>>THIS WEEK ON NEWSNIGHT, DEMAND FOR VACCINES GROWS AS ELIGIBILITY IS EXPANDED, BUT CASES IN YOUNGER PEOPLE START TO CLIMB AS SPRING BREAK DRAWS CROWDS.

ASIAN AMERICANS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA REACT TO AN UPTICK IN VIOLENCE AND HATE TARGETING THE COMMUNITY NATIONWIDE AND PRESIDENT BIDEN NOMINATES FORMER FLORIDA SENATOR BILL NELSON TO LEAD NASA.

NEWSNIGHT STARTS NOW.

♪ MUSIC ♪ >>HELLO.

I'M STEVE MORT.

WELCOME TO NEWSNIGHT WHERE WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIG STORIES IMPACTING CENTRAL FLORIDA AND HOW THEY AFFECT YOU.

AND WE DO THIS BY BRINGING TOGETHER A TEAM OF JOURNALISTS FROM DIFFERENT LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS FOR IN-DEPTH DISCUSSIONS ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES.

JOINING US THIS WEEK ARE DANIELLE PRIEUR OF 90.7 WMFE AND ANGEL SEPULVEDA NEWS DIRECTOR OF UNIVISION NEWS, ORLANDO.

MY COLLEAGUE NANCY ALVAREZ IS HOPING TO BE BACK WITH US SOON.

ALL RIGHT, FIRST TONIGHT, A SURGE IN DEMAND FOR VACCINES IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.

GOVERNOR DESANTIS ANNOUNCED THURSDAY THE AGE TO QUALIFY FOR A VACCINE WILL DROP TO 40 AND OLDER FROM THIS MONDAY AND THEN 18 AND UP FROM APRIL 5TH.

BUT ORANGE COUNTY HAS ALREADY BEEN OFFERING SHOTS TO PEOPLE 40 AND OLDER PREEMPTING THE STATE.

AND THAT'S BEEN A SOURCE OF TENSION LEADING UP TO GOVERNOR DESANTIS' MOST RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT.

>>VACCINATION SITES HAVE REPORTED AN INCREASE IN DEMAND AS MORE PEOPLE BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR VACCINATION.

NOW WIDER AVAILABILITY IS LIKELY TO MEAN EVEN MORE FLORIDIANS SEEKING A SHOT.

>>WE'VE NOW VACCINATED OVER 70% OF THE ROUGHLY 4.4 MILLION SENIORS LIVING IN THE STATE.

WE'VE ALSO MADE GREAT PROGRESS ON THOSE AGED 60 TO 64 AND ON THOSE AGED 50 AND OLDER AND WE'RE READY TO TAKE THIS STEP.

>>ORANGE COUNTY HAD ALREADY OPENED UP VACCINE ELIGIBILITY TO YOUNGER PEOPLE PROMPTING AN ONLINE STAMPEDE FOR APPOINTMENTS.

ON MONDAY, THE CONVENTION CENTER SITE BOOKED SOME 7,000 APPOINTMENTS IN JUST 13 MINUTES.

MAYOR JERRY DEMINGS MADE THE DECISION TO REDUCE THE AGE REQUIREMENT AFTER DEMAND FOR VACCINATIONS DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY AMONG OLDER RESIDENTS.

BUT ORANGE COUNTY'S DECISION TO GET AHEAD OF THE STATE HAS NOT SAT WELL WITH THE GOVERNOR.

>>THERE'S A STRUCTURE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA IN TERMS OF HOW THESE DECISIONS ARE MADE.

>>THOSE ARE JUST WORDS THAT HE'S USING.

SO WE WILL MOVE BEYOND THAT- >>BUT THE MAYOR SAYS HIS DECISIONS ARE NOW AIMED AT ADDRESSING SPECIFIC LOCAL NEEDS.

>>I KNOW THIS COMMUNITY.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE.

I KNOW EVERY NOOK AND CRANNY OF IT AND THEREFORE BECAUSE OF RELATIONSHIPS, I BELIEVE I HAVE A BETTER FEEL, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER LOCAL OFFICIAL FOR WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY THAN SOMEONE WHO GOVERNS FROM ANOTHER LOCATION >>AND AS FLORIDA CONTINUES TO LEAD THE NATION IN VARIANT CASES, ORANGE COUNTY IS ALSO EMPHASIZING THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTACT TRACING TO KEEP CASES DOWN.

THE GOVERNOR'S RECENTLY BEEN DISMISSIVE OF CONTACT TRACING AS A TOOL TO FIGHT COVID-19.

MEANWHILE, THE MAIN FEMA SUPPORTED VACCINE SITE IN FLORIDA INCLUDING VALENCIA'S WEST CAMPUS WILL EACH OFFER JUST 500 FIRST DOSES A DAY THROUGH APRIL 7TH BEFORE SWITCHING TO SECOND DOSES ONLY.

>>SO DANIELLE LET'S TALK ABOUT THE EXPANSION AND QUALIFYING CRITERIA THEN.

WAS THIS A SURPRISE WE'VE BEEN SPECULATING FOR A WHILE OVER WHETHER THIS WAS COMING?

>>THIS WAS NOT A SURPRISE AT ALL.

ACTUALLY THE GOVERNOR HAD STATED EARLIER IN THE WEEK THAT HE WANTED TO EXPAND ELIGIBILITY SOMETIME IN APRIL.

AND HE SAID SOON, AND USUALLY WITH THE GOVERNOR SOON MEANS A WEEK, A FEW DAYS.

HE'S PRETTY GOOD ON HIS WORD.

WE KNOW THAT SUPPLY HAS INCREASED IN THE STATE AND THERE'S JUST BEEN THIS HUGE DEMAND AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED.

SO REALLY NO SURPRISE AT ALL, BUT VERY VERY GOOD NEWS THAT STARTING APRIL 5TH, EVERYONE 18 AND UP WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE SHOT IN FLORIDA.

>>BECAUSE A SMALL NUMBER OF STATES ARE ALREADY DOING THIS AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAS SET A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE GOAL IN TERMS OF WHEN IT WOULD LIKE TO SEE EVERYBODY QUALIFY.

>>THAT'S RIGHT.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAYS BY MAY 1ST, EVERY SINGLE STATE SHOULD BE OFFERING VACCINES TO EVERY QUALIFYING ADULT.

AND SO THAT SETS US ALMOST A FULL MONTH AHEAD OF ALL THE OTHER STATES.

SO VERY VERY GOOD NEWS FOR FLORIDIANS TODAY.

>>ANGEL, LET ME COME TO YOU.

ORANGE COUNTY AND THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT BEGAN SENDING CANVASERS DOOR TO DOOR THIS WEEK IN PINE HILLS AND LOCKHART, TO TRY TO REACH HOME-BOUND PEOPLE.

DO WE KNOW HOW WELL FLORIDA'S DOING IN REACHING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW?

>>I DO BELIEVE THAT NOW SINCE THE MAYOR WENT DOWN TO 40 IN ORANGE COUNTY THAT HAS HELPED, BUT ALSO THERE ARE A FEW CHURCHES AROUND TOWN THAT IS DOING THEIR PART, THAT IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB ON GETTING THEIR PEOPLE VACCINATED AROUND TOWN.

THE DIFFERENCE IN TAMPA, WHICH I ALSO HAVE THE NEWSCAST IN TAMPA BAY, IT'S A LITTLE SLOWER.

I THINK ORANGE COUNTY SPECIFICALLY HAS BEEN VERY EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF WHAT WE LIVE WITH THE PARKS AND SO MANY TOURISTS COMING IN AND OUT OF SPECIFICALLY CENTRAL FLORIDA.

>>ANGEL, YOU MENTIONED THE TOURISM FACTOR HERE IN SPRING BREAK HAS FUELED A SURGE IN TOURISM IN ORLANDO.

AND THOSE SCENES, OF COURSE, THAT WE'VE SEEN IN MIAMI BEACH THIS WEEK, THE STATE HAS PRIORITIZED VACCINATING SENIORS AS WE KNOW BUT THOSE CASES ARE CLIMBING NOW AMONGST YOUNGER PEOPLE IN FLORIDA.

ARE OFFICIALS CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER THESE CROWDS MIGHT FUEL MORE CASES SAY OF THE MORE TRANSMISSIBLE U.K.

VARIANT?

>>THAT IS A VERY TRICKY SITUATION BECAUSE ALTHOUGH YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE GETTING INFECTED AND THEY'RE NOT BEING AS CAUTIOUS AND ON PROTECTING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING, THE ECONOMY IT'S BEEN BENEFITED BY HAVING MORE PEOPLE AT THE PARKS AND THE LOCAL BUSINESSES ARE ACTUALLY REVAMPING.

NOW, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND FOLLOW THE CDC PROTOCOLS IN TERMS OF THE MASKING, IN TERMS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING, IN TERMS OF BEING AROUND BEING EXPOSED.

I THINK PEOPLE HAVE TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IF THEY DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES.

>>DANIELLE, FLORIDA IS THE FIRST STATE TO RECORD MORE THAN A THOUSAND VARIANT CASES.

AND DOCTORS HERE SAY THEY'RE SEEING RE-INFECTION NOW, PEOPLE PREVIOUSLY DIAGNOSED NOW CONTRACTING A VARIANT AND GETTING SYMPTOMS.

WHAT ARE HOSPITAL SAYING HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA?

>>HOSPITALS ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT ANOTHER SURGE, STEVE.

WE'RE SEEING A SIMILAR PLATEAU SITUATION, WHICH WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE SEEN TO WHAT WE SAW LAST SUMMER BEFORE WE HAD ANOTHER SURGE.

I WAS JUST ON A CALL THIS MORNING WITH DR. TIM HENDRIX OUT OF ADVENT HEALTH.

AND HE WAS SAYING THAT, LIKE ANGEL WAS SAYING, WITH SO MANY PEOPLE COMING HERE FOR SPRING BREAK AND THIS UK VARIANT BEING SO CONTAGIOUS, HE'S REALLY CONCERNED WE'RE GOING TO SEE A RISE IN HOSPITALIZATIONS AND EVEN DEATHS BECAUSE THE UK VARIANT IS DEADLIER AND IT'S SO EASY TO SPREAD.

SO THEY JUST WERE REMINDING EVERYBODY AGAIN TO FOLLOW THOSE GOOD PRECAUTIONS OF SOCIAL DISTANCING, FACE MASKING HAND-WASHING, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN SEEING PEOPLE COME IN A SECOND TIME.

SOMEONE WHO GOT THE INFECTION THE FIRST TIME LAST MARCH AND IS BACK AGAIN THIS MARCH.

IT'S VERY POSSIBLE ALTHOUGH THEY SAY THE VACCINE IS OUR BEST DEFENSE AS IT DOES WORK AGAINST ALL THESE DIFFERENT VARIANTS SO FAR.

>>ANGEL, I WANT TO ASK YOU ANOTHER ELIGIBILITY QUESTION BUT FIRST LET'S LISTEN TO FLORIDA'S AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER NIKKI FRIED PRESSING FOR FLORIDA TO PRIORITIZE FARM WORKERS FOR VACCINATION.

TAKE A LISTEN.

>>OUR FARM WORKERS ARE SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS OUT THERE.

ONE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.

A LOT OF THEM ARE UNDOCUMENTED, THEY'RE SCARED OF GOVERNMENT.

WE HAVE GOT SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME IN 2020 WORKING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO GET ENOUGH VACCINE AND THEN ENOUGH TESTING SITES IN THEIR AREA, MAKING SURE THEY WERE EDUCATED.

WE PUT OUT A NINE PART SERIES BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH LAST YEAR, TRYING TO EDUCATE OUR FARM WORKERS.

WE DID THE SAME THING IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH, I THINK THE NECESSITY OF GETTING THE VACCINES.

AND WE KNOW THAT EVEN THE HISPANIC WORKFORCE IN OUR FARMERS ARE 56% MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO BE RECEIVING SOME TYPE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES THAT WE NEED TO BE COMBATING.

THIS IS OUR FOOD.

AND HERE IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, WE FEED 150 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON THE FOOD THAT WE PRODUCE HERE IN THE STATE.

AND SO WE START SEEING OUTBREAKS AGAIN IN OUR FARMING COMMUNITIES AND THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THESE VACCINES, WE COULD BE REALLY PUTTING NOT ONLY OUR OWN FOOD SOURCE IN JEOPARDY, BUT REALLY OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.

>>ALL RIGHT, ANGEL, SO THE CDC HAS RECOMMENDED THAT STATES PRIORITIZE FARM WORKERS BUT LARGE AGRICULTURAL STATES LIKE FLORIDA AND TEXAS UP UNTIL NOW, HAVEN'T DONE THAT.

WHY IS THIS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AND WHY DO YOU THINK MANY STATES ARE RELUCTANT?

>>WE GO A LOT TO PLANT CITY AND DO STORIES WITH THE FARM WORKERS.

THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THEY'RE AFRAID OF GETTING VACCINATED BECAUSE THEY MIGHT THINK THAT THEY WILL GET DEPORTED.

AND THAT IS NOT THE CASE.

NOW I DO KNOW OF A PROGRAM THAT THE MEXICAN CONSULATE IS GOING TO LAUNCH NEXT WEEK TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THOSE PLACES WHERE THE FARM WORKERS DON'T HAVE THE ACCESS OR DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO GET TO.

AND THERE'S ALSO AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB.

IT'S CALLED [INAUDIBLE] BUT THEY ARE TRYING TO GET THERE, BUT THE MISINFORMATION THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE, OR MAYBE DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF INFORMATION.

IT'S CRITICAL SO THAT THEY TRUST THE PROCESS THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET DEPORTED OR THAT THEY ARE GETTING VACCINATED WITH SOMETHING THAT THEY DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

SO SOME OF THEM DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO READ.

SO IT'S CRITICAL TO GET PEOPLE OUT TO THE FARMS AND GET THESE PEOPLE ONE THEY INFORMATION EXPLAIN, AND THEN GET VACCINATED AS, AS YOU KNOW, WE CAN NOT FORCE ANYONE TO GET VACCINATED AT THIS POINT.

SO IT IS A BIG ISSUE.

AND I REALLY HOPE THAT NIKKI FRIED HAS THE POWER TO GET MORE PEOPLE TO PLACES LIKE PLANT CITY AND OTHER CITIES WITHIN CENTRAL FLORIDA.

AS SHE MENTIONED, WE FEED A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THOSE VEGETABLES AND PRODUCTS.

SO I REALLY HOPE THAT THEY GET MORE PEOPLE OUT TO THE FARMERS.

>>AND OF COURSE, WE'VE SEEN THOSE SIGNS AT THE FEMA VACCINATION SITES, SORT OF REASSURING PEOPLE THAT ICE WON'T BE CONDUCTING OPERATIONS THERE.

BE SURE TO JOIN THIS CONVERSATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA, WE'RE AT WUCF TV ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM.

ALL RIGHT, NEXT TONIGHT, THE REACTION OF CENTRAL FLORIDA'S ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY TO THE SPA SHOOTINGS IN ATLANTA.

OF THE EIGHT PEOPLE KILLED SIX WERE ASIAN WOMEN.

THE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF HATE AND EXTREMISM SAYS HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS HAVE INCREASED BY NEARLY 150% IN 16 MAJOR US CITIES IN 2020 DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

TO DISCUSS THIS I SPOKE WITH ADRIAN LEE, THE PRESIDENT OF UCF'S ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN COALITION, WHICH HELD A VIGIL THIS WEEK FOR THE VICTIMS.

>>IT IS TRULY HORRIFYING AND SICKENING.

>>I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MICROAGGRESSIONS THAT WE ENCOUNTER THAT MAYBE PASSED OFF AS LIKE, "OH, THAT WAS JUST A SLIGHTLY RACIST COMMENT.

THAT WAS A SLIGHTLY RACIST JOKE THAT I CAN'T PRONOUNCE THEIR NAMES."

ALL THESE THINGS THAT IN TERMS OF JUST LIKE LANGUAGE, SUGGEST THAT WE MAY NOT BE WORTHY OF THE EXTRA CARE OR ATTENTION TO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY FACES.

>>WE ARE ALL IN MOURNING.

>>SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION AS TO WHY IS IT THAT ASIAN AMERICANS DO HAVE ISSUES OR WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT WE ENCOUNTER WHEN A LOT OF OUR PERCEPTION IN SOCIETY IS THAT THEY DO WELL ENOUGH.

THEY ARE EFFICIENT ENOUGH, THEY'RE ORGANIZED ENOUGH.

THEY DON'T HAVE ANY ISSUES BECAUSE WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT.

IT IS THE EXPECTATION OF THEY'LL BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT BY THEMSELVES THAT REALLY ERASES US FROM BEING SEEN, THAT ERASES THE DIVERSITY OF THE ASIAN AMERICAN UMBRELLA THAT HARMS US ULTIMATELY AT THE END AND ALWAYS MAKES IT SEEM AS IF WE MAY BE AMERICAN, BUT WE ARE NOT AMERICAN ENOUGH.

WE HAVE BEEN SAYING THESE THINGS FOR YEARS NOW AND NOW, YES, WE APPRECIATE HAVING A PLATFORM TO SPEAK, BUT PLEASE IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TAKEN THIS EVENT TO FINALLY REALIZE WHY WE WERE SAYING THE THINGS THAT WE DID.

>>HOW COMMON IN THE CURRENT IS IT IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR ASIAN AMERICANS TO EXPERIENCE RACISM?

DO YOU THINK TERMS THAT HAVE BEEN USED DURING THE PANDEMIC, SUCH AS CHINA VIRUS HAVE IMPACTED ASIAN AMERICANS?

>>HEARING THE STORIES OF MY FRIENDS IS MORE HEARTBREAKING.

SO THERE WAS A STUDENT THAT APPROACHED ME TO TELL ABOUT HOW HE HAD BEEN SKATING LATE NIGHT AT CAMPUS.

AND THERE WAS ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL IN A CAR THAT YELLED AT HIM ASKING IF HE WAS VIETNAMESE, ASKING IF HE HAD CORONA.

AND SO, AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REALIZE THAT THESE ARE NOT ISOLATED INCIDENCES, BUT RATHER THEY ARE BY-PRODUCTS OF THE SOCIETY THAT MANIFESTS HATE, THAT MANIFESTS WHITE SUPREMACY, THAT MANIFESTS IGNORANCE.

IT JUST BECOMES AN ASSOCIATION OF CHINESE BLAME, CHINESE CORONA VIRUS, THE RACIALIZATION OF CORONA VIRUS, AS WELL AS JUST THE VIOLENCE THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ALLOWED WITHIN OUR SOCIETY TOO.

I THINK THAT ULTIMATELY HAS LED TO THIS VIOLENCE.

>>WHAT ACTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE FROM LEADERSHIP ON THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES?

>>WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICAL LEADERS, WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE PROVIDED WITH RESOURCES SUCH AS WHERE THEY CAN REPORT INCIDENCES OF ANTI-ASIAN HATE OR ELSE OF JUST RACIALIZED DISCRIMINATION OR ELSE OF ASSAULT BECAUSE OF THAT THEY ARE A MINORITY AND LEADERSHIP CAN ABSOLUTELY REDEFINE WHAT IT MEANS TO REPORT.

AND AGAIN, BUILD EFFICACY TOWARDS THESE REPORTING SYSTEMS.

SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT POLITICAL LEADERS UNDERSTAND THAT THEY MAY NOT SEE AN ISSUE BECAUSE NO ONE TRUSTS THE SYSTEMS THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO USE FOR REPORTING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

BUT ALSO LABEL IT AS WHAT IT IS, THIS WAS A HATE CRIME BECAUSE MY COMMUNITY IS HURTING.

WE'RE ALL HURTING.

WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR A CHANGE ROLE, WE'RE ASKING OUR LEADERS TO DO MORE.

>>ADRIAN LEE THERE.

WELL, DANIELLE YOU'VE BEEN COVERING HOW THE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN RESPONDING TO THE VIOLENCE IN ATLANTA, INCLUDING THAT VIGIL AT UCF THIS WEEK.

WHAT IS THE SENTIMENT HERE THAT YOU'VE BEEN HEARING AMONGST THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY?

>>I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION, STEVE, THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AS A COUNTRY AND THE FIRST TIME THE MEDIA IS REALLY COVERING IT.

A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT I TALKED TO AT THIS VIGIL SAY, "LOOK, THIS WAS AN ISSUE FOR MY GRANDMOTHER.

THIS WAS AN ISSUE FOR MY GRANDFATHER.

THEY CAME HERE GENERATIONS AGO."

AND SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE IS THAT THEY WANT TO START A MOVEMENT SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER OVER THE SUMMER TO REALLY BRING ABOUT SOME CHANGE.

THERE'S A LOT OF FEAR RIGHT NOW.

PEOPLE ARE SCARED, GENUINELY SCARED.

AND I SPOKE WITH A LOT OF WOMEN WHO SAID AT THE VIGIL, THEY WERE THERE NOT JUST FOR THEMSELVES, BUT FOR THEIR SISTERS, FOR THEIR NEIGHBORS, FOR THEIR FRIENDS AND FOR THEIR DAUGHTERS TO SHOW THAT THIS HAS TO STOP, THIS HYPER-SEXUALIZATION OF ASIAN WOMEN MASHED WITH VIOLENCE AGAINST THEM IS JUST REALLY UNACCEPTABLE, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW AGAINST TRANSGENDER WOMEN ACTUALLY OVER THE SUMMER DURING THE BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS.

SO THE SAME SORT OF SENTIMENT AND THAT IT NEEDS TO STOP.

>>YEAH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.

ANGEL, I WANT TO COME TO YOU.

YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES COVER MANY OF THESE ISSUES FACING PEOPLE OF COLOR IN OUR COMMUNITY, BUT DO YOU SEE PARALLELS BETWEEN WHAT ASIAN AMERICANS ARE FACING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ISSUES OF RACISM THAT FACE THE LATINO COMMUNITY DURING TIMES WHEN CERTAIN ISSUES ARE IN THE NEWS, FOR EXAMPLE, IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

>>I THINK IT IS A BIG ISSUE.

IT IS NOT A NEW ISSUE, THE RACE ISSUE, BUT IT WAS REIGNITED LAST YEAR IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

NO, BUT I THINK THE RACE ISSUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE.

AS LATINOS, WE HAVE BEEN FACING THIS RACIAL ISSUE FOR YEARS.

LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW ON THE BORDER IN TEXAS.

SO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO COME TO COMMON GROUND AND SAY, "OKAY, LET'S JUST ACCEPT EACH OTHER AS WE ARE."

IT IS ROUGH.

I THINK IT IS A BIG, BIG, BIG ISSUE AND UNITED STATES, I BELIEVE IT IS NOT ABOUT RACE.

IT IS ABOUT UNITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS.

>>AND OF COURSE WE'RE SEEING THAT SITUATION ON THE BORDER PLAY OUT AND IMMIGRATION BECOMING A BIGGER ISSUE AGAIN HERE IN THE COUNTRY.

DANIELLE, LET ME JUST ASK YOU ABOUT THE MATTHEW SHEPARD FOUNDATION.

IT HELD A HATE CRIME PREVENTION TRAINING IN ORLANDO ON THURSDAY.

WHAT WAS THAT TRAINING AIMED AT?

>>YEAH, IT WAS AIMED AT LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, POLICE OFFICERS, SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES, PROSECUTORS, PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY ENFORCING THESE HATE CRIME LAWS AND TEACHING THEM NOT JUST WHAT A HATE CRIME LOOKS LIKE, BUT HOW TO USE THE LAW, HOW TO COLLECT DATA AND HOW TO CHARGE SOMEBODY WITH A HATE CRIME BECAUSE LIKE WE'RE SEEING, IT'S PROVING VERY HARD TO CHARGE THE PERSON WHO MURDERED SIX ASIAN WOMEN IN ATLANTA LAST WEEK WITH A HATE CRIME.

AND SO THE IDEA BEHIND THIS IS SHOWING PEOPLE HOW TO USE THE LAW.

THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO SPEAK WITH MATTHEW SHEPARD'S PARENTS AND ALSO HEATHER HIGHER'S MOM WHO DIED DURING THE CHARLOTTESVILLE RALLY.

SO THE IDEA IS THAT THEY'LL COME IN PERSON WITH SURVIVORS, VICTIMS OF HATE CRIMES AND SEE WHAT THE IMPACT IS ON NOT JUST THE COMMUNITY, BUT ON THE FAMILIES WHEN YOU'RE A VICTIM OF ONE OF THESE.

THE IDEA IS OF COURSE TO HELP PREVENT SOME OF THE VIOLENCE THAT WE'VE SEEN AIMED AT MINORITIES, WHETHER THAT IS LATINOS, LIKE ANGEL WAS SAYING, OR ASIAN-AMERICANS OR LGBTQ PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL THE VICTIMS OF THESE CRIMES EVERY SINGLE DAY.

>>YEAH.

AND YOU CAN FIND MORE PBS COVERAGE OF THE RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST ASIAN AMERICANS ON OUR RACE MATTERS PAGE WUCF.ORG/RACEMATTERS.

THERE, YOU CAN ALSO FIND A LINK TO THE PBS FILM SERIES, ASIAN AMERICAN'S HISTORY OF IDENTITY CONTRIBUTIONS AND CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY THE ASIAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

IT'S ALL AT WUCF.ORG/RACEMATTERS.

ALL RIGHT.

FINALLY, TONIGHT PRESIDENT BIDEN TAPS FORMER FLORIDA SENATOR BILL NELSON TO LEAD NASA TO BREAK DOWN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NOMINATION AND WHAT HAPPENS NEXT, I TURNED TO OUR REGULAR SPACE CONTRIBUTOR AND HOST OF ARE WE THERE YET ON 90.7, WMFE BRENDAN BYRNE.

AND WE STARTED BY TALKING ABOUT NELSON'S EXPERIENCE >>30 PLUS YEAR REPRESENTATIVE IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE REPRESENTING FLORIDA, A HUGE NAME IN SPACE POLICY.

HE HAD A LOT OF LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND SENATE ON THESE CRITICAL COMMITTEES TO NOT ONLY GET NASA FUNDED, BUT TO STEER THAT MONEY TO NASA AND ALSO TO FLORIDA AS WELL.

AND BACK IN 1986 HE MANAGED TO SNAG A RIDE ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE, COLUMBIA.

IT FLEW INTO SPACE FOR A FEW DAYS.

SO HE'S GOT THESE DEEP TIES TO SPACE POLICY, BUT ALSO THESE DEEP TIES TO SPACE EXPLORATION BEING AN ASTRONAUT HIMSELF.

>>AND OF COURSE DEEP TIES TO THE SPACE COAST AS WELL.

>>HE GREW UP HERE.

HE WATCHED THE SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM KIND OF COME TO BE UNDER HIS WATCH AND HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE HOUSE.

AND NOT ONLY DID HE GET MONEY FUNDED FOR NASA, BUT HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN STEERING THAT MONEY TOWARDS FLORIDA DURING THE PUSH FOR COMMERCIAL SPACE FLIGHT AND THE NASA AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010, WHICH REALLY KIND OF CHANGED THE WAY THAT NASA INTERACTED WITH THOSE PRIVATE PLAYERS.

AND WHEN NELSON SAW THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC BOOM FOR FLORIDA, HE WAS DEFINITELY ON BOARD AND A CHAMPION FOR THOSE PRIVATE SPACE EFFORTS TO COME TO FLORIDA.

>>BRENDAN, YOU RECENTLY ASKED THE NASA ADMINISTRATOR DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, CHARLIE BOLDEN FOR HIS REACTION TO NELSON'S NOMINATION.

TAKE A LISTEN.

>>I THINK SENATOR NELSON WOULD NOT BE ANGRY IF I SAID THIS.

MY CHOICE, MY PREFERENCE, MY HOPE WAS THAT WE WOULD HAVE A WOMAN.

AND THERE I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE A BLACK WOMAN, BUT THERE WAS NO BLACK WOMAN IN THE QUEUE.

BUT I'M HAPPY WITH SENATOR NELSON PROVIDED HE HAS A FEMALE DEPUTY BECAUSE THE DEPUTY MUCH THE SAME HAS HAPPENED SOMETIMES WHEN THE ADMINISTRATOR COMES FROM OUTSIDE THE TECHNICAL COMMUNITY, THE DEPUTY BECOMES THE TECHNICAL POWER.

THE ADVANTAGE THAT I THINK BILL NELSON WILL BRING, HOPEFULLY IS KNOWING PEOPLE IN THE CONGRESS, HAVING A GREAT AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR THE PROCESS AND MUCH THE SAME AS JIM BRIDENSTINE DID, FINDING WAYS TO COAX, CAJOLE AND GET CONGRESS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE PROGRAM AND LIVE WITH THE MANTRA OF NASA, WHICH IS CONSTANCY OF PURPOSE.

>>DOES THIS SEEM TO BE A FAIRLY POPULAR PICK AND A BIPARTISAN ONE?

>>IT DOES.

AND WHEN THE RUMORS STARTED SWIRLING EARLIER IN MARCH ABOUT HIM POSSIBLY BEING THE PICK, IT WAS A BIT OF A MIXED BAG.

SOME FOLKS THAT DO FOLLOW THIS AND SPACE INDUSTRY PLAYERS WERE HOPING THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WOULD TAKE A CHANCE AND MAKE SOME HISTORY HERE AND PICK THE FIRST FEMALE NASA ADMINISTRATOR.

AND A LOT OF SIGNS POINTED TO THAT WITH BIDEN'S SHORT LIST FOR THIS ROLE.

SO THE NELSON PICK WAS DISAPPOINTING TO SOME ON THAT, BUT NOW THAT THE PICK'S BEEN MADE OFFICIAL, WE'RE SEEING LOTS OF FOLKS COMING OUT AND ENDORSING THIS NOMINATION, EVEN PEOPLE THAT NELSON PREVIOUSLY DIDN'T ENDORSE FOR THE JOB.

SO FOR INSTANCE, WHEN JIM BRIDENSTINE, WHO WAS THE FORMER NASA ADMINISTRATOR WAS NOMINATED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, NELSON SAT ON ONE OF THESE NOMINATING COMMITTEES IN THE SENATE AND WAS VERY OUTSPOKEN SAYING THAT NASA SHOULD NOT BE POLITICIZED AND POLITICIAN FOR THIS PICK WAS A BAD CHOICE FOR THE NASA ADMINISTRATOR.

HE ENDED UP GETTING NOMINATED OBVIOUSLY AND SPENT FOUR YEARS OR THREE YEARS AS NASA'S ADMINISTRATOR.

BUT NOW JIM BRIDENSTINE HAS COME OUT WITH A STATEMENT SAYING HE APPLAUDS THIS PICK.

>>SO NOW HE HAS TO GET SENATE CONFIRMATION.

SENATOR RUBIO HAS WELCOMED THE PICK, SENATOR SCOTT WHO OF COURSE DEFEATED NELSON IN THE 2018 US SENATE RACE IN FLORIDA HAS SAID HE'LL CONSIDER IT LIKE ANY OTHER NOMINATION.

HOW DO YOU THINK THINGS ARE GOING TO SHAKE OUT IN THE SENATE?

>>IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WILL BE QUITE THE EASY NOMINATION PROCESS AND CONFIRMATION PROCESS FOR NELSON.

AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION PICKED NELSON FOR THIS IS KNOWING THAT IT WOULD BE A PRETTY EASY NOMINATION THROUGH THE SENATE.

BUT STEVE, COVERING POLITICS HERE IN FLORIDA THAT SPACE SEEMED TO BE A VERY BIPARTISAN THING HERE IN FLORIDA.

WHENEVER THERE WAS A MAJOR SPACE POLICY EVENT HAPPENING, YOU WOULD SEE POLITICIANS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE HERE CHAMPIONING IT.

IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WILL BE A PRETTY SMOOTH CONFIRMATION FOR NELSON.

>>OF COURSE, IF CONFIRMED SENATOR NELSON WILL TAKE OVER AN AGENCY THAT'S BECOME INCREASINGLY RELIANT ON COMMERCIAL OPERATORS.

DO WE KNOW WHAT KIND OF AN AGENDA HE'LL HAVE AS AN ADMINISTRATOR AT NASA?

>>THAT IS KIND OF UNCLEAR STEVE, BECAUSE WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS PLANNED FOR SPACE EXPLORATION.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, THERE WERE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF OTHER MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING KIND OF THE SAME, THE STATUS QUO, MOVING THROUGH THESE BIG PROGRAMS LIKE ARTEMIS, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE ANY MAJOR CHANGES TO THAT.

THEY'LL BUILD ON SOME OF THE WORK FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

SOME OF THE ARTEMIS STUFF CAME EVEN BEFORE THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.

SO THIS IS KIND OF A MULTI ADMINISTRATION PROJECT MOVING FORWARD, STILL PUSHING FORWARD TO LANDING HUMANS ON THE MOON AND THEN HEADING TO MARS.

BUT YOU DID MENTION THE COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS AND I DO THINK THAT IS THE DIRECTION THAT NASA WAS HEADING UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, REALLY EMBRACING THESE PARTNERSHIPS.

AND IF NASA CAN LEVERAGE THESE COMMERCIAL PARTNERSHIPS, NASA CAN GO LOOK BEYOND LOWER EARTH ORBIT AND DO THE BIG THINGS THAT IT WANTS TO DO.

>>WELL, YOU CAN FIND MUCH MORE ON THE STORIES THAT WE'VE COVERED ON TONIGHT'S NEWSNIGHT ON OUR WEBSITE AT WUCF.ORG/NEWSNIGHT.

WELL, THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE FOR THIS WEEK.

MY THANKS TO DANIELLE PRIEUR OF 90.7 WMFE AND ANGEL SEPULVEDA NEWS DIRECTOR OF UNIVISION NEWS, ORLANDO.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT FRIDAY NIGHT AT 8:30 HERE ON WUCF.

FROM ALL OF US HERE AT NEWSNIGHT, TAKE CARE AND HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND.