Large protest outside White House correspondents’ dinner. “With hundreds of protesters rallying against the war in Gaza outside the event and concerns over the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the perils for journalists covering the conflict, the war hung over this year’s event. But speakers inside made only passing mention of the conflict despite some having to run a gauntlet of demonstrators. Biden’s speech, which lasted around 10 minutes, made no mention of the ongoing war or the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. ….Chants accused U.S. journalists of under-covering the war and misrepresenting it. ….Other protesters lay sprawled motionless on the pavement, next to mock-ups of flak vests with ‘press’ insignia.” https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/chants-of-shame-on-you-greet-guests-arriving-for-the-annual-white-house-correspondents-dinner/3603024/
More than 200 homes seriously damaged by tornadoes in Nebraska and Iowa. “Dozens of reported tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging at least 150 homes in Omaha alone. But no fatalities were reported, and fewer than two dozen people were treated at Omaha-area hospitals, said Dr. Lindsay Huse, health director of the city’s Douglas County Health Department. ….After hitting the airport, the storm moved into Iowa, taking aim at the small town of Minden. Forty to 50 homes were completely destroyed. Two injuries were reported but none were life-threatening, said Jeff Theulen, chief deputy of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, at a late Friday briefing.” https://apnews.com/article/tornado-midwest-nebraska-iowa-missouri-kansas-f12770a52d1644d88c1dea1b92bc9903
More than 100 protesters arrested at Northeastern University. “‘The quads on Northeastern’s Boston campus are reserved by the division of Student Life for scheduled university events. Students currently demonstrating on Centennial Quad do not have authorization and are in violation of the Code of Student Conduct. Those who are not affiliated with Northeastern are trespassing. The university will take action accordingly.’ said the University administration. ….The anti-war protest was peaceful and organized by students, said Northeastern sophomore Alina Caudle. She said the vast majority of people participating were students and decried the university for claiming otherwise and supporting the arrest of students. ‘It shouldn’t be a partisan issue, it should be simple. We don’t want innocent lives to be lost. We don’t want children to be killed and buried in mass graves,’ she said. Mass State Police said 102 people were arrested and face trespassing and disorderly conduct charges and are being transported to the Suffolk County House of Correction to be booked and processed.” https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/multiple-people-arrested-during-protests-at-northeastern-university/3351906/
72 arrested at Arizona State University. “12News cameras were rolling as DPS troopers and ASU police officers cleared an encampment and arrested dozens of protesters. ….At 8:45 a.m. Friday morning, pro-Palestinian protesters started gathering in front of ASU’s Old Main in Tempe, vowing to stay put. ….At 9:09 a.m. on Friday, cell phone footage shows police arresting one of three people charged with criminal trespassing. By 9:13 a.m. police moved in and tore down tents, saying the lawn is reserved space and tents were not allowed. At 10:15 a.m. a few counter-protestors showed up with Israeli flags, saying the past seven months have been extremely aggressive and they have not felt the same safety and security as they did before. ….At 4:43 p.m. police were working to separate pro-Palestinian protestors and Israeli protesters. ….At 11:15 p.m. officers and DPS troopers arrived in riot gear. At midnight, they started to clear empty tents and detain protestors. The sweep began after law enforcement declared the protests an unlawful assembly.” https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/asu-pro-palestine-protest-timeline/75-9a202d10-7aab-4d7b-9600-0f653172dea0
Supreme Court conservatives accused of ‘creative constitutionalism’ on presidential immunity. “The Supreme Court’s conservatives often accuse liberals of inventing provisions nowhere to be found in the Constitution. Now, the fingers are pointed in the other direction. At the attention-grabbing arguments this week over Donald Trump’s claim of sweeping presidential immunity from criminal prosecution, the six-member conservative bloc seemed largely unconcerned by a key flaw in Trump’s theory: Nothing in the Constitution explicitly mentions the concept of presidential immunity. ….Two years ago, conservatives relied on a strict interpretation of the Constitution’s text and original meaning to overturn the federal right to abortion. But on Thursday, as they debated whether Trump can be prosecuted for his bid to subvert the 2020 election, they seemed content to engage in a free-form balancing exercise where they weighed competing interests and practical consequences. ….’The framers did not put an immunity clause into the Constitution. They knew how to. There were immunity clauses in some state constitutions. They knew how to give legislative immunity. They didn’t provide immunity to the president,’ said [liberal Justice Elena] Kagan, an appointee of President Barack Obama. ‘And, you know, not so surprising. They were reacting against a monarch who claimed to be above the law.’ Arguing for the Justice Department and special counsel Jack Smith, attorney Michael Dreeben emphasized that the court would effectively be announcing judge-made law if it says presidents are entitled to criminal immunity. ‘There is no immunity that is in the Constitution, unless this Court creates it,’ Dreeben declared. ‘There certainly is no textual immunity. … I think it would be a sea change to announce a sweeping rule of immunity that no president has had or has needed.'” https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/27/supreme-court-trump-immunity-00154744 George W. Bush didn’t need immunity, because he was never even prosecuted!
University changes its protest rules day before demonstration. “Indiana University changed its policy on encampments one day before pro-Palestine protesters began constructing one in Dunn Meadow, changing a decades-old rule and banning unapproved tents, posters and other structures. President Pamela Whitten confirmed the policy change in an email to faculty on April 25, the same day as the encampment protest and after 34 protesters were arrested. Whitten said Provost Rahul Shrivastav created an ad hoc committee after becoming aware of the encampment protest. The group changed a policy [enacted] in 1969. The policy now states structures such as tents and posters must have prior approval. ….In the 1980’s, in response to South African apartheid, students created a ‘tent city’, Law Professor Steve Sanders said with WFIU’s Noon Edition. The shantytown was allowed to continue for weeks. ….’Even if they wanted to seek permission, it was only posted the morning of the planned protest,’ [FIRE attorney Josh] Bleisch said, ‘Practically speaking, it seems like there was no way for them to comply with this new policy, even if they wanted to.'” https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/legal-action-may-be-necessary-after-students-faculty-banned-from-iu-campus.php
More than 60 arrested at Washington University in St. Louis. “Over 60 pro-Palestine protesters were arrested Saturday evening at Washington University after setting up an encampment on the east end of campus including students from Saint Louis University. Students reported their bags being taken away and having their hand’s zip-tied by the police. Hundreds of students, staff and community members marched from Forest Park to Olin Library before police asked them to move. The protestors demanded the university divest from Boeing and other institutions with ties with Israel.” https://unewsonline.com/2024/04/mass-arrests-over-attempted-encampment-at-washington-university/ Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein among those arrested. “Among those arrested and led away to waiting vans Saturday was Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, said Aldermanic President Megan Green, who participated in the protest. ….Stein, Green, and Alderwoman Alisha Sonnier attempted to negotiate with police, seeking ‘a dialogue’ with a university representative.” https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/police-arrest-pro-palestine-protesters-at-washington-university/article_546b79ce-04da-11ef-aa5b-b7d719f4ba9d.html
Emory faculty senate calls for vote of no-confidence in university’s president. “The ECAS faculty motion called Thursday’s protests a ‘peaceful demonstration’ and stated that ‘there was no evidence of violence on the part of protesters and no disruption of teaching and research activities’. The ECAS faculty added that they stand by the university’s Statement of Principles of Free Expression and the right to protest. ‘Be it resolved that the ECAS Faculty expresses a vote of no confidence in President Fenves whose words and actions do not represent the values of ECAS Faculty and the College of Arts and Sciences,’ the motion continued. ….ECAS faculty members are also demanding that all charges be dropped immediately and that the university pay all legal expenses.” https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/emory-university-no-confidence-vote-president-greg-fenves/85-16a73eff-172e-4bc6-ba9c-e0f73ad9e1cc
Columbia University’s senate votes in favor of investigating school’s administration. “A source within the school’s leadership confirmed the details of the resolution, saying it was adopted by a vote of 62-14, with three senate members abstaining. The resolution alleges Columbia President Minouche Shafik, who has been on the job less than a year, violated established protocols when she authorized the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to enter the campus and arrest protesters last week. Specifically, Shafik is accused of violating the due process rights of students and faculty when she authorized officers to enter the campus.” https://www.foxnews.com/politics/columbia-universitys-policy-making-senate-votes-for-resolution-calling-to-investigate-schools-leadership
Little, if any, U.S. media coverage of UFO whistleblower Jason Sands. “There have already been several attempts to discredit Sands, but he was certainly in the US Air Force in some capacity. He has produced valid documents confirming the dates that he commenced and left the service. ….Sands was part of a ‘Red Team’ monitoring the scientists’ communications and watching for potential leaks. He says that as he did that, he heard the researchers discussing contact with multiple alien races. ….’On the missions we did intercept traffic that dealt with what I found very strange. Some of those dealt with some of the other races that are involved. They mentioned the Tall Whites, the Greys … we heard things like that.’ He added there were labs examining material retrieved from UAP crashes, but that he refused an offer to join one of those retrieval teams. ….Saying that a lot of the details of the programme were still classified, he revealed: ‘I can tell you that we’re not alone. We do have some contact [with aliens].’ Sands claims the US Air Force programme to investigate these craft has been running for around 80 years – but the scientists were ‘quite frustrated’ with how much little progress they had made over that time.” https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/usaf-tried-recruit-ufo-crash-32658080
Progressive News Service 