Heather Hollingsworth

Three-year bachelor’s degree programs are expanding across the United States, with 119 publicly announced reduced-credit programs in 26 states. Supporters say they lower costs and help nontraditional students return to the workforce sooner, while critics warn that cutting degrees from the customary 120 credits to as few as 90 may narrow academic preparation, complicate employer perceptions, restrict graduate-school admission, and create licensing problems. Business and computer-related programs are easiest to compress, whereas engineering and teacher education face greater constraints. Students considering these degrees are advised to check graduate-school and state professional-licensing requirements carefully.

The U.S. Department of Defense has ordered 30 universities to review partnerships with mostly Chinese institutions and terminate arrangements deemed problematic within two weeks or risk losing federal funding. Harvard, MIT and Johns Hopkins are reportedly among the schools involved. Higher-education representatives object that the order implies wrongdoing without evidence and could penalize universities for older partnerships. The audit follows an expanded Pentagon list of 130 foreign institutions considered risks to U.S.-funded research, while the Chinese embassy condemned the move as politicizing normal academic and scientific exchanges.

Universities across the United States are rapidly expanding AI courses, minors and degree programs beyond computer science as students seek skills that may complement careers in fields such as psychology, biology, business, music and the arts. The shift comes as computer-science enrollment and entry-level software-development hiring decline, partly because AI agents are taking on more programming work. Institutions including Virginia Commonwealth University, Purdue, Ohio State, Harvard and Northwestern are making AI literacy more accessible or mandatory, while community colleges are introducing practical courses such as AI-assisted “vibe coding.” Educators broadly view AI competency as an essential workplace skill but warn that excessive reliance on AI could weaken students’ grasp of core concepts.

About 9.5 million federal student-loan borrowers—roughly one in five—are now in default, up from 5.3 million after pandemic-era payment protections and a subsequent Biden administration buffer ended. The Trump administration has so far delayed involuntary collections while eliminating the SAVE income-driven repayment plan and reducing repayment options, potentially driving further defaults. Default rates are particularly high in Southern states and Puerto Rico, while borrowers from for-profit colleges face substantially greater repayment difficulties. Advocates and career-college representatives say rising living costs, policy confusion and weak borrower support are worsening the crisis.

More than 4.2 million borrowers entered student-loan default between April 2025 and March 2026, bringing the total to roughly 9.5 million, or more than one in five borrowers. The increase followed the end of pandemic payment protections and comes as the Education Department dismantles the SAVE income-driven repayment plan, potentially raising monthly bills for millions. Borrowers describe confusing servicer transfers, inadequate guidance, bankruptcy rules that rarely discharge student debt and repayment schedules that extend for decades. The federal government has delayed planned collections, but garnishments of wages and Social Security benefits could begin within a year, adding pressure to an already fragile economy. Individual cases illustrate the consequences, including borrowers who have declared bankruptcy, stopped paying or are searching for forgiveness and public-service repayment programs.

The 2026 World Cup is expected to increase soccer’s appeal among U.S. children and help create fans for future generations. Soccer already ranks among the most popular youth sports, while parents who grew up playing it, the growth of Major League Soccer, and the success of women’s soccer have strengthened its domestic foundation. Experts caution that soccer remains smaller than football, baseball, and basketball and that American fans often favor European clubs, but improving U.S. players, stronger youth systems, and a young fan base make the sport’s outlook increasingly promising.

A federal judge blocked the Education Department’s revised definition of which graduate programs qualify for higher federal loan limits, ruling that the agency likely exceeded its authority and warning that reduced access could worsen healthcare shortages in underserved communities. Nursing, physical therapy, public health and other groups had challenged their exclusion from the professional-degree category. The ruling does not suspend the underlying $100,000 graduate and $200,000 professional loan caps, while a separate lawsuit by Democratic-led states remains pending.

The federal government is backing away from plans to convert several warehouses into large immigrant detention centers after spending $1.074 billion on 11 properties. At least seven facilities may be sold or transferred, including sites in Romulus, Michigan; Social Circle, Georgia; Salt Lake City; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; and the El Paso suburb of Socorro. The purchases prompted bipartisan opposition, seven lawsuits, infrastructure concerns and an internal audit after evidence that some properties were bought well above assessed values. Some communities still lack confirmation about the facilities’ future, while work and environmental review continue at a Maryland site.

The Trump administration is transferring school civil-rights enforcement to the Justice Department and special-education oversight to Health and Human Services as part of its effort to dismantle the Education Department. Families and disability advocates warn that yearslong complaint backlogs, staff cuts and fragmented responsibilities could make an already flawed system less effective, while some attorneys are turning to state remedies. Education Secretary Linda McMahon says the changes will improve support, but advocates object to placing special education in a health agency, and bipartisan senators including Bill Cassidy and Tim Kaine are considering legislation to block or alter the move.

Argentina’s World Cup defense has inspired extraordinary commitment from its supporters, including fans who cycled nearly 11,000 miles, drove for days, or spent tens of thousands of dollars on travel and tickets. In Kansas City, a large and enthusiastic crowd backed Argentina in its opening match against Algeria, with Lionel Messi’s global popularity helping attract supporters beyond the Argentine community. Fans and local organizers described the team’s appeal as genuine and widespread, while Messi’s potential final World Cup added urgency to the effort to follow the team across the tournament.

College graduates at several US universities have booed commencement speakers who discussed artificial intelligence, reflecting fears that AI will eliminate jobs and undermine the value of their education. Surveys cited in the report show that roughly 70% of college students view AI as a threat to their career prospects, while graduates are also entering the weakest job market for their age group in more than a decade. Speakers including Eric Schmidt, Gloria Caulfield, Scott Borchetta and Chris Duffey argued that AI is an unavoidable tool whose development can still be shaped by people, but students described those messages as tone deaf, promotional and inconsistent with campus rules that often restrict AI use.

Princess Catherine’s visit to Reggio Emilia highlights the Reggio Approach, a postwar Italian preschool model that prioritizes children’s curiosity, play, relationships and community involvement over standardized testing and formal instruction. Developed in a city shaped by anti-Fascist resistance and influenced by Montessori education, the approach uses teachers as facilitators and gives children substantial freedom to explore their interests. Research cited in the report links participation with stronger high-school graduation and employment outcomes, although adoption across Italy remains uneven because of local funding and teacher-training requirements. Educators caution that Reggio emerged from Italy’s specific post-authoritarian historical context and cannot be replicated everywhere without adaptation.