The Bulletin

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• Another hearing for Trump: A month after the presidential election, Donald Trump is set for a civil trial hearing related to his defamation lawsuit against ABC. Here's what we know.
• Johnson vows antisemitism crackdown: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is pledging a congressional "crackdown" on antisemitism at U.S. colleges as students continue to hold pro-Palestinian demonstrations throughout the country. Find out more.
• Abbott vows to defy Biden again: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has questioned President Joe Biden's authority to expand Title IX to protect LGTBQ+ students and teachers, declaring that the Texas Education Agency will ignore the "illegal dictate." Here's what he said.
• University of Florida condemns protests: The University of Florida has said it is "not a daycare" after nine protesters were arrested during pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus on Monday. Get the latest and for more on college protests, read below.
• In the ongoing war in Ukraine, Ukraine fired U.S.-supplied missiles at Crimea in a bid to knock out Moscow's air-defense capabilities on the peninsula it occupies, according to Russian media reports.

Pro-Palestinian student protesters have occupied an academic building at Columbia University, according to videos posted on social media. Footage shows protesters smashing the glass of Hamilton Hall's doors and locking it shut in the early hours of this morning.

Why it matters: Dozens of protesters moved metal gates to barricade doors and blocked the building's entrance with tables and chairs. They also unfurled a banner renaming the building "Hind's Hall"—for Hind Rajab, a 6-year-old Palestinian girl killed during Israel's offensive in Gaza. The student takeover comes after the university started suspending students who defied an ultimatum to leave the pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the campus by a Monday afternoon deadline. The takeover of Hamilton Hall evoked the famous student protests against the Vietnam War at Columbia in 1968 when protesters occupied the same building.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Map Shows Pro-Palestinian College Protests Across US

Business Owners Refuse to Hire Columbia Grads After Pro-Palestinian Protest

Columbia Professor Says Student Protesters Are Being Smeared

Columbia Protest Organizer Khymani James Takes Aim at AOC Amid Backlash

TL/DR: The takeover of Hamilton Hall evoked the famous student protests against the Vietnam War at Columbia in 1968 when protesters occupied the same building.

What happens now? The students are demanding their universities cut financial ties with Israel and divest from companies they say are enabling the war in Gaza. Protests at other universities are also intensifying. House Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to hold a news conference on protests today.

Deeper reading Columbia Protesters Storm Hamilton Hall

Four law enforcement officers were killed in a shootout, and four others were injured as authorities attempted to serve a warrant to a fugitive at a home in Charlotte, North Carolina, police said.

Why it matters: After a three-hour standoff, U.S. Marshals Task Force approached a suspect's house. The man opened fire and was killed in the front yard, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said. A second shooter inside the house fired at officers. CMPD confirmed that Officer Joshua Eyer died from his injuries hours later. Three additional law enforcement officers were killed: one U.S. marshal, and two state Department of Adult Correction officers, identified as Sam Poloche and Alden Elliot. President Joe Biden was briefed and has spoken to Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles to offer condolences and support.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Map Shows States Where Teachers Can Carry Guns

Walmart Shooting as Man Gunned Down Outside South Carolina Store

Philadelphia Shooting: Everything We Know About Eid al-Fitr Event

TL/DR: In total, eight law enforcement officers were shot, and at least one of the suspected shooters was killed.

What happens now? Two other individuals were taken into custody by CMPD as persons of interest. There was additional gunfire from inside of the residence. One individual was identified as a 17-year-old and another as a woman. Jennings said it was the worst shooting his department had seen in more than 30 years. CMPD will lead the investigation.

Deeper reading What We Know About North Carolina Shootout Killing 4 Officers

Joe Biden's polling success ahead of the presidential election may have been short-lived, as a series of polls have now suggested Donald Trump is in the lead.

Why it matters: Recent polls have shown varying results for the upcoming election. Initially, polls indicated a lead for Biden, with one showing a 9-point lead over Trump. However, recent data suggests a shift. A CNN poll of 1212 people conducted by SSRS found that Trump has the support of 49 percent of registered voters, while Biden has the support of 43 percent. Similarly, a University of North Florida poll showed Trump with 47 percent of likely voters, while Biden had 45 percent. A Pew Research Center survey revealed the candidates are virtually tied, with 49 percent for Trump and 48 percent for Biden.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Donald Trump's Women Voter Problem is Getting Worse

Majority of Voters Say Donald Trump Was a Success, Joe Biden Is a Failure

Donald Trump Leads Joe Biden in Every Battleground State: Polling Averages

TL/DR: "The election right now is a toss-up," Scott Lucas, an international politics professor at University College Dublin in Ireland told Newsweek.

What happens now? As these swing states may determine the election result, these polls are arguably more important than national polls—though experts have cautioned against certainty about the election's outcome.

Deeper reading Joe Biden's Polling False Dawn?

U.S. security treaty ally Japan recorded intensive maneuvers by the Russian and Chinese navies in its surrounding waters in the past year, with both neighbors frequently transiting near its territory as their ships sailed in and out of the expansive waters of the Pacific Ocean, government data shows.

Why it matters: A Newsweek map, utilizing a year of the Joint Staff's geospatial data, shows increased Chinese and Russian naval movements near Japan, particularly through crucial straits like Tsugaru, Tsushima, and Miyako. In fiscal year 2023, Japan's Self-Defense Forces noted 133 instances of close or suspicious naval activities by these nations across Japan's archipelago, per the Defense Ministry's records. This marked an escalation from the previous years, with interceptions by Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Forces increasing to 132, nearly double the 67 reported in fiscal year 2021.

Read more in-depth coverage:

US Ally's Map Reveals Positions of Chinese Destroyers

'Most Complex Security Environment Since WWII,' Says Japanese PM

Russian Military Planes Intercepted in the Sea of Japan

TL/DR: The Japanese Defense Ministry has released more than 100 reports of suspicious ship movements in the past 12 months.

What happens now? In an exclusive interview with Newsweek, Fumio Kishida said, “We will continue to pursue comprehensively a 'mutually beneficial relationship,' and I believe that we must engage in a significant amount of communication with China to realize the kind of relationship I have just described."

Deeper reading Japan Map Shows Where it Intercepted Chinese and Russian Warships

Drivers across the U.S. are struggling with the growing cost of car insurance, which rose 2.6% in March from February and 22.2% from a year earlier, according to the latest data on inflation shared by the Labor Department.

Why it matters: The growing cost of car insurance, which has shot up by over 20% in a year, is weighing on Americans' finances. The cost of car insurance surged over 50% since the beginning of 2021 before inflation led to the peaks reached in the summer of 2022. Insurance Information Institute director Mark Friedlander attributes "more accidents, higher repair costs, escalating vehicle thefts, rising medical bills, more litigated claims and a high volume of storm losses" to this sharp increase in price.

Read more in-depth coverage:

Car Insurance Prices Surge

Drivers Slapped with Record High Insurance Rates: 'It Is Devastating'

Uninsured Drivers Soar in Florida as Insurance Crisis Deepens

TL/DR: The growing cost of car insurance, which has shot up by over 20% in a year, is weighing on Americans' finances.

What happens now? Licensed insurance agent Shannon Martin anticipates “increases throughout the year” as the cost of vehicle parts and labor has remained above pre-pandemic levels, and the likelihood of extreme weather claims is still rising.

Deeper reading America's Car Insurance Crisis Is Getting Worse