school to determine whether they violated federal sex discrimination law by allowing trans girls to compete in girls sports. Some California Republicans also weighed in, with several state lawmakers attending a news conference to criticize the federation for keeping Hernandez in the competition and a Republican gubernatorial candidate planning to attend Saturday's finals. California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity. The federation said the rule would open the field to more 'biological female' athletes. One expert said the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for 'biological female' athletes but not for other trans athletes. The federation did not specify how they define 'biological female' or how they would verify whether a competitor meets that definition. Hernandez told the publication Capital & Main earlier this month that she couldn't worry about critics. 'I'm still a child, you're an adult, and for you to act like a child shows how you are as a person,' she said. California's state championship stands out from that of other states because of the number of competitors athletes are up against to qualify. The state had the second-largest number of students participating in outdoor track and field in the nation during the 2023-2024 school year, behind Texas, according to a survey by the National Federation of State High School Associations. Olympians Marion Jones and Tara Davis-Woodhall previously set state championship records in the long jump in 1993 and 2017, respectively, both surpassing 22 feet . The boys 100-meter dash heats were also a highlight Friday. Junior Jaden Jefferson of De La Salle High School in Concord finished in 10.01 seconds, about .2 seconds faster than a meet record set in 2023. Jefferson's time won't count as a record unless he can replicate his results in the final. Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna
The Independent
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Most AAPI adults oppose college funding cuts and student deportations, a new poll finds
As colleges and universities pull back on diversity practices, a new poll finds that young Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are overwhelmingly against cutting federal funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education and deporting students involved in protest activity on campus. But opposition is lower among older groups — despite the fact that most AAPI adults, regardless of age, place a high value on a college education. The new survey from AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 AAPI adults overall 'somewhat' or 'strongly' oppose cutting federal funding for colleges and universities with DEI programs, and a similar share are 'somewhat' or 'strongly' opposed to arresting or deporting foreign students involved with campus protests. Younger AAPI adults are largely against these policies: About 9 in 10 AAPI adults under 30 'somewhat' or 'strongly' oppose cutting federal funds for colleges and universities with DEI policies, and a similar share are against arresting or deporting students involved with campus protests. Older AAPI adults are more likely to oppose these moves than to favor them, but their opposition is much less overwhelming. About half of AAPI adults ages 60 and older 'somewhat' or 'strongly' oppose cutting federal funds for DEI in higher education or arresting or deporting students for protest activity, while about 3 in 10 are 'somewhat' or 'strongly' in favor and about 2 in 10 have a neutral view. Despite these divisions, the survey shows that AAPI adults continue to see a college degree as critical for achieving key milestones. The vast majority, regardless of age, say a college degree is 'essential' or 'important' for getting a good job that can comfortably support a family. This poll is part of an ongoing project exploring the views of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, whose views are usually not highlighted in other surveys because of small sample sizes and lack of linguistic representation. The Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funding over DEI programs, leading many colleges to roll back support systems for students of color. The White House already has cut billions of dollars in federal research grants to colleges it accuses of not doing enough to curb antisemitism, particularly during protests against the Israel-Hamas war. It also has moved to deport foreign students over their involvement with pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil. Iris Chiou, a 28-year-old Taiwanese American medical student in Madison, Illinois, says she's scared for foreign students who could face deportation. She wonders how long students and academics will feel comfortable speaking out. 'The fact that you have people disappearing and being deported, being functionally kidnapped, I think that's going to scare people — which it's probably supposed to,' said Chiou, who is a Democrat. It will keep people from discussing 'what they care about.' Some schools have overhauled policy on protests after Trump's funding threats. At Columbia University, there's now a ban on students wearing masks to hide their identities and protesters must show identification when asked. Meanwhile, Harvard has pushed back on the administration's demands, filing a lawsuit in April to challenge cuts to its funding. Rowena Tomaneng, board chair of the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education, said that many students are feeling vulnerable. 'Definitely I think international students are feeling that the United States might not be as a welcoming environment anymore for them to pursue their studies,' Tomaneng said. But younger AAPI adults are more worried about the impact on campuses. About 7 in 10 AAPI adults under 30 are 'extremely' or 'very' concerned about restrictions to free speech on campuses and federal government cuts to university research, compared to about half of AAPI adults ages 60 and older. Tarun Puri, 59, of Clearwater, Florida, supports arresting or deporting international students who participated in campus protests. 'You pay so much money to come and study. What is the point of protesting?' said Puri, a registered Republican who was born in India and went to college there. 'Because you go to another country you should respect the law and order of the country.' If he had a child in college today who was considering taking part in demonstrations, he said he would advise them not to draw attention to themselves and instead 'go to the library and study.' The difference in attitudes could be explained, at least in part, by older and younger AAPI adults' life experiences. 'If you're younger, you're more likely to have gone to college in the U.S.," said Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data and researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. 'If you're 60 and above, if you went to college, you're more likely to have gone to college in Asia, which is a very different system.' ___ Tang reported from Phoenix. ___ The poll of 1,094 U.S. adults who are Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders was conducted April 7-14, 2025, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based Amplify AAPI Panel, designed to be representative of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Most AAPI adults oppose college funding cuts and student deportations, a new poll finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — As colleges and universities pull back on diversity practices, a new poll finds that young Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are overwhelmingly against cutting federal funding for diversity, equity and inclusion programs in higher education and deporting students involved in protest activity on campus. But opposition is lower among older groups — despite the fact that most AAPI adults, regardless of age, place a high value on a college education. The new survey from AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 6 in 10 AAPI adults overall 'somewhat' or 'strongly' oppose cutting federal funding for colleges and universities with DEI programs, and a similar share are 'somewhat' or 'strongly' opposed to arresting or deporting foreign students involved with campus protests. Younger AAPI adults are largely against these policies: About 9 in 10 AAPI adults under 30 'somewhat' or 'strongly' oppose cutting federal funds for colleges and universities with DEI policies, and a similar share are against arresting or deporting students involved with campus protests. Older AAPI adults are more likely to oppose these moves than to favor them, but their opposition is much less overwhelming. About half of AAPI adults ages 60 and older 'somewhat' or 'strongly' oppose cutting federal funds for DEI in higher education or arresting or deporting students for protest activity, while about 3 in 10 are 'somewhat' or 'strongly' in favor and about 2 in 10 have a neutral view. Despite these divisions, the survey shows that AAPI adults continue to see a college degree as critical for achieving key milestones. The vast majority, regardless of age, say a college degree is 'essential' or 'important' for getting a good job that can comfortably support a family. This poll is part of an ongoing project exploring the views of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, whose views are usually not highlighted in other surveys because of small sample sizes and lack of linguistic representation. The Trump administration has threatened to cut federal funding over DEI programs, leading many colleges to roll back support systems for students of color. The White House already has cut billions of dollars in federal research grants to colleges it accuses of not doing enough to curb antisemitism, particularly during protests against the Israel-Hamas war. It also has moved to deport foreign students over their involvement with pro-Palestinian demonstrations, including Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil. Iris Chiou, a 28-year-old Taiwanese American medical student in Madison, Illinois, says she's scared for foreign students who could face deportation. She wonders how long students and academics will feel comfortable speaking out. 'The fact that you have people disappearing and being deported, being functionally kidnapped, I think that's going to scare people — which it's probably supposed to,' said Chiou, who is a Democrat. It will keep people from discussing 'what they care about.' Some schools have overhauled policy on protests after Trump's funding threats. At Columbia University, there's now a ban on students wearing masks to hide their identities and protesters must show identification when asked. Meanwhile, Harvard has pushed back on the administration's demands, filing a lawsuit in April to challenge cuts to its funding. Rowena Tomaneng, board chair of the Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education, said that many students are feeling vulnerable. 'Definitely I think international students are feeling that the United States might not be as a welcoming environment anymore for them to pursue their studies,' Tomaneng said. But younger AAPI adults are more worried about the impact on campuses. About 7 in 10 AAPI adults under 30 are 'extremely' or 'very' concerned about restrictions to free speech on campuses and federal government cuts to university research, compared to about half of AAPI adults ages 60 and older. Tarun Puri, 59, of Clearwater, Florida, supports arresting or deporting international students who participated in campus protests. 'You pay so much money to come and study. What is the point of protesting?' said Puri, a registered Republican who was born in India and went to college there. 'Because you go to another country you should respect the law and order of the country.' If he had a child in college today who was considering taking part in demonstrations, he said he would advise them not to draw attention to themselves and instead 'go to the library and study.' The difference in attitudes could be explained, at least in part, by older and younger AAPI adults' life experiences. 'If you're younger, you're more likely to have gone to college in the U.S.,' said Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data and researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. 'If you're 60 and above, if you went to college, you're more likely to have gone to college in Asia, which is a very different system.' ___ Tang reported from Phoenix. ___ The poll of 1,094 U.S. adults who are Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders was conducted April 7-14, 2025, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based Amplify AAPI Panel, designed to be representative of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 4.8 percentage points.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former US Census Bureau director John Thompson, who guided preparations for 2020 head count, dies
BEND, Ore. (AP) — John Thompson, who guided preparations for the 2020 census as director of the U.S. Census Bureau, has died. Thompson died May 9 at his home in Bend, Oregon. He was 73. Thompson was confirmed in 2013 as the Census Bureau's 24th director after being nominated by President Barack Obama. He departed in 2017 following the election of President Donald Trump to his first term but helped lay the groundwork for many of the innovations implemented in the 2020 head count. Those included the utilization of smart phones and the widespread use of online responses, which were instrumental in helping the bureau to navigate one of the most difficult censuses in U.S. history during the COVID-19 pandemic. 'He guided preparations for the 2020 census, which became our nation's most automated and technically advanced ever,' Ron Jarmin, the current acting director of the Census Bureau, said in a statement. 'With his decades of experience as a public servant, he understood the importance of our agency's organizational health and made it a priority.' After earning bachelor's and master's degrees at Virginia Tech, Thompson joined the Census Bureau in 1975 and rose to the position of associate director for decennial census programs, which put him in charge of all aspects of the 2000 census. He helped pioneer optical scanning and intelligent character recognition, which allowed handwritten items on census forms to be converted into responses, according to the statistical agency. The head count figures collected during the once-a-decade census are used to allocate states' congressional seats and Electoral College votes, and help determine the distribution of federal funding. Thompson left the Census Bureau in 2002 for more than a decade to work at the University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center, eventually becoming its president and CEO. At NORC, Thompson was the project manager for the National Immunization Surveys, which was the the largest telephone social science survey in the United States at the time. 'It would be hard to overstate John's influence on NORC and its people,' Dan Gaylin, president and CEO of NORC, said in a statement. 'John's confident, empowering, values-driven leadership enabled the people of NORC to see that future and make it a reality.' After leaving the Census Bureau in 2017, Thompson became executive director of the Council of Professional Associations for Federal Statistics for a year before retiring in 2018. Thompson is survived by his wife, Bonnie, and three children. ___ The Associated Press and NORC are partners in the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which conducts survey research on a variety of topics.
