America's Two-Front War on Science
Universities’ internal culture wars threaten free speech and inquiry, but political attacks on research funding and infrastructure are crippling U.S. scientific leadership.
Education
Are Students Engaged in Performative Virtue Signaling?
Interesting results from a survey of undergraduates at two universities.
The University Presidents Who Want to Fix Universities Before They Get Fixed
University Presidents are divided on how to respond to pressure from the Trump Administration. Are their concerns too little, too late?
Zach Cregger's Weapons Is a Horror Film That Doesn't Tell You What To Think
A twisted, terrifying follow-up from the director of Barbarian
Does Mental Health Awareness Make Things Worse?
Illinois wants to give mental health screenings to elementary schoolers. Will that actually help struggling kids?
A First Amendment Lawsuit Highlights the Chilling Impact of Speech-Based Deportation on Student Journalists
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression is seeking an injunction that would protect noncitizens at The Stanford Daily from arrest and removal because of their published work.
On the Politics of University Autonomy
My new paper thinking through the political calculus of independent universities
Trumpifying Gaza Aid
Plus: Columbia forced to release racial data, school choice battles, and more...
Harvard Is Wise To Not Consider $500 Million Settlement With Trump
The university's president has maintained that Harvard will not risk losing its academic freedom, and it may delay any settlement negotiations until after a final court ruling.
Upholding a Vaccine Mandate, the 9th Circuit Embraces an Alarmingly Broad Definition of 'Public Health'
The appeals court held that the government may require COVID-19 shots based purely on the benefits to recipients.
Safe Spaces Are Coming Back to Brown University—All Thanks to Trump
The campus' settlement with the federal government is bound to create free speech headaches.
Eric Adams Has Turned His Back on the Charter School Movement He Once Embraced
Once a champion of school choice, New York’s mayor has caved to union pressure—leaving tens of thousands of students stuck on waitlists.
How Sports Tickets Got So Expensive—Or Did They?
Plus: regulating college sports, forgiving baseball’s legends, and Happy Gilmore 2
The Value of Institutional Neutrality for Free Inquiry
My new article in the First Amendment Law Review's symposium on campus free speech
Famine in Gaza
Plus: The Columbia settlement as a "blueprint" for going after other universities, South Park lampoons Trump, and more...
Diversity Statements and the First Amendment
My new article on diversity statements in faculty hiring and the First Amendment
Columbia's $200 Million Deal Will Placate Trump—for Now
To reinstitute $400 million in federal funding, the university agreed to implement plans to combat antisemitism and to appoint an independent monitor to oversee changes.
Trump Administration Opens New Investigation Into Harvard, Escalating Pressure
The investigation comes only two days after a federal judge cast doubt on the Trump administration’s argument in Harvard’s lawsuit over federal funding.
Defending Its Speech-Based Deportation Policy, the Trump Administration Says 'No Such Policy Exists'
The government's gaslighting strategy suggests that federal officials are not confident about the constitutionality of punishing students for expressing anti-Israel views.
Trump vs. Harvard
Plus: City-run grocery stores, Peronists for prison, California can't figure out how minimum wage hikes work, and more...
Why Are Students Using AI To Cheat? Maybe Because They Shouldn't Be In College At All
AI cheating is often a crutch for students ill-equipped to attend a four-year university.
Would "Affirmative Action" for Conservatives in Academia "Backfire"?
Universities should be wary of adopting practices or policies that "discourage curiosity and reward narrowness of thought."
Trump Wants Harvard To Hand Over Info on Over 10,000 International Students
The university says it will continue to defend itself against government overreach.
The People Who Wrecked N.Y. Schools Love Zohran Mamdani
Democrats are politicking as if their COVID-era derangements don't matter.
The Surprising Origins of Modern Freedom
Sophia Rosenfeld joins Nick Gillespie to discuss how personal choice became central to modern ideas of freedom and why that shift carries political, cultural, and psychological consequences.
The Trump Administration Says Its Speech-Based Deportation Policy 'Does Not Exist'
The government’s lawyers also say that supposedly nonexistent policy is perfectly consistent with the First Amendment.
New Jersey Lawmakers Are Considering 2 Bills To Heavily Regulate Homeschooling
Under the bills, homeschooling curricula would have to meet state learning standards and students would be required to complete annual wellness checks.
$725K Settlement in University of North Texas Academic Freedom Case
The case settled while motions for summary judgment were pending; the plaintiff, Prof. Timothy Jackson, had prevailed against an earlier motion to dismiss, and the Fifth Circuit had also rejected defendants' appeal as to procedural matters.
Colleges Created a Diversity Box-Ticking Game—Zohran Mamdani Just Played It
The big problem here is the elite racism of college admissions departments, not the mayoral candidate's creative box-checking.
The Department of Education Is in Limbo. Let's Kill It.
Congress should now turn its attention to abolishing the unnecessary federal education bureaucracy.
Florida Can Forbid Transgender High School Math Teacher From Using Feminine Pronouns to Refer to Herself in Class, 11th Circuit Says
The appeals court vacated a preliminary injunction that had been based on her First Amendment rights
How the NCAA Helped Trump Score Big on Transgender Issues
The organization was unfair to female competitors, was unfair to Lia Thomas, and handed the Trump administration a win on a silver platter.
I'm No Fan of UVA's President. That Doesn't Mean the Government Should Force Him Out.
Jim Ryan is the latest casualty in Trump's unconstitutional war against elite universities.
The 5th Circuit Rejects Qualified Immunity for a Child-Snatching Texas Cop Who Falsely Alleged Abandonment
Alexandra Weaver argued that she could not reasonably have been expected to know her actions were unconstitutional.
The Absurdity of Government Grocery Stores Exposes the Flaws of Public Schools
Zohran Mamdani’s proposal for state-run supermarkets exposes the inefficiencies of state-run education.
School Choice Could Fix the Conflicts That Led to the Supreme Court's Mahmoud Decision
There’s no need to fight over lessons if you’re not forced to learn in government-run battlegrounds.
Harvard Turns to the Private Sector To Finance Research After Losing Federal Funding
This pivot to privately funded research could reduce the burden on taxpayers and lead to more scientific breakthroughs.
Student Visa Applicants Will Now Be Forced To Make Their Social Media Accounts Public
The Trump administration continues its war against disfavored speech.
Trump Is Shutting Off America's Talent Pipeline
A new push to end work programs for international students will drive away skilled graduates and restrict U.S. innovation.
My New Just Security Article on the Nondelegation and Major Questions Doctrines
It explains how these much-maligned doctrines can be valuable tools for constraining power grabs by presidents of both parties.
Will Zohran Mamdani Kill the Best Thing About New York City Public Schools?
The city's specialized high schools are one of the lone bright spots of its struggling public school system.
