A federal appeals panel paused and then vacated a lower‑court injunction that had blocked major provisions of two Trump executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion practices, advancing the administration’s oversight of campus DEI. At the same time, the U.S. Department of Justice sued Harvard, demanding applicant‑level admissions data as part of its probe into compliance with the Supreme Court ban on race‑conscious admissions. The Department of Defense also announced plans to curtail academic ties with Harvard, limiting fellowships and graduate training for active‑duty personnel. Separately, the Department of Education proposed guidance discouraging accreditors from using the label “regional,” arguing the term misleads students about regulatory significance. The combined legal and administrative moves escalate federal leverage over institutional admissions and campus programs, forcing colleges to weigh compliance risk, accreditation language, and the operational impact of losing federal partnerships.