Federal government drops appeal of court order blocking UCLA settlement
The Trump administration dropped its appeal against a court order that blocked its $1.2 billion settlement against UC Los Angeles. According to the Los Angeles Times, Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers filed to dismiss their appeal on Feb. 11.
In the past year, the federal government has been investigating UCLA for allegedly using race as an admissions factor, recognizing the gender identities of transgender people and failing to respond to antisemitism adequately, among other reasons. The DOJ originally issued several demands alongside the settlement in August.
In response, a cohort of University of California employees filed a lawsuit in September, arguing the government’s settlement demands were an “unlawful threat.”
Other investigations across the UC for similar allegations involving antisemitism and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives continue to play out in court.
UC obtains more patents than any other university in the world last year
In 2025, researchers and employees across the UC were granted 571 patents, making it the university that was granted the most patents in the world last year. According to a Feb. 12 press release, the UC has over 6,800 active patents overall.
The University has been at the top of the list for 11 of the past 12 years since the National Academy of Inventors began tracking in 2013. The release highlighted the fact that the federal government funds over half of the research conducted at the UC. This comes in light of the federal administration’s cuts to research grants throughout the last year.
From 1996 to 2020, UC patents generated $1.9 trillion in economic output and created 6.5 million jobs.
Missing UC Berkeley student found dead in Lake Anza
Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a UC Berkeley graduate student, was found dead at 22 years old on Feb. 14. According to the Daily Californian, Sreenivasaiah was an international student from India who was pursuing a master’s degree in chemical and biomolecular engineering.
Sreenivasaiah was last seen on Feb. 10. He was found in Lake Anza in Tilden Regional Park and was identified by the Coroner’s Division of the Contra Costa County Office of the Sheriff on Feb. 16.
Sreenivasaiah’s official cause of death was not included in the Daily Cal article. His roommate, Baneet Singh, stated in a LinkedIn post that Sreenivasaiah had been struggling with his mental health prior to his death.
“Take this as a reminder to please reach out to your loved ones and make sure they’re okay,” the post read.
A version of this article appeared on p. 2 of the Feb. 19, 2026 edition of the Daily Nexus.
