Overview

• At a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, President Trump told Education Secretary Linda McMahon he wants “nothing less than $500 million” from Harvard to reinstate its frozen research funding.
• The comment was the first time the White House publicly attached a specific dollar figure to Harvard’s case.
• Harvard is pressing its lawsuit seeking an expedited ruling from Judge Allison Burroughs before Sept. 3, as the administration moves to shift the case to the Court of Federal Claims and Trump vows to appeal an unfavorable decision.
• The New York Times and the Associated Press reported substantial progress toward a $500 million resolution that could be structured as investments rather than a direct payment, though Harvard officials have disputed that a deal is already in place.
• Columbia and Brown reached deals to restore funding — roughly $221 million for Columbia with an independent monitor and $50 million in Rhode Island grants for Brown — creating a template as talks continue with Cornell and Northwestern.