Trump fear freezes hires at MIT, Harvard

Why it matters: Austerity measures at Massachusetts' two most prominent and wealthiest universities mean trouble for the state, where higher education is a major employment sector.

• Harvard's hiring freeze is affecting faculty searches across multiple departments as the White House works to end what it calls "woke" leftist ideology on college campuses.

State of play: 60 colleges and universities have received warning letters about potential sanctions from the White House.

• Federal grants worth $400 million have been pulled from Columbia University already.

Zoom in: Department chairs at Harvard were not warned about the freeze until word went public Monday. The sudden freeze left some departments scrambling to cover courses for next semester.

Catch up quick: The Trump administration has promised further action against universities, including investigations into diversity programs it deems illegal and possible deportation of foreign student activists.