Donald Trump government's funding cut hurts, Columbia to lay off 180 researchers: 'We have had to make difficult choices and ...,' says in open letter
Columbia University has been one of the institutions criticized by Trump
What's behind the funding cut: Anti-Israel protests and ...
Columbia University has announced that it was laying off dozens of researchers whose work was funded by the US government grants and contracts that President Donald Trump's administration canceled in March, citing antisemitic harassment on and near campus. The terminations will affect about 20 percent of Columbia researchers funded by canceled grants."We have had to make difficult choices and unfortunately, today, nearly 180 of our colleagues who have been working, in whole or in part, on impacted federal grants, will receive notices of non-renewal or termination," Columbia's interim president and other officials said in an open letter, citing an "intense" strain on the university's finances.Columbia will keep trying to persuade the government to restore the funding, according to the letter. It did not specify which departments would lose researchers and infrastructure.'Moving forward, we will be running lighter footprints of research infrastructure in some areas and, in others, maintaining a level of research continuity as we pursue alternate funding sources,' the statement reads. 'In some cases, schools and departments are winding down activity but remain prepared to reestablish capabilities if support is restored.'The open letter also introduced a research stabilization fund to 'navigate these future funding risks and lend support to our scientific community in multiple forms.' The fund will be application-based and will award internal short-term grants to scientists 'as they seek alternate sources of funding or complete the components of their research to enable publication of results.'In March this year, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia and threatened to withhold billions more because of what it described as antisemitic harassment around the school's New York City campus. The funding cuts stem from Columbia's role as a focal point for pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel student protests, which have disrupted U.S. campuses amid Israel's ongoing war in Gaza. Columbia has complied with several Trump administration demands to restore funding, including reforming its disciplinary process, hiring security with arrest powers, and appointing an official to oversee Middle East-related coursework.In a related development, the Trump administration warned Harvard University this week that it faces a similar funding freeze unless it meets government demands on addressing campus antisemitism. Harvard, which has sued to block the freeze, rejected these demands, citing threats to its autonomy.Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent the university a letter warning that access to additional federal funding would not be possible until 'they demonstrate responsible management.'
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Hindustan Times
44 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Following NATO summit, Trump and Europe still at odds over Putin's ambitions
* Following NATO summit, Trump and Europe still at odds over Putin's ambitions US, NATO allies disagree on Putin's ultimate aims * Rubio says Russia wants Ukrainian territories; Rutte warns of attack on Europe * Lack of Russia strategy a blot on otherwise successful summit By Gram Slattery THE HAGUE, - For U.S. President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin is a man looking for an off-ramp to his bloody three-year assault on Ukraine. But according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the Russian leader may be just getting started. If the alliance does not invest in its defense capabilities, Rutte warned the annual NATO summit on Tuesday, Russia could attack an alliance country within three years. By most measures, this year's NATO summit in The Hague was a success. Member states largely agreed to a U.S. demand to boost defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product. Trump, who once derided the alliance as a "rip-off," said his view had changed, while a budding bromance blossomed between him and Rutte, who compared the U.S. president to a stern "daddy" managing his geopolitical underlings. But the summit, which ended on Wednesday, also highlighted the widening gap between how the U.S. and Europe see the military ambitions of Russia, the bloc's main foil. That is despite some lawmakers in Trump's own Republican Party hardening their rhetoric in recent weeks, arguing that while the president's ambition to negotiate an end to Russia's war in Ukraine is laudable, it is now clear that Putin is not serious about coming to the table. In a Wednesday press conference, Trump conceded that it was "possible" Putin had territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine. But he insisted that the Russian leader - buffeted by manpower and materiel losses - wanted the war to end quickly. "I know one thing: He'd like to settle," Trump said. "He'd like to get out of this thing. It's a mess for him." Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump's view in a sideline interview with Politico, saying the U.S. was holding off on expanding its sanctions against Moscow, in part to keep talks going. "If we did what everybody here wants us to do - and that is come in and crush them with more sanctions - we probably lose our ability to talk to them about the ceasefire," he said. The message from others at the summit was starkly different. A senior NATO official told reporters in a Tuesday briefing that Putin was not in fact interested in a ceasefire - or in engaging in good-faith talks at all. "Regardless of battlefield dynamics, we continue to doubt that Russia has any interest in meaningful negotiations," the official said. Russia's ambitions, the senior official said, go beyond control of "certain territories at their administrative lines," as Rubio put it. Putin is instead bent on imposing his "political will" on neighboring states. Rutte put the Russian threat in existential terms. "If we do not invest now," he said on Tuesday, "we are really at risk that the Russians might try something against NATO territory in three, five or seven years." RUSSIA STRATEGY REMAINS ELUSIVE The U.S. is not the only NATO member with a more optimistic view of Russia. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a longtime Trump ally and critic of European institutions, said Russia was "not strong enough to represent a real threat to NATO." Still, as the alliance's largest contributor and most powerful member, Washington's position is a central preoccupation in most NATO capitals. The White House, asked for comment, referred to Trump's comments at the Wednesday press conference. In response to a request for comment, a separate NATO official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, disputed that there were differing assessments within the alliance, pointing to a NATO declaration on Wednesday which referenced the "long-term threat posed by Russia." The Russian embassy in Washington referred to Thursday comments by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, who criticized NATO for wasting money on defense. "It seems that only by invoking the fabricated 'Russian threat' will it be possible to explain to ordinary people why their pockets are being emptied once again," she said. The U.S. State Department and the Ukrainian embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. The lack of a common understanding about Putin's goals will complicate future diplomatic plans to wind down the war, said Philippe Dickinson, the deputy director of the Transatlantic Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council and a former British diplomat. "To reach a peace agreement, it's not just something that Trump and Putin can agree themselves," Dickinson said. "There does need to be European involvement. That needs to mean that there is some sort of sharing of views among allies on what Putin is trying to achieve." European leaders likely have not given up on trying to change Trump's views on Russia, Dickinson said. But they were always unlikely bring up thorny conversations at the NATO summit. The alliance's main goal was to simply get through it without major blowups, he said, an aim that was accomplished. Still, peace came at a cost - the lack of substantive discussion around Ukraine and Russia, he argued, was conspicuous. "The lack of a Russia strategy is a real glaring omission from what the summit could have produced," Dickinson said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Marco Rubio Calls Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan PM Thanks US For 'Role' In Ceasefire With India
Last Updated: Sources say Sharif aims to internationalise the Kashmir issue and solidify domestic support amidst the challenges posed by Imran Khan Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday evening, with discussions also covering India and the Iran-Israel tensions, CNN-News18 has learnt. During their conversation, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Donald Trump's leadership in securing the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. He also thanked Secretary Rubio for 'the US role in facilitating the Pakistan-India ceasefire", despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's denial of mediation. Both leaders agreed to continue strengthening Pakistan-US relations, with a focus on enhanced trade. Sharif assured that Pakistan would maintain its constructive role in promoting peace in the Middle East. Secretary Rubio acknowledged these efforts and expressed the US's interest in collaborating with Pakistan to ensure regional stability. Top diplomatic sources said that Shehbaz Sharif is keen to present Pakistan as a mediator between the US and China for issues concerning the Muslim Ummah. His public appreciation of the US aims to internationalise the Kashmir issue and solidify domestic support amidst the challenges posed by Imran Khan, they added. Despite the downgraded protocol of this call, with General Asim Munir being the main power broker engaging directly with top US officials, Shehbaz Sharif seeks US recognition to bolster his legitimacy, especially after President Trump's meeting with Pakistan's army chief, the sources said. Facing an economic crisis and the looming influence of China, Shehbaz is striving to secure trade concessions, aid, and IMF loan relaxations from the US while carefully managing relations with China, they said. The international community recognises Pakistan's difficulties following the conflict with India and sees Shehbaz's actions as an attempt to address domestic concerns by crediting the US for the ceasefire, the sources said. About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18 First Published: June 27, 2025, 02:38 IST
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
What Iran's Khamenei Said On Trump's "Surrender" Remark
Tehran: Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has strongly criticised US President Donald Trump's call for Iran's surrender, describing it as "too big to come out of his mouth." "The US President stated, "Iran must surrender." Needless to say, this statement is too big to come out of the US president's mouth," Khamenei wrote on X. The US President stated, "Iran must surrender." Needless to say, this statement is too big to come out of the US president's mouth. — (@khamenei_ir) June 26, 2025 According to The Hill, he said that the US "achieved nothing" from its military strikes on his nation and warned against any further attacks. In his first public remarks since the US bombed three Iranian nuclear sites Saturday, Khamenei declared victory in the conflict and pushed back on President Trump's claims that the strikes were a "spectacular military success." "My congratulations on our dear Iran's victory over the US regime. The US regime entered the war directly because it felt that if it didn't, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed," Khamenei said in his more-than 10 minute address, according to a translated passage posted to his account on the social platform X. "It entered the war in an effort to save that regime but achieved nothing," he added. Trump has said that the strikes "obliterated Iran's nuclear program," but the Iranian supreme leader pushed back on that assessment. Recently, Trump shared a post on his social media, Truth Social, saying "Unconditional surrender" Trump warned that he could order further action if Tehran does not agree to a satisfactory peace agreement. In his address to the nation from the White House on Saturday (local time), Trump said, "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we've witnessed over the last eight days." "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill," Trump added. The conflict between Iran and Israel began on June 13 when Israel launched a large-scale airstrike targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities under "Operation Rising Lion". Iran responded by launching "Operation True Promise 3", a campaign involving missile and drone attacks against Israel's infrastructure.
