(LONDON) — The World Health Organization’s staff residence in Deir al Balah, Gaza, was attacked three times by the Israel Defense Forces, WHO officials said in a statement.
The Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward Al-Mawasi, according to the Tuesday statement. The WHO said male staffers and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot and screened at gunpoint.
“WHO condemns in the strongest terms the attacks on a building housing WHO staff in Deir al Balah in Gaza, the mistreatment of those sheltering there, and the destruction of its main warehouse,” WHO said.
The IDF released a statement on Tuesday on social media about its military action in Deir al Balah.
The statement, which was released after the WHO statement, didn’t mention the WHO by name, but said the Israeli military had been “in contact” with international organizations prior to the start of its action in Deir Al Balah.
“We emphasize that the IDF maintains continuous and consistent contact with the international organizations, and throughout the war, the IDF has facilitated the safe evacuations of their personnel from evacuated areas, in coordination with the troops and in accordance with operational requirements,” the IDF said in its statement.
Sarah A. Miller/Idaho Statesman/Tribune News Service via Getty Image
(BOISE, Idaho) — Bryan Kohberger, the admitted killer in the University of Idaho quadruple murders, will be face-to-face with the victims’ families on Wednesday at his high-profile sentencing hearing, with President Donald Trump even weighing in on how it should unfold.
Here’s what to expect:
The case Roommates Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle, and Kernodle’s boyfriend, Ethan Chapin, were stabbed to death at the girls’ off-campus house in the early hours of Nov. 13, 2022, sending shockwaves through the small college town of Moscow and capturing the nation’s attention.
Kohberger, a criminology Ph.D. student at Washington State University at the time, was arrested at his parents’ Pennsylvania home nearly seven weeks later.
After proclaiming his innocence for more than two years, Kohberger pleaded guilty to all counts at a July 2 change of plea hearing. The deal took the death penalty off the table; Kohberger will be sentenced to four consecutive life sentences on the four first-degree murder counts and the maximum penalty of 10 years on the burglary count. The sentencing hearing begins on Wednesday and could last through Thursday.
Families and survivors Sentencing is the first time the victims’ families — including the Goncalves, who have expressed anger with prosecutors over the plea deal — can speak directly to their children’s killer. They’ll get the chance to read victim impact statements in open court, though the parents of victim Ethan Chapin have said they’re not planning to attend.
“I would almost describe this as like a legal funeral, in the sense of, it’s your ability to give your last goodbyes in a situation where you’re talking about your pain, your anxiety, how you feel about the loss of a loved one,” ABC News legal contributor Brian Buckmire said. “Everyone grieves differently. Some people grieve by going to the funeral and speaking, some people grieve by going to the funeral and saying nothing, some people grieve by not going at all. And I think all are healthy, all are correct.”
The victims’ roommates, who have avoided the spotlight, might also speak at sentencing. The night of the murders, two roommates inside the house survived, including one woman who told authorities she saw a man in a mask walking past her in the middle of the night, according to court documents.
It’ll be up to the women whether they speak in court themselves, have an attorney or relative read a statement on their behalf, or decline altogether, Buckmire said.
Moscow police and the victims’ friends are also expected to be in the Boise, Idaho, courtroom. Moscow Police Chief Anthony Dahlinger said last week about sentencing, “Our hope is that not only the families, but the friends, even the Moscow community and all the communities that were affected by this, can start to heal and bring some sort of closure to this horrendous act.”
Will Kohberger speak? After the victim impact statements, Kohberger will have the opportunity to address the court, but he’s not required to do so, Buckmire said.
With a set sentence of life in prison, “there’s no incentive for him to speak,” Buckmire explained. “The [criminal justice] system just doesn’t operate that way — it’s not a rehabilitative process.”
“I think there’s a less than 50% chance he does speak, and a zero percent chance that he says anything that makes anyone walk away from this sentencing feeling any better,” Buckmire predicted.
Kohberger’s change of plea hearing on July 2 marked the first time his voice was heard in years. Judge Steven Hippler asked him a series of questions and Kohberger gave brief responses, showing no emotion. Defense attorneys have attributed Kohberger’s “flat affect” to autism spectrum disorder.
Kohberger’s attorneys said they will not speak until sentencing is finished.
Motive still a mystery Despite Kohberger’s admission of guilt, a motive for the killings has not been revealed, and Kohberger is under no legal obligation to disclose one.
Asked if police were able to find a clear motive, Dahlinger told ABC News last week that he could not answer.
Trump weighed in on social media Monday, saying he thinks Kohberger should be required to give a motive, “I hope the Judge makes Kohberger, at a minimum, explain why he did these horrible murders. There are no explanations, there is no NOTHING. People were shocked that he was able to plea bargain, but the Judge should make him explain what happened.”
Buckmire said a motive is not likely to ever surface.
“This isn’t a 30-minute true crime show where everything gets wrapped up in a nice bow at the end,” he said.
Police are, however, planning on releasing a large amount of information from the case later on, according to the department. Buckmire said those documents will likely relate to evidence and witness statements.
Once the hearing concludes and the judge formally sentences Kohberger, the convicted killer will be placed into the custody of the Idaho Department of Correction. He’ll then be evaluated to determine where he’ll be sent to prison.
Viacheslav Onyshchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images
(LONDON) — Russian and Ukrainian negotiating teams will again meet in Istanbul, Turkey, on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed, for the first such meeting since President Donald Trump set a 50-day deadline for a ceasefire to be reached.
In his nightly video address on Monday, Zelenskyy said he spoke with Rustem Umerov — the former defense minister who is now heading Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council — on Monday, to discuss upcoming prisoner swaps and the next round of talks with Moscow.
“Umerov reported that the meeting is planned for Wednesday,” the president said. “More details will follow tomorrow.”
Russia’s state TASS news agency, meanwhile, quoted a source in Turkey who also said the talks would be held on Wednesday. The state-owned RIA news agency — also quoting a source — said the negotiations would stretch over Thursday and Friday.
This week’s meeting will be the third recent round of talks between the two combatants, previous meetings having been held in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2. Before that, the two sides had not met directly since the opening weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.
The May and June talks led to the exchange of thousands of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers, but any breakthrough on a ceasefire or eventual peace deal has proved elusive — despite continued pressure from the Trump administration.
The White House is pushing for an immediate ceasefire, a stance backed by Ukraine. But Russia has so far dodged committing to the proposal, with President Vladimir Putin saying various issues need to be addressed before the fighting can be paused.
Trump has appeared in recent months increasingly frustrated by Russia’s intransigence, plus by its nightly drone and missile strikes across Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Trump set a 50-day deadline for Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, threatening fresh sanctions and tariffs if it failed to do so. Trump also announced new military support for Kyiv, with a particular focus on strengthening Ukraine’s anti-drone and anti-missile defenses.
On Monday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv’s goals from the coming talks would be “the return of prisoners, the return of children who were abducted by Russia and the preparation of the leaders’ meeting,” the last referring to his repeated offers of an in-person meeting with Putin.
In a Tuesday social media post, Zelenskyy said Umerov will lead the Ukrainian delegation. Representatives from Ukrainian intelligence, its Foreign Ministry and the president’s office will also attend, he said.
“Our position is fully transparent,” Zelenskyy said. “Ukraine never wanted this war and it is Russia that must end the war that it started.”
On Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed Trump’s ultimatum — issued earlier this month — for Russia to agree to a ceasefire within 50 days or face more sanctions.
“Everyone is already used to his rather tough and straightforward rhetoric,” Peskov told journalists. “At the same time, he confirms his intentions to do everything possible to contribute to peaceful settlement.”
“In fact, President Putin has repeatedly spoken about his desire to transfer Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful route as soon as possible,” Peskov added. “This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy. And, most likely, more and more people in Washington understand this.”
As to a possible meeting between Trump and Putin, Peskov replied, “It is possible, and over time it will definitely happen. It is necessary.”
“Perhaps it will be necessary for the fixation of some major agreements, which will be achieved over time, after a huge amount of work has been done,” he continued. “But this time has not yet come. This work is yet to be done.”
“Russia is ready to move fast,” Peskov said. “The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear, obvious, they do not change. But the process depends not only on us.”
Expectations for this week’s talks are not high in Ukraine, according to Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and the chair of the body’s foreign affairs committee.
“I don’t expect anything serious from these negotiations,” Merezhko told ABC News.
“In my opinion, Russia will be using these negotiations to prolong offensive operations during summer,” he added. “Putin has not given up his goal to subjugate the whole of Ukraine and is not interested in serious negotiations.”
“Putin will use these 50 days to the maximum,” Merezhko added.
(WASHINGTON) — A coalition of school districts — including Alaska’s largest school district — and advocacy groups has sued President Donald Trump’s administration over the $6 billion funding freeze to congressionally appropriated education programs.
The news comes just days after nine Republican senators and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski conducted a rare rebuke of President Donald Trump’s education policies, urging the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought to reverse the decision to withhold aid for key programs, such as English language acquisition, teacher development and student support.
OMB told ABC News in a statement that many of the programs “grossly misused” government funds to promote a “radical leftwing agenda.” However, the GOP senators’ letter said the decision to pause this funding was “contrary to President Trump’s goal of returning K-12 education to the states,” and they didn’t believe any leftwing agenda programs were being administered in their states.
Within 48 hours, the Trump administration had unfrozen more than a billion dollars for critical after-school and summer education programming nationwide, a senior administration official told ABC News.
Murkowski celebrated the initial funding release but noted it doesn’t go far enough.
“The pause of these funds caused great concern for families across the nation, and I am relieved to know that our young people will have enriching opportunities to stay engaged outside of the classroom,” Murkowski wrote in a statement to ABC News. “While this news is welcome, it is frustrating that many additional funds Alaska school districts are relying on from the Department of Education remain in limbo,” she said.
ABC News has reached out to the Trump administration for additional comment.
A pause on the total $6 billion funding happened on July 1, when federal aid for schools is typically allocated each year. However, states were notified on June 30 that an ongoing programmatic review of education funding would occur, according to a Department of Education memo sent to Congress, obtained by ABC News. School districts and programs have been concerned that programs and staff could be eliminated if funding isn’t restored.
The case, Anchorage School District et al. v. Department of Education et al., is led by multiple Alaska school districts and affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers. In it, the plaintiffs argue that the administration’s recent actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act, the Impoundment Control Act, and the constitutional separation of powers.
The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 says Congress must consider and review executive branch withholdings of budget authority, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The GAO website says the Administrative Procedure Act prescribes the minimum procedural steps an agency must follow in its administrative proceedings.
The school districts’ suit was filed in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island. It comes in the wake of two dozen state attorneys general and Democratic governors suing the administration for withholding education funding using the same claims.
“It’s against the Constitution,” North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson, one of the AGs involved in the suit, told ABC News. “It’s against the Impoundment Act. From a legal standpoint, this is not a hard case,” he added.
AFT President Randi Weingarten called the freeze an attempt to “lawlessly” defund education through rampant government overreach.
“It’s not only morally repugnant: the administration lacks the legal right to sacrifice kids’ futures at the altar of ideology,” Weingarten wrote in a statement to ABC News.
“The Department of Education is holding hostage billions of dollars from American communities,” according to Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward — a public education advocacy nonprofit representing the plaintiffs.
“This is an unconstitutional and unlawful power grab that puts extreme agendas over the well-being of students and denies communities the educational resources that Congress intended them to have,” Perryman added in a statement to ABC News.
Earlier this month, the Anchorage School District announced in a letter to the community that the district had already begun laying off some staff members after $46 million was impacted by the pause. The district receives about a third of the state’s federal education funds, according to Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt.
Several state education leaders who’ve spoken to ABC News say that they’re scrambling to prevent immediate harm to students as the school year approaches. OMB has not given a timeline for when the programmatic review for the other education programs will be completed.
Meanwhile, Rhode Island Department of Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green applauded the Republican efforts to reverse the funding pause, stressing this is not a political issue.
“We are one United States of America,” Infante-Green told ABC News. “These dollars are important to every single student in every single state. This is what we need,” she said.
“We need people to speak up. We need people to be brave, to have the conversation and advocate for our kids, to put politics aside and make this one of their number one issues.”
(NEW YORK) — A 4-year-old child was attacked by a mountain lion at a national park in Washington state, officials said.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon in Olympic National Park, near the Victoria Overlook area on Hurricane Ridge, according to the National Park Service.
The child was bitten by the mountain lion while walking with their family on a “popular trail,” park officials said.
Paramedics and park staff responded and transferred the victim via an air ambulance to a Seattle hospital, where the child is undergoing treatment, park officials said Monday. No additional details on the child have been released to protect their privacy, park officials said.
Following the attack, park rangers immediately began searching for the collared cougar, which was located and dispatched Monday morning, park officials said.
“There are no current threats to the public,” the National Park Service said in a press release on Monday.
The incident remains under investigation. Witnesses to the attack are urged to contact the parks service at 888-653-0009 or email nps_isb@nps.gov.
According to the National Park Service, cougars are typically elusive and attacks on humans are rare.
Photo by Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
(SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.) — Nearly two dozen whales have died in the San Francisco Bay Area in recent months, according to animal rescue groups.
A total of 19 gray whales, two unidentified baleen whales and one minke whale have died in the Bay Area region so far this year, according to the California Academy of Sciences.
At least seven of the gray whale deaths have been determined to be suspect or probable vessel strikes, according to the organization.
In addition, there has been an “unusually high” number of whale sightings in the Bay Area this year, with more than 30 individual gray whales confirmed in the region via photo identification, the Academy said, noting that the whales’ physical conditions have ranged from normal to emaciated.
About a third of the whales have stayed in the region for at least 20 days and researchers expect more sightings for another couple of weeks before the whales migrate north to Arctic feeding grounds. The whales breed off the coast of Mexico but should be farther north at this time of year, Kathi George, director of cetacean conservation biology at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, Calif., told ABC News.
In 2024, just six gray whales were sighted in the region. Researchers are investigating the potential reasons behind the “massive” spike in sightings this year.
Animal rescue groups in the region have not responded to this many dead gray whale deaths since the unusual mortality event in 2019 that saw more than 70 gray whale deaths on the West Coast, and another event in 2021 in which 15 whales died in the Bay Area, according to the California Academy of Sciences.
An estimated 45% of the North Pacific gray whale population was lost between 2019 and 2023, the California Academy of Sciences said.
In previous unusual mortality events, the gray whale population has typically rebounded but after 2019, the populations have experienced continued declines, George said. The population was estimated to be at nearly 27,000 in 2016 but fell to as low as 13,230 animals in the winter of 2022-2023 as a result of the mass mortality event, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Marine researchers in the U.S., Mexico and Canada are monitoring the health of the gray whale population in hopes of gaining further insights into the unusual mortality event, the organization said.
Earlier this year, scientists in Southern California have reported a record-low gray whale calf count, “which is a cause for concern,” according to the Academy.
Only about 85 gray whale calves migrated past Central California on their way to feeding grounds in the Arctic earlier this year, according to NOAA.
“It shows signs of concern for this population as it moves forward into the future,” George said. “What we’re trying to learn is we know that climate change is changing ocean conditions and changing prey available availability for these whales in the Arctic.”
The Bay Area serves as a “puzzle piece” to the gray whales’ lengthy annual migration, George said.
Dead whales have been reported in the San Francisco Bay Area since March 30, when a female gray whale was found dead at Black Sands Beach, located in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The animal died from a probable vessel strike, according to The Marine Mammal Center.
The latest death occurred on July 7 at the Richmond Long Wharf, located about 20 miles north of San Francisco, according to The Marine Mammal Center. A dead female adult gray whale washed up adjacent to the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge after suffering from blunt force trauma by a suspected vessel strike, the organization said.
A necropsy revealed hemorrhaging on the animal’s left side, between the head and pectoral fin, likely as a result of the strike, according to the Center.
“This latest gray whale caught everyone a bit by surprise given how late in the season it is and the fact that we had not sighted the species in the bay in nearly two weeks,” George said in a statement.
Gray whales typically have a “very low profile” in the water that can make them difficult to see, unlike other coastal whales, such as humpback whales, according to the Academy.
“It’s vital that all boaters – from large commercial vessels to sailboats – be ‘whale aware’ and continue to slow down,” the California Academy of Sciences said.
Further south, thousands of marine animals have been sickened by an unprecedented toxic algae bloom that has overrun the Southern California coasts.
Species such as seabirds, sea lions and dolphins have been impacted by elevated levels of the neurotoxic domoic acid produced by the algae blooms in the region. However, the harmful algae blooms aren’t related to the recent whale deaths in the Bay Area because gray whales transiting north don’t stop in Southern California to feed, George said.
“That is something we test for, though, when we are doing he necropsies – to see what they may have been exposed to recently,” she said.
(LONDON) — Twenty-five countries have released a joint statement calling for the immediate end of the war in Gaza and accusing Israel of not allowing sufficient aid in, demanding it must do so to comply with international humanitarian law.
“We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now,” the statement began. “The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”
“The Israeli Government’s denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,” the statement further said.
Throughout the conflict, Israel has maintained they are sending enough aid into Gaza but international aid organizations have repeatedly said there is not enough aid, and the United Nations has reported conditions of malnutrition inside of Gaza.
The statement is signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K.
The call to action was released Monday following an incident Sunday in which at least 81 Palestinians were killed and another 150 were injured while trying to gain access to food, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, which said the majority of those killed were gathered near the Zikim border between Gaza and Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that its troops fired near crowds “in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them,” though it wasn’t specific. A review is ongoing, but “preliminary review indicates that the reported number of casualties does not align with existing information,” according to the IDF.
Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on X Monday that the country “rejects” the 25-nation joint statement “as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas.”
“All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,” Marmorstein’s statement said.
The statement further said that while there is a “concrete proposal for a ceasefire deal,” Hamas “stubbornly refuses to accept it.”
“The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas’s role and responsibility for the situation.” Marmorstein said. “Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides.”
“At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind,” the Marmorstein statement concluded.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the joint statement “disgusting” in a post on X. “25 nations put pressure on @Israel instead of savages of Hamas! Gaza suffers for 1 reason: Hamas rejects EVERY proposal. Blaming Israel is irrational,” the post said.
At least 875 people have been killed in Gaza while trying to get food aid in recent weeks, according to the United Nations.
“It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid,” the joint statement said. It also condemned Hamas for refusing to release the remaining Israeli hostages.
“The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release,” the statement said. “A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families.”
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement Monday that he is “appalled by the accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions in Gaza.”
The “last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing,” Guterres said in part, adding that he “condemns the ongoing violence, including the shooting, killing, and injuring of people attempting to get food for their families.”
“Civilians must be protected and respected, and they must never be targeted. The population in Gaza remains gravely undersupplied with the basic necessities of life,” Guterres’ statement said.
The 25 signatory countries further called on the Israeli government to “immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively,” and for “all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law.”
“We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire,” the statement continued. “Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this.”
“We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region,” the statement concluded.
On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV also renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” the pope said during Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, according to the Associated Press.
(WASHINGTON) — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Monday announced the release of 230,000 files related to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
“Today, after nearly 60 years of questions surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are releasing 230,000 MLK assassination files, available now at http://archives.gov/mlk,” Gabbard wrote in a post on X. “The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of MLK, discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information about James Earl Ray’s former cellmate who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more.”
James Earl Ray, a convicted robber and prison escapee, was identified as King’s killer after his fingerprint was found on the rifle used in the assassination and discarded near the murder scene. Police believe Ray shot King from a boarding house across from the Lorraine Motel after stalking the civil rights leader for more than two weeks.
In March 1969, Ray pleaded guilty to King’s murder to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to 99 years in prison, where he died in 1998.
Following Monday’s announcement, King’s family called for the documents’ release to be “viewed within their full historical context.”
“During our father’s lifetime, he was relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by J. Edgar Hoover through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),” his family said in a statement. “The intent of the government’s COINTELPRO campaign was not only to monitor, but to discredit, dismantle, and destroy Dr. King’s reputation and the broader American Civil Rights Movement.”
The family said that as it reviews the released files, “we will assess whether they offer additional insights beyond the findings our family has already accepted.” They also said they “strongly condemn any attempts to misuse these documents in ways intended to undermine our father’s legacy and the significant achievements of the movement.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — An investigation has been opened after a cellphone video that appears to show sheriff’s deputies punching and beating a Black man during a traffic stop went viral on social media, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
“We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a traffic stop represented to be from February 19, 2025,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement on Sunday. “We have launched an internal investigation into it and the circumstances surrounding this incident. We hold our officers to the highest standards and are committed to thoroughly determining exactly what occurred.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — Attorneys for Harvard University and the American Association of University Professors asked a federal judge Monday to prevent the Trump administration from withholding federal funds from the school.
Lawyers for university are seeking a motion for summary judgment to prevent the administration from withholding federal funding if the school does not comply with its list of demands.
At a hearing Monday, the government argued that its grant contracts with Harvard include language saying the government can terminate its contracts if the school does not align with the government’s priorities.
“Harvard should have read the fine print,” Michael Velchik, an attorney for government argued.
Government attorneys say the government’s priorities include combatting antisemitism, and that the administration will not fund institutions that fail to address antisemitism to its satisfaction.
The same money could be sent to HBCUs or any other university that does not discriminate on the basis of race, Velchik said.
Saying that the government can terminate its contract regardless of the reason, Velchik argued that Harvard should bring a termination of contract claim in the Court of Federal Claims.
When the judge pushed back that claims of constitutional violations cannot be brought in that court, Velchik maintained that this is a termination of contract issue.
“This case is only about money. Harvard is the richest university in history,” Velchik said. “Harvard wants billions of dollars that’s the only reason why we are here.”
Velchik said that recent pro-Palestinian protests have prompted students on campus to wear baseball caps to hide their identity and have prompted professors to avoiding walking through Harvard Yard. Federal taxpayers should not support this, he argued.
President Donald Trump issued an order to combat antisemitism, and the government’s policy is that that taxpayer dollars do not go to institutions that fail to address antisemitism, Velchik said.
Attorneys for Harvard pushed back, saying they brought the case against the government to protect the school’s constitutional and statutory rights.
“Until today I’m not sure we heard any explanation about what the agency priorities are,” Steven Paul Lehotsky, an attorney for Harvard, said.
The provision of funding contracts that allows the government to terminate contracts in pursuit of its priorities refers to research priorities, not institutions that the government prefers, Lehotsky said. For example, shifting from funding Covid vaccines to something else, not shifting from funding one institution to another, he said.
“This is an astounding theory that only the executive branch could possibly love,” Lehotsky said.
Lehotsky argued that the government simply did not want to follow the procedures mandated by Title VI. They can’t choose to follow it whenever they decide it is convenient for them, he argued.
If they have a provision that they can terminate funding for any reason, “that doesn’t mean that they get to set aside the Constitution,” he said.
U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said at the end of the hearing that she would try to get out an opinion as quickly as she can.
Trump, posting on his social media platform Monday, criticized Burroughs and called her “a TOTAL DISASTER.”
“She has systematically taken over the various Harvard cases, and is an automatic ‘loss’ for the People of our Country!” Trump wrote, saying that the government would “IMMEDIATELY appeal” if the judge rules in Harvard’s favor.
ABC News’ Arthur Jones II contributed to this report.
