Columbia University said on Wednesday it will pay more than $200 million to the U.S. government to settle federal probes and regain most of its suspended federal funding, after months of scrutiny from President Donald Trump’s administration.
Trump welcomed the agreement in a post on his Truth Social account, calling it a “historic” deal and praising Columbia for agreeing to end its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, admit students “based only on merit,” and compensate Jewish employees who were “unlawfully targeted and harassed.”
The settlement follows the Trump administration’s decision in March to cancel $400 million in federal funding, citing Columbia’s “insufficient response” to alleged antisemitism and harassment of Jewish and Israeli members of its community during pro-Palestinian campus protests.
"Under today's agreement, a vast majority of the federal grants which were terminated or paused in March 2025 - will be reinstated and Columbia's access to billions of dollars in current and future grants will be restored," the university said in a statement.
Columbia said it will also pay $21 million to settle U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigations. The university stressed that the deal preserves its "autonomy and authority over faculty hiring, admissions, and academic decision-making."
Trump has increasingly targeted universities since returning to office in January, focusing on campuses where large pro-Palestinian demonstrations have taken place.
Australia’s eSafety regulator has asked gaming companies, including Microsoft and Roblox, to explain how they are protecting children from se...
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shor...
Lufthansa will cut around 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule as it moves to address sharply rising fuel costs linked t...
Foreign investors may face stricter limits on accessing agricultural land in Uzbekistan under proposed reforms aimed at strengthening national cont...
Florida’s Attorney General has launched a criminal probe into ChatGPT and its parent company OpenAI to investigate information the generative...
Australia’s eSafety regulator has asked gaming companies, including Microsoft and Roblox, to explain how they are protecting children from sexual exploitation and radicalisation.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Lufthansa will cut around 20,000 short-haul flights from its summer schedule as it moves to address sharply rising fuel costs linked to the Iran conflict.
Foreign investors may face stricter limits on accessing agricultural land in Uzbekistan under proposed reforms aimed at strengthening national control and improving land-use efficiency.
Iran accuses the United States of breaching a ceasefire after a commercial ship was seized in the Gulf of Oman, vowing retaliation, as Israel warns south Lebanon residents to avoid restricted areas.
The architect of the modern K-pop boom, Bang Si-hyuk, is facing arrest by South Korean police over claims he illegally gained millions in an investor fraud scheme.
Progessive Bulgaria, led by pro-Russian Eurosceptic Rumen Radev is on track to form Bulgaria’s next government, after official results showed a runaway victory for the coalition in the Balkan nation's parliamentary elections on Monday (20 April).
Pakistan is confident it can bring Iran to talks with the United States, a senior official said, citing “positive signals” from Tehran, as JD Vance is reportedly set to visit Islamabad on Tuesday for peace talks, according to Axios.
A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
Australia’s eSafety regulator has asked gaming companies, including Microsoft and Roblox, to explain how they are protecting children from sexual exploitation and radicalisation.
Florida’s Attorney General has launched a criminal probe into ChatGPT and its parent company OpenAI to investigate information the generative AI tool allegedly provided to a gunman who killed two people at Florida State University last year.
MMilitary planners from more than 30 countries are holding two-day talks in London from Wednesday to advance plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Ukraine is set to resume oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline on Wednesday, in a move Kyiv hopes will unlock a frozen €90 billion European Union aid package and ease tensions with key European partners.
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