A brain-dead pregnant woman is being kept alive, raising ethical questions

Summary

Apple News Today: Detailed Summary of "A Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Is Being Kept Alive, Raising Ethical Questions"

Release Date: May 21, 2025
Host: Shamita Basu

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1. Ethical Dilemma in Georgia: Keeping a Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Alive

The episode opens with a heart-wrenching story from Georgia, where a 30-year-old nurse, Adriana Smith, is at the center of a profound ethical and legal controversy. After being diagnosed as brain dead due to undetected blood clots in her brain, Smith remains on life support to sustain her pregnancy.

Adriana Smith's Mother shared her anguish:
"And I just want to be clear on something. We want her to have her baby. We want her life to continue throughout her children, but at the same time to see her lay there like that for that length of time. The grieving process for us, it can't even start."
(Timestamp: 02:44)

Under Georgia law, abortions are banned after approximately six weeks of pregnancy, with an exception only if the woman's life is at risk. However, Smith's family contends that her life is not in immediate danger, leading hospital officials at Emory University Hospital to insist that they cannot remove life-sustaining devices without violating the state's abortion laws.

Georgia's Attorney General clarified the state's position:
"Georgia's law does not require medical professionals to keep a pregnant person alive on life support if they are brain dead."
(Timestamp: 02:11)

Despite this, the hospital plans to maintain Smith on life support until August, with intentions to deliver the baby via C-section. The family has named the baby Chance and expressed fears about his future health, citing potential disabilities.

Beth Wallace, an education reporter, highlighted the emotional toll on the family:
"The family has decided to name the baby Chance... They are struggling with the uncertainty of his health and future."
(Timestamp: 03:20)

2. Impact of Federal Cuts on Emergency Planning Amid Severe Weather Surge

Transitioning to national concerns, the podcast addresses the alarming increase in severe weather events across the United States, juxtaposed with significant federal budget cuts to emergency planning agencies like FEMA and NOAA.

This year has already seen over 850 tornadoes, surpassing the usual 600 for this period according to the National Weather Service. Kentucky, in particular, has been devastated by severe thunderstorms and tornadoes, leaving communities in mourning.

Carrie Davis from London, Kentucky, recounted the devastation:
"There's a trailer behind us that's on top of my house, a whole trailer. And it blew out the cars and my neighbors were terrified... I've never seen anything like this in our area."
(Timestamp: 04:15)

Federal budget cuts have severely impacted FEMA and NOAA's ability to respond effectively. President Trump's administration has threatened to disband FEMA and has already reduced FEMA's workforce by about a third. Similarly, NOAA's National Weather Service faces diminished operations, including fewer weather balloon launches and a 20% vacancy rate in forecast offices.

Seth Borenstein, AP Science Writer, explained the repercussions:
"All the information that goes into your forecast, which goes into your apps or your television forecasts, is just a little bit poorer, making forecasts a little weaker."
(Timestamp: 05:43)

Despite these challenges, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear remains optimistic:
"The National Weather Service is just an amazing organization... They gave us a week's worth of notice during the flooding disasters."
(Timestamp: 07:08)

However, concerns persist as former National Weather Service leaders warn of potential loss of life due to understaffing, especially with the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season.

3. Controversial Education Standards in Oklahoma: Mandating Election Fraud Content

Shifting focus to education, Oklahoma has introduced new academic standards that require high school U.S. history teachers to instruct students to "identify discrepancies in the 2020 presidential election results." This move has sparked significant backlash, especially since claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election have been debunked.

Beth Wallace provided insights into the new standards:
"Things like looking at Bellwether county trends, looking at, you know, 'batch dumps' of ballots, the sudden halting of ballot counting."
(Timestamp: 08:44)

These standards were introduced abruptly to the State Board of Education, leaving board members with only hours to review them. Critics argue that this procedure was flawed and that the content promotes a biased perspective rather than fostering critical thinking.

Ryan Walters, State School Superintendent, defended the standards:
"I do not regret introducing them and I believe they'll encourage critical thinking in classrooms."
(Timestamp: 10:38)

Tammy Patrick, CEO of the Election Center, expressed concerns:
"These new standards will breed misunderstanding about how elections function and erode public trust."
(Timestamp: 10:50)

The controversy has led to a lawsuit filed by family members and educators, represented by a former Republican attorney general, challenging the standards' legitimacy and potential biases.

4. Additional Stories Highlighting Global and National Issues

Beyond the primary topics, the episode touches on several other significant stories:

• Palestinian Aid Blockade: Despite Israel's announcement to lift its three-month blockade, UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher reported a lack of received aid, emphasizing the dire need for supplies to prevent the deaths of 14,000 babies within 48 hours. International condemnation is mounting, with countries like the UK, France, and Canada threatening sanctions against Israel.

• Immigration Concerns: The Trump administration is accused of violating federal court orders by deporting Asian migrants to South Sudan, a nation on the brink of civil war. Lawyers argue that such actions disregard the safety and rights of the deportees, seeking to halt future deportations and secure the return of their clients.

• NBA Conference Finals: The NBA's "Age of Chaos" continues as the conference finals feature teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers. Notably, three of these teams have never won a title, and the Knicks are pursuing their first championship in over five decades.

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Conclusion

The May 21, 2025 episode of Apple News Today delves deep into pressing ethical, environmental, and educational issues facing the United States. From the harrowing case of Adriana Smith in Georgia to the ramifications of federal budget cuts on disaster preparedness, and the contentious education reforms in Oklahoma, the podcast provides a comprehensive overview of challenges intersecting law, policy, and human rights. Additionally, international crises and cultural events like the NBA finals are discussed, offering listeners a well-rounded perspective on current affairs.

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For a more immersive experience and access to all featured stories, download the Apple News app.

Transcript

[Shamita Basu]

Good morning. It's Wednesday, May 21st. I'm Shamita Basu. This is Apple News today. On today's show, big cuts at federal emergency planning agencies as severe storm season arrives. Why students in Oklahoma will soon be.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Instructed to look for 2020 election discrepancies.

[Shamita Basu]

And the NBA's Age of Chaos. But first, to an issue that abortion rights activists have spent years warning about.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Laws that restrict abortion or give legal.

[Shamita Basu]

Rights to fetuses can lead to scenarios.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Where the rights of the person who is pregnant get pitted against the fetus they're carrying. We're seeing this play out in Georgia.

[Shamita Basu]

Right now where over the last few months a hospital has been keeping a.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Brain dead pregnant woman alive so so she can carry her pregnancy to term.

[Shamita Basu]

Under Georgia law, abortion is banned in.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Most cases after about six weeks of pregnancy. Adriana Smith, a 30 year old mother and nurse, went to a hospital in February when she was eight weeks pregnant with an intense headache.

[Shamita Basu]

Her mother told the local NBC affiliate.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

11 Alive what happened next.

[Adriana Smith's Mother]

They gave us some medication, but they didn't do any tests. They didn't do any CT scans. If they did, they would have caught it.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

What doctors had seemingly missed were blood clots in her brain.

[Shamita Basu]

She was discharged, but just one day.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Later she woke up gasping for air and she was rushed to a different hospital.

[Shamita Basu]

Her blood clots were diagnosed and within.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Hours she was declared brain dead.

[Shamita Basu]

But Smith's family says that doctors at.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Emory University Hospital have told them they cannot stop or remove the devices that are allowing Smith to continue breathing because of Georgia's abortion law.

[Shamita Basu]

The law includes an exception if an.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Abortion is necessary to save the life of the woman. But in this case, the family says that doctors are claiming Smith's life is not at risk.

[Shamita Basu]

So the rights the state affords to fetuses takes precedent. Georgia's attorney general released a statement saying.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

That Georgia's law does not require medical.

[Shamita Basu]

Professionals to keep a pregnant person alive.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

On life support if they are brain dead.

[Shamita Basu]

As of now, the hospital plans to.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Keep her on life support until August.

[Shamita Basu]

When doctors intend to deliver her baby.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Via via C section.

[Shamita Basu]

Emory Healthcare said it couldn't comment on.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

The individual case for privacy reasons and that it seeks input from clinical and legal experts to make decisions.

[Shamita Basu]

Smith's mother told the local NBC affiliate she believes it ultimately should have been.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Up to the family to make this decision.

[Adriana Smith's Mother]

And I just want to be clear on something. We want her to have her baby. We want her life to continue throughout her children, but at the same time to see her lay there like that for that length of time. The grieving process for us, it can't even start.

[Shamita Basu]

And she says doctors have told them.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

The baby has fluid in the brain.

[Adriana Smith's Mother]

My grandson may be blind, may not be able to walk wheelchair bound. We don't know if he'll live once she has him.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

The family has decided to name the baby Chance.

[Shamita Basu]

The director of the Maternal Fetal Medicine.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Division at George Washington University told the Washington Post the odds of the baby being born healthy by the end of this are, quote, very, very small. We are in the middle of severe weather season.

[Shamita Basu]

The US has seen over 850 tornadoes.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

This year, much higher than the usual number for this time of year, which is around 600, according to the National Weather Service. The images coming out of Kentucky in particular are shocking after a series of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes over the weekend, with entire neighborhoods flattened, homes destroyed and communities in mourning.

[Shamita Basu]

Carrie Davis from London, Kentucky, showed Fox.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

News the wreckage of her home.

[Carrie Davis]

There's a trailer behind us that's on top of my house, a whole trailer. And it blew out the cars and my neighbors were terrified. She, he got two broken legs and she had a big laceration on her face. But she lived her whole life and this has never happened in this area.

[Shamita Basu]

With the frequency and severity of major.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Storms on the rise, this has raised.

[Shamita Basu]

Questions about how well equipped federal agencies like FEMA and NOAA are to prepare.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

And respond to severe weather events.

[Shamita Basu]

Both have recently been subject to deep cuts by Doge. Since returning to office, President Trump has.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Threatened to disband FEMA entirely, and he fired the acting head after he said he disagreed with that plan.

[Shamita Basu]

The agency's preparedness plans, along with billions.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Of dollars in disaster assistance and grant funding, have been stalled.

[Shamita Basu]

The administration stopped approving new money for a federal program that has historically supported.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Disaster prone states like Florida, Oklahoma, California and Missour.

[Shamita Basu]

The administration also halted federal programs to.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Reduce wildfire risk in the Western U.S.

[Shamita Basu]

About a third of FEMA's permanent full.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Time workforce has been fired or accepted buyouts. At the National Weather Service, which falls under noaa, fewer weather balloons are being sent into the air.

[Shamita Basu]

Seth Borenstein, a science writer with the AP, recently explained to PBS NewsHour how.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

They work and why they're important.

[Seth Borenstein]

Normally, the weather Service puts out 100 balloon launches twice a day. So since this has happened, about 17 different stations are not launching either at all or just once a day. Four years ago, that was only nine stations. It means all the information that goes into your forecast, which goes into your apps or your television forecasts. All that information is just a little bit poor, forecasts a little weaker.

[Shamita Basu]

The weather service has been hit by staffing cuts, too. According to an AP analysis, almost half.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Of all National Weather Service forecast offices nationwide have a 20% vacancy rate.

[Shamita Basu]

That's double the rate from four years ago. And the union for the National Weather.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Service workers says for the first time in decades, not all forecast offices have 247 staffing.

[Shamita Basu]

We saw some of these effects in.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Kentucky over the weekend.

[Shamita Basu]

A local weather office that serves the eastern part of the state, which saw.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

The highest number of fatalities, had lost.

[Shamita Basu]

Employees to federal cuts. They had no meteorologists left working overnight, and USA Today reports that the office.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Had to scramble to call in workers to help fill the gaps.

[Shamita Basu]

Kentucky's Democratic governor Andy Beshear said that while he was worried about the cuts.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

More broadly, he didn't see any evidence that they impacted the agency's response.

[Andy Beshear]

The National Weather Service is just an amazing organization. I work with them every day, every week in this job. They work so hard and if you look especially at the flooding disasters on a couple of them, they gave us a week, a week's worth of notice.

[Shamita Basu]

Earlier this month, five former National Weather.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Service leaders published an open letter warning about the potential for needless loss of life if forecasting offices aren't fully staffed.

[Shamita Basu]

Proposed budget cuts to NOAA have led a number of Republican lawmakers from high.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Risk states like Oklahoma and Louisiana to speak out and encourage the administration to change course.

[Shamita Basu]

All this as Atlantic hurricane season is.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Just around the corner.

[Shamita Basu]

It starts on June 1, and forecasters.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Are predicting it'll be quite active right from the.

[Shamita Basu]

Now to Oklahoma, where beginning next school year, high school U.S. history.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Teachers will cover topics like the Revolutionary.

[Shamita Basu]

War, the civil rights movement. But the state's new academic standards will.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Also require educators to have students, quote, identify Discrepancies in the 2020 presidential election results or else risk losing their teaching certificate.

[Shamita Basu]

That is despite the fact that claims.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Of widespread fraud in the 2020 election have been credibly and repeatedly proven false. Beth Wallace is an education reporter with State Impact Oklahoma.

[Shamita Basu]

She told us what these new standards.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Which apply to K through 12 public schools, require.

[Beth Wallace]

Things like looking at Bellwether county trends, looking at, you know, quote, unquote batch dumps of ballots, the sudden halting of ballot counting.

[Shamita Basu]

Parents, educators and members of the state legislature, including a number of Republicans as.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Well as the governor, have raised concerns. Oklahoma's state legislature is led by Republicans.

[Shamita Basu]

And leaders introduced a resolution to reject these standards.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

But there wasn't enough gop support to pass it.

[Shamita Basu]

Family members and educators, meanwhile, have filed a lawsuit. They argue the standards were not properly reviewed and that they represent a distorted.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

View that favors a blatantly biased perspective.

[Shamita Basu]

They're being represented in court by a.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Former attorney general for Oklahoma who is a Republican.

[Shamita Basu]

Part of their concerns stems from how.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

The standards were introduced to the State Board of Education earlier this year, which.

[Shamita Basu]

Wallace says happened just before their vote on academic criteria that had been under.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Consideration for over a year.

[Beth Wallace]

Those board members actually only had hours to look at these new standards that had been put in at the last minute. Many of the new members didn't even know about these additions.

[Shamita Basu]

They were introduced at the direction of.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Ryan Walters, the state school superintendent.

[Shamita Basu]

A publicly elected official, he's been a strong ally of President Trump and was.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Reportedly considered for the role of US Secretary of Education.

[Beth Wallace]

He has a state committee to specifically implement Trump policies in Oklahoma schools. There's a video that came out a few months ago that he required schools to show students of him praying for President Trump. So this is just kind of the next thing in a long line of overtures to President Trump that Ryan Walters has made.

[Shamita Basu]

Some Republicans in the state have defended the standards. So has Walters, who has said he does not regret introducing them and that.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

He believes they'll encourage critical thinking in classrooms.

[Shamita Basu]

Wallace spoke to Tammy Patrick, the CEO.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

For programs at the Election center, which is an association for election administrators.

[Shamita Basu]

She said she's concerned these new standards.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

In Oklahoma will breed misunderstanding about how elections function and erode public trust.

[Shamita Basu]

Things like late night ballot counts, for.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Example, are totally standard, not an indicator of a so called discrepancy.

[Tammy Patrick]

That is not teaching critical thought. Teaching critical thought is to frame it in such a way that instructs the students to find something that sounds odd to them and then to dig deeper into why. Is it the case that the thing that sounds strange to you when you put it into context is it still odd?

[Shamita Basu]

If these standards remain in place by.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

The start of the next school year, schools that do not comply risk losing their accreditation status.

[Shamita Basu]

Before we let you go, a few.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Other stories we're following.

[Shamita Basu]

Palestinians are still waiting for aid after Israel said it would end its nearly.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Three month blockade and allow basic amounts of supplies in.

[Shamita Basu]

The UN's humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher told.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

The BBC that they have yet to see any evidence of its arrival and urged Israel to act now.

[Tom Fletcher]

This is baby food, baby nutrition. There are 14,000 babies that will die in the next 48 hours unless we can reach them. This is not food that Hamas are going to steal.

[Shamita Basu]

International condemnation is growing. The UK France and Canada issued a joint statement declaring Israel's escalation in attacks.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

And withholding of aid egregious and wholly disproportionate, and threatening new sanctions against Israel.

[Shamita Basu]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked critical.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Leaders, saying they were handing a huge prize to Hamas.

[Shamita Basu]

Now to immigration news. Lawyers have accused the Trump administration of defying a federal court order, claiming they're.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Deporting Asian migrants to South Sudan, a country on the brink of civil war.

[Shamita Basu]

Lawyers of two men from Myanmar and Vietnam say their clients were being held.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

In U.S. custody and were told on Monday that they would be sent to South Sudan.

[Shamita Basu]

By Tuesday morning, these men had been.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Put on a plane along with as many as 10 other deportees.

[Shamita Basu]

A Boston judge convened an urgent hearing.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Where the Justice Department said one man had been sent to Myanmar, not South Sudan, but would not reveal where another man was sent.

[Shamita Basu]

According to the Washington Post, court records show at least one individual had been.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Sent to the African nation.

[Shamita Basu]

A judge ruling had forbidden the administration.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

From sending foreign nationals to, quote, third party countries without providing meaningful notice and the chance to raise concerns.

[Shamita Basu]

Their lawyers are asking the court to.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Stop future flights to South Sudan and demand their return.

[Shamita Basu]

And finally, last night, the NBA conference.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Finals kicked off, which means there are just four teams left vying for the championship.

[Shamita Basu]

In the west, it's the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

And in the east, it's the New.

[Shamita Basu]

York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. Now, you might not be too familiar with some of these teams and their star players. Three of them have never won a title, and the Knicks are looking for.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Their first in over 50 years.

[Shamita Basu]

And whoever wins this year, the NBA will crown its seventh different champion in the last seven years. The ringer has coined this time in the NBA as the Age of Chaos. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the news app right now, we've got a.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Narrated article coming up next.

[Shamita Basu]

Scientific American looks into the claim that your mother may be used to make a little Sunlight can cure anything. Well, it turns out maybe not anything, but scientists are trying to understand why.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Sunshine seems to have a calming effect on certain immune system disorders.

[Shamita Basu]

If you're listening in the podcast app.

[Unnamed Co-Host]

Follow Apple News plus narrated to find that story.

[Shamita Basu]

And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.