Asian Americans May Lose Out in Trump Administration’s Census

Here’s what you’ll find on today’s show:

— On Monday night, the Commerce Department formally announced that it will comply with a Trump administration request to include a citizenship question on the 2020 decennial census. The news sparked immediate criticism from state officials. Advocacy groups also spoke out against the decision, citing intimidation as reason immigrant populations may fail to participate in the census. In Asian-American communities, individuals are already at risk of being undercounted due to language barriers, poverty, status, and housing stability. 

— Just last month, President Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., traveled to India, a trip that was originally intended to focus on foreign policy, but instead mainly dealt with the Trump Organization’s business interests. As it turns out, the Trumps have more projects in the country than they do anywhere else outside of the U.S.

— In the wake of a deadly fire that tore through the Winter Cherry shopping mall in the Siberian town of Kemerovo last Sunday, thousands of Russians have taken to the streets to demand answers from their government. Official reports list a total of 64 fatalities, with an entire class of 41 schoolchildren feared dead. But rumors online are suggesting that the count might be significantly higher, perhaps in the hundreds.

— Over the past month, state legislatures have passed, or are considering, severely restrictive bans on abortion in places like Mississippi, Iowa, and Ohio — teeing up major legal battles that may reach the Supreme Court. President Donald Trump, with his promise to appoint judges who will overturn the landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, has apparently kicked off a wave of optimism among anti-abortion activists. The bills under consideration vary in their expansiveness, from provisions that would limit abortions after a set number of weeks in a woman’s pregnancy, to all-out bans on the procedure in its entirety.

— All this week we’ve been bringing you voices on women’s health and the specific challenges women face when they go to the doctor in pain. It’s our series called “Taking Pains with Women’s Health.” Along the way we’ve heard from many of you about how your concerns around pregnancy and reproductive decisions have been dismissed or misunderstood by doctors. Now, we answer some of your questions about maternal and reproductive health in the U.S., and what could be improved.