The Week Evening Review
Academic freedom, candidates' education policies, and Trump's election conspiracy theories

 
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION

Is academic freedom in peril?

Academic freedom is a pillar of university life. It's a principle that gives professors and students wide leeway to freely explore and express ideas without fear of being penalized. And it may be in danger.

The war in Gaza has sparked fears of a "growing assault on the ideals of academic freedom," said The New York Times. Pro-Palestinian instructors have had contracts canceled, while faculty discipline has increased. It's intended to "ensure that students feel safe on campus," said the Times. But faculty fear a "chill in the air," Peter Lake, the director of the Stetson Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy in Florida, said to the Times.

What did the commentators say?
Academic freedom "comes with special responsibilities," Greg Weiner, the president of Assumption University in Massachusetts, said at The Wall Street Journal. But campus activists treat the concept as a "special entitlement" to pursue political goals "free from consequences." Academic freedom encourages the "pursuit of truth," said Weiner, while political sloganeering can "reduce complicated issues to slogans." That's different. 

Law professor Amy Wax received a yearlong suspension from the University of Pennsylvania after she "questioned the academic performance of Black students," said The Associated Press. Academic freedom is important, said Penn's provost, but professors must practice a "willingness to assess all students fairly." 

Wax has been "stunningly numb to compassion, courtesy and sometimes even to coherence," said John McWhorter at the Times. But her punishment is "egregious." The ideals of free speech mean "living with the discomfort" that offensive opinions can cause. Yes, Wax's ideas are "repellent," said McWhorter. But "this does not justify punishing her for expressing them."

What next?
The battle is underway at Harvard. The university recently punished 25 faculty members who participated in a silent library "study-in" supporting pro-Palestine protesters, said The Harvard Crimson. The university is setting boundaries on activism, said the head of Harvard's library system. The library is "not intended to be used as a venue for a group action." 

The presidential election could shape what happens next, said Inside Higher Ed. The election outcome could result in a "push to nationalize" restrictions on "universities' autonomy," including laws governing curricula and cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, said Jeremy Young, a program director at PEN America. A stronger case needs to be made to voters and taxpayers that they benefit from allowing universities to be a "place of intellectual freedom."

 
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY

'We are here because far too many have convinced themselves that the disease that's embedded in the DNA of America — racism and white supremacy — can coexist with healthy democracy. It cannot.'

Civil rights attorney and Howard University Law School Professor Sherrilyn Ifill on the need for the "emergence of a new and better democracy," while giving the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture at Harvard Law School

 
 
IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Trump's conspiracy theories carry on from 2016 

The 2024 presidential election might be among the closest in American history, according to polls. That could be bad news for the health of the political system since distrust in American election integrity is higher than at any other point since researchers began measuring it. That's largely because of a litany of false claims about the 2020 election made by Donald Trump. 

Surveys suggest that thanks to this effort, a majority of Republicans now believe that election was stolen from Trump. This heightens the risk of post-election turmoil if there's a photo-finish conclusion to this year's race. 

Origins of the theories
The seeds for 2020's post-election conspiracy theories were planted in the 2016 election cycle, when Trump refused during the campaign to say he would accept the outcome if Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton won. After his victory in the Electoral College, Trump then claimed erroneously that he would also have won the popular vote if millions of undocumented immigrants hadn't voted for Clinton. 

Trump went well beyond those claims in 2020. One piece of Trump's baseless stolen election conspiracy centered on voting machine fraud. According to this theory, machines systematically switched 2.7 million votes from Trump to Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Fox News, which boosted the conspiracy theory, settled a defamation lawsuit filed by Dominion Voting Systems, a prominent target of this speculation, for $787.5 million. 

Trump also claimed various forms of fraud took place, particularly with mail balloting. He claimed that election officials in places like Detroit and Philadelphia had boxes of Biden votes "dumped" and that Democrats were "harvesting" illegitimate mail-in and absentee ballots. 

Barrage of lies
Various other baseless claims by Trump included that illegal ballots were printed overseas and counted, that voting machines were manufactured by the late Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, that Republican observers were barred from vote-counting areas so that Democrats could commit fraud and that once again millions of undocumented immigrants cast ballots exclusively for Biden. 

There have been countless investigations, audits, recounts and analyses of these claims, and no credible evidence has ever been produced. Trump's "claims of fraud or illegality are riddled with errors, hampered by misunderstandings about how to analyze official voter records and filled with confusion about basic statistical techniques and concepts," said political scientists Justin Grimmer and Abhinav Ramaswamy in a 2024 paper.

 
 

Statistic of the day

$20 decillion: The amount that Russia is trying to fine Google for allegedly blocking pro-Russian channels on YouTube, according to CNN. This figure, a 1 with 33 zeros after it, is equivalent to 20 billion trillion trillion, well above the entire $110 trillion world economy. A Kremlin spokesperson said he was unable to even pronounce the number.

 
 
the explainer

How Harris and Trump differ on education

The topic of education has been mostly absent from this year's presidential campaigns. But the future of American schools could hinge on the choice between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

There are "very sharp differences" between the candidates here, said Amna Nawaz on "PBS NewsHour." Trump's ideas are "contradictory," said William Brangham. Trump wants to eliminate the Department of Education but also pay "very granular attention" to school curricula to snuff out so-called "woke" topics like critical race theory and gender issues. Harris and Democrats, meanwhile, have called for universal free preschool.

The two candidates have "distinct track records," said Robert Shand at The Conversation. Trump's platform calls for "universal school choice and more parental control over schools," while Harris served in a Biden administration that tried to expand funding for "full-service community schools" that work to address factors such as "access to health care and healthy food" that can affect student performance. Harris wants a "broader role" for the federal government, while Trump wants to push much of the issue to "states, localities and parents," said Shand.

Trump: 'chopping block' for federal ed programs?
Trump tried to "tear down the U.S. Department of Education" during his first term, said Education Week. Expect a new attempt if he wins. It's also likely he would again attempt to put federal K-12 funding on the "chopping block."

The Department of Education's "biggest expenditure is on higher education," said The New York Times, with the bulk of its budget going to the federal student aid program. Disbanding the agency would have to go through Congress. 

Harris: focus on pre-K 
In addition to universal preschool, Democrats have proposed expanding the Child Tax Credit to boost families with young learners. For older students, Harris supported the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness efforts, as well as proposals to make community college free. 

Harris also selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former teacher, as her running mate. "Public education," Walz said at his signing of an anti-book-banning bill, is a "force for good in this country."

 
 

Good day 🏫

… for Australians with student loans. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced plans to cut student loans by 20% for nearly 3 million Australians, "wiping off around A$16 billion ($10 billion) in debts," said Reuters. The decision builds on May's budget, which "attacked cost of living pressures in Australia and gave debt relief for students."

 
 

Bad day 💊

… for vitamin D. A growing body of research disproves that vitamin D supplements reduce the risk of cardiac arrest in older adults, according to a new study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York City. The study "decisively" showed that the supplements had "no effect on the markers of cardiovascular disease over the 2-year follow-up period, regardless of dose," said lead author Katharine Rainer.

 
 
Picture of the day

Blood on their hands

A protester in red-painted gloves confronts a police officer in front of Serbia's Ministry of Construction. More than 1,000 people marched in Belgrade yesterday to demand the resignation of top officials over a roof collapse that killed 14 people at a railway station in the northern city of Novi Sad on Friday.
Andrej Isakovic / AFP via Getty Images

 
 
Puzzles

Test your general knowledge with The Week's daily crossword, part of our puzzles section, which also includes sudoku and codewords

 
 
The Week recommends

Adapters are near the top of most international travel packing lists, right below your passport and above underwear and comfortable shoes. These well-made adapters will ensure your devices are up and running when you need them the most.

Ceptics international worldwide travel plug adapter 5-piece set
In one simple set, travelers get five plug adapters: types A, C, E/F, G and I. This option is "smaller, lighter and cheaper than any universal travel adapter," said Wirecutter, and "perfect for someone who wants to carry only the adapter they will need." The set comes in a small pouch for easy transporting, and each adapter is clearly marked with the region where it can be used. ($13, Amazon)

Epicka universal travel adapter
This adapter is the international traveler's best friend. Lightweight and able to charge six devices at once, its four plugs cover more than 150 countries, including China, Germany and Scotland. (Two exceptions are India and South Africa.) This "eliminates the need to purchase individual adapters for each trip," said Travel and Leisure, making it a "great money-saving travel product." ($20, Amazon)

Mogics Super Bagel
The Super Bagel combines a travel adapter with a power strip, all in a compact package. This "clever device" has an adapter in the center with four different plug configurations and several USB ports, while the "bagel section houses five AC sockets and a handy 3-foot-long extension cord to reach any wall outlet," said TripSavvy. Solo travelers and families alike will enjoy being able to charge multiple items simultaneously. ($59, Amazon)

 
 

Poll watch

The desire to migrate from one's country remains high globally, according to a Gallup poll. The poll surveyed people in 146 countries and found that 16% worldwide — more than 900 million people — want to leave their country permanently. This includes the 18% of people in the U.S. who wish to leave. 

 
 
INSTANT OPINION

Today's best commentary

'Doctors should have to report medically impaired drivers'
Sandeep Jauhar at The New York Times
States "should make it mandatory for doctors to report medically impaired drivers to the Department of Motor Vehicles, while at the same time providing legal protections to those who do," says Sandeep Jauhar. This "would allow doctors to serve the public good while absolving them of the guilt and fear of sharing confidential medical information without patient consent." But doctors "should be required to report patients only when the obstacle to safe driving results from medical impairment."

'POTUS 47 must prioritize rebuilding trust in the US health system'
Lyndon Haviland at The Hill
The next president will "confront serious public health issues affecting millions of Americans," and "unless he or she can rebuild trust and regain public confidence in our nation's health system, president 47 will face significant challenges addressing them," says Lyndon Haviland. If our next president has the "fortitude to trust America's health agencies, it will encourage Americans to respect them again too." Leadership will be "critical in making this happen. And it must happen."

'Man vs machinima: can video games ever be art?'
Elaine Moore at the Financial Times
Video games are "relegated to the lowest of lowbrow categories," and it can be "hard to wrap your head around exactly how popular they are," says Elaine Moore. But there is "one way in which the uncanny semireality of video games can be used to produce works of art." Machinima is a "form of filmmaking that takes place inside video games," and it "joins the ever-increasing number of crossovers between traditional art forms, mainstream entertainment and gaming."

 
 
WORD OF THE DAY

mirage

In an election, a mirage is when the current vote count shows a candidate with a higher percentage of the vote than they will "ultimately end up with in the final count," said NBC News. Mirages can be "blue" or "red," depending on which political party "appears to be benefiting." 

 
 

Evening Review was written and edited by Theara Coleman, Nadia Croes, David Faris, Catherine Garcia, Scott Hocker, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, Justin Klawans, Harold Maass, Joel Mathis, Summer Meza, Devika Rao, Rafi Schwartz, Anahi Valenzuela and Peter Weber, with illustrations by Stephen Kelly and Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images; Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call, Inc. / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images