Kirk Carapazza

The report from PEN America finds state laws, federal investigations, and executive orders from President Trump have silenced students, professors, and college presidents.

PEN America's Amy Reid says the Trump administration has weaponized government power to coerce colleges into meeting its ideological demands.

The report also finds that more than half of U.S.

college students now study in a state with at least one law or policy restricting what can be taught or how campuses can operate.

For NPR News, I'm Kirk Tarapesa in Boston.

The administration is challenging Boston federal judge Alison Burroughs' September decision that found the government had tried to strong-arm Harvard into adopting certain admissions and hiring reforms, using concerns about anti-Semitism as a smokescreen.

The administration had also threatened to end Harvard's tax-exempt status and its ability to enroll international students.

A Harvard spokesperson says the university is confident the appeals court

will affirm Burroughs' ruling, which reinstated, quote, critical research funding that advances science and life-saving medical breakthroughs that strengthen national security and the country's global competitiveness.

For NPR News, I'm Kirk Carrapeza in Boston.