In recent weeks, the Trump administration has put the American university system on notice.
It has pressed for changes, opened investigations — and in some cases withheld critical funds.
Alan Blinder, who covers education in America, explains how schools are responding to the pressure and what it might mean for the future of higher education.
Aug 11
The U.S. Missile Stockpile Is Dangerously Low
As the fighting with Iran has dragged on, American forces have been burning through their weapons, creating a shortage of munitions that is leaving the United States and its allies in the region much more vulnerable. Today, Eric Schmitt, a national security correspondent for The ... Show More
31m 34s
Aug 10
Why Adults Are Getting Cancer at a Younger Age
For years, cancer has been seen as a disease people mostly get when they’re older. That seems to be changing as more young people are getting cancer than ever before. Today, Nina Agrawal, a health reporter for The New York Times, explains what scientists are learning about the fa ... Show More
27m 59s
Sep 2025
Casualties of Trump’s War on Higher Ed
President Trump has a long list of grievances against many U.S. colleges and universities. He’s complained about antisemitism on campuses, of gender- and race-based course offerings, even communist indoctrination. To force change, the government has increasingly used the power of ... Show More
28m 38s
Apr 2025
Why Trump’s university crackdown is driving professors off US campuses
With academics leaving the US, funding cuts looming over universities for alleged failures to combat antisemitism, and foreign students facing deportation for pro-Palestinian activism, the Trump administration’s policies are being felt at colleges across the United States. What’s ... Show More
25m 11s
Apr 2025
America’s universities stand up to Trump
This week, Harvard University, the oldest and wealthiest in the US, defied Donald Trump a list of demands. The Trump administration responded by freezing $2.2bn in federal funding for the Ivy League school. This week, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Harvard professor Ryan Enos t ... Show More
27m 57s