Government
As HKS Dean, Jeremy Weinstein Courts the Faculty
When Jeremy Weinstein arrived at the Harvard Kennedy School in July 2024, the first thing he did was meet with each member of the school’s nearly 200-person faculty in their office.
Led by Schumer, 5 Democratic Senators Demand Answers From Trump for Attacks on Harvard
Five Democratic senators — led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck E. Schumer ’71 (D-NY) — condemned the Trump administration’s attacks on Harvard in a Thursday letter, arguing that the White House was using antisemitism as a “guise” to undermine universities.
ICE Officials Deny Mass. Lawmaker’s Allegations of Rümeysa Öztürk’s Inhumane Detainment Conditions
Massachusetts lawmakers detailed the “harrowing” living conditions of detained Tufts and Columbia students after visiting their Louisiana detention center last week. But Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials rebuked their claims as “unequivocally false” in a statement to The Crimson.
Experts Say Harvard Has a Strong Case in Legal Battle Against Trump
After Harvard sued the Trump administration Monday afternoon, legal experts and scholars say Harvard’s legal team has a strong case that may secure the University quick relief from the administration’s order to freeze federal funding.
Young Americans Oppose Trump, Report Economic Hardship in New IOP Poll
A new Institute of Politics poll finds that the Trump administration's policies are deeply unpopular among young people.
College Dean Rakesh Khurana Declines To Say How Harvard Will Respond to Homeland Security Demands
Outgoing College Dean Rakesh Khurana declined to say whether Harvard would provide the Department of Homeland Security information on international students’ disciplinary records and protest participation in a Tuesday interview with The Crimson.
Harvard Spends Record Amount on Lobbying in First Quarter of 2025 As It Fends Off Federal Threats
Harvard spent $230,000 on federal lobbying in the first quarter of 2025 — its highest quarterly total since George W. Bush’s presidency — as the University tries to fortify itself against attacks from Congress and the White House.
Dennis Thompson, Founder of the Safra Center for Ethics, Remembered as Revolutionary Thinker
Thompson, the founding director of the Harvard Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics who had taught at Harvard since 1986, died March 30 in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He was 84.
Trump’s Demands to Harvard, Analyzed
The Crimson analyzes how the demands in Friday’s letter converge with the debates that have played out on Harvard’s campus in recent years — and national battles over the future of higher education.
Harvard’s Researchers Take Center Stage in Funding Showdown With Trump
David R. Walt, a professor at Harvard Medical School and Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, lost hundreds of thousands in research funding from the Trump administration last week — just two months after receiving the nation’s highest honor for technological achievement.
‘Proud To Be a Harvard Student’: Undergrads Laud Garber’s Message to Trump
Harvard students breathed “a sigh of relief” Monday afternoon after University President Alan M. Garber ’76 announced Harvard would not comply with a lengthy list of White House demands — a move students said left them “pleasantly surprised.”
City Leaders Increase Pressure on Harvard To Reject Trump With New Petition
Harvard’s leadership is used to handling demands from its faculty and students. But with the Trump administration’s latest threats, the University is feeling pressure from its hometown, too.
‘Appalling’: Harvard Experts Criticize Trump Administration’s Signal Leaks
National security experts at Harvard expressed shock at the Trump administration’s breach of security in a March Signal group chat, criticizing their mode of communication while praising journalist Jeffrey Goldberg.
Trump Admin’s $9 Billion Review of Harvard’s Grants Could Hit Boston’s Hospitals Hardest
The Trump administration’s sweeping federal review of nearly $9 billion in multi-year research funding tied to Harvard has sparked uncertainty across the University — but the brunt of the planned cuts will be felt by Boston hospitals, not the University.
Harvard Launches ‘Impact Labs’ To Fund Social Scientists Who Partner With Outside Organizations
Harvard will pilot a program — named Harvard Impact Labs — to fund collaboration between social scientists and leaders in the public and private sectors.
Trump’s Order to Shutter Education Department Ushers in Period of Uncertainty for Universities
After firing half of the Education Department’s personnel, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to close the Education Department – the latest blow to higher education.
Historic Longfellow House Hit By Trump’s Federal Funding Cuts
The Trump administration’s funding cuts are hitting close to home for Cambridge residents, as the historic Longfellow House had its credit card limit dramatically reduced by the U.S. General Services Administration last week.
At Summit With Donors, Top Administrators Said Harvard Would Pick Its Public Battles in Washington
Harvard Provost John F. Manning ’82 and Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra told alumni donors at a Feb. 28 talk that Harvard would sometimes be willing to take the lead in challenging orders from Washington — but was also content to strategically take the back seat.
As Wu’s Congressional Hearing Looms, Experts See a High-Stakes Showdown
As Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 prepares for a grilling over the city’s sanctuary policies by the Congressional Oversight Committee, experts wonder whether the hearing is set to become a Claudine Gay 2.0.
HLS Student Government Says Divestment Referendum Voting Will Begin in March
The Harvard Law School Student Government has scheduled a student-wide vote in March on a referendum to divest from companies involved in Israel’s war in Gaza.
HKS Dean Weinstein Says Trump Orders Have Disrupted Research, ‘Upended’ Alumni Careers
Harvard Kennedy School Dean Jeremy M. Weinstein wrote in a Thursday afternoon email to HKS affiliates that sweeping changes in Washington — including funding cuts and mass layoffs — would demand “introspection and action” from the school.
Lobbyist Dollars, Italian Lunches: How Harvard’s State Representative Raises and Spends Campaign Funds
According to decades worth of public filings reviewed by The Crimson, State Rep. Marjorie C. Decker is a prolific fundraiser — she’s raised over $750,000 since 2013 — and has spent even more.
Former Acting Health Secretary Downplays Effects of NIH Cuts at IOP Event
Former Acting Secretary for the United States Department of Health and Human Services Eric D. Hargan ’90 said the National Institute of Health funding slash would have little impact on long term research during an Institute of Politics event on Thursday.
Sociologist Christopher Jencks Remembered As a Fearless Skeptic, Exceptional Mentor
Jencks, who moved from Northwestern University to Harvard Kennedy School in 1996, died at his home on Saturday, Feb. 8 from complications of Alzheimer's disease. He was 88.
Mike Donilon Says Democratic Party ‘Melted Down’ After Biden’s June Debate at IOP
In a wide-ranging post mortem at the IOP Thursday evening, Donilon remained adamant that the former president would “still be the best” for the job – despite his poor performance in a June debate.