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Erin Shaw
Free the Inquiry
Excerpt: In National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s recent interview with Andrew Huberman, Bhattacharya offers criticism of current biomedical research models, an optimistic view of the future of the NIH, and a scathing review of academic freedom at Stanford. The lengthy interview is a worthwhile listen for heterodox thinkers, but if you haven’t got four hours to spare, we bring you a few key takeaways.
Akela Lacy
The Intercept
Excerpt: Harvard Divinity School broke precedent by refusing to publish a video of its commencement speech after a speaker went off-script to call attention to the perilous conditions in Gaza, The Intercept has learned.
Jonah E. Bromwich
New York Times
Excerpt: Mahmoud Khalil, the first pro-Palestinian campus protester detained by the Trump administration, was released on bail Friday, bringing an end to his monthslong imprisonment.
Mr. Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and legal permanent U.S. resident, had been held for 104 days, watching as other students targeted by the administration won favorable rulings and were released on bail. He was denied the opportunity to be present when his wife gave birth to their son in April and he missed his graduation from Columbia.
Brendan Cantwell
Chronicle of Higher Education
Excerpt: A recent report from the consulting firm Deloitte confirms what everyone working in higher education already knows: Donald Trump “brings a layer of complexity to questions of financial sustainability for colleges and universities.” The administration’s dizzying range of punitive measures for academe comes at an inconvenient time: Our institutions are already grappling with diminished state support and a looming demographic cliff.
Liam Knox
Inside Higher Ed
Excerpt: The U.S. State Department is rolling out sweeping new rules for vetting student visa applicants using their social media presence, according to Politico. The new process will include screening for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States,” according to an internal State Department cable.
Department officials will also look for posts that signal “advocacy for, aid or support for foreign terrorists and other threats to national security” and “support for antisemitic harassment or violence,” specifically citing support for Hamas—a charge commonly levied against student protesters advocating for Palestinian rights—as grounds for rejection. The cable also directs officials to cull applicants who “demonstrate a history of political activism.”
Jocelyn Kaiser
Science
Excerpt: Talk about policy whiplash. This morning, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) lifted a pause on funding to Columbia University, according to an internal memo viewed by Science. A few hours later, the agency refroze money to the school.
Earlier today in an email Science saw and was first described on Bluesky by Nature, NIH told its program officers money can flow again to Columbia. Michelle Bulls, director of the agency’s Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration, around 9 a.m. wrote to NIH grants staff: “Great news, we have been told that we can resume funding awards to Columbia (funding pause has been lifted).” But less than 6 hours later, some grants staff were informed that Columbia awards were back on hold.
