First Harvard, now UC Berkeley: Trump administration to probe foreign funds
The Trump administration accused UC Berkeley of failing to disclose millions of dollars in foreign funding on Friday, touting muscular new enforcement of an obscure federal rule amid ongoing efforts to bridle America's top research institutions.
The University of California flagship is the second top school to come under investigation this month for alleged violations of Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which requires disclosure of 'foreign source gifts and contracts' worth more than $250,000.
A similar investigation into Harvard was announced last week. On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Department of Education to ramp up enforcement of the rule.
The department 'will begin by thoroughly examining UC Berkeley's apparent failure to fully and accurately disclose significant funding received from foreign sources,' U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement.
Dan Mogulof, assistant vice chancellor of the UC Berkeley communications and public affairs office, issued a statement that said the school has already been in contact with federal authorities about the issue.
'Over the course of the last two years, UC Berkeley has been cooperating with federal inquiries regarding [Section] 117 reporting issues, and will continue to do so,' Mogulof said.
The audits are the latest in a barrage of administrative actions against elite universities around the country.
The campaign-season blueprint known as Project 2025 that laid out Trump's potential agenda highlighted Section 117 as a possible mechanism to claw back federal funding from top schools, including through Pell Grants and Fullbright Scholarships — a move experts say could devastate critical research.
'All of these are really existential threats to the research university as it currently exists,' said Kevin Kinser, a professor of education policy at Penn State University. 'A world-class university has to have engagements around the world — that's what defines world-class.'
The University of California system was already reeling from massive federal funding cuts, student visa cancellations and Justice Department probes into admissions and allegations of antisemitism. Harvard, the world's richest school, emerged as an unlikely folk hero after it rebuffed the administration's demands for extensive control of the school.
A wave of Section 117 challenges could further isolate institutions already under assault.
America's elite universities are already deeply enmeshed with top schools abroad, from engineering partnerships with the Indian Institute of Technology to the Persian Gulf campuses of Georgetown, Texas A&M and NYU.
Proponents say such partnerships are essential to innovation and academic excellence. Critics argue that foreign cash buys influence over American students and wedges open a back door to American intellectual property for foreign governments.
'Protecting American educational, cultural, and national security interests requires transparency regarding foreign funds flowing to American higher education and research institutions,' Wednesday's executive order reads.
The new UC Berkeley inquiry revives a 2023 House subcommittee investigation into the Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, a partnership between UC Berkeley's College of Engineering and China's Tsinghua University begun in 2016.
The two schools have collaborated extensively on research including clean energy and climate change for decades. Tsinghua has similar formal partnerships with the University of Washington, Indiana University and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, among others.
According to tax forms from its American nonprofit, Tsinghua gave $2.5 million to the UC Regents to fund the program in 2019 and 2018. It gave $4.5 million to the Regents in 2017.
Times staff writer Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
7 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Net Approval Positive on Only One Key Issue
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's net approval rating is negative on a range of issues except immigration, a new poll shows. According to political analyst and statistician Nate Silver, writing in his Silver Bulletin Substack, Trump has a net negative approval rating on trade, the economy and inflation but a slightly positive rating on immigration. Why It Matters Taking the temperature of the nation, approval ratings are good measures of the public's response to Trump's policies and his actions as president. In the first few months of his second term, Trump's popularity has fluctuated, with some polls more favorable than others. Sustained backlash to his policies could persuade the president to change his approach. Trump, who made immigration a central part of his campaign, has vowed to crack down on border security, carry out mass deportations and end federal benefits for people residing in the country illegally. President Donald Trump speaking with reporters in the rain after arriving on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on May 30. President Donald Trump speaking with reporters in the rain after arriving on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on May 30. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson What To Know Silver aggregated dozens of recent polls and found that Trump's approval rating on immigration was +2.5 percent. The president did not fare as well on other issues, with a -9.5 percent approval rating on trade, -11.3 percent on the economy and -17.5 percent on inflation. May polling conducted by Verasight U.S. for Strength in Numbers found similar results, with Americans disapproving of the president's handling of all the policy areas they were asked about except border security. That poll also found that 49 percent disapproved of his immigration policy, while 47 percent approved. Overall, Silver found that when analyzing the polls, Trump had a -5.4 net approval rating. An RMG Research/Napolitan News poll, conducted between May 14 and 21 among 3,000 registered voters, showed Trump's approval rating at 48 percent, with 50 percent disapproving. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points. Other polls have found a more positive response to the president. According to a recent Rasmussen survey, 53 percent of respondents said they approved of Trump, while 46 percent said they disapproved. What People Are Saying Scott Lucas, a professor in international politics at University College Dublin, previously cautioned against reading too much into any one poll, telling Newsweek: "Opinion polls have their own biases." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social on April 20: "We are, together, going to make America bigger, better, stronger, wealthier, healthier, and more religious, than it has ever been before!!!" What Happens Next The midterm elections, scheduled for November 2026, may offer a clearer indication of voters' attitudes toward the president's policies.
Politico
14 minutes ago
- Politico
Murphy launches ambitious anti-Trump PAC as 2028 rumors swirl
Sen. Chris Murphy is launching a new PAC aimed at taking on President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress — the latest sign the Connecticut Democrat is eyeing higher office, according to plans that were first shared with POLITICO. Murphy will announce Monday that his group, American Mobilization Project, is doling out $400,000 to organizations that oppose cuts to Medicaid and register young people to vote. Two of the early recipients of his funds are based in battleground states. In an interview, Murphy said that his PAC is unique because it is not focused on funding campaigns and instead is looking to mobilize people against Trump's agenda. 'All of us have to realize that if we don't act aggressively right now to organize and mobilize, we may not have our democracy in 2026,' said Murphy. 'I'm a believer that the only thing that is ultimately going to stop Trump's corruption and his destruction of democracy is mass mobilization.' Murphy's PAC expects to spend upwards of $2 million in the 2026 midterm cycle, an aide to the senator said. In the wake of Trump's reelection, Murphy has worked to grow his profile and staked out ground as one of the Democratic Party's most outspoken critics of the president's efforts to bend institutions to his will. Murphy has appeared on numerous podcasts, held town halls across the country and churned out a steady stream of content on social media. In the run-up to presidential campaigns, would-be candidates often launch new PACs or outside groups, which can be used to expand their visibility, build their email lists and cultivate political relationships. But Murphy insists his recent moves are not designed to lay the groundwork for a future presidential bid. He has argued that it's no guarantee that there will even be a race for the White House in 2028, in fact. 'I don't think it's a foregone conclusion there's going to be an election in 2026 or 2028 for anybody to run in if we don't do the work right now,' he said, adding, 'I hope that this PAC is going to act very differently than everybody else's PAC because it's not about banking money or using money for a political campaign or for other people's political campaigns. It's about mobilization.' The first recipients of contributions from Murphy's PAC include Georgia Youth Justice and Project 26 Pennsylvania. His group is also backing the Committee to Protect Health Care's work organizing doctors and nurses to support Medicaid in Michigan, Louisiana and Utah. Murphy is far from the only Democrat who has positioned himself as a future leader of the party as it struggles to find its way back to power. Several potential 2028 candidates have traveled to critical battleground and early-voting states in recent weeks. Last week, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz both visited South Carolina to attend a key Democratic dinner.
17 minutes ago
Ukraine-Russia peace talks to resume in Istanbul after surprise drone attack
LONDON -- Ukrainian and Russian delegations are set to meet again in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday to take part in the next round of U.S.-brokered peace talks intended to end Russia's 3-year-old invasion of its neighbor. Revived talks so far have failed to reach a peace deal, or even achieve a sustained ceasefire, despite pressure on both sides by President Donald Trump's administration. The last meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul in mid-May was the first direct contact between the two sides since spring 2022. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday, according to a readout published by the State Department -- which said the call took place "at Russia's request." "Secretary Rubio reiterated President Trump's call for continued direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a lasting peace," the State Department said. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the two men "exchanged views on various initiatives concerning the political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis." Ukraine is calling for a full 30-day ceasefire during which time peace negotiations can take place. Russia has refused the request, with President Vladimir Putin and his top officials retaining maximalist war goals dating back to the opening days of the Russian invasion. Among the Kremlin's demands are the annexation of four Ukrainian regions -- plus the retention of Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014 -- Ukrainian demilitarization and a permanent block on the country's accession to NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Sunday social media post that Kyiv's delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The president set out Ukraine's goals for the meeting. "First -- a full and unconditional ceasefire," he wrote. "Second -- the release of prisoners. Third -- the return of abducted children. And in order to establish a reliable and lasting peace and ensure security, preparation of the meeting at the highest level." Zelenskyy and his government have repeatedly accused Putin of intentionally sabotaging peace talks since Trump returned to office in January, having promised on the campaign trail to end the war within 24 hours. Trump's threat of further sanctions on Russia do not appear to have softened the Kremlin's war goals. Zelenskyy and his European backers have pushed Trump to increase pressure on Putin by introducing new sanctions on Russia and providing Ukraine with more military support. Keith Kellogg, Trump's Ukraine-Russia envoy, hinted at the president's growing frustration with Moscow, telling ABC News last week that the president has "seen a level of unreasonableness that really frustrates him." In a phone conversation with Trump in May, Putin said Russia would provide a "peace memorandum" outlining a possible settlement. Moscow is yet to provide the document. Vladimir Medinsky -- a Putin aide and long-time member of Russia's negotiating team -- said Sunday that the Russian team had received Ukraine's version of the peace memorandum. Since the last round of talks in Istanbul, Trump has hit out at Putin -- calling him "absolutely crazy" -- and again criticized Zelenskyy, saying of the Ukrainian leader, "Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don't like it, and it better stop." Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament representing Zelenskyy's party and the chair of the body's foreign affairs committee, told ABC News, "Russia's primary goal is to avoid sanctions by pretending that it negotiates." "Putin is not interested in negotiations and ceasefire, because he hopes to start an offensive during summer," Merezhko added. "On the one hand, he imitates negotiations to avoid Trump's sanctions and simultaneously to demonstrate that Russia is not politically isolated. Yet, on the other hand, Putin hopes that if Trump will decide to withdraw from the negotiations, he will leave Ukraine without military support, one-on-one with Russia." The talks come a day after Ukraine launched one of the most stunning attacks of the war. In what a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told ABC News was an operation one and a half years in the making, operatives used attack drones concealed in containers carried by trucks to attack strategic bomber bases deep inside Russian territory. Moscow has used long-range bombers and their cruise missile armaments to attack Ukrainian cities throughout the full-scale invasion. The SBU claimed to have hit more than 40 military aircraft in the attacks, which targeted multiple air bases thousands of miles from Ukrainian-controlled territory. Russia's Defense Ministry framed the operation as "a terrorist attack," claiming that the strikes were "repelled" in three regions, but noting that several aircraft caught fire at airfields during the attacks in Irkutsk and Murmansk -- videos of which the SBU published. Also on Sunday, Russian authorities reported the collapse of two railway bridges and derailment of two trains in regions bordering Ukraine, which they blamed on "explosions." At least seven people were killed, authorities said. In an address on Sunday, Zelenskyy called the Ukrainian drone attack a "brilliant operation" and said Russia "suffered truly significant losses." The president framed the attack as a defensive measure. "We will defend ourselves by all means available to us," Zelenskyy said. "Not for a single second did we want this war. We offered the Russians a ceasefire. Since March 11, the U.S. proposal for a full and unconditional ceasefire has been on the table. It was the Russians who chose to continue the war." "Pressure is truly needed -- pressure on Russia that should bring it back to reality," Zelenskyy added. "Pressure through sanctions. Pressure from our forces. Pressure through diplomacy. All of it must work together." Meanwhile, long-range drone and missile attacks continued overnight into Monday morning. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 80 drones and four missiles into the country overnight, of which 52 were shot down or neutralized. The air force reported impacts in 12 locations. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 162 Ukrainian drones over nine Russian regions overnight.
