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October 2, 2025 October 2, 2025 | Published by the Students of Johns Hopkins since 1896

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MIKE GIFFORD / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Hopkins faculty and employees share how the termination of many USAID programs has impacted their work. 

Hopkins programs forced to close as Trump administration ends USAID grants

By ALEX PAN and SHREYA TIWARI | March 12, 2025

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday, March 10, that the Trump administration had completed its six-week review of programs within the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and will shutter 83% of the programs. The rest of the programs will be folded into the U.S. Department of State. The News-Letter spoke with several faculty and staff members at the School of Public Health whose work has been affected by the termination of USAID grants or reductions in funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

COURTESY OF ANDREW THAMPOE Thampoe described his work founding the Organic Chemistry Initiative (OCI) and how it has evolved since its inception in Fall 2023.

Humans of Hopkins: Andrew Thampoe

By BUSE KOLDAS | March 12, 2025

Andrew Thampoe is a senior completing a BS/MS in Chemistry in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. He is also the founder of the Organic Chemistry Initiative (OCI), an organization assisting Hopkins students who take organic chemistry courses in developing their understanding of the material in a cooperative environment. In an interview with The News-Letter, Thampoe described OCI’s history, its impact on the student body and personal meaning to him.

COURTESY OF SARAH HUANG  JHUMA hosting iftar at Inn at The Colonnade Baltimore.

Ramadan at Hopkins: Muslim students discuss challenges and community

By SARAH HUANG | March 11, 2025

The holy month of Ramadan began on the evening of Feb. 28 for Muslims around the world. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar when Muslims around the world fast and focus on spiritual growth, abstaining from food and drink from the break of dawn to sunset. To gain insight into the experience of observing Ramadan on campus, The News-Letter interviewed Muslim students at Hopkins about their reflections and challenges during this holy month.

COURTESY OF KAYLEE NGUYEN The SNF Agora Institute hosted Venezuelan president-elect Edmundo González and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado in a conversation on Venezuela's current political situation.

Venezuelan leaders speak at SNF Agora DC event to discuss democracy

By KAYLEE NGUYEN and LUNA MERCURI | March 10, 2025

On Thursday, Feb. 27, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute and the Bloomberg Center hosted a discussion titled “What Venezuela’s Transition Means for Security and Democracy in the Hemisphere” at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center at 555 Pennsylvania Avenue. At the event, Venezuelan president-elect Edmundo González Urrutia; Venezuelan political leader of the opposition María Corina Machado; and SNF Agora Dissident in Residence and former Venezuelan leader David Smolansky spoke about the country’s democratic struggles. 

COURTESY OF LANA SWINDLE Lieberman and Harlev discuss the implications of expanding presidential authority in Trump's second term in an event moderated by Assistant Director of Public Programming Mary Bruce. 

"First 100 Days" event hosts Professor Robert Lieberman and Ido Harlev in a discussion of Trump's executive authority

By LANA SWINDLE | March 7, 2025

On Friday, Feb. 21  Hopkins at Home, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Agora Institute, and the Alumni in Government, Academia, Law & Policy Community hosted “Executive Power: How Presidential Authority Reshapes Our Relationship with Democracy and Daily Life” as the first online event of a four-part series titled "First 100 Days: From Home to Abroad.” Each part seeks to examine a different facet of executive power during the first 100 days of President Donald J. Trump’s second term.

NIH IMAGE GALLERY / PUBLIC DOMAIN Hopkins has joined 12 universities and 3 higher education groups in a federal lawsuit against the NIH over the institution limiting reimbursement for indirect research costs to 15% of grant funding.

Hopkins joins lawsuit against NIH over "abrupt and sweeping" funding cuts

By MYRA SAEED | March 6, 2025

On Wednesday March 5, a federal judge issued a nationwide temporary injunction against the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) plan to reduce reimbursement for grant-related costs at universities and research institutions nationwide. The preliminary injunction supersedes a temporary restraining order that was issued on Feb. 10.

Former SGA Senator alleges violation of SGA constitution and bylaws by Executive and Legislative Branch

By MYRA SAEED | March 5, 2025

On Sunday, Feb. 23, the Student Government Association (SGA) Judiciary granted a Writ of Certiorari for a petition filed by former Senator Jackson Morris against SGA. In the petition, Morris called for the judiciary to consider whether current SGA practices constitute a violation of SGA’s constitution and the Bylaws of the Senate, specifically regarding the availability of SGA minutes, meetings and proceedings to the public. 

COURTESY OF MYRA SAEED BSU hosted an alumni panel and a museum exhibition with stories and photographs dating back to BSU’s founding in 1968.  

BSU hosts "Legacy and Progress" exhibition

By MYRA SAEED | March 2, 2025

On Feb. 21, 2025, the Black Student Union (BSU) hosted the “Legacy and Progress” event, showcasing an alumni panel and a museum exhibition with stories and photographs dating back to BSU’s founding in 1968. Held in the Gilman Atrium, the event’s museum exhibition featured old photographs of BSU throughout the decades, Black performance advertisements, protest signs and yearbooks. 

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR On Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, the Office of Public Affairs in the Department of Justice announced that the Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism would visit ten universities, including Hopkins, to assess reports of antisemitic incidents and determine “whether remedial action is warranted.” 

Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism will visit Hopkins

By MYRA SAEED | March 1, 2025

On Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, the Department of Justice’s Office of Public Affairs announced that the Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism would visit ten universities, including Hopkins, to assess reports of antisemitic incidents and determine potential further action.

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR 551 students were admitted to the University in the first two round of Early Decision admissions. 

Hopkins welcomes 793 students to the Class of 2029 through Early Decisions rounds

By SAMHI BOPPANA | February 28, 2025

On Feb. 14, the University welcomed 242 students to the Class of 2029 through Early Decision II (ED II). The first rounds of Early Decision — Early Decision I (ED I) and QuestBridge admissions — were released in December, admitting 551 students to the University. The numbers are consistent with data from last year’s early decision admissions cycle. 

COURTESY OF KAYLEE NGUYEN Protestors marched around Homewood Campus to protest Trump’s claim that the U.S. will occupy the Gaza Strip.

Protesters gather outside of Gilman to demand “Gaza is not for sale”

By KAYLEE NGUYEN | February 27, 2025

On Feb. 21, 2025, members of the Hopkins Justice Collective (HJC) gathered outside of Gilman Hall at Keyser Quad to protest against President Donald J. Trump’s claim that the “U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip” and the University’s decline to divest its endowment from companies that have ties to Israel. 

COURTESY OF WILL KIRK Pratt stressed the importance of improving the accessibility of the criminal justice system, especially with regard to individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Judge Victoria Pratt reflects on her legal career and advocacy for criminal justice reform

By CONNER FENG | February 20, 2025

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Judge Victoria Pratt headlined the first Hopkins Lecture Series event of the spring semester, focusing on criminal justice reform in the 21st century. The event was held in Shriver Hall. As Chief Judge of the Newark Municipal Court in Newark, New Jersey, Pratt also presides over Newark Community Solutions, an alternative sentencing program providing an alternative to jail and fines for low-level offenders. She has advocated for criminal justice reform across the United States and abroad, and has given a TED talk, guest lectures and keynote addresses on the matter. 

STEVEN SIMPSON / PHOTO EDITOR The 2023 report by the Office of Institutional Equity highlighted a general rise in campus reporting and provided information that most reports did not become cases within OIE.

OIE's 2023 annual report highlights rise in campus reporting

By MYRA SAEED | February 20, 2025

In Dec. 2024, the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) released its 2023 annual report, overviewing all received complaints and actions taken related to discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct, as well as requests for disability or religious related accommodations. The report reflected a general rise in reporting from 2022 and provided information on the outcome of cases. 

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