In the latest episode of The Key, Inside Higher Ed’s news and analysis podcast, Editor in Chief Sara Custer speaks with IHE’s news editor, Katherine Knott, about the policies, people and surprises from the first 30 days of the second Trump administration. 

They discuss the executive orders and actions that could have the most impact on higher ed and what pushback they’ve seen from the sector, mostly in the form of lawsuits, as well as the people Trump has tapped to lead the Department of Education. 

They run through the funding cuts handed down by the Department of Government Efficiency, including capping indirect costs for NIH grants, a move that could cost the sector more than $4 billion. 

And Katherine shares what has surprised her the most in the last month and what she and the IHE reporters will be watching in the next 30 days.