Good Morning, and Happy Saturday! Welcome to The Flag's Five, your nonpartisan breakdown of the week’s five most pressing headlines. Dive into what happened, why it matters, and how perspectives from the left and right shape the conversation.

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1. Judge voids Trump cuts to Harvard grants

Here’s what happened: A federal judge in Boston ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully terminated roughly $2.2 billion in research grants to Harvard and barred officials from cutting off or freezing future funding. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs said the administration retaliated against Harvard over governance and academic-policy disputes, while acknowledging the university’s delayed response to campus antisemitism. The order blocks continued withholding of payments and future grant denials. The White House called the ruling biased and vowed to appeal. (Nate Raymond, Reuters)

Here’s why it matters: The decision frames academic freedom and the First Amendment as limiting the federal government’s leverage over universities via research funding. It could influence ongoing disputes at other schools and complicate any push to condition grants on campus discipline or governance changes. (Josh Moody, Inside Higher Ed)

Here’s what right-leaning sources are saying: Coverage highlights that Burroughs is an Obama appointee and features administration statements casting the decision as judicial overreach that shields elite campuses from accountability on antisemitism. Reporting notes the White House plans to appeal and continue limiting new funding despite the ruling. It emphasizes prior settlements with other Ivies and portrays the case as part of a larger effort to “clean up” higher education. (Breanne Deppisch, Fox News)

Here’s what left-leaning sources are saying: Live updates characterize the ruling as a major win for Harvard and academic freedom, while noting the White House’s vow to appeal and to keep denying future eligibility. The coverage underscores claims that the administration used allegations of antisemitism as a pretext for ideological pressure on universities. It presents the decision as checking federal overreach into campus affairs. (Sam Levin et al., The Guardian)

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2. House Oversight drops 33,000+ Epstein pages

Here’s what happened: The Republican-led House Oversight Committee posted more than 33,000 pages tied to the Epstein investigation that DOJ turned over under subpoena. The release included court records, videos and other materials, and came ahead of a House vote to formalize the panel’s inquiry. Lawmakers backing broader transparency also organized events with victims on Capitol Hill. (Nolan D. McCaskill et al., Reuters)

Here’s why it matters: Initial reviews indicate most of the documents were already public, with limited new material such as certain flight-location logs. The dynamic spotlights competing approaches to transparency: a large, rapid release by the committee versus a push for a fuller, less-redacted disclosure of remaining files. (Meredith Deliso et al., ABC News)

Here’s what right-leaning sources are saying: Reporting emphasizes the House action to “expose” the files and codify the Oversight probe, while detailing internal GOP debates over the best route to transparency. It notes a symbolic floor vote and contrasts leadership’s approach with a discharge petition effort. Survivors’ advocacy and lawmaker statements are framed as pressure for continued releases. (Elizabeth Elkind, Fox News)

Here’s what left-leaning sources are saying: Summaries stress that the mass of records appears to contain information already in the public domain and call for comprehensive disclosure of all pertinent files. They underscore Democratic criticism that the tranche was largely redundant and highlight bipartisan efforts seeking full transparency. (Nicola Slawson, The Guardian)

3. Judge: Trump’s LA troop deployment illegal

Here’s what happened: A federal judge ruled the administration “willfully” violated the Posse Comitatus Act by deploying National Guard troops alongside federal agents during immigration-raids protests in Los Angeles. The order restricts troops from engaging in policing functions and stays implementation briefly to allow appeal. Hundreds of Guard members remain in the city as litigation proceeds. (Mark Berman, The Washington Post)

Here’s why it matters: The ruling adds legal weight to challenges against federalized domestic deployments and could shape planned or ongoing operations in other cities. Parallel litigation in D.C. underscores the national stakes and the limits of presidential authority over the Guard, especially outside the capital. (Lindsay Whitehurst et al., AP News)

Here’s what right-leaning sources are saying: Coverage recaps the judge’s findings, notes likely appeals, and points out arguments that troops were protecting federal officers rather than enforcing laws. It highlights statements from California leaders celebrating the decision while noting separate deployments in D.C. and talk of other cities. The framing stresses that the order was stayed and may have limited reach beyond Los Angeles. (KTVU Staff, FOX 2 (KTVU))

Here’s what left-leaning sources are saying: Reporting depicts the decision as a check on “militarizing” city streets and quotes officials calling the deployment authoritarian and illegal. It flags the potential creation of a “national police force” concern raised in the ruling and situates Los Angeles within a broader pattern of federal interventions. The piece notes that an appeal is expected but portrays the ruling as a win for constitutional limits. (Lauren Gambino, The Guardian)

4. Genocide scholars label Israel’s actions genocide

Here’s what happened: The International Association of Genocide Scholars voted to designate Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide. The move followed months of debate among academics and came amid ongoing war and international legal scrutiny. The statement has intensified global arguments about intent, scale, and accountability. (Lorenzo Tondo, The Guardian)

Here’s why it matters: The IAGS designation is not legally binding but carries reputational weight in policy and media debates, shaping how governments and institutions discuss the war. It may influence advocacy, sanctions discourse, and calls for prosecutions as humanitarian conditions and casualty figures remain contested. (Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera)

Here’s what right-leaning sources are saying: Commentary argues the label is reckless and politicized, warning it will embolden Israel’s adversaries and distort the legal meaning of genocide. It frames the statement as part of a campaign to delegitimize Israel rather than a rigorous legal assessment, and urges U.S. leaders to reject it. (Rich Goldberg, National Review)

Here’s what left-leaning sources are saying: Analysis welcomes the designation as overdue recognition of disproportionate force and civilian harm, urging stronger international pressure and accountability. It situates the vote within broader critiques of U.S. policy and advocates for ceasefire and war-crimes investigations. (Phyllis Bennis, The Nation)

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5. Putin, Xi, Modi share spotlight at China SCO summit

Here’s what happened: At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin, images showed India’s Narendra Modi holding hands with Russia’s Vladimir Putin as China’s Xi Jinping looked on—signaling a public show of warmth. The gathering featured talk of strategic autonomy and trade coordination amid strained relations with the West. Coverage emphasized how India balanced ties while U.S.-India relations cooled. (Krishn Kaushik et al., Reuters)

Here’s why it matters: The optics and communiqués reinforce an alternative power center touting a “new world order,” with energy, defense, and payments cooperation on the table. For Washington and allies, the summit signals deeper coordination among rivals and partners-of-convenience navigating sanctions and supply chains. (Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera)

Here’s what right-leaning sources are saying: Reporting underscores that the display of unity challenges U.S. leadership and that Washington must counter with stronger alliances and economic statecraft. It notes India’s hedging and the risks that SCO coordination poses to sanctions and Western leverage. (Michael Lee, Fox News)

Here’s what left-leaning sources are saying: Coverage frames the embrace as symbolic of a multipolar shift driven by grievances with the West, while questioning what tangible outcomes the summit will deliver. It emphasizes regional security anxieties and how India navigates between blocs without fully aligning with either. (Emma Graham-Harrison, The Guardian)

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