Overview
- Education Department acting chief of staff Madi Biedermann said negotiations with Harvard remain ongoing.
- Harvard previously proposed $500 million for workforce programs, but it rejected turning $200 million of that into a direct government payment over independence concerns.
- After a Davos encounter, President Trump enlisted Stephen A. Schwarzman and signaled he would drop the cash demand; Education Secretary Linda McMahon conveyed the same message.
- Harvard’s governing board was scheduled to meet Monday and was expected to discuss the concession as leaders debate political backlash versus the need to secure research grants.
- A federal judge restored Harvard’s funding last year, and deals struck by Brown and Penn later drew additional White House requests, heightening Harvard’s caution about long‑term terms.