Daily Briefing: No pomp and circumstance
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Pro-Palestinian student protests amid Israel's war in Gaza interrupted or modified several college graduations this weekend. Convicted liar Michael Cohen is set to testify in Donald Trump's hush money trial as soon as Monday. Child care workers across the country are walking off the job to draw attention to inequities in their industry.
🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Taylor Swift sang "The Alchemy" and Travis Kelce was there.
What pro-Palestinian protests mean for graduation
Some universities are preparing alternate locations or canceling speakers for graduation in light of protests on campus against Israel’s war in Gaza and demands that universities cut financial and academic ties with Israel.
Thousands of students and other protesters have been arrested since April 18, when police raided an encampment at Columbia University that kicked off a wave of activism at colleges.
Graduation erupted into protests at the University of California, Berkeley on Saturday inside the San Francisco Bay Area school’s football stadium.
Dozens of students participated in a walkout during Duke University's commencement ceremony on Sunday to protest comedian Jerry Seinfeld, a supporter of Israel who was invited as the guest speaker.
It's happened before. These graduates, many of whom experienced canceled graduations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are used to major events disrupting the pomp and circumstance.
The northern lights dance across the US
Amazing auroras sparked by a massive solar storm — the strongest in decades — set the world abuzz over the weekend night as colorful glowing light radiated into the skies as far south as Florida and the Bahamas, to the surprising delight of many who waited up and kept watch. Northern lights are only visible at night time, and experts say it's best to view them away from the hustle and bustle of city life to get the best show. Still, Americans in cities said they could see the lights overnight. Read more
More news to know now
Israel ordered Palestinians to evacuate from more areas of Gaza's Rafah.
Bob Menendez's Senate colleagues don't want to talk about his bribery trial.
Here's a visual guide on how the avian bird flu outbreak affects dairy cows.
As demolition begins on one of the last Klamath River dams, attention turns to recovery.
On today's The Excerpt podcast, how former President Donald Trump is bracing voters for a guilty verdict. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Will Michael Cohen be a star witness?
Since the very first day of testimony in former President Donald Trump's New York criminal hush money trial, prosecutors have been introducing evidence laying the groundwork for anticipated testimony from Michael Cohen – a likely star witness in the case, but also a convicted liar. Cohen, who's expected to testify as early as Monday, could be crucial in tying Trump to key parts of the 34 felony counts the former president faces that accuse him of falsifying business records to cover up unlawfully interfering in the 2016 election. Read more
Why child care will shutdown across the nation Monday
On Monday, more than 1,000 U.S. child care providers plan to temporarily shut down facilities or call in sick to take part in the country's third annual “Day Without Child Care.” The event seeks to raise awareness about early learning professionals' critical role in the nation’s economy and how little they earn in return for that labor. Read more
Keep scrolling
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Nuggets seize opportunity to even up NBA playoff series
In a seven-game series featuring two championship contenders, the margin for error and attention to detail take on greater importance. The Minnesota Timberwolves had the opportunity of all opportunities, up 2-0 against the Denver Nuggets after taking both games in Denver to start their Western Conference semifinals series. All the Timberwolves had to do was win one game at home for a tough-to-overcome 3-1 lead. But Denver topped Minnesota, 115-107, in Game 4 on Sunday.
Photo of the day: Israel's Memorial Day
Israel's Memorial Day commemorating fallen soldiers opened early Monday with the sound of siren. The annual day of remembrance comes with heightened sentiment after Israelis were killed and kidnapped during the October 7 attack by Hamas gunmen from Gaza.
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Campus protests, northern lights, Taylor Swift, Michael Cohen, Trump trial, NBA, Israel, Gaza, Hamas: Daily Briefing
