Trump eyes Harvard's billions while Toyota shifts gears and the FBI digs up old dirt

27th May 2025

Trump wants to strip Harvard of $3 billion in research grants and funnel the cash to trade schools. Meanwhile, his media company plans to raise another $3 billion—this time to splash into crypto. The FBI’s digging back into a White House coke mystery and the Dobbs leak, while Toyota is building sports cars in Britain. All that and more in today’s Read It and Eat.

• Major Headlines

  
  

• Trump wants to strip Harvard of $3B and reroute it to trade schools

  
  

• Donald Trump is threatening to redirect $3 billion in federal research grants away from Harvard University and hand it over to U.S. trade schools. The funding freeze, announced on Truth Social, follows his administration’s recent attempt to block the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students. Trump accused Harvard of hiring “Radical Left idiots and bird brains” and claimed the grants no longer align with federal priorities. Harvard has fired back, suing the government for what it calls an unconstitutional attack on academic freedom. The frozen funds, mostly from agencies like the NIH and   Department of Energy, were originally intended for biomedical and scientific research—work that trade schools don’t typically conduct.  Reuters 

  
  

• Trump Media aims to raise $3B for crypto splash

  
  

• Trump’s social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, is looking to raise $3 billion—$2B in fresh equity and $1B in convertible debt—to invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. The firm, which owns Truth Social, wants to expand into digital assets despite volatility and regulatory scrutiny. According to the Financial Times, the funding round will likely be used to ramp up the company’s presence in the fintech and blockchain space, signaling a bold pivot for a media business still trying to find its financial footing. Reuters

  
  

• FBI reopens investigations into White House cocaine and Dobbs leak

  
  

• The FBI is relaunching two high-profile investigations: the 2022 leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion on Roe v. Wade and the 2023 discovery of cocaine at the White House. Deputy Director Dan Bongino made the announcement on X, saying he expects weekly updates. The White House had previously dismissed the drug speculation as “irresponsible,” especially since the Biden family wasn’t in D.C. at the time. Meanwhile, Trump has long blamed the Dobbs leak on “leftist slime” and demanded jail time for reporters who published it. Previous investigations turned up nothing. The FBI is hoping round two gets results—or at least headlines. Reuters

  
  

• Toyota shifts GR Corolla production to UK to meet U.S. demand

  
  

• Toyota is moving part of its GR Corolla production from Japan to the UK, investing around $56 million into its Derbyshire plant to churn out cars for the North American market. The move is aimed at slashing delivery times as demand for the sporty, gas-powered Corolla surges among engine purists. Insiders say the decision isn’t a response to Trump’s new auto tariffs, though timing suggests otherwise. Production in the UK will begin by mid-2026 with an annual target of 10,000 units for export. Japan, meanwhile, is still waiting for the U.S. to lift its 25% blanket tariff on vehicle imports. Reuters

• Minor Headlines

  
  

• Capgemini, SAP team up with Mistral to deploy AI in sensitive industries -   Reuters

  
  

• Car crashes into crowd during Liverpool parade, 27 injured - Reuters

  
  

• Trump pardons sheriff convicted in bribery scandal - Reuters

  
  

• Four VW execs found guilty in case that rocked Europe’s car industry -  Techcrunch 

  
  

• India gives green light to stealth fighter program amid Pakistan tensions - Reuters

  
  

• Hamas accepts Gaza truce proposal, Israel pushes back - Reuters 

  
  

• Samsung eyes investment in California-based ultrasound startup Exo - Bloomberg

  
  

• China targets zero-mileage used cars with regulatory crackdown - ReutersReuters

  
  

• Gen Z Word of the Day : Ate

  
  

  Meaning: Used to say someone did really well or dominated something.

  
  

  Example: “She ate that performance up, no crumbs left.”