Welcome to The Logoff: Today I’m focusing on powerful private institutions caving to Donald Trump’s demands — and a law firm demonstrating another way forward.

What’s the latest? Donald Trump took back an executive order attacking Paul, Weiss — one of the country’s largest law firms — after it agreed to do $40 million worth of free legal work on causes favored by the Trump administration. Trump’s order had pulled the firm’s security clearances and tried to terminate its federal contracts because it had sued January 6 rioters and because a former partner had worked on a Trump prosecution case.

Is this normal? No — but it is part of a trend of powerful private sector institutions bowing to Trump’s threats to their business. Columbia University just gave in to Trump’s demands after he threatened $400 million in federal funding. And colleges across the country are taking similar steps to protect their own funding.

What other choice do they have? To fight. Perkins Coie, another firm whose security clearances Trump targeted, sued. And, last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from enforcing Trump’s order, finding it likely violates the firm’s First, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment rights. (In response, the Trump administration today tried to get the judge kicked off the case.)

What’s the big picture? These are powerful institutions with vast resources. Yes, they’re still less powerful than the federal government, and yes, they have plenty to lose. (The Times reports that Paul, Weiss considered its own legal challenge but deemed the financial risk too high.) But we all have even more to lose if the rule of law is replaced by a system in which the president can use the federal government to pursue personal vendettas and enforce compliance with his agenda.

And with that, it’s time to log off… I really enjoyed this (very short) piece about a Dutch initiative that helps people enjoy something soothing online — in this case, watching fish swim — and also engage in a small act of environmentalism. You can read about the “fish doorbell” here. Thanks for all the book recommendations, and I’ll see you back here on Monday. Have a good weekend!

What’s the latest? After canceling $400 million in federal grants for Columbia University last week, Trump officials sent a letter demanding the school make sweeping changes to its policies and governance or risk losing the rest of its federal money.

What are the demands? Broadly, to punish protesters of Israel’s war in Gaza severely, with expulsions or years-long suspensions.

The letter, from Trump’s “Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism,” also demands Columbia put the college president’s office directly in charge of discipline, make a plan to hold student groups “accountable,” write new rules to prevent “disruption” of campus life by protests, take the Middle Eastern Studies department away from its current leadership, and completely overhaul its admissions process.

Is this legal? No, according to Cornell law professor Michael Dorf. The federal government can cut off funding to punish civil rights violations, but only after a lengthy process. So far, though, Columbia hasn’t challenged this in court, hoping instead to seek a compromise — and perhaps fearing a lawsuit would trigger even worse retribution.

Why is this happening? Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has claimed that, since the protests began, Jewish students at Columbia “have faced relentless violence, intimidation, and anti-Semitic harassment on their campuses” and that university officials’ purported inaction in protecting them amounts to a violation of civil rights law. Critics argue, though, that this is a blatant effort to use federal power to chill criticism of Israel.

This is also part of a larger Trump administration strategy of using federal funds as leverage against universities they view as incubators of “woke” progressivism. Back in 2021, Senate candidate JD Vance said it was time to “honestly and aggressively attack the universities in this country.” More recently, activist Christopher Rufo called for using the cut-off of federal funds to put universities into “an existential terror” and better “discipline” them.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Things on Earth may be messy, but have you seen the news that astronomers have discovered more than 100 new moons around Saturn? That means Saturn now has 274 moons, putting it well ahead of Jupiter (95) in our solar system’s moon power ranking.

Welcome to The Logoff. Today I’m focusing on the Trump administration’s arrest of a pro-Palestinian activist, a chilling development for defenders of free speech and the First Amendment.

What’s the latest? Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Saturday arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate student who was born in the Palestinian territories. Khalil is a legal permanent resident of the US. His arrest comes after he played a prominent role in anti-Israel protests on campus.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested yesterday that Khalil’s green card would be revoked and that the administration planned to deport him. But a judge this afternoon blocked the administration from deporting Khalil while legal proceedings over his case go forward.

Why was Mahmoud Khalil arrested? Khalil has not been charged with a crime, the Associated Press reports. The administration said the arrest was in accordance with Donald Trump’s order “prohibiting anti-Semitism.” Rubio’s post made clear the arrest was due to Khalil’s involvement with Columbia’s pro-Palestine protests, calling the former student a “supporter of Hamas.” (The government has not produced any evidence that Khalil was coordinating with Hamas or providing material support.)

What’s the big picture? Not everyone will agree with Khalil’s position on Palestine and Israel, but that’s beside the point. The Trump administration is explicitly taking punitive action against Khalil on the basis of his political expression, effectively criminalizing an act of political speech in a troubling sign for all of our civil liberties. Trump in a White House statement today said: “This is the first arrest of many to come.”

And with that, it’s time to log off…

A quick reminder that doomscrolling doesn’t help anyone. Instead, might I suggest today’s episode of Vox’s The Gray Area podcast? It’s about the value of silence, and I found it really helpful to hear about the benefits of quiet in a world where it’s hard to find. The podcast is available for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and elsewhere, and I hope you get to enjoy it. Have a good night, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.