Good Morning!

It's Friday, May 23, and in today’s edition of Rise & Recap, we look at:

• Trump administration blocks Harvard from enrolling international students.

• U.S. Treasury to not produce any more pennies from next year. 

• Vitamin D might be an anti-aging weapon.

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U.S. Blocks Harvard From Enrolling International Students

The Trump administration has blocked Harvard University from enrolling international students, revoking its Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification. The move bars new foreign students from attending and forces current ones to transfer or lose their legal status, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday. The decision adds financial strain to Harvard, as the administration has already frozen over $2.6 billion in funding and halted future grants amid growing tensions over the university’s handling of antisemitism and federal demands for oversight. Can the Trump administration really do so?

“Harvard’s leadership has created an unsafe campus environment by permitting anti-American, pro-terrorist agitators to harass and physically assault individuals, including many Jewish students, and otherwise obstruct its once-venerable learning environment,” a statement said. All actions taken by Trump administration against Harvard.

Halting international enrollment would significantly impact Harvard, where over 6,800 students — more than a quarter — come from abroad. Graduate programs would be especially affected: 59% of students at the Kennedy School, 40% at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and 35% at Harvard Business School are international. These students not only pay higher tuition and lack access to federal aid, but also bring critical revenue and global perspectives that enrich campus life and learning.

Related read: The world leaders that attended Harvard before the ban.

House Passes The ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ With 1 Vote

The House narrowly passed President Trump’s sweeping domestic agenda bill early on Thursday in a 215–214 vote, overcoming Republican infighting and unified Democratic opposition. The legislation includes major tax cuts, increased funding for the military and border security, and $4 trillion in new borrowing authority. To offset some costs, it slashes Medicaid, food assistance, education, and clean energy programs — moves that would increase deficits and the number of uninsured Americans. The bill, explained.

Dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” by Trump and Republicans, the measure marks a major win for the administration and its first step in bypassing a Senate filibuster using special budget rules. Democrats swiftly criticized the bill, which was passed after another all-nighter, accusing Republicans of “gutting vital government programs to pay for tax breaks to the wealthy”. Whereas, Trump celebrated the passage of the bill calling it the “most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed”.

Meanwhile, markets reacted sharply. The U.S. bond market — critical to global finance — continued to rattle, with investors alarmed by the bill’s expensive tax cuts, limited spending offsets, and the rising national debt.

SCOTUS Bans Oklahoma’s Religious Charter School

In a rare 4–4 split, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday blocked Oklahoma from establishing the nation's first taxpayer-funded religious charter school. A key factor was that the deciding vote, Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself, likely due to ties to a Notre Dame Law School clinic that supported the proposal, though she gave no official reason.

“The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court,” the Court said in an unsigned, one-line opinion, leaving individual votes undisclosed. 

The decision means the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s earlier ruling stands, blocking the launch of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, which was set to operate statewide and promote Catholic teachings. During oral arguments, several conservative justices appeared supportive, while liberals raised constitutional concerns. One conservative — likely Chief Justice John Roberts — joined the liberal bloc in the final vote.

Click-Worthy

✈️ Six feared dead as jet crashes into San Diego suburb.

🔮 3 in 10 Americans use astrology, tarot, fortunetellers at least once a year!

🪙 The era of the penny ends.

🛂 Mahmoud Khalil says deportation could mean death; to meet wife and baby.

☀️ Could vitamin D be your anti-aging secret weapon? Science says yes.

🍷 Alcohol-related cancer deaths doubled from 1990 to 2021.

💔 Israeli museum shooting victims were to get engaged soon.

📝 RFK Jr’s MAHA report could’ve been an opinion piece.

🐠 Shrinking nemo? Clownfish are downsizing to survive rising ocean heat.

🤑 Trump's crypto dinner: $1.7M seats, luxury cars, and protests.

The Glow Guide

✨ Microneedling at home? Expert-approved derma rollers are delivering smoother skin, fewer breakouts, and glowier texture.

☀️ Foundation fatigue?Skin tints are rewriting the rules for summer coverage with glow and comfort.

The Fame Frame

🎤 After all, Taylor Swift will not testify in ‘It Ends With Us’ lawsuit.

💇‍♀️ Cara Delevingne's dark hair, micro bangs turn heads at Cannes 2025.

🚗 Diddy Trial: Kid Cudi testifies about Porsche bombing.

👠 ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ set for 2026.

🕊️ Kanye West is ‘done with antisemitism’.

The POV Club

“Children are speaking to strangers online – and grooming is on the rise. This is how to protect them,” writes Devi Sridhar. 

“Why are so many people sure Covid leaked from a lab?” writes David Wallace-Wells.

Go. See. Do.

🏳️‍🌈 Visit | LGBTQ+ friendly restaurants in DC during WorldPride!

🧂 Follow | An A-Z guide to storing condiments.

🍹 Question | Why do mocktails cost $15?

📚 Read | Books to get lost in this summer.

"Courage isn't loud. Sometimes it's just the quiet act of trying again."

— Arielle Estoria