Science, Politics, and Campus Life: What's Happening?

Let's talk about what's going on in science, politics, and on college campuses. The National Science Foundation is now making grant decisions based on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This means they're looking at things like the story behind the research, not just its quality. In fact, more than $2 billion in grants from 2021 to 2024 have been given out this way. Some people are worried this might affect the public's trust in scientists and the quality of the research. Over in politics, some folks think the Biden-Harris administration might be working with social media companies to silence critics. For example, a YouTube video by FBI whistleblower Marcus Allen was taken down. He spoke about his experiences and prayed the rosary. After being on leave for years, he was finally reinstated. This might encourage others to speak up about problems in the government. On college campuses, things got interesting at the University of Michigan. Students protested to make the school stop investing in Israel. This meant no money for student activities, like the Ultimate Frisbee team or the ballroom dance team. When students realized they might miss out on fun stuff, they got interested in student government. Finally, the cash was restored. Senator J. D. Vance reminded us that experts can be wrong sometimes. They said things like inflation would be temporary and that kids would learn just as well online. But life showed us otherwise. And in the world of movies, a new biopic about Donald Trump is out. This is thanks to the Citizens United case, which allowed corporate spending on election-related films. Even though Trump's lawyers tried to stop it, the film is now being shown.