DeSantis vs. the Visa Economy: When the Nation’s #1 Education System Met the Wall Street Journal’s Worst Argument

Host Croaky Caiman examines a brewing feud between Florida’s top-ranked public university system and Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Riley, who argues that limiting H-1B hires amounts to an attack on higher education. The episode contrasts Florida’s record—low tuition, rising graduation rates, and system efficiency—with the WSJ critique that cutting visa pipelines supposedly undermines academia. Croaky pushes back, arguing Florida’s results show success without dependence on imported labor and that pundit outrage defends a model of institutional dependency. Listen for a data-driven take on whether prioritizing local hiring and fiscal discipline is a reform or a threat, and how this debate exposes deeper assumptions about the future of American higher education.