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New York Post
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Harvard in talks with Trump admin to pay up to $500M over campus antisemitism
Harvard University could pay as much as $500M in a deal with the Trump administration following months of tense back-and-forths over billions in stripped federal funding and research grants, two sources familiar with the negotiations told The Post. Last week, Trump said the Ivy League school 'wants to settle' after seeing Columbia's funding restored in exchange for paying a $200 million fine to settle civil rights violations. The administration had clawed back $2.6 billion in federal funding earlier this year, saying the university had discriminated against Jewish faculty, students and staff by not protecting them from antisemitism on campus. The specific terms in the ongoing negotiations were not immediately made clear by either side, nor was a precise timeline given. However Trump said in June that the government could forge a deal with Harvard 'over the next week or so.' Harvard is still pursuing its lawsuit against the administration over the loss of federal research funds, which it claims could lead to damaged careers and the shuttering of labs on the Cambridge, Massachusetts campus. However Education Secretary Linda McMahon both expressed confidence of a future settlement. 'We're hoping that Harvard will come to the table,' McMahon told NewsNation's 'Morning in America' on Thursday. 'We're already seeing other universities that are taking these measures before investigation or before our coming in to talk to them.' This is a developing story. Please check back for more information.
New York Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Harvard ‘wants to settle' after Columbia's $200M fine over civil-rights probe, Trump says
WASHINGTON — Harvard University 'wants to settle' after seeing Columbia get all of its grant funding back in exchange for a $200 million fine to resolve civil-rights violations, President Trump said Friday. 'Harvard wants to settle, but I think Columbia handled it better,' Trump told reporters on the White House's South Lawn before departing for a trip to Turnberry, Scotland. 'They have a very good, Obama-appointed judge,' he said of the jurist overseeing Harvard's case. 'And so they'll get a little kick out of that. But ultimately, we win that case. And the bottom line is we're not going to give any more money to Harvard.' Trump stripped the Cambridge, Mass., school of $2.6 billion in federal funding earlier this year because he said it discriminated against Jewish faculty and students by not protecting them enough from hate, and also because the Ivy League promoted DEI. 6 President Trump claims Friday that Harvard University 'wants to settle' its court case involving his administration stripping funding over discrimination issues. Anna Wilding/ Harvard has shown no signs of relenting in its lawsuit against the administration, but the president and Education Secretary Linda McMahon have both expressed confidence in a future settlement. 'We're hoping that Harvard will come to the table,' McMahon told NewsNation's 'Morning in America' on Thursday. 'We're already seeing other universities that are taking these measures before investigation or before our coming in to talk to them.' Former Harvard President Larry Summers had posted on X that the terms of Columbia's recent agreement, which allowed for the return of $400 million in grants and other federal funding, were 'an excellent template' for his alma mater. In particular, Summers noted the deal's commitments to academic freedom and reforms to address the explosion of antisemitism on campus after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel — not to mention the return of grants that have stalled scientific and medical research. As part of its agreement, Columbia University will also appoint an independent monitor, place disciplinary issues under the purview of the provost's office, submit 'semi-annual' reports on its compliance with Title VI, VII and IX anti-discrimination rules to the feds and ensure it is implementing merit-based hiring and admissions requirements. 6 An anti-Israel mob illegally occupies Butler Library at Columbia University in spring 2024. Obtained by NY Post It will also pay out more than $20 million to Jewish employees who were discriminated against. Not all Jewish alumni were convinced that the terms were enough, pointing to several provisions floated during negotiations in April — such as placing departments under an academic receivership or abolishing the University Judicial Board for not punishing anti-Israel demonstrators — that weren't agreed to. 6 'We're hoping that Harvard will come to the table,' Education Secretary Linda McMahon told NewsNation's 'Morning in America' on Thursday. AFP via Getty Images 'Whatever money it is, Columbia is treating it as a drop in the bucket,' said Shai Davidai, who announced he was leaving the school earlier this month after a year-plus investigation into him cleared the business school professor of wrongdoing. 'We have to remember the billions in endowments,' he said of the Ivy League school's outside haul. Still, 'I hope they're feeling a little bit of pain — and rethink their actions in the future,' Davidai said, As for the more than $20 million promised to Jewish workers who were discriminated against, the professor said he doesn't know whether he'll see 'a penny' of it. 'I'm cautiously optimistic — because nobody knows. We don't have any assurances,' he said. Sam Nahins, a Columbia grad student trapped inside the school's main Butler Library during the student siege on campus last year, added that the deal's promised safety enforcement may prove difficult based on the vague language of the pact. 'It's a great step in the right direction, but the biggest concern is faculty members not facing accountability for their incitement and involvement,' Nahins said. 6 'The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track,' said Columbia acting President Claire Shipman in a statement. REUTERS 'I think with the [faculty] senate losing disciplinary power, the school adopting the [International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance] definition of antisemitism and students leaving Columbia in masses due to expulsions, suspensions, and graduation, we might see and feel a difference on campus,' Nahins said. But the rot at the fabled Ivy runs deep, the grad student said. 'That can all be for nothing if professors keep indoctrinating students.' Columbia acting President Claire Shipman in a statement, 'The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track. 'Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest.' 6 Harvard, in its case against the Trump administration, has argued that the revoking of grants violates the university's First Amendment rights. Getty Images An email from the Columbia provost's office Wednesday night noted the significance of having none of its academic departments 'placed under outside supervision or receivership,' according to a copy obtained by The Post. 'This landmark agreement, including a record-breaking $21 million EEOC settlement—the largest ever for victims of religious or racial discrimination—is a direct result of President Trump's unwavering commitment to combating antisemitism and ensuring justice for Jewish students and faculty,' said White House principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields in a statement. 'This historic settlement with Columbia is a monumental victory for the Jewish community and the entire country, and everyone should applaud a return to common sense and upholding the civil rights of all Americans.' 6 Former Harvard President Larry Summers said the terms of Columbia's agreement, which allowed for the return of $400 million in grants and other federal funding, were 'an excellent template' for his alma mater after losing $2.6 billion in funding. AFP via Getty Images Harvard, in its case against the Trump administration, has argued that the revoking of its federal grants violates the university's First Amendment rights, a line of argument that Boston US District Judge Allison Burroughs seemed inclined to agree with during a Monday hearing. Burroughs questioned whether the government had the ability to make 'ad hoc' decisions about yanking research dollars without being able to prove Harvard officials have actually done enough to curtail Jew-hatred on campus. Reps for Harvard University did not immediately respond to a Post request for comment.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Education Secretary Linda McMahon is ‘hoping' Harvard learns from Columbia's $200M settlement — but Jewish alumni say more work to be done
WASHINGTON — Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Thursday she's 'hoping' that Harvard University will get wise and drop a lawsuit against the Trump administration for stripping $2.6 billion in funds away over concerns about campus antisemitism. McMahon urged the Ivy League to think carefully after Columbia University caved and agreed to pay the administration $200 million in a historic settlement. 'We've had continuing negotiations and conversations with Harvard, even though there is a pending lawsuit that I think is going to, will play out, but we're hoping that Harvard will come to the table,' McMahon told NewsNation's 'Morning in America.' Advertisement 'We're already seeing other universities that are taking these measures before investigation or before our coming in to talk to them,' she added. 'That's why the monitors are in place and the Department of Justice — so that we can have a long-reaching legacy for universities to follow.' Some members of the Columbia community were less certain, with Jewish alumni Ari Shrage doubting the concessions would spur Harvard either way. 6 Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Thursday she's 'hoping' that Harvard University will get wise after Columbia caved in a historic $200 million settlement — and drop a lawsuit against the feds for stripping $2.6 billion in funds away. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement 'What they had on Columbia — they don't have on Harvard — is that Columbia's liquidity is very, very weak,' Shrage said, noting its immense endowment and the fact that its the largest private landowner and building owner in the Big apple. 'Harvard has a much more liquid portfolio, and they can wait out Trump, so they could just keep it in court and they could fund it. Columbia could not,' he added. 'And because of that, the Trump administration had the opportunity to force additional reforms. They just completely dropped the ball. Now the hard work begins and we look forward to being part of the process.' Shrage added: 'I think this is a good first step, but there's a lot more to do to rebuild trust with the Jewish community.' Advertisement The education secretary in her interview noted that Harvard had already made concessions by ousting members of its Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Cemal Kafadar and Rosie Bsheer, who sat on a panel that the university's former president, Larry Summers, said 'very likely' spewed antisemitic rhetoric. Harvard had also announced the closure of its diversity office on Wednesday, according to the Harvard Crimson. But the federal judge overseeing Trump's court battle with Harvard in a recent hearing expressed skepticism that the administration could make sweeping, 'ad hoc' decisions about withholding federal funds to leverage changes in university policies. On Thursday, Summers posted on X that Columbia's agreement with the Trump administration was 'an excellent template' for other universities and colleges. Advertisement 6 Some of Columbia's Jewish alumni were less certain, with grad Ari Shrage doubting the lackluster concessions would prompt Harvard to have a change of heart. James Keivom-Pool/New York Post 'First, academic freedom is preserved as the University maintains academic autonomy,' he explained. 'Second, ongoing reform with respect to anti Semitism, maintenance of order, promoting merit-based admissions and hiring, and strengthening the commitment to intellectual excellence is reinforced and a framework for further reform is established,' he continued. 'Third, normality is restored with a return to normal funding patterns, availability of visas for foreign students and removal of legal overhangs.' The former Ivy League president concluded that the settlement 'may be the best day higher education has had in the last year.' 6 To address safety concerns, Columbia agreed to work closer with the NYPD to prevent another repeat of the anti-Israel mob that took over Hamilton Hall in the spring 2024. rfaraino In addition to the settlement sum, Columbia will also be paying more than $20 million to its Jewish employees who were discriminated against amid antisemitic demonstrations that engulfed the Morningside Heights campus following Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. 'Numerous other Higher Education Institutions that have hurt so many, and been so unfair and unjust, and have wrongly spent federal money, much of it from our government, are upcoming,' Trump posted Wednesday on his Truth Social. Advertisement 'I look forward to watching them [Columbia] have a great future in our Country, maybe greater than ever before!' 6 The Ivy League university will now submit to independent monitoring to uproot antisemitism and ensure it is complying with merit-based hiring and admissions requirements. James Keivom The elite university will now submit to independent monitoring and mandatory reporting to the federal government to uproot antisemitism and ensure it is complying with merit-based hiring and admissions requirements. 'The settlement was carefully crafted to protect the values that define us and allow our essential research partnership with the federal government to get back on track,' said Columbia acting president Claire Shipman. 'Importantly, it safeguards our independence, a critical condition for academic excellence and scholarly exploration, work that is vital to the public interest.' Advertisement To address safety concerns for students, Columbia agreed to also maintain a trained security force to stop protests from invading academic spaces and work closer with the NYPD to prevent another repeat of the anti-Israel mob that took over Hamilton Hall in the spring 2024. 6 Demonstrators won't be able to wear masks, except facial coverings will still be allowed for medical and religious reasons. James Keivom Demonstrators won't be able to wear masks, though facial coverings will still be allowed for medical and religious reasons. 'This announcement is an important recognition of what Jewish students and their families have expressed with increasing urgency: antisemitism at Columbia is real, and it has had a tangible impact on Jewish students' sense of safety and belonging and, in turn, their civil rights,' said Brian Cohen, the executive director of Columbia and Barnard's Hillel chapter. Advertisement 'Acknowledging this fact is essential, and along with the new path laid out by the President and Trustees, I am hopeful that today's agreement marks the beginning of real, sustained change,' he added. 'This is not the end of the process, however it is a major step forward.' Shrage also said, 'I'm thrilled that the researchers got their funding back. They are doing lifesaving work. I only wish the university didn't drag this out so long and they could have gotten it sooner.' 6 'Our students must feel safe when they go to campus, and they should feel safe,' McMahon said Thursday. James Keivom Critics of the agreement have pointed to the differences between demands made by the Trump administration in April and the final product, including the loosened rules on the mask ban as well as the failure to punish more of the anti-Israel protesters who descended on campus in 2024. Advertisement The Trump administration had also previously asked for the University Judicial Board, which failed to discipline those students, to be abolished, but backed off in the final agreement. Others were dissatisfied that the university expressed no guilt for the state of affairs or that the Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies department wasn't placed under an academic receivership and will instead be put under review by a senior vice provost. McMahon said Thursday that the administration got 'the bulk of what we negotiated for.' 'Our students must feel safe when they go to campus, and they should feel safe,' she affirmed. 'The parents who are sending them there need to have assurance that their students will be protected, and we're not going to have these violent protests that we've seen.' The White House and Department of Education did not immediately return requests for comment.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Probe must prove Air India fuel switches weren't moved by mistake: Ex-pilot
Aviation experts are calling the sudden engine fuel cutoff on an Air India jetliner 'absolutely bizarre.' A preliminary report into the crash that killed at least 260 people does not clarify how the fuel control switches were turned off. Retired Boeing 737 captain Steven Green tells 'Morning in America' that investigators will need to confirm whether the switches were moved from the "run" to "cutoff" position unintentionally to determine if the incident was caused by a mechanical failure rather than human error.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Amazon Prime Day: BestReviews' top picks for your home
Looking for a new mop, waffle iron or coffee maker? Amazon's Prime Day is offering discounts on select home products. BestReviews' Ken Maccarone shares the best deals to upgrade your home, live on 'Morning in America.' #Amazon #AmazonPrime #Shopping
