What happens when frenetic policymaking by the Trump Administration collides with the guardrails of courts, campuses, and public opinion? We sit down with leading conservative commentator Frederick Hess, director of education policy at the American Enterprise Institute, and long-time higher education expert Stephen Brint, professor of sociology and public policy at the University of California at Riverside, to unpack a year that in which the federal government asserted unprecedented power over both private and public education institutions at all levels.  From executive orders and DOJ referrals to high-stakes investigations, we discuss what changed, what stalled, and, most importantly, what to expect in 2026.  Sign up here so we can keep you posted on future podcasts on how education leaders are responding to the mounting threats against public schools In the United States.