5 vital stories to know this week [4/26]
From protests erupting across college campuses in the US, to the federal government passing the TikTok ban bill, here are 5 stories you need to read.
Over 500 people have been arrested at pro-Palestinian protests at colleges
Demonstrations are erupting across college campuses condemning Israel’s military siege on Gaza and colleges’ funding from the state of Israel. Over 500 people, primarily students and faculty, have been arrested since last week.
The protests first started at Columbia University, where students were holding an encampment, which forced the university to switch to remote learning and the school’s president to bring in local police officers to remove the students. Over 100 people were arrested at Columbia University alone.
Biden signs Israel aid, TikTok ban package after Republican battle
The U.S. passed an aid package that would give billions of dollars in aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. The funding includes roughly $60 billion for Ukraine aid, $26 billion for Israel, and $8 billion for Taiwan and Indo-Pacific security.
The foreign aid package also contains other foreign policy proposals, including a measure to force Chinese TikTok parent company ByteDance to sell the social media platform or else face a national ban on the app. The provision would give ByteDance nine months to a year to sell the app. Since the passage of the bill, ByteDance has firmly stated they would not sell the social media app.
UN calls for investigation into mass graves uncovered at two Gaza hospitals raided by Israel
The United Nations has called for an independent and “transparent” investigation after Gaza officials on the ground discovered two mass graves at two Gaza hospitals that were raided by Israeli troops this past year.
Over 324 bodies were found buried at the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza and at least 381 bodies were found near Al Shifa hospital.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said he was “horrified” by the destruction of the hospitals and the reported discovery of mass graves after Israeli forces withdrew.
“Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law,” Türk said. “And the intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who are ‘hors de combat’ (incapable of engaging in combat) is a war crime.”
Gavin Newsom wants to let Arizona doctors give abortions in California
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a proposal Wednesday that would allow Arizona doctors to give patients abortions in California after the Arizona Supreme Court allowed a near-total abortion ban in the state. The proposal would only apply to doctors licensed in good standing in Arizona and only last through November.
“This Arizona law is the first border-state law that will directly impact the state of California,” the Democratic governor said. “Rather than just acknowledging that fate and future, we’re trying to get ahead of this law.”
Maryland teacher arrested after principal allegedly framed with AI-generated racist rant
Dazhon Darien, a Maryland high school athletics director, has been arrested and charged with stalking and theft after an AI-deep fake audio recording of the school’s principal saying racist and hateful remarks went viral on social media. The deep fake audio included a tirade against Black students, leading to the principal being barraged with threats. One of the deep fake remarks complained about, “ungrateful Black kids who can’t test their way out of a paper bag.”
(Photos from Canva)