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The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
Trump team ‘cooked up' legal basis to go after Harvard funding, university lawyers tell judge
Attorneys for Harvard University have accused Donald Trump's administration of having 'cooked up' a bogus legal basis to pull $2.6 billion in federal funding from the nation's oldest university. In a court hearing on Monday, the university's legal team accused the administration of ' blatant, unrepentant ' First Amendment violations with its list of demands to 'address bias, improve viewpoint diversity, and end ideological capture,' including reviewing departments that 'fuel antisemitic harassment.' 'It's the constitutional third rail, or it should be, for the government to insist it can engage in viewpoint discrimination,' said Harvard's attorney Steven Lehotsky, arguing that the administration is threatening the university's independence. The White House and the university have sparred for months over the administration's escalating attempts to bend Harvard and other institutions to ideologically driven demands, particularly over opposition to pro-Palestine campus demonstrations against Israel's war in Gaza, which the administration claims are antisemitic. In April, the government emailed Harvard a set of demands, including to submit to a 'viewpoint diversity' audit and end diversity-based hiring and admissions practices. The administration then threatened to terminate more than $2 billion in federal grants. Those grants support research into Alzheimer's prevention, cancer treatment, and national security studies, among other projects. Harvard's federal lawsuit says the government 'fails to explain how the termination of funding for research to treat cancer, support veterans, and improve national security addresses antisemitism.' In court documents, attorneys for the university argue that the administration is wielding funding threats as 'leverage to gain control of academic decisionmaking at Harvard' while imperiling vital research in medicine, science and technology. The Trump administration denies the cuts were retaliatory and were under review long before the demand letter was sent in April. Massachusetts District Judge Allison Burroughs appeared unconvinced. 'You're not taking away grants from labs that have been antisemitic,' she told lawyers for the government during Monday's hearing in Boston. Burroughs argued that the government provided 'no documentation, no procedure' to determine whether Harvard had 'taken enough steps' to combat allegations of antisemitism. 'The consequences of that in terms of constitutional law are staggering,' she added. 'I don't think you can justify a contract action based on impermissible suppression of speech. Where do I have that wrong?' Department of Justice counsel Michael Velchik argued that the administration has authority to make such decisions about where funding should or shouldn't go, and that 'the government does not want to fund research at institutions that fail to address antisemitism to its satisfaction.' Monday's hearing follows months of tension between Harvard and the Trump administration, which has zeroed in on campus activism at prestigious universities as part of a multi-pronged attack on campus dissent; diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives; and immigration policies and international students. Department of Homeland Security has accused Harvard of fostering 'anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators,' and the president has complained that the university has not provided the government with information about foreign students he calls 'radicalized lunatics' and 'troublemakers' who 'should not be let back into our Country.' In May, the administration also tried to rescind Harvard's permissions to enroll international students and forced currently enrolled foreign students to leave the university or risk losing their legal status in the U.S. Judge Burroughs blocked that attempt day later in a separate lawsuit brought by the university. The General Services Administration also ordered federal agencies to consider canceling government contracts with Harvard, which the agency accused of continuing to 'engage in race discrimination, including in its admissions process and in other areas of student life' and failing to protect students from antisemitism. 'The gravy train of federal assistance to institutions like Harvard, which enrich their grossly overpaid bureaucrats with tax dollars from struggling American families, is coming to an end,' White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement when the cuts were first announced. 'Taxpayer funds are a privilege, and Harvard fails to meet the basic conditions required to access that privilege.' But the government 'has not — and cannot — identify any rational connection' between allegations of antisemitism and threats to research that 'aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation,' according to Harvard's complaint.
The Independent
9 minutes ago
- The Independent
The history of Native American sports name changes, from the Obama era to Trump's latest comments
President Donald Trump's social media posts calling for the NFL's Washington Commanders and Major League Baseball's Cleveland Guardians to revert to their old names has revived the conversation about Native American imagery in sports. Each team has indicated it has no plans to go back to names that were abandoned years ago in the aftermath of a reckoning over racial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Other professional teams have maintained names and logos through criticism and calls from activists who say they are offensive. Here is a look at how the issue has unfolded: October 2013 Then-President Barack Obama told The Associated Press he would 'think about changing' the name of the Washington Redskins if he owned the team. 'I don't know whether our attachment to a particular name should override the real legitimate concerns that people have about these things,' Obama said. Trump soon after posted to Twitter: 'President should not be telling the Washington Redskins to change their name-our country has far bigger problems! FOCUS on them,not nonsense.' January 2018 The Cleveland Indians announced they would remove the Chief Wahoo logo from their uniforms the following year after decades of protests and complaints that the grinning, red-faced caricature used in one version or another since 1947 is racist. 'Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,' Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. He said the logo 'is no longer appropriate for on-field use.' The team said it would continue to sell merchandise with the logo in the Cleveland area. Summer 2020 After several sponsors publicly voiced their opposition to the name Redskins, longtime owner Dan Snyder said in early July the organization would undergo a 'thorough review." Snyder had said multiple times since buying the team in 1999 that he had no intent of changing it. Cleveland hours later said it was considering going away from Indians, the baseball team's name since 1915. Manager Terry Francona said he was in favor of a change. On July 13, Snyder announced the Redskins moniker was being retired after 87 years, dating to the team's time in Boston. Later in the month, the organization unveiled plans to be known as the Washington Football Team for at least one season, and that name remained through 2021. MLB's Atlanta Braves and the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks doubled down on their names. The Braves wrote in a letter to season-ticket holders they will 'always be' known as that, while the Blackhawks said they would continue to use their name and logo because it honors Native American leader Black Hawk of Illinois' Sac & Fox Nation. The Braves said they were reviewing the use of the tomahawk chop and chant, a discussion they started with Native American leaders in 2019. The Blackhawks banned headdresses at home games. In August, the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs followed suit, prohibiting the use of Native American headdresses, face paint and clothing at their stadium. They faced increased scrutiny over the tomahawk chop and chant around winning their first Super Bowl title that February. December 2020 Cleveland owner Paul Dolan announced the team would no longer be called the Indians following the 2021 season. 'It was a learning process for me and I think when fair-minded, open-minded people really look at it, think about it and maybe even spend some time studying it, I like to think they would come to the same conclusion: It's a name that had its time, but this is not the time now, and certainly going forward, the name is no longer acceptable in our world,' Dolan told the AP, adding he did not want an interim moniker like Washington's. Trump quote-tweeted a story about the change with the message: 'Oh no! What is going on? This is not good news, even for 'Indians'. Cancel culture at work!' July 2021 Seemingly out of the blue, Cleveland unveiled its new name, Guardians, in a video posted to social media. They completed the season as the Indians before becoming the Guardians in November. Cleveland's new name was inspired by the large landmark stone edifices — referred to as traffic guardians — that flank both ends of the Hope Memorial Bridge, which connects downtown to Ohio City. October 2021 The tomahawk chop was front and center as the Braves reached — and won — the World Series, with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred endorsing the fan behavior, citing the support of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, based in North Carolina about three hours from Atlanta. 'The Native American community in that region is wholly supportive of the Braves program, including the chop,' Manfred said. 'For me, that's kind of the end of the story. In that market, we're taking into account the Native American community.' February 2022 After a lengthy process, Washington rebranded as the Commanders. Snyder said the change pays 'homage to our local roots and what it means to represent the nation's capital.' 'As we kick off our 90th season, it is important for our organization and fans to pay tribute to our past traditions, history, legacy and the greats that came before us,' Snyder said. 'We continue to honor and represent the burgundy and gold while forging a pathway to a new era in Washington.' President Joe Biden welcomed the name change by posting a picture on Twitter of Commander, his recently acquired German shepherd puppy, in front of the White House. 'I suppose there's room for two Commanders in this town,' Biden wrote. Summer 2023 A group led by Josh Harris, which included Basketball Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, finalized the purchase of the Commanders from Snyder for a North American pro sports record $6.05 billion. Harris and co-owner Mitch Rales, who grew up in the area of the team, used the word Redskins at their introductory news conference, sparking renewed chatter about the subject. Before the season started, Harris said ownership would not be going back to the old name. Summer 2024 Sen. Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, threatened to block a congressional bill to transfer land to potentially be used for a new football stadium in Washington unless the Commanders and the NFL honored the former Indian head logo in some way. The original logo was designed by a member of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana. After lobbying on Capitol Hill by Harris and Commissioner Roger Goodell, the bill passed in December at the eleventh hour, and Biden signed it into law in January. It gave control of the RFK Stadium site from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which agreed to a deal with the team in April to build there, pending city council approval. February 3, 2025 After Washington made the playoffs and went on an improbable run to the NFC championship game with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, Harris said at his season-ending news conference that the Commanders name was here to stay, quieting speculation about another rebrand. 'I think it's now being embraced by our team, by our culture, by our coaching staff, so, we're going with that,' Harris said. 'Now, in this building, the name Commanders means something. It's about players who love football, are great at football, hit hard, mentally tough, great teammates. It's really meaningful that that name is growing in meaning.' July 20, 2025 With the stadium deal not yet done, Trump threatened to block it if Washington did not go back to the name Redskins. Trump on his social media site posted: 'I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington." Asked about ways Trump could block the construction of a stadium where the team played during its glory days until moving to Maryland, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser shifted the focus to hammering out a deal voted on by the council. 'What I'm concerned about is we haven't done our part, and so we need to complete our part so that the team can get to work, so that local businesses can get hired, so that we can start earning the tax revenue that will come when we deliver the Commanders stadium," Bowser said. ___
Telegraph
10 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Police union threatens legal action over Trump visit
The chief constable of Police Scotland has been threatened with legal action ahead of a visit by Donald Trump. The Scottish Police Federation (SPF), which represents more than 16,000 officers, alleged on Monday that workforce agreements to protect the rank and file from working 12-hour shifts had been breached. It said its lawyers had been instructed to examine potential legal action against Police Scotland after some officers were allegedly told they were expected to work 12-hour shifts for up to 10 consecutive days ahead of Mr Trump's visit on Friday. The federation said it had workforce agreements in place to protect officers and provide minimum standards of health and safety at work. It follows warnings by David Threadgold, the SPF chairman, that all officers in Scotland could be affected by the presidential visit, with some expected to work 12-hour shifts, posing a 'challenge' for how they eat, sleep and rest. On Monday, David Kennedy, general secretary of the federation, revealed that two police officers from the north-east who were due to marry this weekend had been told they would have to work. The couple, who have been planning their wedding for a year, have lodged an official request for 'excusal' from duty. Mr Kennedy said he expected the request to be granted but pointed out that police colleagues due to attend as wedding guests would unlikely be able to do so. 'We currently have workforce agreements in place to protect police officers and provide minimum standards of health and safety at work,' Mr Kennedy said. 'Sadly, we have seen these agreements breached in the days leading to the arrival of Potus and as such we are seeking legal advice regarding potential legal action against the service.' Mr Trump is expected to touch down at Prestwick airport on Friday and visit both of his golf courses in Scotland, Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire, between July 25 and July 29. The president will meet Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, in Aberdeen, while plans are being put in place for Mr Trump to meet John Swinney, the First Minister, according to the Scottish Government. Strict airspace restrictions will also be in place over Mr Trump's inaugural Scottish golf resort as part of a vast security operation. Police Scotland has asked for Northern Irish officers to assist and has submitted a mutual aid request to the Police Service of Northern Ireland for additional officers. Police forces usually make requests ahead of large operations or when their resources are stretched. Mr Kennedy added: 'So, there's two agreements running. We reached an agreement to cover it, and they then have reneged on that agreement and breached our current force agreement that covers everybody. 'The breach of the agreement won't stop the policing of the event, but what it's to do with is how officers are paid and how they're remunerated for any work that takes place during the president's arrival and time here.' Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond of Police Scotland said: 'We are working closely with the Scottish Police Federation to address any concerns they may have.'
