The Republicans Who Disapprove of the War, and a Wave of College Closures

0:00This podcast is supported by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Here's a story that's not getting nearly enough attention. Defunding Planned Parenthood has already caused chaos and harm, and access to essential reproductive care is plummeting. Right now, the Trump administration's backers in Congress want to permanently defund Planned Parenthood, forcing even more health centers to close, and millions at risk of losing access to care. It takes less than a minute to help. Go to plannedparenthood.org slash defend and make a gift of any size. From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford.

0:37Today's Wednesday, April 15th. Here's what we're covering.

0:44This war in Iran, what are we doing? I don't think we have any business being over there. I don't think it's America first at all. The amount of money and resources that's gone into that is ridiculous. The Times has been asking people across the country what they think of the war with Iran. What are we doing here? You know, that's concerning. Well, you said you're Republican, so did you support him and could you vote for President Trump? So I actually voted for President Trump all three times. Even among some Republicans, there is growing dissatisfaction with the conflict, while others say they support Trump's decision to attack Iran.

1:21I guess I have faith that the president decided it was time we had to act. I sometimes get a little unnerved by the president's rhetoric, but I elect the guy to do things, not to worry about what he says about what he's doing. Right. Overall, a new poll from Ipsos and Reuters shows that 51 percent of Americans think the war in Iran has not been worthwhile. 24 percent think it has been and 22 percent aren't sure. One pronounced split in the data is that young Republicans specifically are far less likely to approve of Trump's decision to go to war than older Republicans. I recognize that a lot of young voters don't love the policy that we have in the Middle East.

2:08OK, I understand that. Vice President J.D. Vance seemed keenly aware of that last night at an event for the youth-focused conservative group Turning Point USA. I'm not saying you have to agree with me on every issue. What I'm saying is don't get disengaged because you disagree with the administration on one topic. Get more involved. Make your voice heard even more. Vance's comments appear to be an acknowledgement that many of Trump's supporters had backed his campaign because of his promise of no new wars. Meanwhile, the U.S. says it's trying to help diffuse the conflict in Lebanon, where Israel's been carrying out attacks in its fight against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia that's based there.

2:52The ongoing violence has threatened to derail the fragile ceasefire with Iran. This is a process, not an event. This is more than just one day. This will take time. Yesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Israeli and Lebanese officials for rare talks in D.C. It was the first time the two countries have sat down together in decades. The talks underscored the fact that both Israel and Lebanon have come to share a common goal of disarming Hezbollah. There was no immediate breakthrough, though, and this morning the Israeli military continued its attacks, launching a new wave of deadly airstrikes, according to Lebanese state media.

3:29Lebanon's health ministry says that in the past month, more than 2 ,000 people in the country have been killed.

3:41Now, two other headlines from Washington. First. My delay in taking action against Eric was driven by fear, not doubt. Fear of his political power, his background as an attorney, and his family law enforcement ties. Yesterday, another woman came forward to accuse Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell of sexual assault. on the same day he officially resigned from Congress after facing a swirl of other allegations. The woman said she had come to Swalwell in 2018 for advice on her own political career when he drugged and raped her at a West Hollywood hotel. Her lawyers said they plan on sharing evidence with law enforcement.

4:23The Times has not independently confirmed her account. A lawyer for Swalwell said yesterday that he, quote, unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault. What were the rumors that you heard? It was flirty. That was flirty. And that was when? About what year was it? I mean, we've heard that throughout. When asked about Swalwell's behavior, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, a friend of Swalwell's, told reporters that there had been whispers of misbehavior for years. He said he never witnessed him engaging in any harassment or abuse, but he regretted not confronting Swalwell about the rumors he had heard.

5:00Gallego suggested that turning a blind eye like that has become an unfortunate part of a culture of silence among lawmakers on Capitol Hill. And a second update from D.C. Taxes are due today, and Republicans are hoping that Americans will now start noticing the tax cuts they passed last year, potentially giving the party a boost ahead of the midterm elections. An estimated two-thirds of Americans are expected to see lower taxes, and the average tax refunds so far have been about 10 percent higher than last year. Still, tax experts say the benefits are unevenly distributed. For example, while many middle-class families will get tax relief, just a fraction of the lowest-income Americans will see new cuts to their taxes.

5:45And overall, poor Americans are likely to be worse off going forward since Republicans offset some of the costs of the tax cuts by cutting funding for safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps.

6:04In Western Massachusetts, the small liberal arts school Hampshire College has announced it is shutting down. It had been struggling financially for years as enrollment dropped to just about 600 students, half of what it was 20 years ago. The closure is part of a wave of colleges and universities shuttering across the U.S., According to one analysis, in the last two decades or so, more than 300 have closed, often after facing the same kinds of issues as Hampshire. Some of what is staring down these schools is a demographic issue. According to one expert in higher ed, schools in the Northeast and Midwest specifically have been struggling because those states have shrinking populations.

6:44And since students generally stay close to home for college, those schools have taken a hit. Another factor at play is how more and more Americans are questioning the value of a liberal arts education. The higher ed expert said students have been migrating towards bigger institutions that often have programs in business and technology. Hampshire's president said it's all part of an increasing focus on what students will earn after graduating, not what they're learning in school. And Hampshire's most famous alum, the documentary filmmaker Ken Burns, agreed, saying that in his view, Higher Ed has become, quote, hijacked by the transactional.

7:28And finally,$95. That is what it's going to cost to take a bus from around Boston out to the stadium for a World Cup game this summer. And it could cost more than$100 for the train ride from Penn Station to the New Jersey Stadium, a ride that normally costs about$12. bucks. These prices, news of which has been trickling out recently, are coming on top of other sky-high costs for fans traveling to the games. The tickets alone have been going for thousands of dollars, and the mounting price tag could be one factor that keeps people away. With the first kickoff less than two months out, the 11 U.S.

8:07host cities are watching closely to see how many people are actually going to make the trip, especially from other countries. Last year, the U.S. was the only major nation to record a decline in international tourism. For potential World Cup visitors, it's not just about cost, but also concerns about visa restrictions, stories about people's phones being searched at the border, and fears about immigration agents. According to my colleagues at The Athletic, senior FIFA officials have talked about asking President Trump to stop ICE raids while the World Cup is on. Those are the headlines. Today on The Daily, three Times reporters on the strategy behind Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and whether or not it will work.

8:53You can listen to that in the New York Times app or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.

9:05This podcast is supported by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Here's a story that's not getting nearly enough attention. Defunding Planned Parenthood has already caused chaos and harm, and access to essential reproductive care is plummeting. Right now, the Trump administration's backers in Congress want to permanently defund Planned Parenthood, forcing even more health centers to close, and millions at risk of losing access to care. It takes less than a minute to help. Go to plannedparenthood.org slash defend and make a gift of any size.