Politics and Government

The historic parallels that help explain Elon Musk’s rampage on the federal government. Erin McElroy, assistant professor of geography at the UW, is quoted.

DEI policies have been in the crosshairs since President Donald Trump arrived back in the White House. Many corporations have been proactively choosing to downsize their DEI programs or eliminate them completely. But one company is facing a unique level of backlash: Target. Timeka Tounsel, associate professor of Black studies in communication at the UW, is interviewed.

After President Donald Trump canceled a report on the state of nature in the United States, the scientists working on it — many from the Seattle area — say they’ll continue their work and build on it. Phil Levin, professor of practice in environmental and forest sciences at the UW; Dr. Howard Frumkin, professor emeritus of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UW; Devon Pena, professor of anthropology at the UW and Josh Lawler, professor of environmental and forest sciences at the UW, are quoted.

Dozens of universities and scientific institutions across Washington state are facing hundreds of millions of dollars in immediate cuts to NIH-funded programs supporting cancer research, pediatric medicine and drug development. The move could disrupt clinical trials and trigger layoffs and sparked a 22-state federal lawsuit involving Washington. Carl Bergstrom, professor of biology at the UW; Marion Pepper, professor of immunology at the UW School of Medicine; and UW spokesperson Victor Balta are quoted. The UW's Washington National Primate Research Center is referenced.

"In my research on marketing campaigns aimed at Black women, I’ve examined how the struggle for consumer citizenship complicated the dynamic between Black entrepreneurs and consumers. On the one hand, businesses have long leveraged Black ownership as a unique selling proposition in and of itself, urging shoppers to view Black brand loyalty as a path to collective racial progress," writes Timeka Tounsel, assistant professor of Black studies in communication at the UW.

"At first glance, reducing model-training expenses in this way might seem to undermine the trillion-dollar 'AI arms race' involving data centers, semiconductors and cloud infrastructure. But as history shows, cheaper technology often fuels greater usage," writes Victor Menaldo, professor of political science at the UW.

"When the high and mighty of Silicon Valley assumed their privileged perch at the swearing-in of President Trump, it was an ostentatious show of wealth and power unlike any before," writes columnist Mark Barabak. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Bad Bunny's new album, "Debir Tirar Mas Fotos," dropped earlier this month. It features traditional folk music from Puerto Rico, where the artist is from. The lyrics touch on the gentrification of Puerto Rico and draw a stark parallel with Hawaii. Ileana Rodriguez-Silva, associate professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

Long before the 2024 presidential election took place, scholars at the UW knew that post-election processing would be necessary, regardless of the outcome. So, on Jan. 15, the UW’s Office of Public Lectures held “Autopsy of an Election: What We Lost, What We Won, and How to Fight for the Future,” a talk led by Megan Ming Francis, an associate professor of political science at the UW.

"As Donald Trump’s second inauguration fast approaches, concerns he threatens American democracy are rising yet again. Some warnings have cited Trump’s authoritarian rhetoric, willingness to undermine or malign institutions meant to constrain any president, and a combative style that strives to stretch executive power as far as possible," writes Victor Menaldo, professor of political science at the UW.

"A new report further documents the evisceration of Washington’s capitol press corps as the state’s news industry shrank in recent years," writes Brier Dudley, an editor at The Seattle Times. A report from the UW is referenced and Matthew Powers, associate professor of communications at the UW, is quoted.

As director of government relations for the Catholic Health Association, Paulo G. Pontemayor (BA, 2005) is dedicated to increasing equity and access to health care in the United States.

Silicon Valley executives, some who have long had contentious relationships with President-elect Donald Trump, are pledging money and support to Trump's incoming administration. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

For the past decade or so, Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, has been teaching a course on climate politics in the UW’s political science department. During that time, there have been three climate change initiatives on the ballot here. He’s had a front row seat for how policymakers, activists and campaigners have sought to frame and spin one of the toughest issues in politics.

Washington had the smallest rightward shift of any state in the 2024 presidential election, an Axios analysis finds — although, after three weeks of vote counting, it's no longer true that the state trended slightly more blue. Victor Menaldo, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.