Shumita Basu

This represents a stunning turn in data privacy at the Social Security Administration, where under previous administrations, personal information had been closely guarded. It's just the latest example of the extraordinary measures Elon Musk and his Doge team have employed to access and share personal data that had historically been off limits to immigration authorities.

It comes on the heels of another unusual agreement that we talked about on this show, where the IRS recently agreed to share information with the Department of Homeland Security for undocumented immigrants. In recent weeks, President Trump has tried to exert more influence on institutes of higher education by withholding financial support schools have relied on for decades.

It comes on the heels of another unusual agreement that we talked about on this show, where the IRS recently agreed to share information with the Department of Homeland Security for undocumented immigrants. In recent weeks, President Trump has tried to exert more influence on institutes of higher education by withholding financial support schools have relied on for decades.

It comes on the heels of another unusual agreement that we talked about on this show, where the IRS recently agreed to share information with the Department of Homeland Security for undocumented immigrants. In recent weeks, President Trump has tried to exert more influence on institutes of higher education by withholding financial support schools have relied on for decades.

The Trump administration paused over $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University. It announced plans to pause an additional $790 million to Northwestern and more than $1 billion to Cornell. And it's threatened to cut $9 billion in contracts and grants at Harvard.

The Trump administration paused over $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University. It announced plans to pause an additional $790 million to Northwestern and more than $1 billion to Cornell. And it's threatened to cut $9 billion in contracts and grants at Harvard.

The Trump administration paused over $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University. It announced plans to pause an additional $790 million to Northwestern and more than $1 billion to Cornell. And it's threatened to cut $9 billion in contracts and grants at Harvard.

This money helps schools do things like keep the lights on at labs, pay salaries to educators and researchers, and fund research projects. Without it, much of that work comes to a halt. At Northwestern, for example, researchers with federal grants received 100 stop-work orders in recent days, which will impact studies related to Parkinson's disease, nanotechnology, and foreign military training.

This money helps schools do things like keep the lights on at labs, pay salaries to educators and researchers, and fund research projects. Without it, much of that work comes to a halt. At Northwestern, for example, researchers with federal grants received 100 stop-work orders in recent days, which will impact studies related to Parkinson's disease, nanotechnology, and foreign military training.

This money helps schools do things like keep the lights on at labs, pay salaries to educators and researchers, and fund research projects. Without it, much of that work comes to a halt. At Northwestern, for example, researchers with federal grants received 100 stop-work orders in recent days, which will impact studies related to Parkinson's disease, nanotechnology, and foreign military training.

Over at the University of Missouri, Bloomberg reporter Elizabeth Rambert spoke to a researcher named Carrie Clark, who recently lost funding for a project that she spent a decade on that took up about a quarter of her work, developing machines to make harvesting processes for farmers in Africa more efficient. Rambert told us about her work.

Over at the University of Missouri, Bloomberg reporter Elizabeth Rambert spoke to a researcher named Carrie Clark, who recently lost funding for a project that she spent a decade on that took up about a quarter of her work, developing machines to make harvesting processes for farmers in Africa more efficient. Rambert told us about her work.

Over at the University of Missouri, Bloomberg reporter Elizabeth Rambert spoke to a researcher named Carrie Clark, who recently lost funding for a project that she spent a decade on that took up about a quarter of her work, developing machines to make harvesting processes for farmers in Africa more efficient. Rambert told us about her work.

Clark says losing her research funding, which came from USAID, felt like losing a child. And Rembert told us the impact of these kinds of funding cuts could hit far beyond college campuses.

Clark says losing her research funding, which came from USAID, felt like losing a child. And Rembert told us the impact of these kinds of funding cuts could hit far beyond college campuses.

Clark says losing her research funding, which came from USAID, felt like losing a child. And Rembert told us the impact of these kinds of funding cuts could hit far beyond college campuses.

And there are other ways higher ed institutions are being impacted by the administration, through efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, plans to raise endowment taxes, threats to cut funding for schools that support transgender athletes or diversity initiatives, and at schools where students and academics have been outspoken against the war in Gaza.

And there are other ways higher ed institutions are being impacted by the administration, through efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, plans to raise endowment taxes, threats to cut funding for schools that support transgender athletes or diversity initiatives, and at schools where students and academics have been outspoken against the war in Gaza.

And there are other ways higher ed institutions are being impacted by the administration, through efforts to dismantle the Department of Education, plans to raise endowment taxes, threats to cut funding for schools that support transgender athletes or diversity initiatives, and at schools where students and academics have been outspoken against the war in Gaza.

Behind the scenes, colleges and universities are scrambling to figure out what they would do if a large chunk of their budget suddenly gets cut. An expert in higher ed told Rembert administrators are likely working on two versions of their budgets right now. One that assumes the status quo stays and another that's a, quote, disaster budget that accounts for losing government support.