A Cook County judge ruled Tuesday that the lawsuit accusing Northwestern of discriminating and mistreating late Feinberg Prof. Jane Wu can proceed.

The ruling rejected the university’s request for the lawsuit’s dismissal, allowing the legal showdown to barrel forward. In the past few months, Wu’s story has gripped the attention of the academic community across the nation.

Wu, a Chinese American neuroscientist, had worked at Northwestern since 2005 before she died by suicide in July 2024.

Leading up to the tragedy, the National Institutes of Health launched an investigation into her affiliations with Chinese researchers in 2019 as part of the first Trump administration’s China Initiative, according to the civil complaint filed by her family against Northwestern in June 2025.

Although the investigation ended in 2023, the university eventually reduced her pay and shut down her lab months later, the complaint said.

Wu’s estate also alleged that Chicago and Northwestern Police removed Wu from her office in handcuffs and sent her to the psychiatric unit of Northwestern Memorial Hospital against her will, without consulting her family members either.

In February, more than 1,000 scholars signed a letter addressed to Northwestern raising concerns about the university’s treatment of Wu and demanding an apology.

While the Ryan Field rebuild has drawn attention from the Northwestern and Evanston communities, there’s another stadium rebuild happening on campus for an arguably more successful program: the Kip and Sara Kirkpatrick Softball Stadium Project. 

Located next to Ryan Field, the softball stadium has been under construction since September 2025. The project will add features like a new seating bowl, additional dugouts, a locker room, a lounge and upgraded restrooms. 

While fans originally thought the new facility would be ready for the season, which starts in March, the university announced in January that construction wouldn’t be finished until the summer. 

Because the stadium won’t be ready for the 2026 season, Northwestern’s softball team is playing its 12 home games this season at The Ballpark at Rosemont. 

According to the Northwestern Wildcat Fund, a Northwestern Athletics fundraising initiative, the Kip and Sara Kirkpatrick Softball Stadium Project has currently raised $18.2 million, just short of the $20 million fundraising goal. That price tag pales in comparison to the $862 million cost of the stadium being built next door. 

The team will start its first series at home against Oregon on March 26 at The Ballpark at Rosemont.

Despite a disappointing season, the Northwestern men’s basketball team is having its best stretch as of late.

The Wildcats won their third consecutive Big Ten game against Oregon on Saturday, the first time they’ve gone on such a run in their losing season.

It was a nail-biting game that came down to the wire. With seconds remaining, the Wildcats trailed Oregon by one point with one second remaining. It was none other than superstar senior forward Nick Martinelli who punched the Wildcats to victory with a hook shot.

For the Wildcats, there are still three games to go in the season — then comes the Big Ten tournament. If they keep up these performances, perhaps they can — gulp — make a deep run into the tournament.

Though the Wildcats sit last in the Big Ten rankings, the latest wins have left fans with a glimmer of hope.

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