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.

In an interview, scholar Norman Finkelstein disputed a Harvard antisemitism inquiry finding that Israeli Jewish students do not feel wanted at the university. Commenting on calls for Harvard to be inclusive of Jewish students, Finkelstein said he supports inclusivity for everyone while rejecting the framing of the inquiry, which he suggested misapplies the charge of antisemitism amid ongoing debates over campus protest and Israel.

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.

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.

Counting of votes has begun in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) election, with results for 2026 being tracked live across the capital. Students and political observers are watching closely to see which student wing will win the union's top posts, as the outcome is often seen as a barometer of youth mood in Delhi politics.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"Iowa vs Michigan" refers to an upcoming college football matchup between the University of Iowa and the University of Michigan, currently a top trending search in the US. Coverage, including from The Detroit News, focuses on the quarterbacks at the center of the game — Michigan's Bryce Underwood and Iowa's Brown — noting both will face some of the toughest defenses they have encountered. Fans appear to be searching for kickoff details, odds and how the young quarterbacks will fare.

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.

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.

Data analytics company Databricks has agreed to pay $22.8 million for naming rights to the University of California, Berkeley's football field. The deal is being framed as more than a college sports sponsorship: Databricks was founded by Berkeley alumni, and the agreement signals how tech companies are deepening ties with university programs amid intense competition for AI talent and brand visibility.

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.

Researchers from Purdue University are travelling to a remote island group in the Pacific Ocean to investigate possible remnants of Amelia Earhart's aircraft. The aviator vanished during her 1937 attempt to fly around the world, and her disappearance remains one of aviation's great mysteries. The expedition has drawn attention as it could finally shed light on what happened to her plane.

Wake Forest vs Louisville refers to a college sports matchup between Wake Forest University and the University of Louisville. Searches spiked as fans looked for predictions, odds and viewing details ahead of the game. Coverage found in the trend includes a CardinalAuthority predictions piece breaking down the No. 16-ranked Louisville side against Wake Forest. Interest appears driven by fans of both schools checking how analysts expect the contest to play out.

Ateneo and the University of the Philippines meet in a UAAP Season 89 men's basketball game on September 19, 2026, broadcast live by One Sports. The long-standing rivalry between the two schools continues to draw massive attention, with the live coverage drawing hundreds of thousands of engagements as fans follow every play of the much-anticipated matchup.