By In Friday’s newsletter: Student demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war continue to erupt at colleges across the country. The second and third rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft are tonight. The first-ever “border czar” says Americans should separate immigration policy from border security.
🙋🏼‍♀️ Hi I’m Nicole Fallert, welcome to the Daily Briefing. Whew, we’ve made it to Friday. Perhaps I’ll unwind today by hugging a tree or writing a poem.
College protests over Gaza are spreading
From Los Angeles to Indiana to Ohio to Massachusetts, students at more than 30 schools in 16 states are demonstrating against the Israel-Hamas war.
A lot has happened in just a few days: Hundreds of people arrested on campuses. Graduations canceled. Classes moved online. Congress weighed in. President Joe Biden condemned the demonstrations. Hamas and Iran praised them.
Check out USA TODAY’s searchable database to see where campus protests are happening.
Every team’s pick in 2024 NFL draft first round
The first round of the 2024 NFL draft featured plenty of surprises, including a record six quarterbacks flying off the board in the first 12 picks and an all-time high of 23 offensive players being claimed. To the surprise of absolutely no one, former USC QB Caleb Williams officially arrived with the No. 1 overall pick. The aftermath leaves plenty of intrigue and controversy ahead of the draft’s next two days … along with runaway optimism and, perhaps, relief in other quarters. The event is only partly complete, but it feels like most of its major lead-in questions were answered. Read more
More news to know now
What’s the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
Harvey Weinstein’s rape conviction overturned
In a stunning turn of events, a New York appeals court has overturned embattled Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, after finding that the judge for the trial handed down improper rulings. Thursday’s decision means a new trial for Weinstein, who will continue serving a 16-year prison sentence stemming from a 2022 California conviction for rape. What does the decision mean for the #MeToo movement?
Should Americans be worried about the border?Â
Texas is testing the limits of what states can do to control immigration. As the pioneering first “border czar” of the state, Mike Banks is advising Gov. Greg Abbott’s evolving – and controversial – border security strategy even as the Biden administration fights Texas’ tactics in federal court. Banks spoke to USA TODAY about his views on cartel threats, concertina wire and comprehensive immigration reform. He says, yes, Americans should be concerned.
Keep scrolling
Donald Trump’s strange split screen court moment this week
This week, the Supreme Court took on one of the most important questions a democracy can face: Can a former president be held criminally accountable for their actions in office? More than 300 miles away, at a courthouse in lower Manhattan, the former publisher of a supermarket tabloid testified about a former president’s efforts to quash damaging tales of extramarital trysts with a porn star and a nude model in a case based on $130,000 in hush money payments. At the center of both? The same ex-president, Donald Trump.
Photo of the day:Â Athens turns a vivid orange
Clouds of dust blew in from the Sahara Desert this week, Athens and parts of southern Greece turned into a vivid shade of orange.
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.
