Tag: donald trump

Trump Admin Seeks to Block Harvard From Federal Funding Through HHS

The Trump administration said on Sept. 29 that it was referring Harvard University for proceedings that could end with the university losing federal funding over alleged civil rights violations.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act generally prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. According to the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, Harvard violated Title VI through “deliberate indifference” to anti-Semitic discrimination and harassment on campus after the Hamas-led terrorist attack of Oct. 7, 2023, on Israel.

HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Director Paula Stannard said in the press release that “OCR’s referral of Harvard for formal administrative proceedings reflects OCR’s commitment to safeguard both taxpayer investments and the broader public interest.”

“Congress has empowered Federal agencies to pursue Title VI compliance through formal enforcement mechanisms, including the termination of funding or denial of future Federal financial assistance, when voluntary compliance cannot be achieved,” she continued.

The university is expected to undergo a proceeding where an administrative law judge within HHS determines whether Harvard in fact violated Title VI. It’s also being referred for proceedings under a program that could result in suspension or debarment–both of which entail government-wide blocks on participation in federal procurement for periods of time.

HHS’s announcement comes alongside multiple actions that the Trump administration has taken against Harvard and other universities over alleged civil rights violations, including a separate HHS investigation into suspected race-based discrimination in the Harvard Law Review.

Harvard did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment before publishing time.

Harvard sued the Trump administration earlier this year after the administration announced it would freeze billions of dollars in funding for the university. After months of litigation, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that the administration was violating the First Amendment.

“The government-initiated onslaught against Harvard was much more about promoting a governmental orthodoxy in violation of the First Amendment than about anything else, including fighting antisemitism,” U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said.

The administration made several demands that Burroughs said included changes to activities protected by the First Amendment. These protected rights include a school’s ability to manage its academic community and evaluate teaching without government interference.

Burroughs also said that the university was taking steps to combat anti-Semitism. “Harvard is currently, even if belatedly, taking steps it needs to take to combat antisemitism and seems willing to do even more if need be,” she said.

Harvard President Alan Garber similarly said that the university has implemented a series of campus measures designed to fight anti-Semitism.

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Trump and Hegseth declare an end to ‘politically correct’ leadership in the U.S. military

U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared an end to “woke” culture in the military and targeted other policies of past administrations Tuesday before hundreds of top U.S. military officials who were abruptly summoned to Virginia from around the world.

Hegseth announced new directives for troops that include “gender-neutral” or “male-level” standards for physical fitness, while Trump bragged about U.S. nuclear capabilities and criticized the military leaders’ previous commander in chief, U.S. President Joe Biden.

“We must be so strong that no nation will dare challenge us, so powerful that no enemy will dare threaten us,” Trump said. ”And so capable that no adversary can even think about beating us.”

Hegseth had called military leaders to convene at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, near Washington, without publicly revealing the reason until this morning. Hegseth’s address largely focused on his own long-used talking points that painted a picture of a military that has been hamstrung by “woke” policies, and he said military leaders should “do the honorable thing and resign” if they don’t like his new approach.

Meetings between top military brass and civilian leaders are nothing new, but the gathering had fueled intense speculation about the summit’s purpose given the haste with which it was called and the mystery surrounding it.

Admirals and generals from conflict zones in the Middle East and elsewhere were summoned for a lecture on race and gender in the military, underscoring the extent to which the country’s culture wars have emerged as a front-and-center agenda item for Hegseth’s Pentagon, even at a time of broad national security concerns across the globe.

During his nearly hour-long speech, Hegseth said the U.S. military has promoted too many leaders for the wrong reasons based on race, gender quotas and “historic firsts.”

“The era of politically correct, overly sensitive don’t-hurt-anyone’s-feelings leadership ends right now at every level,” Hegseth said.

He said he is loosening disciplinary rules and weakening hazing protections, putting a heavy focus on removing many of the guardrails the military had put in place after numerous scandals and investigations.

Hegseth said he was ordering a review of “the department’s definitions of so-called toxic leadership, bullying and hazing to empower leaders to enforce standards without fear of retribution or second guessing.”

He called for “changes to the retention of adverse information on personnel records that will allow leaders with forgivable, earnest, or minor infractions to not be encumbered by those infractions in perpetuity.”

“People make honest mistakes, and our mistakes should not define an entire career,” Hegseth said. “Otherwise, we only try not to make mistakes.”

Bullying and toxic leadership has been the suspected and confirmed cause behind numerous military suicides over the past several years, including the very dramatic suicide of Brandon Caserta, a young sailor who was bullied into killing himself in 2018.

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Trump Admin Probes California State University System Over Anti-Semitism, Racial Bias Claims

The Trump administration has launched an investigation into all 22 campuses of the California State University (CSU) system over allegations of anti-Semitism and racial discrimination.

Chancellor Mildred Garcia said in a Sept. 26 letter to the Cal State community that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has launched “a systemwide antisemitism complaint” against Cal State. Garcia said investigators have already begun contacting faculty and staff to review allegations and speak with them about their experiences on campus.

Garcia also revealed that the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has initiated a separate inquiry into Cal State. That probe centers on allegations of racial discrimination “due to interactions with the PhD Project,” a nonprofit organization created to diversify business education and the corporate workforce.

Garcia said that news of the investigations “may be unsettling” for faculty and staff, and she denied any misconduct and emphasized that Cal State intends to cooperate fully with the probes.

“The CSU does not discriminate against or give preference to any individual or group based on race, ethnicity, nationality, shared ancestry, religion or any other protected status,” Garcia wrote.

She added that the system is “firmly committed” to ensuring that admissions and hiring are based solely on merit.

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Russia Says It’s ‘Analyzing’ the Possibility of the US Sending Tomahawk Missiles to Ukraine

The Kremlin said on Monday that it was “analyzing” the possibility of the US providing Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles, a step that would mark a significant escalation of the proxy war.

The comments from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov came after US Vice President JD Vance said that President Trump was considering the possibility of supplying Ukraine with Tomahawks, which have a range of over 1,000 miles, by selling them to European NATO countries.

“We have heard these statements. We are thoroughly analyzing them. Our military specialists are closely monitoring it,” Peskov said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Peskov also downplayed the idea that Tomahawks would make a difference for Ukraine. “Even if it happens that the United States sends its Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, currently there is no cure-all that could be a game changer on the front lines for the Kiev regime. No magical weapons exist, and Tomahawk or other missiles simply won’t be a game changer,” he said.

With a range of over 1,000 miles, Tomahawks would put Moscow well in range of Ukrainian missile strikes, and Vance’s comments came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatened attacks on Kremlin officials if the war in Ukraine continues. But it’s unclear how Ukraine would fire the missiles since they’re designed to be launched from advanced US warships.

The US has, in recent years, developed two land-based missile launchers that can fire Tomahawk missiles: the Typhon and the Long Range Fires (LRF) systems. These systems were previously prohibited by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019.

The Typhon system has been deployed for military drills in Asia and in Europe, but the LRF has been abandoned by the US Marine Corps due to maneuverability issues. A report from Defense Express suggested that the retired LRF launchers could be refitted and sent to Ukraine for the Ukrainian military to use to fire Tomahawks.

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China Pivots To Brazil, Squeezing U.S. Farmers As Trump Plans Relief Fund

President Trump announced plans last week to use tariff revenue as a financial cushion for struggling American farmers as China shuns U.S. agricultural goods. Beijing’s pivot to Brazilian ag suppliers has left Midwest farmers in the nation’s top ag belts fearing a spiral into financial hardship.

At the White House on Thursday, President Trump told reporters, “We’re going to take some of that tariff money that we’ve made, we’re going to give it to our farmers, who are – for a little while – going to be hurt until it kicks in, the tariffs kick in to their benefit.” 

Trump later told reporters that he has not decided on a final version of the plan and would consult with U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on the matter. 

China’s abrupt pivot to Brazil, after decades of purchasing more than half of the U.S.’s soybeans annually, highlights elevated trade tensions this year as both superpowers attempt to find common ground on a new deal. 

Financial Times noted, “For decades, more than half of all U.S. soybeans went to China, the world’s biggest buyer. But this year, as trade talks between Washington and Beijing stall, not a single American soybean has headed east, leaving farmers struggling to stay afloat as bins fill and prices sag while China turns to record supplies from Brazil.” 

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Trump to preside over Hegseth’s rare council of generals as Commander-in-Chief reveals purpose of gathering

President Donald Trump will fully embrace his role as Commander-in-Chief of America’s armed forces later this week.

Trump told NBC News Sunday that he will be present at a meeting of the nation’s top military leaders organized by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, which will take place this Tuesday in Quantico,Virginia.

Speaking with NBC News over the phone, Trump shared the following about the forthcoming meeting:

‘It’s really just a very nice meeting talking about how well we’re doing militarily, talking about being in great shape, talking about a lot of good, positive things. It’s just a good message,’ Trump noted.

‘We have some great people coming in and it’s just an ‘esprit de corps.’ You know the expression ‘esprit de corps’? That’s all it’s about. We’re talking about what we’re doing, what they’re doing, and how we’re doing,’ the Commander-in-Chief added.

News of the meeting being called by Hegseth last week raised some alarm, as attendees were initially not told of the reason why they were being summoned to Washington, DC, from their respective posts across the globe.

Daily Mail reported Friday that Hegseth’s order to pull leaders into a meeting was kinglike.

‘He is playing mind games and wants to let them know who is boss. There is nothing big going on. They will just go over future strategies, posturing and policies. After the meeting, you might even report on some firings that will happen,’ a defense official told the Daily Mail.

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Trump Signs Executive Order Rescuing TikTok in the U.S.: $14 Billion Sale to American Investors Like Oracle and Silver Lake

President Donald Trump signed an executive order this Thursday, saving TikTok from an imminent ban. The platform, boasting 170 million users in the U.S., is now transitioning to a consortium of non-Chinese investors who will control 80% of its operations.

ByteDance, its Chinese parent company, retains less than 20%, specifically 19.9%, along with a single seat on the board of directors. The valuation of the new U.S.-based TikTok reaches $14 billion, as confirmed by Vice President J.D. Vance during the White House ceremony.

Though controversial for being lower than previous estimates of up to $40 billion, this price reflects Trump’s commitment to national security without compromising innovation. Trump, who credits part of his 2024 electoral victory to TikTok—where he has amassed 15 million followers—hailed the deal as «the art of the deal.»

«It’s run by Americans, and very sophisticated ones,» the president declared, emphasizing Oracle’s critical role in managing the algorithm and data security.

The crisis traces back to April 2024, when then-President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan law mandating that ByteDance divest 80% of TikTok’s U.S. operations or face a total shutdown due to national security risks.

The legislation, passed with broad congressional support, highlighted concerns over Chinese access to user data and the potential manipulation of the algorithm for propaganda purposes. Biden feared that the Chinese Communist Party might use TikTok to spy on American citizens or influence elections.

The law took effect in January 2025, but upon beginning his second term, Trump extended the deadline multiple times: first by 75 days, then 90, and most recently to December 16. These extensions facilitated intense negotiations with Beijing.

The turning point came in September 2025. Following a productive call between Trump and President Xi Jinping on September 19, both leaders finalized a framework agreement. Trump announced progress on trade, fentanyl, and TikTok approval via Truth Social. Xi, in turn, stressed a «fair environment» for Chinese investments but conceded on the divestiture.

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Trump Reportedly Denies Ukraine Tomahawk Cruise Missiles That Could Reach Moscow

Zelensky wants US-made long-range missiles that could escalate conflict into WW3.

In the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, US President Donald J. Trump had dozens of bilateral meetings, including the almost obligatory face-to-face with the Kiev regime leader, Volodymyr Zelensky.

In his statements to the press and in subsequent social media posts, Trump appeared to cheer for Ukraine and incentivize it to regain lost territory, while at the same time reinforcing the understanding that European powers will have to carry the burden of this war.

But there was one item of military hardware that the US president reportedly refused to include in the packages that the EU can buy to send to Zelensky: Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Axios reported:

“Zelensky told ‘The Axios Show’ on Wednesday that he’d asked Trump for an additional weapons system that could force Russian President Vladimir Putin to enter peace talks — perhaps without Ukraine even having to use it.

[…] Zelensky did not name that weapons system during his interview with Axios’ Barak Ravid, but he said that if Russia knew Ukraine had it, the pressure to talk would greatly increase.”

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US Military Reportedly Preparing for Strikes on Drug Labs Inside Venezuela

Payback may be about to find narco-traffickers in their own turf.

The US is reported to be preparing for military strikes on drug labs inside Venezuela, and the planned actions may also include drone attacks on major drug traffickers.

The strikes within the Bolivarian socialist state could potentially begin in a matter of weeks.

BREAKING: The Trump administration is now drawing up options to launch drone strikes INSIDE VENEZUELA against the cartels, per NBC.

The strikes could occur within weeks against cartel members, leadership and drug labs.

President Trump has NOT yet approved anything.

These… pic.twitter.com/kbGY2SRlmP

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 26, 2025

NBC News reported:

“Those sources are two U.S. officials familiar with the planning and two other sources familiar with the discussions. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the plans publicly.”

Three alleged drug boats from Venezuela reportedly carrying narco-traffickers and drugs have already been destroyed in the last weeks.

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Congress calls Trump’s TikTok plan a good first step, but concerns remain about algorithm control

ongressional leaders see positive first steps in President Donald Trump’s TikTok deal, but are withholding full support until questions about control of the important content algorithm owned by China-based ByteDance are resolved. The Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party says that the promise of divestiture is a good first step on the way to a final deal, but noted once again that an important requirement of the law passed by Congress is severing China’s connections to the app’s algorithm.  

“Transitioning to a majority American-owned entity would mark an important step in that process that could mitigate some of the ByteDance threat depending on the details, but divestment was not the law’s only requirement,” Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., said in a statement on Friday. 

Staying within the guardrails

“The law also set firm guardrails that prohibit cooperation between ByteDance and any prospective TikTok successor on the all-important recommendation algorithm, as well as preclude operational ties between the new entity and ByteDance,” said the chairman. 

The chairman promised that he would use his committee to conduct full oversight over this agreement, starting with an urgent briefing” that he requested from the Trump administration. Moolenaar also said he plans to hold a hearing next year with the leadership of the new American Tiktok entity, according to the press release.

TikTok’s operations in the United States have drawn significant scrutiny from Congress for years. Last year, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed into law the bill requiring TikTok’s parent company, the China-based ByteDance, to either divest itself of the popular video sharing app or face a ban on operations in the United States. 

The bill aimed to address concerns that the Chinese company exercised the ability to weaponize the app against the American people on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party’s goals by gathering and exploiting citizens’ personal data.  

Of particular concern is ByteDance’s proprietary content suggesting algorithm, which experts say could be exploited to influence users and U.S. public opinion and politics at large. There is some evidence of this claim. Earlier this year, a study found that TikTok suppresses anti-China content and influences user opinion on the communist country’s human rights record and society. The researchers from Rutgers University and the Network Contagion Research Institute assessed this was done by likely manipulation of the content algorithm, though no definitive determination could be made without access to the code.

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