News Wrap: Police clear pro-Palestinian encampments at 3 more universities

Amna Nawaz:

In the day's other headlines: Police moved in to clear out pro-Palestinian encampments at three universities across the country.

Lisa Desjardins has the story.

Lisa Desjardins:

Before sunrise, police arrived at the University of Pennsylvania to disband a two-week pro-Palestinian encampment. Some demonstrators were hauled away and more than 30 people were arrested.

Governor Josh Shapiro said they were warned.

Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA):

By the — their own admission, the leaders at the University of Pennsylvania have made clear that those protesters, those who are living in the so-called encampments, are violating the rules of the university and in some cases the laws of the city of Philadelphia.

Lisa Desjardins:

In Boston, a similar pre-dawn scene at MIT. Police removed tents and barriers.

Protester:

We will be back!

(Applause)

Lisa Desjardins:

Ten protesters were arrested, but some remained defiant.

Protesters:

We will be back!

Mohamed, Encampment Organizer:

It's actually quite embarrassing. They had hundreds of riot gear officers, state troopers all to come down for a student encampment that was peaceful throughout its time here.

Lisa Desjardins:

And, in Tucson, riot police at the University of Arizona fired tear gas at protesters and broke down wood and plastic barriers.

At least one commencement speaker has canceled. Author Colson Whitehead will no longer address the University of Massachusetts Amherst graduation ceremony, writing on social media that: "Calling the cops on peaceful protesters is a shameful act."

Elsewhere, an act of mass applause.

Man:

Asna Tabassum.

(Cheering and applause)

Lisa Desjardins:

At the University of Southern California, cheers for Asna Tabassum.

Man:

You may not know this, but Asna is USC's 2024 valedictorian.

(Cheering and applause)

Lisa Desjardins:

A prominent student activist, the university canceled her speech, but students at an awards ceremony gave her a standing ovation.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.

Amna Nawaz:

There were also arrests at New Mexico State University last night. Police charged 13 people after a school building was damaged and vandalized.

Protests over the war in Gaza are also making headlines at this year's Eurovision song contest in Malmo, Sweden. It's the world's biggest live musical event. Israeli singer Eden Golan has made tomorrow's finals after modifying her song. Organizers ruled that the original, about the October 7 Hamas attack in Israel, was too political.

On Thursday, more than 10,000 demonstrators took to the streets. Security confined Golan to her hotel room while she's not performing.

In Ukraine, the battlefront has shifted to the Kharkiv region in the Northeast. Overnight, Russian forces bombarded the city of Vovchansk near the border, and ground troops invaded this morning. Ukrainian authorities sent in reinforcements and said they blocked the Russian advance, but they ordered the evacuation of 3,000 people. The White House said U.S. officials believe the Russians now aim to create a new buffer zone inside Kharkiv.

The death toll from flooding in Brazil rose to 113 today. Days of heavy rain have battered the country's south, and floods have driven more than 300,000 people from their homes. Soldiers have been out rescuing survivors in inundated areas. But some who relocated to makeshift shelters say they're being plagued by thieves.

Aparecida de Fatima Fagundes, Brazilian Flood Survivor (through interpreter):

A man went to work and asked them to look after his mattress. They took his mattress and clothes while I was standing here with my back turned. It's crazy. This person is already at the bottom, and now he will sink even deeper.

Amna Nawaz:

Amid the chaos of the floods, the rescue of a horse gained widespread attention on Thursday. The animal, named Caramelo, had climbed atop the roof of a submerged house as the water rose and stayed there for days. He's now recovering at a veterinary hospital.

Back in this country, the Federal Aviation Administration won't run out of money tonight after all. Last night, the Senate approved $105 billion over five years for the FAA. The measure will pay for more air traffic controllers and additional safety inspectors. It also funds new technology to prevent runway collisions. Current funding was extended for a week until the House can vote on the new bill.

Two public schools in Northwest Virginia are getting their old names back for Confederate figures Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Turner Ashby. The Shenandoah County School Board dropped those names four years ago, but, early today, a new school board reversed that decision after a heated six-hour meeting. The majority said the previous board ignored popular sentiment.

On Wall Street today, stocks had a quiet day. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 125 points to close at 39512. The Nasdaq fell five points. The S&P 500 was up about eight.

And a sky show is in the works for this weekend. A solar storm is coming, and it's so powerful that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued its first geomagnetic storm watch in 20 years. Satellites and power grids could be at risk. Solar flares of plasma began erupting on Wednesday. The effects could be visible by tonight, creating the so-called Northern Lights much farther south than usual.