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Today’s best stories
Hundreds of students have been arrested across the country as pro-Palestinian protests spread nationwide. It’s been a week since police cleared a protest camp at Columbia University. The students quickly reestablished their camp. Since then, schools like UT Austin and City College of New York have held similar protests against Israel’s war in Gaza.
Georgia State Patrol officers arrest a protester on the Emory University campus during a pro-Palestinian demonstration Thursday, April 25, in Atlanta.
Mike Stewart/AP
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Mike Stewart/AP
Georgia State Patrol officers arrest a protester on the Emory University campus during a pro-Palestinian demonstration Thursday, April 25, in Atlanta.
Mike Stewart/AP
- Columbia officials gave students 48 hours to disperse Wednesday, or they would consider “alternative options,” said NPR’s Adrian Florido. First. This deadline is now approaching. The protesters suspect they will be forcibly evicted because the encampment is in the center of the school’s graduation ceremony venue. USC has already canceled its main graduation ceremony. Florido says other schools may start doing the same because student protesters say they’re not going anywhere.
- Eleanor Stein was a university professor who demonstrated against the Vietnam War. as a student in 1968. Morning edition, she compares his past experience with what is happening at Columbia today.
After hearing arguments yesterday, the majority of the Supreme Court appeared skeptical about granting former President Donald Trump immunity from criminal prosecution. Trump’s lawyers argue that the actions he took to stay in power after President Biden won the 2020 election were part of his official duties and therefore he cannot be prosecuted for those actions. Here’s everything you need to know about what the court’s ruling would mean for Trump — and the presidency as a whole.
- Analysis from NPR’s Nina Totenberg how the experiences of conservative Supreme Court justices might shape their views on Trump’s immunity.
New York State’s Highest Court Overturns 2020 Sex Crime Conviction by former Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. The New York State Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that Weinstein did not receive a fair trial, in part because the trial judge allowed the women to testify about allegations that did not part of the matter. Weinstein was one of the most high-profile men accused of sexual assault during the #MeToo movement. Although the appeals court ordered a new trial, Weinstein will remain in prison for a separate conviction in a sexual assault trial in California. Editor’s note: This report includes descriptions of sexual assault.
- New York trial judge allowed witnesses to testify to previous “bad acts” under the Molineux regime, the precedent of which dates back to the 1990s, reports NPR’s Anastasia Tsioulcas. But legal experts tell him that allowing Molineux witnesses leads to a very subjective decision, making a conviction easier to challenge.
From our hosts
This essay was written by Steve Inskeep, Morning Edition and Up First host. Steve and the Morning Edition team returned to China – and Steve noticed it’s very different from the last time he was there five years ago. He’ll share some of his observations and what he’s heard from residents on Morning Edition today and in the coming days.
Delivery man in Beijing, China, April 24, 2024.
Stefan Chow
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Stefan Chow
Delivery man in Beijing, China, April 24, 2024.
Stefan Chow
It has been difficult for foreigners to get a first-hand look at China in recent years. First, the country isolated itself from the pandemic; then, many expatriates left China; and now, even though pandemic restrictions have long been lifted, journalists and others don’t enter as often as at other times. So we took the opportunity to look around while covering diplomatic meetings: this week’s visit from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
One of the ways we’ve looked at the economy is by talking to delivery drivers, who roam the streets on silent motorcycles (all electric, by law), delivering meals, groceries, clothes, tanks of water coolers and almost everything else. The pay is better than some other jobs – some drivers have left their home villages to earn more in the city – although one, Liu Shiwei, said business was not good. As he ate a simple lunch of noodles and beer, he said orders were down and too many drivers were competing to get them.
Why are there so many drivers? Liu thinks it’s because there isn’t enough work elsewhere, and he may be right. Last year, Chinese youth unemployment reached such a level that the government stopped publishing statistics. It’s just one sign of the strains weighing on the world’s second-largest economy, which has not recovered from the pandemic as many of its citizens wanted.
Steve speaks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken following a meeting between Blinken and Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior Chinese officials. Listen to Steve’s exclusive interview with Blinken here.
Weekend Picks
The protagonist Zau, flanked by the masks of the Moon and the Sun, which he will use to fight in the enchanting world of Kenzera.
Surgent Studios
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Surgent Studios
The protagonist Zau, flanked by the masks of the Moon and the Sun, which he will use to fight in the enchanting world of Kenzera.
Surgent Studios
Find out what NPR watch, read and listen this weekend:
Movies: Trailers for the Zendaya-directed film Challengers were scorching. But the hosts of Pop Culture Happy Hour say this great new movie is much more than a sexy tennis movie.
TV: Netflix Baby reindeer is the dark and haunting story of an actor cruelly stalked by a mentally ill woman. NPR’s Glen Weldon writes that it’s both disturbing and embarrassing, because it paints queer sexuality as something that happens to people.
Books : Amy Tan, best known for writing The Joy of Luck club, had no intention of writing a book in 2016. She was depressed about the state of the world and tried to get lost in nature by watching birds. This experience inspired his latest book, The chronicles of backyard birds.
Music: St. Vincent tells NPR that his new album, All born screamingis an exercise in “tension and release” — with a few moments that resemble sonic “jump scares.”
Theater: The new Broadway play Stereophonic features music by Will Butler of Arcade Fire. It offers a hyperrealistic look at the costs and glories of artistic creation.
Games: Tales of Kenzera: ZAU has everything you love in a video game: sprawling levels, fluid movement, fast-paced combat, and a lush soundtrack. Additionally, her story provides a profound lesson about grief and the power we hold in the face of indescribable loss.
Quiz: The results of each week’s NPR news quiz may hit you right in the gut. I was rated “fully adequate” for my 9/1 rating. How will you do ?
3 things to know before you leave
Rick Mangnall remembers the time he was rescued after a serious car accident by two Hispanic men in an old white pickup truck.
Rick Mangnall
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Rick Mangnall
Rick Mangnall remembers the time he was rescued after a serious car accident by two Hispanic men in an old white pickup truck.
Rick Mangnall
- Rick Mangnall got stuck on the road in 2008 after a serious car accident. He says he will never forget the gesture of comfort his unsung hero gave him when two men in a white van stopped to help him.
- More than 280 popular musicians, including Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan and Diplo, signed a letter urging lawmakers to reform the concert ticketing system.
- Chicago woman accuses American Airlines of racial discrimination after a flight attendant allegedly confronted her for using the plane’s first-class restroom.
This newsletter was published by Majd Al-Waheidi.
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