US universities

The US Senate has moved forward with legislation to overhaul the college sports system, according to ABC News. The bill's advancement marks an early but significant step in a long-running debate over how college athletics should be governed, particularly around athlete pay, name-image-likeness rights, and the broader structure of the NCAA. Details of the proposed reforms and their chances of passing remain limited so far.

CAIR-LA announced that the University of Southern California has ended a programme in which human cadavers were sold to the Israeli military for training purposes. The civil rights group called the practice 'disturbing' and says it will keep pressing for full accountability over how the arrangement was allowed. The US chapter is based in Los Angeles, and USC has faced growing criticism over the revelation.

A new book by scholar Monroe, 'Heritage and Hate: Old South Rhetoric at Southern Universities,' analyzes how Old South and Confederate rhetoric persists on Southern US campuses. Drawing on rhetoric, history, sociology, Southern studies and African American studies, it develops the concept of 'confederate rhetoric' to explain how heritage-based language functions amid ongoing debates over campus symbols and race.

The US Senate has passed a bill on college sports, drawing attention to how it would reshape the relationship between universities and student athletes. The legislation touches on issues that have dominated college athletics in recent years, including athlete compensation and name, image and likeness rights. Key details of what the bill contains and what happens next in the House are being broken down.

Xin Qiang, a professor at Fudan University, argues that head-of-state diplomacy strengthens relations between China and the United States. Writing in Chinese-language commentary, he frames top-level engagement between the two governments as the key driver of improved bilateral ties. No additional details from the commentary were available, and there is little sign yet of wider public reaction.

Tufts University's Praxis program is examining DACA, framing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy within the broader debates over immigration reform and human rights in the United States. The discussion centers on how undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children fit into the country's story and its future immigration policy.

A new article argues that even the most powerful telescopes have blind spots that limit our maps of the universe, and describes a proposed fix that could help astronomers chart cosmic structures more accurately. Science communicators are sharing the piece widely, with readers discussing how correcting these observational gaps could improve our understanding of the universe's large-scale structure.

Police at the University of Maryland arrested a masked driver who was waving a rifle on campus. The weapon turned out to be a video game prop rather than a real firearm, but the incident triggered an armed-suspect response because a masked person brandishing what looked like a gun naturally raised fears of a campus shooting.

The US Senate has passed the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, according to reports. The legislation, which drew support from both parties, concerns college sports and now moves forward in the legislative process. Details of the bill's provisions and its next steps, including any action in the House of Representatives, were not immediately available.

On the SETI Live podcast, SETI Institute executive Bill Diamond speaks with Dr. Lori Marino, recipient of the 2026 Drake Award, about animal intelligence and brain evolution. Marino, a specialist in whale and dolphin cognition, argues that studying non-human minds on Earth can shape how scientists think about intelligence elsewhere in the universe. The conversation covers dolphin and whale brains, what intelligence means beyond humans, and the search for extraterrestrial minds.

An investigation is under way into an alleged rape at a Cornell University fraternity house in Ithaca, New York. Reporting so far outlines the basic facts of the case, the police and university response, and the status of the inquiry. The story is drawing wide attention as authorities work to establish what happened and whether charges will follow.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has selected Louisiana State University's cadet corps as a source for a new generation of military officers. The move highlights the Pentagon's interest in building officer pipelines through university-based training programs, drawing attention in Louisiana and among defense watchers to the role LSU's ROTC-style program may play in future military recruitment and leadership development.

Indiana University has received a $1.5 million grant to teach languages in military classrooms. The funding, reported by Indiana Public Media, will support language instruction aimed at members of the US armed forces. The award highlights the university's ongoing role in national defense education and language training for military personnel.

Mary Klotman, dean of Duke University's School of Medicine, will step down from the post in June 2027. The announcement, reported by the Duke Chronicle, sets a timeline for a leadership transition at one of the top US academic medical centers. Further details about her plans or the search for a successor have not been given.

Ken Griffin, the hedge fund CEO of Citadel, has donated $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon University, a gift tied to his broader investment in Florida. The donation is one of the largest ever made to a US university and is linked to Griffin's push to expand the school's presence in the state, part of his wider bet on Florida's future.

The United States Senate has passed a framework enabling revenue sharing in college sports, a major step in how NCAA athletes could be compensated. The measure addresses long-running disputes over paying college players, and reaction is focused on what it means for universities, athletic programmes and student athletes nationwide.

A researcher at Upstate Medical University in New York has returned to work after being held in ICE custody. Speaking to Spectrum News, the researcher said they were 'grateful for the experience', a striking remark given the circumstances. The case has drawn attention amid ongoing debate over immigration enforcement actions affecting academics and professionals in the United States.

US Congress is moving to place Pentagon 'red team' hackers — specialists who test defences by attacking them — within universities accredited by the National Security Agency, according to Intelligence Online. The aim is to strengthen the pipeline of cybersecurity talent trained at NSA-designated institutions, drawing on military offensive-testing expertise for academic programmes.

US colleges and universities are investing heavily in artificial intelligence education, adding programs and courses to meet growing demand from students and employers. The push reflects a broader effort across higher education to prepare graduates for a job market increasingly shaped by AI tools, though details on specific institutions and spending were not given.

A US District Attorney handling a Cornell University case has stated that the alleged victim said the encounter was consensual, a remark described as a shocker in coverage of the case. The claim has drawn attention and debate over how authorities are characterising the allegations and what it means for the proceedings.

Tennessee is preparing to carry out the execution of a woman convicted of murdering someone on the University of Tennessee's campus in Knoxville. The state's plan stands out because executions of women are rare in the United States, and the case ties a capital punishment decision directly to a high-profile campus killing. Details about timing, the inmate's identity, and any pending appeals have not yet been laid out in the available reporting.