FIGHT ON, HARVARD: Responding to a filing by Harvard University, a federal judge in Boston blocked the Trump administration order that would have stopped foreign students from enrolling or continuing their education at the Ivy League school.

  The Harvard lawsuit accuses the Trump administration of exerting “clear retaliation for Harvard exercising its First Amendment rights to control Harvard’s governance, curriculum and the ‘ideology’ of its faculty and students.”

  About a quarter of Harvard student are from other countries and  judge Allison Burroughs said that Harvard had shown that implementation of the order from the Department of Homeland Security would cause “immediate and irreparable injury” to the university.

  Harvard President Dr. Alan Garber wrote in a letter to the Harvard community that the DHS order “imperils the futures of thousands of students and scholars across Harvard and serves as a warning to countless others at colleges and universities throughout the country who have come to America to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams.”

  The Trump administration is bearing down on Harvard for refusing to knuckle under to demands for changes in curriculum, staffing, and admissions all in the name of fighting antisemitism on campus and “racist” diversity, equity programs. Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has also requested information about the coursework for every international student and information on any student visa holder involved in misconduct or illegal activity. DHS has also asked for videos of those involved in protests or illegal activity.

  The administration at first cut billions of dollars in funding to Harvard then went for the jugular vein with the ban on foreign students. Harvard is far from the only university the administration is trying to bring under Trump’s heel, but it is the leader in fighting back.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE:

— The stock markets were in turmoil again yesterday after President Trump posted in his Truth Social feed that he might revive his trade wars. “The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with,” he wrote. “Therefore, I am recommending a straight 50% Tariff on the European Union, starting on June 1, 2025. There is no Tariff if the product is built or manufactured in the United States.” 

  Trump also wrote that, “I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone’s that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States.”

  There is no apostrophe in the plural of iPhone.

— Actions taken by President Trump and his administration were blocked by the courts several times this week. Just last night a federal judge ordered the administration to bring back a gay Guatemalan man who was deported to Mexico based on false statements.

  Buried in Trump’s “Big, Beautiful” tax and spending bill is a clause that limits the power of federal courts to enforce their rulings by holding individuals or entities in contempt for ignoring injunctions or temporary restraining orders. The bill would do this by restricting the courts’ use of appropriated funding to enforce their orders.

  The language is retroactive, meaning that all the current orders and injunctions against the Trump administration could be rendered unenforceable. The executive branch could just ignore court orders, although in fairness they are already doing that and getting away with it.

— The Environmental Protection Agency has drafted a plan to eliminate limits on greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas-fired power plants, The NY Times reports according to internal agency documents they’ve seen. According to the Times, the documents say that “gases from power plants that burn fossil fuels ‘do not contribute significantly to dangerous pollution’ or to climate change because they are a small and declining share of global emissions.”

— The White House yesterday dismissed what’s been described as “scores” of employees at the National Security Council that’s now under control of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Many of them are on loan from other agencies and would go back.

STOP THE MUSIC: The enduring singer-songwriter Billy Joel Billy canceled all of his scheduled concerts, including a tour this year and next, because of a brain disorder … a buildup of cerebral fluid. 

  The 76-year-old’s big hits include, “Piano Man,” “Just the Way You Are,” and “Only the Good Die Young.”

  “This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” according to a statement posted to the singer’s social media accounts. The disorder causes a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, causing such troubles as difficulty walking and controlling the bladder. It can also lead to cognitive impairment, including memory problems.

  The condition can be treated, sometimes with surgery, but if it becomes advanced it can do irreversible damage.

 THE SPIN RACK:  The number of police killings has risen every year since a Minneapolis officer murdered George Floyd in 2020. Last year the police killed at least 1,226 people, an 18 percent increase over 2019. Breaking down the numbers compiled by the nonprofit Mapping Police Violence, the people most likely to be killed by the police are Black and Native American. — Seven men and a woman were found guilty in a French court of binding and robbing the celebutante Kim Kardashian of $9 million dollars’ worth of jewelry inside a residence she had rented during Paris Fashion Week in October 2016. Most of those convicted are now in their 60s and 70s and were sentenced to time served, meaning they are free. Most of the jewelry was never recovered.

BELOW THE FOLD: Kermit the Frog was the graduation speaker at the University of Maryland. He said, “You are all here to listen to a frog.” 

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