04.16.2025

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Pressure on Harvard 

President Donald Trump yesterday suggested he could revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status and classify it as a political entity after the university said it wouldn't comply with requests to overhaul its policies and programs. Trump's comments came a day after his administration said it would freeze $2.26B of Harvard’s multiyear funding, highlighting a broader conflict over academic independence and federal oversight.

On Monday, Harvard—America's oldest and wealthiest university—became the first institution to openly reject a series of changes from the Trump administration, which claims such measures are necessary to combat antisemitism on campuses. The changes (see letter) include removing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, adopting merit-based admissions and hiring practices, and banning identity-covering masks during student protests. Harvard said the requests infringed upon its independence; read the school's response here. 

The Trump administration has similarly pressured at least six other universities, including Columbia University, which conceded to a list of reforms last month. Harvard has the largest endowment in the nation at $53B—about 20% of which can be spent at the school's discretion.

Pig Liver Trial

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first clinical trial to test whether gene-edited pig livers can temporarily support people with sudden liver failure who are ineligible for human organ transplants. Instead of receiving a new liver, the patients will be connected to an external device that filters their blood through a pig liver for 72 hours, giving their own liver time to recover and hopefully regenerate.

The trial, led by biotech firm eGenesis and medical device maker OrganOx, will enroll up to 20 patients between the ages of 10 and 70 with acute-on-chronic liver failure (a sudden worsening of liver disease) or hepatic encephalopathy (a brain disorder caused by reduced liver function). Participants will be monitored for a year to assess safety and liver function changes. Earlier tests in the US using deceased patients showed the pig livers could function for two to three days.

Roughly 35,000 patients are hospitalized each year in the US for acute or acute-on-chronic liver failure, many of whom can’t get a timely human transplant.

Sandstorm in Iraq

At least 3,700 people were hospitalized with respiratory issues in Iraq this week after a large sandstorm swept across the region from Saudi Arabia, filling the skies with an orange haze and reducing visibility to only half a mile. Much of Baghdad, including airports and highways, has been shut down since Sunday as the tiny particles forced people indoors.

Sand or dust storms occur in dry or drought-ridden regions like deserts or plains and valleys with substantial clay and silt deposits (see map). High wind speeds lift the particles and move them potentially hundreds of miles, reducing the sun’s light and heat. When inhaled, the fine particles can irritate the lungs, potentially leading to infections. Mechanical equipment is also vulnerable to corrosion and clogs from the dust. 

Sandstorms have been common in Iraq for millennia, occurring weekly on average during peak seasons, though this week’s event is relatively severe. Read how a dust storm played a key role during the US invasion of the country here.

Editor's note: Based on reader feedback we received yesterday on our report about Kilmar Abrego Garcia's deportation to El Salvador, we wanted to note there are conflicting reports about his alleged membership in the MS-13 gang and his legal status in the US. Read a breakdown here.

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