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Newsweek
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Map Shows World's Biggest Research Universities After Harvard
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. The Trump administration move to freeze federal funding for Harvard University threatens billions of lost dollars at the world's largest research institute, the output of which is unmatched by other research universities in the United States. Why It Matters Harvard has emerged as a top target of the White House, which is withholding billions of dollars from the university after it said it would defyTrump's demands, including an end to its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and reforming student discipline policies. Critics warn the cuts are likely to have detrimental effects on various research programs at the university, which is considered a global leader in a range of medical, technological and scientific matters. Harvard Magazine reported in April that research on tuberculosis, ALS and radiation exposure are among the projects already put on pause due to the funding cuts. What to Know Trump on Tuesday unveiled the latest blow to Harvard funding. The New York Times reported that the General Services Administration is set to deliver a letter to Harvard cancelling all federal contracts with the university—around $100 million of contracts in addition to what has already been slashed. Harvard, according to institutional rankings by Nature, accounted for more research output than any other university across the globe from February 1, 2024 to January 31, 2025. The ranking is based on scientific research output on everything from biosciences to studies pertaining to the environment. People walk through a gate at Harvard University on April 15, 2025. People walk through a gate at Harvard University on April 15, 2025. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images No other U.S. universities make up the publication's top 10 academic research institutions. In fact, the next 10 research universities with the most output are all located in China, where universities in recent years have outpaced many of those in the U.S. in terms of scientific funding. The University of Science and Technology of China, Zhejiang University, Peking University and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences join Harvard in the top five research universities by output, according to Nature. Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), located just down the road from Harvard, are the two U.S. universities that rank highest behind Harvard—at number 12 and 13, respectively. The administration has taken other steps against Harvard, including attempts at prohibiting the university from enrolling international students and launching several investigations into the institution. Trump has also floated directing $3 billion in Harvard grant money toward trade schools. Other Ivy League universities, such as Columbia, have given into Trump's demands in an attempt to restore federal funding. What People Are Saying The Wall Street Journal's editorial board wrote last week: "Like most of U.S. higher education, Harvard needed a jolt to return to its mission of educating open minds. But that requires reform. The Trump Administration seems to think it needs to destroy Harvard to save it. This is the opposite of making America great." President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday: "We are still waiting for the Foreign Student Lists from Harvard so that we can determine, after a ridiculous expenditure of BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, how many radicalized lunatics, troublemakers all, should not be let back into our Country. Harvard is very slow in the presentation of these documents, and probably for good reason!" Harvard President Alan Garber wrote in a letter earlier in May: "Although these actions were specifically targeted at Harvard, they are part of a broader campaign to revoke scientific research funding, which has included terminations of active awards at other institutions and a federal budget proposing steep cuts to National Institutes of Health funding and to National Science Foundation funding, among other measures. The impact of such steps on the nation's scientific research enterprise could be severe and lasting. We will continue to fight the unlawful freeze and termination of our federal grants and to advocate for the productive partnership between the federal government and research universities that has for more than eighty years resulted in pathbreaking scientific discoveries, innovations, and advances in engineering, medicine, and public health." What Happens Next The legal battle between the Trump administration and Harvard is now playing out in the courts, as the university has sued the White House over claims of illegal overreach.
Toronto Sun
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Canadians' future at Harvard in question after Trump bans international students
Published May 23, 2025 • 1 minute read People gather around the John Harvard Statue on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachussetts, on April 15, 2025. Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO / AFP via Getty Images Hundreds of Canadians could potentially be caught up in the fight between President Donald Trump and prestigious Harvard University over international student enrollment. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The school did not immediately have a current count of Canadians studying there, but numbers on its website from 2022 show there were 686 enrolled at that time. Harvard University filed a lawsuit Friday morning in federal court in Boston challenging the Trump administration's decision to bar the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. The school called the decision unconstitutional retaliation for defying the White House's political demands. Harvard said the government's action violates the First Amendment and will have an immediate and devastating effect on more than 7,000 student visa holders at the school. It said it plans to file for a temporary restraining order to block the Department of Homeland Security from carrying out the move. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The department announced the action Thursday, accusing Harvard of creating an unsafe campus environment by allowing 'anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators' to assault Jewish students on campus. It also accused Harvard of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, contending the school had hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group as recently as 2024. Harvard enrolls almost 6,800 foreign students at its campus in Cambridge, Mass. Most are graduate students and they come from more than 100 countries. — With files from the Associated Press. Canada Toronto Maple Leafs Editorial Cartoons Other Sports Toronto & GTA
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
The Rising Cost of Ignoring Juvenile Justice Reform
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Massachusetts has long been recognized as a leader in juvenile justice reform. Yet, the latest findings from the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data (JJPAD) Board's 2024 Annual Report paint a troubling picture: We are backsliding. Americans believe law enforcement officers are trained and have policies for interacting with youth. For the most part, they have neither. What we have right now is justice by geography. Different law enforcement agencies have different levels of policies and training for encounters with young people. Massachusetts youth deserve better, and so do the police officers tasked with keeping everyone safe. The same can be said for youth and police nationwide. Cars speed by a parked police cruiser in Chelsea, Mass., on April 21, 2023. Cars speed by a parked police cruiser in Chelsea, Mass., on April 21, 2023. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images The Massachusetts JJPAD numbers show the devastating and disproportionate impacts of this reality. In its latest report released in late March, the JJPAD shows that the use of physical custody for youths increased over the previous year—a 17 percent hike in pretrial detention and 7 percent bump in arrests. These increases are not related to spikes in violent crimes committed by young people; they are the result of law enforcement's decision to arrest young people for misdemeanors—or minor offenses—instead of issuing citations, warnings, or some other informal sanction. Race also plays a deepening and disturbing role. The JJPAD's report showed Black youth were nearly 5.5 times more likely to be arrested compared to white youth in Massachusetts, and nearly three times more likely to be issued a summons. Overnight arrest admissions? Those went up by 13 and 16 percent for Black and Latino youth, respectively, while overnight arrest admissions for white youth decreased22 percent. Study after study proves that even brief encounters with the system can have devastating effects on a young person's well-being and future. Being a kid is hard, and policing kids is hard. It's past time that we as a commonwealth take full action to turn the tides toward developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed and equitable training, and policies to ensure best outcomes when law enforcement and youth interact. The commonwealth has worked hard to promote the use of informal and formal diversion by police, clerk magistrates, district attorneys, and judges. Diversion is especially appropriate for youth who commit low-level offenses. But the data from this report suggests that law enforcement officials are increasingly opting to go the "tough on crime" route with adolescents of color. The state's Justice, Equity and Accountability in Law Enforcement Act, passed in December 2020, set out to achieve clear goals—establishing the nation's first model law enforcement policies for interactions with youth. The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission continues to develop those vital policies now—juvenile operations standards required for certification of law enforcement agencies. A clear road map exists. The Cambridge-based national policy and training nonprofit organization Strategies for Youth developed the 12 Model Law Enforcement Policies for Youth Interaction report in 2023, available to any and all law enforcement agencies. Statewide guidance on youth-specific policing policies, including guidance on race and immigration status, use of force, non-custodial interviews, and more, would help position our next generation for better outcomes. After all, when encounters between police and youth go wrong, we all pay the price. The JJPAD report is yet another wake-up call. It's time for Massachusetts to lead in the name of juvenile justice, and for other states to act now as well. A pragmatic, feasible solution is within our grasp; we just need to reach for it. Lisa Thurau is the founder and executive director of Strategies for Youth, a national policy and training organization based in Cambridge dedicated to improving law enforcement and youth interactions through developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, and equitable training. Lisa has advocated for youth as an attorney for more than 20 years. Larry E. Ellison is a retired Boston Police Department detective and former president of MAMLEO, the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers, Inc. The views expressed in this article are the writers' own.
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Republicans Want to Change When Thousands Could Be Forced Into Active Duty
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. A new bill from House Republicans would change when the U.S. Coast Guard reserves, comprising about 7,000 reservists, can be called into active duty. Why It Matters The House Transportation Committee unveiled a spending bill this week that included changes to how the Coast Guard reserve would operate. If signed into law, the bill would give the Coast Guard commandant greater authority over when the reservists can be called into duty. What To Know The bill would include new funding for the Coast Guard, as well as a measure changing when its reservists can be called into duty. The committee wrote in a statement that the proposal will "provide investments to bolster the U.S. Coast Guard's missions to stop the flow of illegal drugs and migrants into the country and protect our national security." "When the Commandant determines that it is necessary to augment the active forces for a preplanned mission in support of Coast Guard requirements, the Commandant may, subject to subsection 16 (b), order any member of the Selected Reserve, without the consent of the member, to active duty for not more than 365 consecutive days," the bill reads. A U.S. Coast Guard crew works at a base in Boston on June 22, 2023. A U.S. Coast Guard crew works at a base in Boston on June 22, 2023. JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images The change will give the Coast Guard "parity" with other branches of the armed forces, Justin Harclerode, director of communications for the committee, told Newsweek. "Other armed forces can call up reserves in times of emergencies or for pre-planned activities. Currently, the USCG can only call up reserves in times of emergencies," he said. "So it adds the same 'pre-planned activities' call-up capability as the other services." There are about 7,000 Coast Guard reservists, according to a 2020 demographic profile of the military. The bill included $23 billion for the Coast Guard to purchase new assets to support those missions, including $571.5 million for fixed-wing aircraft and related parts and equipment, such as new aircraft, cutters, and other infrastructure. What People Are Saying Representative Sam Graves, the Missouri Republican who leads the committee, in a statement: "This proposal directly supports the President's border security agenda by providing historic funding to the United States Coast Guard in the Service's mission to keep illegal drugs and migrants out of our country. This measure also protects our national security by projecting American sovereignty in the Arctic, where China and Russia are aggressively increasing their activities. "President Trump and Secretary Duffy are committed to the long-delayed modernization of our antiquated air traffic control system to strengthen American aviation safety, and this proposal begins the work of meeting that goal." Matthew Paxton, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America, and Jennifer Carpentter, president and CEO of American Waterways Operators, in a letter to the committee: "The proposed funding by your committee is a vital step toward strengthening the Coast Guard's ability to execute its broad mission set, ranging from border security, search and rescue operations and maritime law enforcement, to port security and Arctic presence." What Happens Next The bill still needs to pass Congress to become law, and it's unclear whether the large bill, which also addresses issues like removing climate change funding and increasing air traffic control infrastructure funding, has enough support to pass the narrowly divided House of Representatives. Already, Republicans are set to impose a $20 annual federal registration fee on all vehicles, Reuters reported.
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Forbes
Why Massachusetts Is Cracking Down On Shore-Based White Shark Fishing
A person runs as a Great White Shark swims just meters away on the Cape Cod National Sea Shore on ... More the eastern side of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images) Are you one of those fishermen chasing social media clout by trying to land a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)? If so, Massachusetts has a message for you: think again. Ahead of the upcoming white shark season, state officials have rolled out stricter rules to crack down on shore-based shark fishing, particularly around Cape Cod. While targeting white sharks has long been prohibited, enforcement has been tricky. Anglers have often gotten around the ban by claiming they're fishing for other, legal shark species. That loophole is now closing. Thanks to a recent vote by the state's Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, new regulations give the Massachusetts Environmental Police the authority they need to address this growing issue. White sharks are protected in state and federal waters, and Cape Cod has become a seasonal hotspot for them. These new regulations are meant to reduce the chances of intentional or unintentional targeting of white sharks, which not only harms the animals but also increases public safety risks. According to Daniel McKiernan, Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries, the goal is to limit shore-based fishing for white sharks without completely shutting down recreational fishing. 'We believe the new regulations balance public safety while still allowing shore-based recreational fishing opportunities for other species,' he said. So what's driving the need for these changes? Part of the problem is how visible and enticing this type of fishing has become on social media. Videos of people landing sharks — especially iconic species like the great white — get lots of clicks, shares, and praise online. This has led to more people trying their luck at catching one, even if they're not supposed to. Jared Silva, a policy analyst with the Division of Marine Fisheries, called out this trend directly, saying there's a growing group of anglers chasing viral fame instead of respecting the rules. But this behavior isn't just risky for the sharks. It's risky for people, too. Chumming and baiting activities bring sharks closer to shore — sometimes dangerously close to where people are swimming, surfing or just enjoying the beach. And as fishermen try to cast their lines farther out, many now use drones or other mechanized devices to drop baits beyond the surf. Add in the summer tourist crowds, and it becomes a volatile mix. 'They can't co-exist,' Silva said bluntly. Shark fishing and sunbathers just don't go hand in hand. 'It's a huge public safety issue.' Greg Skomal pointed out that targeting white sharks in the banned areas is 'quite easy,' given their ... More high seasonal abundance nearshore along the Cape's eastern beaches. 'The abundance that we see out there is mind blowing,' Skomal said. 'They are quite close to shore.' That's why the new rules include clear boundaries, such as a defined ban on shore-based shark fishing in key areas of Cape Cod where white sharks are commonly seen. This includes the coastline from Plymouth Beach south to the Cape Cod Canal, continuing along Cape Cod Bay and wrapping around to the Atlantic-facing beaches down to Chatham. The restrictions cover both the outer and inner Cape, including Monomoy Island and Chatham Harbor — all known white shark hotspots. The South Cape and Islands — where recreational shark fishing has historically focused on species other than great whites — are not included in the restricted area. The regulations also take aim at some of the techniques that have become popular in recent years, such as chumming (the act of throwing bloody fish parts or other bait into the water to attract sharks). Chumming is now banned from sunrise to sunset when fishing from shore, and mechanized or remote-controlled devices (like drones) are not prohibited to deploy bait while fishing with rod and reel from the shore. These specific restrictions give environmental police a better chance at stopping illegal targeting of white sharks before an incident occurs. In other words, officials don't need to guess someone's intent anymore — they just need to see the gear or methods being used. Of course, not everyone is thrilled about the new rules. Tim Brady, the only dissenting member of the Marine Fisheries Advisory Commission, raised concerns that the rules might unintentionally block access to legal shark species: 'I understand the potential user group conflict but are we also preventing somebody who's targeting a different shark species, which they can target?' He also questioned just how likely it really is to hook a great white. But longtime shark scientist Dr. Greg Skomal quickly pushed back. Along the eastern beaches of the Cape, he said, 'The abundance that we see out there is mind blowing. They are quite close to shore.' For Skomal, the new rules are not about taking away fishing opportunities — they're about protecting both people and sharks. He emphasized that most other legally fishable shark species are located on the southern side of the Cape and Islands, far from the newly restricted zones. 'There will be little impact on those existing fisheries,' he added. Pending a final regulatory review, the rules are expected to go into effect for the upcoming season. And when they do, Massachusetts Environmental Police will finally have the tools they need to curb a growing and dangerous trend. Whether you're an angler looking to catch a thrill or a tourist hoping for a peaceful day at the beach, the message is clear: Massachusetts is putting safety and science first.
