Higher Ed Policy: The University of Michigan will drop letter grades for some first-semester freshmen next fall, moving them to pass/no credit to “curb the mental health crisis,” while a regent in Ypsilanti Township is pushing for a pause on a proposed Los Alamos data center over transparency and local impacts. Campus Free Speech & Bias: The University of Missouri earned a top “green light” free-expression rating from FIRE, even as it has faced recent speech fights; meanwhile, the Anti-Defamation League says antisemitism is increasingly showing up inside classrooms and faculty networks, and Columbia University is facing a discrimination lawsuit from Palestinian students and staff. Curriculum & Student Support: Cambridge issued “trigger warnings” for a classic literary lecture and is now launching a full investigation into the appointment of sociology professor Jason Arday after a plagiarism row. Funding & Placement: Kenya’s proposed Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill would replace HELB and tighten KUCCPS placement timelines; Malaysia’s UPUOnline results for STPM/equivalent applicants come Aug. 14. Teaching Workforce: South Africa reports 27,092 unfilled teaching posts, while Palm Beach County in Florida expands a paid associate-to-bachelor pathway for working teachers. Regional Education Moves: Cyprus branch of Athens’ NKUA says applications are surging; Dubai’s SAE University College launches the city’s first accredited Bachelor of Music degree.