☕ The Harvard ban causing panic

Good morning!

I hope you’ve had a better week than Johan Helberg, who woke up to find a 443ft ship in his front garden yesterday. It wasn’t all bad news for the Norwegian - he told the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation that the collision didn’t wake him up. Some people can sleep through anything!

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

A judge has ruled against immigration authorities, allowing Mahmood Khalil to hold his one-month-old newborn son whilst in custody. Khalil, a permanent U.S. resident, has been in immigration detention since his residency status was revoked in early March, missing the birth of his son. The government alleges his pro-Palestinian sympathies pose a national security risk. The government had protested Khalil's request to hold his son, saying he should only view his son through a plexiglass barrier.

A massive 1,080-page spending bill has passed the lower house after a vote on early Thursday morning. The bill combines government spending allocations, tax breaks, spending cuts, and an increase in immigration department spending under the title of the 'Big, Beautiful Act'. Republicans made some last-minute changes to the bill, increasing the cap on State and Local tax deductions and sharpening some restrictions on Medicare recipients' work requirements. The bill will now have to pass a vote in the Senate, where it is expected to undergo significant changes.

U.S. District Judge Myong Joun has placed a preliminary injunction on the Trump administration's efforts to fire half the Department of Education's workforce. The firings formed part of a Trump administration initiative to dismantle the Department of Education as directed by an executive order signed by the President on March 20. About 1,400 jobs have been saved, with Judge Joun reasoning that the cuts made it "effectively impossible for the Department to carry out its statutorily mandated functions."

Six small jet passengers are presumed dead after a Cessna 550 aircraft crashed into a home in San Diego on Thursday morning. The craft reportedly hit a set of power lines before veering off course and into a home where it exploded. The jet was thought to be carrying 6 people, including a successful music producer, David Shapiro. No residents of the San Diego town were killed, but eight were taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.

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President Donald Trump hosted a dinner at his Virginia golf resort for the top 220 holders of $Trump, a memecoin launched by the president's family business the day before his inauguration.

The Crypto Dinner

The dinner was advertised as "the most exclusive invitation in the world" on the $Trump memecoin website, which published a leaderboard of top holders so investors would know how much to spend to secure a seat.

The top 25 holders were invited to a special reception before the dinner and an exclusive tour at Trump International Golf Club in Virginia.

According to Axios, guests spent a total of $140 million to secure their spots at the dinner, with one guest spending $16.4 million.

$Trump Memecoin

A memecoin is a cryptocurrency inspired by an internet meme or viral trend.

A company affiliated with the Trump family business launched the $Trump coin in January. The coin initially reached $75 but dropped significantly, trading at $13.90 at the time of writing, after falling to a low of $8.

According to reports, the Trump-affiliated business owns up to 80% of the coins and has earned at least $320 million from transaction fees.

Trump has previously said he "doesn't know much" about the coin and denied personally profiting from coin sales.

White House Response

White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt told reporters the president was attending the dinner in his personal time, not in an official capacity.

According to officials, the proceeds from the dinner are not for campaign or political purposes.

Initially, the exclusive tour for top investors was advertised as a White House tour, but after public criticism, references to the White House were removed.

Criticisms

Democratic senators protested outside the Virginia golf club, calling the memecoin dinner a form of corruption.

On Friday, Levitt dismissed these concerns, saying "It's absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting off of the presidency" and highlighting Trump's previous business success.

Critics have questioned whether the president is using his office to promote a venture from which he profits.

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Harvard University could be forced to stop accepting international students, in the latest phase of its fight with the Trump administration.

6,800 Harvard students are from overseas — more than a quarter of the student body.

Earlier this year, the Government sought to be able to reject the applications of international students deemed “hostile to American values”.

The move triggered legal action and an escalating conflict between Harvard and Trump.

Background

Harvard is one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Its alumni and faculty have earned over 160 Nobel Prizes, most recently in 2024.

In 2024, the Government supplied 68% of Harvard’s outside research funding.

Over the past few months, the Trump administration has launched investigations into several universities, including Harvard, over claims of antisemitism, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) hiring and admissions practices.

Part of the government’s initial round of requests included forcing Harvard to hire independent auditors to ensure its departments have diverse viewpoints and are not antisemitic.

Harvard responded, saying the government overreach blocked the institution’s right to free speech.

In response, the White House froze $US2.2 billion ($AU3.4 billion) in funding.

Harvard has since filed a lawsuit to stop the funding freeze.

International students

Last month, the Trump administration submitted a list of requests for Harvard.

This included providing the government “information regarding each student visa holder’s known illegal activity, and whether the activity occurred on campus.”

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees American visa processes, has now vowed to strip Harvard of a certification allowing it to enrol international students.

Department Secretary Kristi Noem posted a letter to Harvard on social media stating that its certification was “revoked.”

It urged the college to comply with a new set of requests within 72 hours, including handing over “audio and video footage” of “any protest activity involving a nonimmigrant student on a Harvard University campus in the last five years.”

Noem added: “Let this serve as a warning to all universities and academic institutions across the country.“

Response

A Harvard University spokesperson told U.S. media the move was “unlawful”.

“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host our international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably”.

“This retaliatory action threatens serious harm to the Harvard community and our country, and undermines Harvard’s academic and research mission.“