Judge Blocks Trump’s Move To Bar Harvard From Enrolling Foreign Students

Written By Guest User

Plus: Mo News On The Ground In Kentucky After Deadly EF-4 Tornado

Good evening,

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! 🎉 We here at Mo News hope you enjoy the extra time with friends and family.

Before we get to the news, here’s a taste of what’s ahead for all of us this long weekend from our weekly ‘Cheers to the Freakin’ Weekend’ section:

What We’re Watching:

What We’re Reading:

What We’re Eating:

  • Mosh: Birthday cake: Celebrating my birthday as well as my wife’s grandmother’s 90th!

  • Jill: Strawberries, which had a successful season this year

  • Lauren: Mike's Pastry ~ Boston

  • Sam: Vegan “chicken” wings from Red Bamboo, NYC

The Mo News Team

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Judge Blocks Trump Admin From Barring Foreign Students At Harvard University

A federal judge on Friday temporarily halted the Trump administration’s ban on Harvard University’s ability to enroll international students. The Department of Homeland Security had announced the policy on Thursday.

  • Feeling the whiplash? Harvard asked U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston on Friday morning to block the move. The White House was looking to immediately prevent the school from using a government database that tracks students’ enrollment, which is required to issue student visas.

It comes as the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university has fought back against the Trump administration on a number of issues — from funding cuts to mandated curriculum changes to federal investigations regarding campus antisemitism and foreign gifts. It’s not just Harvard. The White House has taken aim at elite schools that it argues have liberal biases and indoctrinate students with anti-American sentiment.

HOW WE GOT HERE
On Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered the termination of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification for allegedly allowing “anti-American, pro-terrorist” foreigners “to harass and physically assault individuals … and obstruct its once-venerable learning environment.” The school was also accused of coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party, saying it hosted and trained members of a Chinese paramilitary group. They didn’t explicitly say what laws they believe Harvard is breaking.

  • The Trump administration said that meant enrolled international students at Harvard, more than a quarter of the student body, would need to transfer or lose their legal status.

    • Before the courts jumped in, Noem said Harvard could continue to enroll foreign students if it produces records — including audio or video footage — within 72 hours on foreign students participating in campus protests.

    • International students are a crucial source of revenue for Harvard, and are not eligible for federal financial aid, with most paying $87,000 per year for tuition, room, and board.

Rewind: Harvard has been in the crosshairs of conservatives for some time, but things came to a fever pitch in December 2023 when its then president, Claudine Gay, would not say in Congressional testimony that calling for the genocide of Jews would break the school’s code of conduct. Gay resigned after backlash from her response, which was that “it depends on the context.”

Harvard’s current president, Alan Garber, who is Jewish, apologized last month following reports of antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus and has vowed to address them. He called the Trump administration’s latest wave of actions “illegal” and refused “to surrender our academic independence.”

🚨 ONE THING TO FOLLOW UP ON

Cleanup Underway In Kentucky After Deadly EF-4 Tornado Tears 55-Mile Path

Mo News was on the ground in hard-hit London, Kentucky, this week after a deadly EF-4 tornado — nearly a mile wide at times — cut a 55-mile path through Southeastern Kentucky. That’s the second-highest rating on the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale and explains the widespread destruction left behind.

  • With 170+ mph winds, the storm killed more than two dozen people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. Officials called it one of the worst storms in state history.

Within hours of the storm, neighbors and volunteers from across the region stepped in to help. That includes Procter & Gamble’s Tide Loads of Hope program, which deployed shower and restroom trailers, laundry services and distributed essentials in devastated areas. The goal: Bring relief without draining local resources.

*Mo News partnered with Procter & Gamble as part of this coverage.*

HOW TO HELP
Mo News rode along with Ben Williams of Matthew 25: Ministries as he and his team distributed care kits to hard hit residents. P&G’s Disaster Relief program partners with groups like Matthew 25: Ministries to quickly get aid to storm victims.

  • London resident Reba Sexton, whose house was mostly spared by the storm, shared how people from across the region have stepped in to help.

  • Leonard Mullins, an 80-year-old who lost several neighbors in the Sunshine Hills neighborhood, described his gratitude for the aid, even as he still insisted on doing cleanup himself.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Trump threatens 50% tariff on EU, 25% tariff on iPhones not made in the U.S. (MO NEWS)

📌 Trump hosts private dinner for top $TRUMP coin holders, shrugs off ethics concerns (MO NEWS)

📌 Suspect in shooting of Israeli Embassy staffers railed against Gaza war in online posts (AP)

📌 Court halts Trump administration’s effort to send eight men to South Sudan (GUARDIAN)

📌 Senate votes to revoke California's EV emissions waivers (CBS)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Ukraine and Russia take part in biggest prisoner swap since 2022 invasion (BBC)

📌 Netanyahu accuses the UK, France and Canada of 'enabling Hamas' (FOX)

📌 Germany deploys permanent troops beyond its borders for the first time since WWII (NBC)

📌 Man in Norway wakes to find huge container ship in garden (BBC)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Google's new AI video tool floods internet with real-looking clips (AXIOS)

📌 Weight-loss drugs may lower cancer risk in people with diabetes, a study suggests (AP)

📌 U.S. reports cases of new COVID variant NB.1.8.1 behind surge in China (CBS)

📌 Cancer deaths linked to alcohol on the rise in the U.S. (NBC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Billy Joel announces brain disorder, cancels all upcoming concerts (MO NEWS)

📌 Kim Kardashian trial: 8 of 10 defendants found guilty in 2016 jewelry heist (ABC)

📌 'Today' co-host Sheinelle Jones' husband Uche Ojeh dies of brain cancer at 45 (USA TODAY)

📌 The Devil Wears Prada sequel revealed for May 2026 release date (E ONLINE)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Kermit the Frog from The Muppets delivered the commencement address at the University of Maryland Thursday, clad in a tiny graduation cap and gown.

Kermit, who UMD graduate Jim Henson created in 1955, advised the 13,000 graduates to “leap together” and pursue their dreams. A simply ribbiting speech. 🐸

Catch Up On The Latest Headlines

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House Narrowly Passes Trump's Tax & Spending Bill; What's Next In The Senate