A federal judge has ruled that the Trump-era termination of hundreds of diversity-focused scientific research grants was unlawful and discriminatory, ordering the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to reinstate the cancelled funding.
A US federal judge in Massachusetts ruled Monday that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) must reinstate hundreds of research grants cut during the Trump administration, describing the terminations as discriminatory and ideologically driven.
The decision, handed down by US District Judge William Young, responded to lawsuits brought by civil society groups, individual researchers, and over a dozen Democratic-led states. The grants in question had supported research in areas such as race, gender identity, and public health equity.
According to the Washington Post, Judge Young—who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan—expressed deep concern over what he described as a level of government-led racial discrimination he had not witnessed in four decades on the bench.
“We are really gratified,” said Shalini Goel Agarwal of Protect Democracy, which represented one group of plaintiffs. She praised the court’s recognition that NIH acted “unlawfully … based on ideological grounds and not based on science.”
The ruling comes in response to the Trump administration’s broader effort to eliminate funding it claimed promoted “ideological agendas.” According to the American Association of Medical Colleges, nearly $3.8 billion in NIH funding was slashed during Trump’s tenure, including about $500 million earmarked for training and professional development—cuts the association called “unprecedented.”
Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), said the agency is weighing legal options, including an appeal and a potential motion to pause the ruling. HHS continues to defend the original decision to cut the grants, claiming they lacked scientific rigor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala during a working visi...
Iran says no U.S. meeting is planned in Islamabad, despite Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in the Pakistani capital. He is also set to vis...
Two men were killed after the United States carried out a missile strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Frida...
The United States has issued an international warning accusing Chinese firms, including AI start-up DeepSeek, of alle...
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Azerbaijan for talks with President Ilham Aliyev, holding meetings in Gabala during a working visit to the country.
Iran says no U.S. meeting is planned in Islamabad, despite Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arriving in the Pakistani capital. He is also set to visit Muscat and Moscow for regional consultations.
Two men were killed after the United States carried out a missile strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday (24 April), the military said.
The United States has issued an international warning accusing Chinese firms, including AI start-up DeepSeek, of allegedly stealing intellectual property from American artificial intelligence labs.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
Diplomatic efforts to end the Iran war are intensifying, with the White House confirming that U.S. President Donald Trump will send special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner to Islamabad for talks with Iran under Pakistani mediation.
Russian emergency services have contained a major fire at the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea coast, local officials said on Thursday, ending a four-day effort after a Ukrainian drone strike.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
Two men were killed after the United States carried out a missile strike on a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Friday (24 April), the military said.
Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.
China has urged the European Union to take its concerns seriously over new cybersecurity and digital regulations, warning they could create difficulties for Chinese companies operating in Europe.
Russia and Ukraine have swapped prisoners of war, according to officials on both sides. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 193 prisoners, including soldiers and border guards, had been returned from Russia, some injured and facing criminal charges.
Türkiye and the United Kingdom on Thursday signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership agreement to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in defence. The deal, signed in London, signals a “new era” in relations between the two NATO allies.
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