In the third episode of VAS News Chat, Teresa Manning and I examine the mounting pressure on American universities from both legal and geopolitical fronts.
Manning, who serves as Policy Director at the National Association of Scholars and leads its Virginia affiliate, unpacks a series of federal actions—from Title IX enforcement battles to investigations into discriminatory DEI programs and the expanded use of the False Claims Act as a civil rights weapon.
Together, we examine how universities are being called to account for decades of politicization, administrative overreach, and ideological capture.
We also trace how American institutions, often under the radar, have aided adversarial regimes like China by training foreign nationals in sensitive dual-use technologies, including atmospheric science and weather engineering.
We also discuss a civil rights complaint filed against the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) for refusing to host a debate because, as one UDC professor claimed, certain ideas are too dangerous for students.
Finally, we break down the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which marks a turning point in federal student lending. By capping loans, simplifying repayment plans, and creating new accountability measures, the bill may actually begin to roll back the incentives that helped bloat tuition, then saddle students with debt, and yet insulate colleges from market consequences and their own actions.
Watch the full episode below or on YouTube.
Related stories:
- The Big Beautiful Bill Gives Some of Higher Ed’s Ugliest Problems a Makeover
- Civil Rights Complaint Filed After UDC Claims Ideas Are Harmful to Marginalized Students
- How U.S. Universities Helped China Build Its Weather Warfare Program
- House Education Committee and Commonsense Student Loan Reform: Nice Start, But More Change Needed
Image: “George Mason University” by Adam Fagen on Flickr
