Cornell University and the Government Strike a Deal

Cornell University and the Trump administration have come to an agreement. This deal will bring back a lot of federal research money to the school. The agreement also stops government investigations that had been looking into claims of antisemitism and unfair admissions practices at Cornell. Cornell will pay a $30 million fine and invest another $30 million in programs to improve farming and agriculture. The university is known for its strong agricultural research programs. The government had been looking into Cornell after accusations of racial discrimination and antisemitism. In April, officials said they would freeze over $1 billion in research funding for the school. Cornell was confused by this number and the reasons behind it. By last month, Cornell's president, Michael Kotlikoff, said the school had lost nearly $250 million in research funds. The new agreement is expected to fix the funding issues, no matter how the numbers add up. Dr. Kotlikoff said the months of funding freezes had hurt research and careers at Cornell. The agreement also says that the government won't be able to control what Cornell teaches or says. Cornell will share some admissions data with the government and provide discrimination training for its staff. The university will also follow the government's rules on race in admissions, as long as those rules are fair. The deal was made after months of talks and will be spread out over three years. Cornell did not admit any wrongdoing. The agreement is part of a bigger effort by the Trump administration to put pressure on universities, especially Ivy League schools. The investigations into Cornell started after protests on campus about the Israel-Hamas war and demands for the university to stop investing in certain companies. The funding cuts have put a lot of pressure on Cornell, which has an endowment of nearly $12 billion. The school has warned that it might have to lay off staff and cut programs because of the financial strain.