Researchers in the U.K. called on the prime minister for anti‑SLAPP protections after facing legal threats tied to investigations of elite financial networks; signatories warned that strategic lawsuits chill academic inquiry and raise legal costs. Separately, New York’s attorney general opened an investigation into Columbia University’s handling of sex‑abuse allegations tied to a former doctor, spotlighting universities’ compliance, reporting processes, and victim protections. Both developments sharpen the legal and reputational stakes for research that touches powerful actors and for institutional responses to historic misconduct. University legal counsel, research offices, and compliance teams will need clearer protocols and resources to defend scholarship and manage high‑stakes external investigations.