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Violence erupts at some pro-Palestinian campus protests
The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion, with police carrying riot shields bursting into a building that protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of arrests. On the other side of the country, clashes broke out early Wednesday between dueling groups at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). And police and protesters clashed at the University of Arizona’s Tuscon campus, according to the Arizona Daily Star.
New York City officers entered Columbia’s campus late Tuesday after the university requested help, according to a statement released by a spokesperson. A tent encampment on the school’s grounds was cleared, along with Hamilton Hall where a stream of officers used a ladder to climb through a second-floor window to get in.
Selcuk Acar / Anadolu via Getty Images
Protesters calling on the Ivy League university to stop doing business with Israel or companies that support the war in Gaza had seized the hall about 20 hours earlier.
“After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice,” the school said. “The decision to reach out to the NYPD was in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause they are championing. We have made it clear that the life of campus cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules and the law.”
Police spokesman Carlos Nieves said he had no immediate reports of any injuries. The arrests occurred after protesters shrugged off an earlier ultimatum to abandon the encampment Monday or be suspended and unfolded as other universities stepped up efforts to end demonstrations that were inspired by Columbia.
Meanwhile, violence broke out at UCLA overnight between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters. Police wearing face shields formed a line but didn’t immediately intervene.
People threw chairs and shoved and kicked one another. Some armed with sticks beat others. Before police arrived, a group piled on one person on the ground, kicking and beating the person until others pulled them out of the scrum.
ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP via Getty Images
“Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support,” Mary Osako, a senior UCLA official, told the campus newspaper the Daily Bruin.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke to the university’s chancellor and said police would respond to the school’s request, according to a post on social media platform X from her spokesperson Zach Seidl.
The clashes took place just outside a tent encampment, where pro-Palestinian protesters erected barricades and plywood for protection – and counter-protesters tried to pull them down.
Security was tightened Tuesday at the campus after officials said there were “physical altercations” between factions of protesters.
Police have swept through other campuses across the U.S. over the last two weeks, leading to confrontations and more than 1,000 arrests. In rarer instances, university officials and protest leaders struck agreements to restrict the disruption to campus life and upcoming commencement ceremonies.
Just blocks away from Columbia, at The City College of New York, demonstrators were in a standoff with police outside the public college’s main gate. Video posted on social media by reporters on-scene late Tuesday showed officers putting some people to the ground and shoving others as they cleared people from the street and sidewalks. Many detained protesters were driven away on city buses.
After police arrived, officers lowered a Palestinian flag atop the City College flagpole, balled it up and tossed it to the ground before raising an American flag.
Brown University, another member of the Ivy League, reached an agreement Tuesday with protesters on its Rhode Island campus. Demonstrators said they would close their encampment in exchange for administrators taking a vote to consider divestment from Israel in October. The compromise appeared to mark the first time a U.S. college has agreed to vote on divestment in the wake of the protests.
The Arizona Daily Star says officers in riot gear and gas masks fired what they called non-lethal chemical munition weapons as they moved in on demonstrators at the University of Arizona’s Tucson campus. The paper says some arrests were made and “shoving matches break out between some protesters and advancing officers, and a barrage of items is thrown in the air, toward the officers, in the loud, chaotic scene” before protesters retreated and the encampment was broken up.
Columbia’s police action happened on the 56th anniversary of a similar move to quash an occupation of Hamilton Hall by students protesting racism and the Vietnam War.
The police department earlier Tuesday said officers wouldn’t enter the grounds without the college administration’s request or an imminent emergency. Now, law enforcement will be there through May 17, the end of the university’s commencement events.
In a letter to senior NYPD officials, Columbia President Minouche Shafik said the administration made the request that police remove protesters from the occupied building and a nearby tent encampment “with the utmost regret.”
Shafik also referenced the idea, first put forward by New York City Mayor Eric Adams earlier in the day, that the group that occupied Hamilton was “led by individuals who are not affiliated with the university.”
Neither provided specific evidence to back up that contention, which was disputed by protest organizers and participants.
NYPD officials made similar claims about “outside agitators” during the huge, grassroots demonstrations against racial injustice that erupted across the city after the death of George Floyd in 2020. In some instances, top police officials falsely labeled peaceful marches organized by well-known neighborhood activists as the work of violent extremists.
Before officers arrived at Columbia, the White House condemned the standoffs there and at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, where protesters had occupied two buildings for more than a week until officers with batons intervened early Tuesday and arrested 25 people.
President Biden believes students occupying an academic building is “absolutely the wrong approach,” said National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby.
Later, former President Donald Trump called into Sean Hannity’s show on the Fox News Channel to comment on Columbia’s turmoil as live footage of police clearing Hamilton Hall aired. Trump praised the officers. “But it should never have gotten to this,” he told Hannity.
The nationwide campus protests began at Columbia in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. Vowing to stamp out Hamas, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry.
As cease-fire negotiations appeared to gain steam, it wasn’t clear whether those talks would inspire an easing of protests.
Israel and its supporters have branded the university protests as antisemitic, while Israel’s critics say it uses those allegations to silence opposition. Although some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, organizers of the protests, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at defending Palestinian rights and protesting the war.
The number of people killed and/or wounded in shootings over the Fourth of July week in the U.S. dipped this year, making it the fourth year in a row gun violence around July 4 has dropped, according to a tally by the Gun Violence Archive.
From July 1 to July 7, 340 people were killed and 756 were wounded for a total of 1,096 shooting victims across the U.S., according to the Gun Violence Archive. In 2023, the week of July 4 in the U.S. saw 451 people shot and killed and another 1,130 wounded. These numbers exclude those who died by suicide.
The archive also recorded 20 mass shootings —which it defines as a shooting in which four or more people are shot and/or killed, not including the shooter— over Fourth of July week this year. That was down from 28 a year ago.
Chicago, which saw a spike in gun violence this year, had the most shootings and deaths over the 2024 holiday, with more than 100 shot and 19 killed since Wednesday, according to the Chicago Police Department. That was a 91% increase in shooting victims compared with last year.
In 2022, the Illinois suburb of Highland Park was the site of a devastating mass shooting in which seven people were killed and dozens more were wounded when a gunman opened fire on the city’s Fourth of July parade. That parade returned this year for the first time since the shooting.
Gun violence in Chicago made Illinois have the most individual shooting incidents of any state over the holiday week this year. California also saw a fairly high number of shooting incidents this year, which is unsurprising given that it is the nation’s most populous state.
The number of shooting victims over the Fourth of July week has been dropping every year since 2020, but they still remain above 2019 levels. That year, there were 1,177 total victims, with 318 deaths and another 859 people wounded. The numbers then spiked in 2020, when 536 people were killed and 1,172 were wounded, for a total of 1,708 gunshot victims.
The Gun Violence Archive also recorded 34 mass shootings in 2020, the highest number over the last six years and a leap up from 18 in 2019.
The U.S. has also seen a slight dip in gun violence overall in the first half of 2024 compared with last year. From Jan. 1 through June 30 of last year, 9,683 people were killed and 18,630 people were wounded in shootings. Over that same period this year, 8,539 were killed with another 16,192 were wounded.
— Erin Cauchi and Anna Schechter contributed reporting.
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The best Apple AirPods deals ahead of Prime Day 2024 offer great audio at record low prices
Apple
When it comes to headphones, Apple AirPods are massively popular. These crowd-pleasing earbuds pair easily with Apple devices (like your iPhone) and sound great, too. If you’re ready to see what all the fuss is about, you can save some serious cash on each model of the customer-loved earbuds right now, thanks to some must-see early Amazon Prime Day deals.
The second-generation AirPods Pro are Apple’s premium earbuds, with excellent noise cancellation, spatial audio, and waterproofing that makes them ideal candidates for wearing at the gym. There are also the more affordable AirPods that are great for casual listening. For Apple users wanting high-end over-ear headphones, AirPods Max are great for immersive sound.
Not sure which type of AirPods will work best for you? Be sure to check out our in-depth AirPods buyer’s guide for all the info you need to make a purchasing decision before these pre-Prime Day deals go away.
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation: $169 ($80 off)
Apple
With up to 30 hours of battery life via their charging case, the sleek Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation wireless earbuds deliver exceptional listening time.
These upgraded earbuds surpass the original AirPods Pro in every way. An improved wireless chip and enhanced active noise cancellation give you an immersive listening experience, and their attractive curves make them even more pleasing to the eye.
For anyone who appreciates lengthy battery life and the very best sound quality, these are a fantastic choice. With all the upgrades over the previous model, the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation represent Apple’s most advanced earbuds yet.
This version of the AirPods now comes with a USB Type-C charging case that also supports wireless charging. Another feature we love: the touch controls built into the stems.
Regularly $249, you can score Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $169 at the Walmart Deals sale or at Amazon as an early Prime Day deal.
Apple AirPods (2nd Generation): $69 ($60 off)
Apple
Though not the newest model, the second-generation Apple AirPods are still a popular choice when it comes to earbuds. Keep in mind, these are not the Pro model, but they’re still worth grabbing.
For Apple users, these are the most seamless earbuds around. They connect effortlessly whenever you need them. While they work with any Bluetooth device that generates audio, they function at their best when they’re paired with an Apple device, such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, iMac or MacBook.
With a wireless charging case providing more than 24 hours of battery life, one-tap setup for Apple devices, and a low-latency wireless connection for immersive entertainment, it’s easy to see why these earbuds are a hit and continue to sell out.
If you want an affordable option with broad appeal, this version of the AirPods make an excellent everyday wireless earbud option.
Right now, you can grab a pair of AirPods (2nd Generation) for just $69, one of the lowest prices we’ve seen.
Apple AirPods (3rd generation): $129 ($74 off)
Apple
If you don’t need the fanciest AirPods, but still want something new, check out the third generation of the original AirPods. These are perfect for staying current and for everyday use — without breaking the bank.
These AirPods come packed with features like spatial audio, dynamic head tracking and longer battery life. You can get about 30 hours with the included MagSafe charging case. They’re not as advanced at the AirPods Pro 2nd Generation, but they generate really impressive audio.
These AirPods still receive regular Apple updates, so you’ll still get most of the new goodies the other newer models get.
Apple AirPods Max (Pink): $450 ($99 off)
Amazon
If you want to indulge in a luxurious pair of premium quality headphones and you’re already an Apple user, look no further than the AirPods Max. These headphones look just as good as they sound. And in our coverage of the 11 best spatial audio headphones and earbuds for 2024, these were a top pick.
With lavish cushioned ear cups, booming audio, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and absolutely fantastic active noise cancellation, the AirPods Max make a bold statement. Everyone will know what you’re wearing — and they’ll probably be jealous, because these things absolutely bump.
Plus, transparency mode lets you tune into your surroundings when needed. And at 15 hours of playtime, these headphones keep your music flowing all day. Beyond performance, the AirPods Max make a fashion statement with a range of stylish color options.
These are the perfect option for anyone looking for a pair of excellent over-the-ear headphones who also wants something stylish.
Currently, only the Pink AirPods Max colorway is on sale at Amazon for $450, so keep an eye out for the other models if you’re hoping to get another kind.
Target tells its customers to expect more while paying less — but soon, its shoppers won’t be able to purchase anything at all with a once-popular form of payment.
The retail giant said in a statement that it will stop accepting personal checks as payment starting July 15. The change, which was earlier reported by Minneapolis TV station KARE, will take place after Target’s Red Circle week, a sales event that ends on July 13.
The change comes amid waning use of personal checks, a form of payment that 9 in 10 consumers used at least once a year as recently as 2009, according to research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. But today, only about half of Americans write checks at least once a year, with many shifting to digital payments such as Venmo, Zelle or PayPal, GoBankingRates found.
Target pointed to the shift in consumer preferences as its reason to stop accepting personal checks as payment.
“Due to extremely low volumes, we’ll no longer accept personal checks starting July 15,” a Target spokesperson said in an email. “We have taken several measures to notify guests in advance to aid an easy and efficient checkout experience.”
Target will continue to accept cash; digital wallets; buy now, pay later services; and credit and debit cards as well as SNAP/EBT cards, it said.
A few other retailers don’t accept personal checks, including Aldi’s and Whole Foods, with the latter saying it doesn’t allow checks in order to speed up the checkout process.
Even though fewer Americans are writing checks today, they remain popular with older consumers, GoBankingRates found in its survey. About 1 in 5 people over 66 write several checks each month, while about half of people under 55 don’t write a single check the entire year.
