Latest news with #Havard
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
The Trump administration said Harvard can no longer enroll international students. Here's what to know.
Here's an explainer on what the Trump administration did Thursday, and what it means for Harvard going forward. Advertisement What program is being targeted? Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in the letter that the administration had revoked Harvard's ability to enroll noncitizens in its Student and Exchange Visitor Program. That program is overseen on campuses across the country by the federal government, The program also ensures that schools 'accepting nonimmigrant students are certified and follow the federal rules and regulations that govern them,' the What rules do federal officials accuse Harvard of breaking? Noem cited what she said was the antisemitic and pro-Hamas sentiments at Harvard, an apparent reference to demonstrations Advertisement Specifically, Harvard is being sanctioned for its failure 'to comply with simple reporting requirements,' including turning over records related to international students' 'misconduct and other offenses' that would render them 'inadmissible or removable,' Noem said. When does the restriction take effect, and what happens to the international students now enrolled at Harvard? Noem said the prohibition on international students will take effect in the 2025-2026 academic year, which starts next fall. Current international students on campus will have to 'transfer to another university in order to maintain their nonimmigrant status' to remain in the country, Noem said. Does Havard have options? Yes, according to Noem. She wrote that Harvard can have its ability to enroll international students restored if it turns over a number of records to the government. Those records include any and all footage in the school's possession of 'protest activity' involving international students in the last five years; any international student disciplinary records over that time frame; any and all footage of international students engaged in 'deprivation of rights' of classmates or staff on or off campus; and any records of threats, violence, or illegal activity by international students. How many students at Harvard could this affect? The latest count of degree-seeking international students at Harvard was 6,793 for the current academic year, according to university data. International students make up more than 27 percent of the university's total enrollment. The share has climbed steadily since the 2006-2007 academic year, aside from a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic. Has Harvard responded to the news? Shortly after the letter came to light in a New York Times report and Noem posted a copy of the letter on social media, Jason Newton, a university spokesman, said the government's move 'is unlawful.' Advertisement 'We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard's ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University — and this nation — immeasurably," Newton said in a statement. 'We are working quickly to provide guidance and support to members of our community. This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard's academic and research mission.' Harvard says the move is unlawful. Is it? Nico Perrino, executive vice president of FIRE, a group that defends free speech rights on college campuses, said he expects Harvard to sue the administration over the order. 'The first page of the letter ends by stating that the Trump administration 'will enforce the law and root out the evils of anti-Americanism,' But there's nothing American about the government's demands,' Perrino said via X. 'The Trump administration is adopting the tactics of Peruvian strongman Óscar Benavides, who once said, 'For my friends, everything; for my enemies, the law.' Harvard insisted the administration not violate its First Amendment rights. It Perrino said he has to 'believe Harvard will sue over this. And unlike its funding freeze lawsuit, I'm sure it will pursue a temporary restraining order, given the 72 hour timeline.' I have to believe Harvard will sue over this. And unlike its funding freeze lawsuit, I'm sure it will pursue a temporary restraining order, given the 72 hour timeline. — Nico Perrino (@NicoPerrino) Yoohyun Jung of the Globe Staff contributed to this report Travis Andersen can be reached at
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Stitt demands crackdown on ‘psychoactive marijuana byproducts'
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The governor is demanding a crackdown on what he calls 'psychoactive marijuana byproducts.' Some people often refer to them as 'weed lite' or 'diet weed.' The products, which have the word 'Delta' on the label, along with a number, can be found in gas stations, and can get you high. Gov. Stitt is calling on state agencies to better regulate these products. More pre-rolls coming back positive for mold and yeast 'We knew that coming down the pipeline,' Jeffery Havard, with Havard Industries said. Delta 8 and 10 are extracted from cannabis in a lab, then sold in vapes, dab pens, or edibles. They often give people a milder high. Delta 8 and 10 are legal, meaning anyone over the age of 21 can buy it from places like a gas station, vape shops or even online. Unlike medical marijuana, these products don't get fully tested in labs before they hit the shelves. 'They're addressing this synthetically made like a Delta 8, Delta 10 products of that nature,' Havard said. 'So, I think overall the goal here is to try to address some of these materials that are like basically untested that are on the shelf.' Havard says that without testing, it is hard to determine how strong the products are. Because of the way Delta 8 and 10 are made, heavy metals like nickel can be left behind and ingested. '…and those would never be caught because they're not required to be fully tested,' Havard said. Concerns have now reached the governor's office. In a letter sent to agency heads, he asks for a crackdown on what he calls the 'unlawful manufacturing, distribution, and sale of psychoactive marijuana byproducts.' He also went on to say, 'These compounds, often marketed to young people, have psychoactive properties that threaten the safety and well-being of Oklahomans.' News 4 reached out to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) and the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) about this. We did not hear back from OMMA, but did receive a response from OBN. OBN has been investigating this issue, and we look forward to continuing to work with our federal and state partners to target companies that have been circumventing laws and rules to profit from these harmful products being sold in our state. Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics Havard says it is long overdue. 'Eventually, something like this was going to occur as far as trying to look into safety issues with them,' Havard said. 'I think we're finally coming to that point where they're addressing some of the safety concerns with these products.' Gov. Stitt has tasked the state agencies that he reached out to with three things: Coordinated investigations, targeted enforcement, and regulatory assessment. If things don't improve, Havard says there is a possibility the governor could try stripping these products from the shelves entirely. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
More pre-rolls coming back positive for mold and yeast
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — A local lab says many of the products that it tested show high amounts of mold, yeast, even salmonella in pre-rolls, and this is not the first time. Havard Industries Lab first sounded the alarm last summer. High amounts of mold and yeast found in pre-rolls They're concerned that those who should be implementing and checking test samples are not. 'I believe it was 14 samples if I, if I'm remembering correctly, out of the 20 that also had failed from the mold and yeast again,' said Jeffrey Havard with Havard Industries. In July 2024, News 4 spoke with Jeffrey Havard about concerns with microbial testing in pre-rolls. The Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) changed the rules and regulations to mandate final form testing. 'We were just seeing if having the regulations change, if it had any effect on reducing or eliminating the failures on these prior samples,' Havard said. 'We found that the number was pretty much the same failure rate as we were seeing before.' They tested 20 pre-rolls that were on the shelves, ready for purchase. 14 came back positive for mold and yeast, two for Salmonella. 'Even though there's a regulation in place now to do testing of the mold and yeast on these panels, I think it's going to come down more to like investigating enforcement to make sure that it's being done, checking the results,' said Havard. Havard went on to say that they have shared these new findings with the OMMA. 'Communications with the OMMA has been kind of limited overall, but we have presented our reports, we have tried to discuss the topics as much as we can,' Havard said. We contacted the OMMA, and they declined an on-camera interview, but told News 4 they monitor microbial testing through a state inventory tracking system. Licensees have been required to use the state inventory tracking system since 2022. If microbial tests are incomplete, the status of the product in the state inventory tracking system is 'Testing in Progress.' Only products in 'Test Passed' status in the state inventory tracking system can be legally transferred or sold to dispensaries and then sold to patients. It is illegal to sell untested or failed products in a dispensary. Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority Havard says the pre-rolls that came back positive for mold and yeast were marked 'test passed.' He worries the state isn't doing enough to confirm its own test results before sending products to the market. 'I think it's going to come down more to like investigating enforcement to make sure that it's being done, checking the results,' Havard said. We monitor state inventory tracking data and conduct inspections of licensed labs. Inspections involve a review of the lab's adherence to OMMA regulations, which include quality control and quality assurance. In June 2024, more specific testing standards, including microbiology, were implemented following guidance provided by a statutorily mandated (House Bill 4056) collaboration between OMMA and licensed laboratories in 2023. These standards provide more specifics in OMMA rules regarding quality control of testing methods. Read more about this here. Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority Last November, the OMMA unveiled plans for a lab to provide more accurate testing. It was supposed to take about 90 days to get things up and running. News 4 asked about the status of the lab. The lab will be fully operational this year, with a goal of testing 400 samples per month. Our first instrument, the HPLC is on-site with more instruments being delivered in the coming days and weeks. The lab is fully staffed and construction is complete. Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority We also asked if the lab is operating at any capacity right now, and when it will be fully operational, but we did not hear back. In the meantime, Havard says they will keep doing their own tests. 'By doing these public reports like we're doing and putting the data out there, that it's actually giving information and bringing awareness to the fact that, like there a problem in these particular types of products,' Havard said. Havard said they have also been communicating with state lawmakers to try and incorporate better legislation to address the issues with microbial testing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Former women's hockey coach Katey Stone gains edge in bias case against Harvard
Under court rules, Boal's recommendations are presented to the judge assigned to the case, in this matter US District Judge Leo Sorokin. Harvard and Stone have 14 days to file objections to any recommendation in the report. Advertisement The court set a hearing for April 14 to begin scheduling the next steps in the case, including the discovery process. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Boal's recommendations relate only to five counts of Stone's suit that Harvard asked the court to dismiss. There has yet to be a hearing on three additional counts in which Stone seeks $15 million or more from as many as 50 unnamed individuals identified as John and Jane Does for allegedly defaming her. Stone, who won more games than any female coach in the history of collegiate women's hockey during her 29 seasons at Harvard, claims the university forced her to resign after former players lodged false reports of misconduct against her. She alleges, too, that Harvard systematically paid her and other female coaches less than male coaches and retaliated against her because she advocated for equity. Rejecting Harvard's bid to dismiss the discrimination claim, Boal cited Stone's assertions that the university treated her less favorably than her male counterparts who faced misconduct allegations. Stone's lawyers argued that male student-athletes, rather than their coaches, were disciplined in certain cases, while only Stone was held responsible for alleged misconduct on her teams. 'Coach Stone has plausibly stated a claim for gender discrimination,' Boal wrote. As to Stone's retaliation claim, Boal found it plausible based on her repeatedly opposing Harvard's gender pay inequities as well as complaining about the unequal treatment she believed she received during the investigations into her conduct. Advertisement Stone filed the lawsuit last summer, after Havard gave her the option in 2023 of resigning or being terminated. The ultimatum followed several school investigations of Stone, beginning in 2020, when a survey of Harvard's student-athletes showed low levels of satisfaction in her program. In 2022, Harvard placed Stone on a performance improvement plan after she admitted making a racially offensive remark that prompted one of her assistant coaches, Sydney Daniels, a former captain of Indigenous descent, to quit and file a complaint with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination. Harvard investigated Stone again after a Boston Globe report in 2023 cited complaints of verbal and emotional abuse from 16 of her former players. Six weeks later, The Athletic published a story reporting that the day after the Globe article appeared Stone's team engaged in a ritual known as 'Naked Skate' in which freshmen were at times told to perform a 'superman' slide on the ice that left some of them with ice burns and bleeding nipples. Stone said she never condoned a 'Naked Skate.' Her attorney also asserted in Monday's hearing that Stone tried to report the practice as soon as she learned of it potentially occurring, yet Harvard chose to open another investigation. Bob Hohler can be reached at
Telegraph
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Boat Race dispute deepens with Olympic champion facing ban after ‘slimy' Oxford tactics
The bitter row to engulf this year's Boat Race has deepened with three more Cambridge rowers – including reigning Olympic champion Tom Ford – unable to take part. Ford and the Cambridge women's team's 2025 and 2024 presidents, Dr Lucy Havard and Jenna Armstrong, face joining three trainee teachers who have been blocked from entering next month's showdown on the Thames. What was branded 'a desperate ploy from Oxford to gain an upper hand in the most slimy way' by Olympic champion Imogen Grant follows its defeats in five of the last six men's and all of the last seven women's races. Telegraph Sport has been told that Ford, who stroked Great Britain to Paris 2024 gold last summer before starting a Masters of Business Administration course at Cambridge, is at the centre of an increasingly-acrimonious dispute between Britain's two oldest universities. It follows a crackdown on elite-level 'ringers' entering the Boat Race in the wake of double-Olympic champion James Cracknell becoming its oldest winner, at 46, back in 2019, 13 years after his competitive retirement. The rules of the race, the so-called 'Joint Agreement' between Oxford University Boat Club (OUBC) and Cambridge University Boat Club (CUBC), were changed in 2021 with the intention of preventing anyone competing more than 12 years after beginning an undergraduate degree course. Ford, who began a BA in Geography and Town Planning at University almost 14 years ago, is not currently listed on the CUBC men's squad on the Boat Race's official website. But, on March 2, the 32-year-old stroked their 'provisional Blue Boat' (their Boat Race crew) to victory against Olympic silver medalists the Netherlands in two 'preparation' races for next month's event. Havard – who started a PhD in history at Cambridge in 2022 and is listed among the CUBC's women's squad – embarked upon a medical degree at University College London in 2007. Meanwhile, US-born Armstrong – who is studying for a postgraduate degree in physiology – is known to have taken up rowing in 2011 while an undergraduate. To add intrigue to the current row, Havard and Armstrong both competed for Cambridge last year, in the reserve and main races, respectively, despite it having been more than 12 years since they began their undergraduate degrees. Telegraph Sport has also been told that there had previously been the prospect of Ford ending up enroling at Oxford instead of Cambridge. The 12-year rule was agreed by both boat clubs but sources have suggested Cambridge have secured a legal opinion that it could be deemed 'discriminatory', with one questioning whether Oxford would have sought to do the same had Ford been a student there. All this is said to have led to Oxford successfully challenging the eligibility of three Cambridge Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) students – former men's Under-23 world champion Matt Heywood, and women's squad members Molly Foxell and cox Kate Crowley. That is despite PGCE students having long competed for both Oxford and Cambridge unchallenged under rules governing the race. Sources have suggested Havard, Armstrong, Foxell and Crowley had become collateral damage in a dispute about Ford and, to a lesser extent, Heywood, amid a years-long debate about whether the Boat Race should be an 'elite' event or a competition between young amateurs. 'This debate didn't start with James Cracknell,' one former Cambridge competitor told Telegraph Sport, pointing out Oxford's men's winning boat in 2013 and 2014 had included Canada's Beijing 2008 champion Malcolm Howard. 'It's really the men's clubs driving it by saying, 'This degree course is bogus', or, 'You've funded this person'. 'Particularly on the women's side, there has been a dialogue. The toxicity of where the men's club is coming from has blasted any of that away. 'It's like, 'Let's win by stopping you being able to row'. That's not good, is it? If you win this race and you stop people rowing, is that going to feel good?'
