US politics live updates: Trump administration reportedly seeks fines from universities including Harvard

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The Trump administration’s goal of fining other universities comes after a major deal was struck this week with Columbia University. The deal, according to the Wall Street Journal, is seen as a precedent for what the White House expects in future deals.

From our Wednesday night report:

Under the agreement, Columbia will pay a $200m settlement over three years to the federal government, the university said. It will also pay $21m to settle investigations brought by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“This agreement marks an important step forward after a period of sustained federal scrutiny and institutional uncertainty,” the acting university president, Claire Shipman, said.

The administration pulled the funding because of what it described as the university’s failure to squelch antisemitism on campus during the Israel-Gaza war that began in October 2023.

You can read the full report here:

Trump administration reportedly seeks fines from universities including Harvard

Good morning and welcome to the US politics blog.

We’re starting today with a new report from the Wall Street Journal saying that the Trump administration is seeking fines from other universities after Columbia agreed to pay more than $220m this week.

The White House aims to fine several universities it accuses of failing to stop antisemitism on campus, including from Harvard University, in exchange for access to federal funding, according to the Wall Street Journal’s reporting.

The Trump administration is in talks with several universities, including Cornell, Duke, Northwestern and Brown – but Harvard is seen as a key target.

Stick with us today as we bring you all the latest lines from Washington and beyond.