Federal Gov’t Freezes $2.2B Harvard Funding; Salvadoran President Says Won’t Return Deported Man to US | NTD Good Morning (Apr. 15)

The federal government has frozen more than $2 billion in federal funding to Harvard University. It comes after the school refused to implement policy changes related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and campus protests. Harvard accuses the government of attacking academic freedom. The freeze follows similar action against Columbia University. NTD spoke with Gerard Filitti, a senior counsel at the Lawfare Project, about what the government is demanding from Harvard University.

Congressional Democrats continue to push for the release of a deported Salvadoran national, Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Sen. Chris van Hollen of Maryland and others on the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have floated plans to visit the El Salvador prison where Garcia is held if he is not released. During a meeting on Monday between U.S. President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Bukele, the latter told reporters he’s not sending Garcia back.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stand in a Washington courtroom on Monday in a high-stakes antitrust case involving Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The Federal Trade Commission is seeking to force Meta to restructure or sell Instagram and WhatsApp. That poses a threat to Meta. Some estimates show the company earns about half of its U.S. advertising revenue from Instagram. The lawsuit started during Trump’s first administration, and the trial is expected to stretch into July.