# SIO521: The Daily Is Sane-Washing Trump's War on Higher Ed

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Podcast: [Serious Inquiries Only](https://stenobird.com/podcast/serious-inquiries-only-495493)
Published: 2026-07-21T19:40:00+00:00
Episode link: https://seriouspod.libsyn.com/sio521-the-daily-is-sane-washing-trumps-war-on-higher-ed
Audio file: https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/media.blubrry.com/atheisticallyspeaking/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/seriouspod/Episode_521_Trump_Defunding_Student_Loans.mp3?dest-id=456804
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Duration seconds: 2845

## Resource

Thomas is joined by David O'Brien , a higher education policy scholar who works for the California Community Colleges system, to pick apart Trump's new rules threatening to cut off student loans and Pell grants from "low-earning" degree programs, and to fact-check The Daily's recent take on the same story. The real history runs through Reagan, Prop 13, and decades of quiet austerity nobody on that podcast wants to mention. Mentioned: The Daily college episode Reagan 1966 campaign clip Prop 13 CUNY tuition history California Master Plan for Higher Education Are you an expert in something and want to be on the show? Apply here ! Please support the show on Patreon! You get ad-free episodes, early episodes, and other bonus content! https://www.patreon.com/seriouspod

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