Trump news at a glance: Harvard sues White House; president backs Hegseth in Signal scandal

Harvard president issues damning statement accusing Trump administration of harming health research - key US politics stories from 21 April

Harvard University has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in a bid to halt a freeze of $2.2m in funding, as a battle between Trump and the Ivy League institution escalates.

In a damning legal complaint filed with the Massachusetts district court, Harvard's president, Alan M Garber, accused the Trump administration of trying to gain control of academic decision making at Harvard", adding that no government should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue".