universities

The Trump administration is retreating from a planned executive order that would have given the White House greater control over National Institutes of Health grant decisions. Semafor reports the proposal is now considered effectively dead after widespread pushback from scientists, universities, and lawmakers who argued it would politicise biomedical research funding. Observers are watching whether further attempts to centralise NIH grant approvals will follow.

News that Jon Watts, best known for directing Marvel's Spider-Man trilogy with Tom Holland, is attached to direct a Star Wars project is circulating widely. Fans are debating whether his blockbuster, franchise-friendly style is a good fit for the galaxy far, far away, while others point to his existing work on the Star Wars series Skeleton Crew as proof he is already part of that universe.

Physicists report new evidence suggesting gravity is holographic, meaning it may allow the dimensions of space to collapse into fewer dimensions, as if the universe were encoded on a lower-dimensional surface. The finding, covered by Quanta Magazine, is striking but its implications for the nature of reality remain unknown, and researchers are still working out what a holographic universe would actually mean.

Researchers affiliated with Harvard University report detecting a radio signal originating directly from a planet outside our solar system. The detection would mark a rare direct radio observation of an exoplanet, potentially revealing details about its magnetic field and environment. The news is drawing wide attention online, with commenters speculating about whether the signal could have a natural origin or something more intriguing.

About 4,600 Service Employees International Union staff at Oregon's seven public universities are poised to begin a strike on Monday. The walkout would affect campus operations across the state's university system, with the labor action coming amid ongoing contract negotiations between the union and university management. Students and staff are watching closely as the deadline approaches, with no deal announced ahead of the planned strike date.

Bangladeshi news channel Jamuna TV reports from Chittagong University on the recovery of a student's iPhone, with the mother of the accused explaining how the phone belonging to another student's mother was recovered. The story is drawing wide attention in Bangladesh amid ongoing discussion of theft and accountability on the university campus.

Researchers have reported a key early-universe measurement determined with record-breaking precision. The result refines scientists' understanding of conditions shortly after the Big Bang, though details of which quantity was measured and by which team were not provided. Such precision advances are closely watched in physics because they can confirm the standard cosmological model or expose gaps where new physics might be hiding.

Venture investors, including figures associated with Andreessen Horowitz, are funding a new academy designed as an alternative to traditional college. The initiative reflects a broader push by parts of the tech industry to offer young people education paths outside established universities. Discussion centers on whether such programs can genuinely replace four-year degrees or serve only a narrow group.

An opinion piece in The Hill argues that American colleges and universities must do more to help the country keep the promises it makes to service members, particularly in supporting veterans as they transition to higher education after military service. The author calls on higher education institutions to strengthen their commitments to those who served, framing it as a national obligation rather than a favor.

The University of Southern California has reportedly ended its practice of selling dead bodies to the US Navy for use by the Israeli military. The arrangement, described in reports by The New Arab, drew scrutiny over the ethical implications of supplying human remains for foreign military training purposes. The university's decision marks a reversal of a programme that had previously gone largely unreported.

Data analytics company Databricks is paying $22.8 million for naming rights to the University of California, Berkeley's football field. The deal is being framed as more than a sports marketing play: Databricks was founded by Berkeley alumni and professors, and the investment signals its deep ties to the campus and its ambition to recruit talent and boost its brand as it grows ahead of a potential public listing.

Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee's death row, is facing an imminent execution date while her legal team argues she is too psychologically damaged to be put to death. Pike was convicted of the 1995 murder of fellow student Colleen Slemmer at the University of Tennessee, a case that drew wide attention. Her clemency bid has renewed debate over the death penalty and mental health in the state.

Eyal Weizman, professor of spatial and visual cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London, and founder of the research agency Forensic Architecture, is taking part in a discussion about his book "Ungrounding: The Architecture of Genocide". The conversation covers his investigations into destruction in Gaza and the built environment's role in the Israel-Palestine conflict, drawing attention amid ongoing fighting.

Support staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center are holding a vote on whether to authorize a strike. A yes vote would not trigger a walkout immediately but would give union negotiators the mandate to call one if contract talks fail. The vote comes amid ongoing labor negotiations over pay and working conditions at Vermont's largest hospital.

Universities worldwide are grappling with how to integrate artificial intelligence tools into teaching without eroding students' critical thinking skills. The debate covers how AI can support learning and research while institutions weigh academic integrity, assessment design, and the risk of over-reliance on automated tools, with statistics cited on adoption rates across higher education.

Southern Cross University is pursuing a strategy in India aimed at building a stronger evidence base for traditional medicine. The initiative, reported by BioSpectrum Asia, signals growing scientific and academic interest in validating traditional healing practices through research, reflecting broader collaboration between Australian institutions and India's traditional medicine sector.

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has approved the university's representatives to serve on the Nebraska Medicine board. The move formalises which university officials will sit on the governing body of the health system tied to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Details about the individual representatives and their terms have not been broadly reported, and there has been little public reaction or debate so far.

Authorities have identified the suspect who was killed during a shootout with police at Talbert House in the University Heights area of Cincinnati. The confrontation ended with the suspect's death, and police have not released further details about what led to the exchange of gunfire or the person's identity beyond confirming it publicly.

Classified staff at a university are set to walk off the job on Monday, with contract negotiations between the employees' union and the administration still underway. The planned strike affects workers in support and administrative roles, and it remains uncertain whether last-minute bargaining will avert the walkout before the deadline.

The University of Rochester and SEIU union workers have agreed to a second short-term extension of their contract, putting off a resolution between the two sides. The extension keeps negotiations open and avoids an immediate work stoppage while talks continue over the terms of a new agreement covering the university's unionized employees.

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has approved the university's representatives to serve on the Nebraska Medicine board. The move formalizes university leadership's role in the governance of the state's major academic health system. Details about the individual appointees and terms were not immediately available, but the decision advances coordination between the university and Nebraska Medicine.

Vanderbilt University has placed its Divinity School into receivership, a legal step that hands control of the school's operations to an appointed receiver. The move concerns one of the university's oldest graduate institutions and raises questions about its financial condition and future governance. Details about the circumstances and what it means for students and faculty remain limited so far.