
It Could Happen Here Weekly 197
Behind the Bastards
Political Influence on Academic Freedom
This chapter critiques the impact of the Trump administration's probes into alleged antisemitism at American universities, particularly amid pro-Palestine protests. It explores the resulting pressures on academic governance, funding, and the increasing trend of self-censorship among scholars, emphasizing the tension between political ideology and educational values. The discussion highlights the broader implications for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within academia, while underscoring the challenges posed by external political interventions.
All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file.
- Newsom’s Posting Through It
- Palestine and the American University feat. Dana El Kurd
- How Democrats Passed North Carolina's New Anti-trans Laws, Part One
- How Democrats Passed North Carolina's New Anti-trans Laws, Part Two
- Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #31
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Sources/Links:
Newsom’s Posting Through It
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/us/newsom-trump-social-media.html
https://calmatters.org/commentary/2025/03/gavin-newsom-podcast-judgment-problem/
https://bsky.app/profile/grahamformaine.bsky.social/post/3lwqwj3rdgk27
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DNl79l0SdMb/?igsh=bXphd3E2N3Y2N20w
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2qJw7xQfqh0
Palestine and the American University feat. Dana El Kurd
Clifford Ando – The Crisis of the University Started Long Before Trump - https://www.compactmag.com/article/the-crisis-of-the-university-started-long-before-trump/
Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism - https://jerusalemdeclaration.org/
Ken Stern on IHRA definition - https://www.npr.org/2025/03/20/nx-s1-5326047/kenneth-stern-antimsietim-executive-order-free-speech
2023 Pew Research Center Poll on Black Lives Matter - https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/06/14/views-on-the-black-lives-matter-movement/
Marc Bousquet – How the University Works - https://nyupress.org/9780814799758/how-the-university-works/
PBS Reporting on Harvard University negotiations with Trump administration - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/harvard-nearing-settlement-with-trump-to-pay-500-million-and-regain-federal-funding
The Intercept’s reporting on Columbia University settlement with the Trump administration - https://theintercept.com/2025/04/16/columbia-middle-eastern-studies-trump-attacks/
Middle East Studies Association statement on Columbia University settlement - https://mesana.org/advocacy/letters-from-the-board/2025/03/28/joint-statement-regarding-columbia-university-and-the-department-of-education
Results of the Middle East Scholar Barometer - https://criticalissues.umd.edu/sites/criticalissues.umd.edu/files/November%202023%20MESB%20Results.pdf
Human Rights Watch statement on the IHRA definition - https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/04/human-rights-and-other-civil-society-groups-urge-united-nations-respect-human
Axios reporting on The Nexus Project and Trump’s use of antisemitism investigations - https://www.axios.com/2025/03/31/college-campus-antisemitism-trump-nexus-project
American Association of University Professors – Academic Freedom - https://www.aaup.org/issues-higher-education/academic-freedom/faqs-academic-freedom
2024 Announcement of 40 new AAUP chapters - https://www.aaup.org/academe/issues/winter-2025/warm-welcome-new-or-reestablished-aaup-chapters
Executive Order on Combatting Antisemitism - https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-combating-anti-semitism/
How Democrats Passed North Carolina's New Anti-trans Laws
https://transnews.network/p/nc-dems-anti-trans-betrayals
@davidforbes.bsky.social
@avlblade.bsky.social
Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #31
https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/india-us-lose-trump-tariffs-russia-wins-2025-08-27/
https://www.federalreserve.gov/faqs/about_14986.htm
https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed.htm
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RRPONTSYD
https://www.newyorkfed.org/markets/rrp_faq.html
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/RPONTSYD
https://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/goldvault.html
https://www.stlouisfed.org/in-plain-english/who-owns-the-federal-reserve-banks
https://www.newyorkfed.org/medialibrary/media/research/epr/forthcoming/1202mart.pdf
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/prosecuting-burning-of-the-american-flag/
https://www.justice.gov/maxwell-interview
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/national-guard-mobilizing-19-states-immigration-crime-crackdown
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