Pro-Palestinian demonstrations are escalating at Columbia University, where protesters have stormed and occupied a building on the main campus. Palestinian flags flew from the windows of Hamilton Hall, which was renamed “Hinds Hall” in honor of a girl killed in Gaza. Protesters are demanding that Columbia cut ties with Israeli institutions, but the university has refused to comply and has begun suspending students who defied orders to leave the protest encampment. Similar protests are taking place at other campuses across the U.S., with arrests being made at universities such as the University of Utah, Princeton, and Tulane University.
In Donald Trump’s hush money trial, testimony is focusing on a transaction involving a bank executive who helped set up a shell company to make a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. After Farro’s testimony, it is unclear who will take the stand next, as prosecutors are keeping their witness list confidential due to Trump’s comments against key figures in the case. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, four law enforcement officers were killed while serving a warrant, with the subject of the warrant opening fire with a high-powered rifle. Four other officers were injured, and the suspect was killed in the shootout.
The World Health Organization has released new research that overturns the longstanding belief about how airborne diseases spread. The report concludes that sick people exhale pathogens that remain suspended in the air and can be inhaled by others, marking a significant shift from the previous understanding that respiratory viruses spread mainly through droplets that land in another person’s mouth, nose, or eyes. Some scientists are calling for the CDC to update its guidance on infection control in healthcare settings in light of these findings, but the CDC advisory committee appears hesitant to do so.
In political news, lawyers for Hunter Biden are planning to sue Fox News over alleged defamation, while One America News Network retracted an article making false claims about Trump attorney Michael Cohen. The Biden administration plans to require pedestrian-collision avoidance systems in all new cars and trucks by the end of the decade, and five Republican-led states are suing over new rules expanding Title IX protections for LGBTQ students. In a true-crime story, a man’s secrets are revealed as police investigate the disappearances of his two wives.
Other recent news includes bodycam footage showing a New York district attorney resisting compliance during a traffic stop, the identification of remains found in a New York bar basement using a 9/11 victim’s DNA, and the emergence of cicadas with an intriguing “safety-in-numbers” strategy. Additionally, a lawsuit has been filed against the homeowner who fired a man for mistakenly ringing the wrong doorbell, and French actor Gerard Depardieu will stand trial for charges of sexual assault. For those in need of drain cleaners, NBC Select provides recommendations to keep sinks and showers flowing smoothly.
