President Donald Trump said his administration was close to reaching a deal with Harvard University, the Ivy League institution it has targeted with a series of investigations and billions of dollars in funding cuts as it presses for changes to its policies and governance. A truce with the country’s oldest and wealthiest college would end a clash that has tested the independence of America’s colleges. Trump initially said a deal had been reached but in further comments said officials were “close to finalizing” the deal but “we haven’t done it yet.”

The Trump administration says three major public school districts could lose $24 million in funding because of their policies supporting transgender students. The U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights had given New York City, Chicago, and Fairfax County, Virginia, schools until Tuesday to agree to changes. Among them were rescinding policies allowing students access to restrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity. The department says the rules violate Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. The districts risk losing funding for specialty magnet schools as a result.

The Trump administration is redirecting nearly $500 million in federal funding toward historically Black colleges and tribal colleges, a one-time investment covered primarily by other cuts to colleges serving large numbers of minority students. The Education Department announced the funding boost days after cutting $350 million from other grants, mostly from programs reserved for colleges that have large numbers of Hispanic students. Agency leaders said those grants were unconstitutional because they’re available only to colleges with certain minority enrollment thresholds. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the changes will redirect money away from “from ineffective and discriminatory programs toward those which support student success.”

A congressional investigation finds the Pentagon has funded research involving collaboration with Chinese entities linked to China's defense sector. Many of these entities are blacklisted by the U.S. government. The report by House Republicans on the Select Committee on China warns that U.S. technological know-how is being diverted to modernize China's military. Friday's report highlights concerns about the Defense Department's research policies, which it says have allowed foreign adversaries to exploit American research. Committee Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar has proposed a bill to prohibit defense funding for projects involving problematic Chinese entities. Beijing has said that science and tech cooperation is mutually beneficial and helps the two sides cope with global challenges.

Northwestern University President Michael Schill announced Thursday that he will resign, ending a three-year tenure marked by the freeze of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding by the Trump administration and heated criticism from House Republicans over the university’s response to campus protests. In his statement announcing his resignation, Schill acknowledged these challenges directly. “It is critical that we continue to protect the University’s research mission and excellence while preserving academic freedom, integrity, and independence,” he said.

A federal judge in Boston has ordered the reversal of over $2.6 billion in federal funding cuts to Harvard University. The ruling, issued Wednesday, marks a significant victory for Harvard in its legal battle with the Trump administration. Judge Allison Burroughs found the cuts were illegal retaliation for Harvard’s refusal to comply with White House demands on governance and policies. The administration had linked the funding freezes to antisemitism issues on campus, but the judge called this a smokescreen. The White House said the administration would appeal the decision, making it unlikely that researchers receive funding any time soon.