The Donald Trump Administration informed Harvard University on Monday that, after developing an investigation into the institution’s inclusion policies, they found that it had violated the civil rights of Jewish and Israeli students.
U.S. government lawyers concluded that Harvard knew these students felt threatened and allegedly acted with deliberate indifference, the US press reported.
The Executive led by Donald Trump has also warned the richest university in the United States to permanently withdraw all federal funding if it does not make changes in this regard, related to its protocols on anti-Semitism and inclusive policies known as DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion).
“Not implementing adequate changes immediately will result in the loss of all federal financial resources and will continue to affect Harvard’s relationship with the federal government,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in the letter received today.
The letter indicates that Harvard remained impassive after Israeli students were allegedly assaulted during the last two years, and that the campus was vandalized with graffiti showing a dollar sign inside a David Star or an Israeli flag with a swastika instead of the Star of David.
These formal notifications of violation of civil rights law are usually followed by a lawsuit from the Department of Justice or a voluntary resolution with the university.
Seen with perspective, this warning of the Trump Administration against Harvard is one more step in a tense relationship between the parties, after earlier this year the Executive demanded that the institution be able to supervise its admissions, hiring and the ideology of students and staff.
Harvard opposed the requirement and the Trump Administration announced that it would freeze more than $2 billion in federal funds for the prestigious university, so the institution has sued the US government for alleged violation of the First Amendment and due process.
Harvard published its own internal reports on anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim prejudices on campus in April, finding that Jewish but also Muslim students felt insecure in the months after October 7, and that it was working to solve the situation.
The Trump Administration issued another such notification in May to Columbia University, whose protests against the Gaza massacre reached an international dimension, for not protecting Jewish students from alleged harassment.
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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