Court hears Harvard's challenge to Trump's $2.6bn funding cuts

Harvard University appeared in court yesterday to make the case that the Trump administration illegally cut $2.6bn (£1.9bn) from its funding – a test of the administration's efforts to reshape higher education by threatening institutions' financial viability.

- Alice Speri

The US district judge Allison Burroughs heard arguments from Harvard and the Department of Justice. The cuts, imposed this year, have halted major research efforts and Harvard argues they are a politically motivated attempt to pressure the school into adopting federal policies on student conduct, admissions, antisemitism and diversity.

A ruling in favour of the university would revive Harvard's sprawling scientific and medical research operation and hundreds of projects that lost federal money.