Columbia University Becomes the Epicenter of Pro-Palestine Protests [Full News Memo]

TikTok ban, Horses run through London, Noncompete agreements banned, Harvey Weinstein trial verdict overturned, $95B aid package to Ukraine

Share The News Memo with your friends and earn awards :) Click the button to learn more.

---

P.S. In this week’s memo:

• Columbia University Becomes the Epicenter of Pro-Palestine Protests

• The Silent War in Sudan Reaching a ‘crisis of epic proportions’

• GetSmart: ✈️ The DIY Aircraft 

  ---

Newsbites

---

Horses run through London: Five horses got loose and galloped through London colliding with vehicles and injuring four people who were brought to the hospital. (video) Loud construction sounds shocked the horses, which jolted away during a military ceremonial practice, and unseated four military members in the process. One of the horses that was white was covered in bright red blood as it sprinted through the cobblestone roads. The four injured Brits are facing non-life threatening injuries. The horses were eventually recovered five miles from where they took off. 

---

Employee Noncompete Agreements Banned: The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a ban on noncompete agreements this week. A noncompete is “a legal agreement or clause in a contract specifying that an employee must not enter into competition with an employer after the employment period is over.” In a 3-2 vote, the FTC ruled noncompetes unfairly restrict competition for labor, keep wages lower, and reduce new business formation. In response, large business lobbying groups have filed legal challenges. Proponents of noncompetes say they are necessary to prevent trade secrets and investments from being divulged and copied. However, the FTC said there are alternatives to protect these things, such as non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and trade secret laws.

More: The FTC estimates roughly 20% of employees are subject to noncompetes. The ruling will go into effect in about 120 days, and will render existing noncompetes unenforceable.

---

$95B Foreign Aid Package: The U.S. Senate passed a $95B bill that includes aid for Ukraine ($61B), Israel ($17B), Taiwan ($8B), and humanitarian aid ($9B) for Palestinians in Gaza, along with civilians in other conflict zones around the world, such as in Haiti and Sudan. Weapons and military equipment will be immediately sent to Ukraine, who had increasingly been calling on the U.S. for more help in its fight against Russia. The aid package, which passed 79-18 in the Senate, was log jammed in Congress for months over disagreements about the U.S.’ role in the war. President Biden had first called for additional resources to Ukraine in the fall of 2023.

---

TikTok: President Biden signed a bill into law that would shut down TikTok in the U.S. unless it is sold to new ownership within a year. The law, which does not affect TikTok today, was tucked into the $95B aid package for Ukraine and Israel that Biden signed this week. Legislators in D.C. have long tried to ban TikTok since its launch in 2017 due to Chinese ownership and influence. Others, like Donald Trump, argue banning the app could set a precedent of censorship.

More: Roughly half of the U.S. uses TikTok (170M). According to Pew Research Center, one-third of Americans under the age of 30 get their news from TikTok.

---

Weinstein Trial Sentence Overturned: New York’s highest court overturned the Weinstein trial verdict, which convicted the disgraced Hollywood producer of rape and sexual assault in 2020. The court said the trial made fundamental errors and included accuser testimonies that were not relevant to the case. “The remedy for these egregious errors is a new trial,” the court said. Even with a new trial now pending, Weinstein, 72, is not off the hook. He faces other convictions such as a 16-year prison sentence from a California court for rape and assault charges. A new trial could demand victims go through the process of testifying their stories again on a national stage.

---

Main Stories

---

Columbia University Becomes the Epicenter of Pro-Palestine Protests Across the Country

What’s going on?
Columbia University is facing a string of pro-Palestine protests and tent encampment on campus. University president Minouche Shafik moved classes online for multiple days in order to “de-escalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps.” 100 protestors were arrested on Monday after Shafik called in the New York City Police Department to clear the encampment for trespassing.

• Video of protests and tent encampment at Columbia.

The student protestors demand three things (see student press conference here)

1. A “complete divestment” of funds tied in any way to Israel - this would include the university’s endowment fund money.

2. Provide “financial transparency for all investments.”

3. Ensure amnesty for students and faculty fired or arrested because of the protests.

Insight: Columbia University, located in the heart of New York City, has a large Jewish student body (top #15 in the country). It also has a popular degree program focused on the Middle East.

President Minouche Shafik is facing tension from every side. The student body is calling for her resignation for calling a police presence and not addressing their demands. At the same time, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is calling for her resignation for allowing antisemitic rhetoric and actions across campus. 

Hamas and Iran praise protestors
Izzat Al-Risheq, a leader of Hamas in Palestine, released a statement praising the protests "because of their rejection of the genocide that our Palestinian people are the subjected in the Gaza Strip at the hands of the neo-Nazi Zionists…. today's students are the leaders of the future."

• Seeing both sides: An interview featuring a Jewish student and a pro-Palestine student.

Protests spread across the country
Although Columbia became the epicenter of the pro-Palestine protests, dozens of universities across the country are also experiencing the same type of movement. Here is a list of a few:

• University of Southern California has canceled its main commencement event due to protests.

• University of Texas, Austin: 30 student protestors were arrested by police on Wednesday. Police used riot gear to push protestors back.

• Emerson College, Boston: 108 protestors were arrested on Thursday and four police officers were injured.

• Harvard University: A large tent encampment has been present on campus for multiple days. Leaders of the encampment say they will not leave until their demands are met.

Major Donor Robert Kraft pulls funding from Columbia University
Billionaire owner of the New England Patriots decided to pull nearly all funding from his Alma Mater Columbia University. Kraft, who is Jewish, said he was “deeply saddened at the virulent hate that continues to grow on campus and throughout our country.”

“I am no longer confident that Columbia can protect its students and staff and I am not comfortable supporting the university until corrective action is taken.”

Kraft will continue to fund the Kraft Center for Jewish Student Life on campus which is named after himself.

---

The Silent War in Sudan Reaching a ‘crisis of epic proportions’

While the wars in Ukraine and Gaza have occupied the world’s attention, a deadly war in the African country of Sudan, which began a year ago, has been growing. It has resulted in the deaths of more than 14,000 people, tens of thousands injured, and millions of displaced civilians.