AP-Newswatch

NEW YORK (AP) — Standoffs between pro-Palestinian protesters and U.S. college administrators appear to be coming to a head. Columbia University in New York limited campus access after protesters took over a building early Tuesday. The school promised that they would face expulsion. Police moved to clear an encampment at Yale University in Connecticut. But at Northwestern University, near Chicago, school officials and protesters have reached agreement to allow demonstrations through the end of spring classes. Protesters on campuses nationwide are angry about the Israel-Hamas war and its mounting death toll. Cease-fire negotiations appear to be gaining steam, but it’s unclear if that could inspire protesters to ease their efforts.

Netanyahu vows to invade Rafah ‘with or without a deal’ as cease-fire talks with Hamas continue

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to launch an incursion into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering from the almost 7-month-long war. Netanyahu’s comments came hours before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel to advance the truce talks that appear to be one of the most serious rounds of negotiations between Israel and Hamas since the war began. The deal is meant to free hostages, bring some relief to the population and avert an Israeli offensive into Rafah and the potential harm to civilians there.

4 officers killed in North Carolina were at disadvantage as shots rained from above, police say

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Police in North Carolina say they’re still sorting out how four officers were killed and four others wounded Monday in suburban Charlotte. But they know the officers were at a disadvantage when immediately faced with gunfire from an upstairs position inside a home. A task force made up of state, federal and local officers were trying to arrest a man for a gun crime. That man, Terry Clark Hughes Jr., also died. Mayor Vi Lyles says Charlotte won’t be the last place that police are killed, but that Charlotte will be a place that “will heal with dignity and respect.”

US drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country. The DEA’s proposal still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget. It would recognize the medical use cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana. The agency’s move was confirmed to The Associated Press on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review,

Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others

LONDON (AP) — A 14-year-old boy has been killed and four others have been injured by a man wielding a sword who attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb. Police said that a 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. Chief Supt. Stuart Bell said the violence wasn’t being treated as terror-related or a “targeted attack.” Two police officers were hospitalized for stab wounds. Two other people were also injured. The Metropolitan Police said they were called early Tuesday to reports of a vehicle being driven into a house and people being stabbed close to the Hainault subway station.

Democrats say they will save Speaker Mike Johnson’s job if Republicans try to oust him

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats will vote to save Speaker Mike Johnson’s job should some Republican lawmakers seek to remove him from the position, avoiding a repeat of when eight Republicans joined with Democrats to oust his predecessor, former Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Johnson’s moving forward with aid for Ukraine as part of a $95 billion emergency spending package this month angered many in his conference. It would take only a handful of Republicans to remove Johnson from the position if the Democratic conference went along with the effort. But Democratic leaders took that possibility off the table on Tuesday.

Binance founder Changpeng Zhao sentenced to 4 months for allowing money laundering

SEATTLE (AP) — Former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao has been sentenced to four months in prison for allowing rampant money laundering on the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. A judge on Tuesday credited Zhao for taking responsibility for his wrongdoing. But he said he was troubled by the Binance founder’s decision to ignore U.S. banking requirements that would have slowed the company’s explosive growth. The sentence was far less than the three years prosecutors had sought. But defense attorneys had asked that Zhao spend no time in prison. Zhao pleaded guilty in November to one count of failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program.

Mammograms should start at 40 to address rising breast cancer rates at younger ages, panel says

Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger — at age 40. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force announced the updated guidance Tuesday. It also says women ages 40 to 74 should get screened every other year. Previously, it said women could choose to start breast cancer screening as young as 40, with a stronger recommendation that women get the exams every two years starting at age 50. The nudge toward earlier screening is meant to address the increasing incidence of breast cancer among women in their 40s and the higher breast cancer death rate among Black women compared to white women.

‘Hell’s Kitchen’ and ‘Stereophonic’ lead Tony Award nominations, 2 shows honoring creativity’s spark

NEW YORK (AP) — Two Broadway shows celebrating the origins of sonic creativity — the musical “Hell’s Kitchen” fueled by Alicia Keys songs, and the play “Stereophonic” about a ’70s rock band at the edge of stardom — each earned a leading 13 Tony Award nominations Tuesday. The list also saw a record number of women nominated for best director. A total of 28 shows earned a Tony nod or more, with the musical “The Outsiders,” an adaptation of the beloved S. E. Hinton novel and the Francis Ford Coppola film, earning 12 nominations, and a starry revival of “Cabaret” starring Eddie Redmayne, nabbing nine. The Tonys are set for June 16.