Your Morning: Gaza protests grow at colleges nationwide

What’s going on: Students across the U.S. are protesting on college campuses, calling for an end to Israeli military action in Gaza and demanding universities cut financial ties to Israel. While some of the protests have been peaceful, others have led to arrests and suspensions, including at Columbia University. Live updates >

Columbia negotiations: Columbia University announced late Thursday there has been progress with negotiations between administrators and protesters on campus, who are digging in at their encampment for the 10th day Friday. “For several days, a small group of faculty, administrators, and University Senators have been in dialogue with student organizers to discuss the basis for dismantling the encampment, dispersing, and following University policies going forward,” the university said. “We have our demands; they have theirs.” The negotiations come after the university gave protesters a deadline to remove their encampments. If protesters and demonstrators can’t reach an agreement, the university said it would take “alternative options.” President Joe Biden will be in New York City on Friday. His campaign said there have been no discussions of him visiting university protests. At Columbia, more than 100 people were arrested last week. The latest >

USC cancels graduation ceremony: The University of Southern California canceled its main graduation ceremony after dozens of protesters were arrested on campus. College officials across the country worry the ongoing protests could disrupt plans for more commencement ceremonies and are wrestling with how to handle the tension. While some schools have called in police to break up the protests, others appear to be waiting it out in the final days of the semester. Some universities are looking into rewriting their rules to ban encampments, shifting to hybrid learning schedules and moving final exams to new locations. Take a look at who is organizing the protests >

Background: The Israel-Hamas war started after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people. Hamas also took around 250 hostages during the attack. Since the beginning of the war, the Gaza Ministry of Health, which is run by Hamas, reports that more than 34,000 Palestinians have died, many of them civilians. What to know >

Vacation turned nightmare: Oklahoma couple Ryan and Valerie Watson visited Turks and Caicos for a birthday trip earlier this month. But just as they were about to head home, they were stopped by airport security who claimed to have found ammunition in Ryan Watson’s carry-on luggage. He called it a “bonehead mistake” and one that was accidental, but a new law has him facing up to a dozen years in prison. Details >

No answers: Ryan Watson was granted bail Wednesday but is being forced to remain in Turks and Caicos away from his wife and children. There are no answers to when he will be able to return home. His next court date is scheduled for June 7. Valerie Watson was allowed to fly home Tuesday. She said she’s terrified that her husband is facing 12 years in prison for something they say was an honest mistake, and she said their children have been questioning when their dad will be home. “Being in our home without him is really weird. It’s been busy. I really haven’t even spent much time with the kids yet. This is our new reality, and it’s pretty terrible,” Valerie Watson said. Full report >

Differing laws: In the U.S., bullets found by airport security typically result in a fine. In Turks and Caicos, lawmakers passed legislation creating a 12-year minimum prison sentence for anyone caught bringing a firearm or ammunition to the islands. The U.S. government issued a warning Wednesday to tourists heading to the islands. “Carefully check your luggage for stray ammunition or forgotten weapons before departing from the United States. If you bring a firearm or ammunition into TCI, even inadvertently, we will not be able to secure your release from custody,” the U.S. Embassy in Nassau warned. The latest >

What happened: New York’s Court of Appeals on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge presiding over the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with “egregious” rulings. Full breakdown > 

What’s next? The Manhattan district attorney’s office said they “will do everything in our power to retry this case.” Weinstein, 72, will stay behind bars because he was convicted in Los Angeles in 2022 of another rape and sentenced to 16 years. Weinstein has been serving time in New York and could be taken to California to serve his sentence there. Weinstein’s lawyers are appealing his only conviction remaining. A look at past and future cases Weinstein has faced >

What’s going on: Two months after Tennessee teen Sebastian Rogers vanished without a trace from his home, the private investigator hired by his father believes his disappearance is the result of a “domino effect of events.” Sebastian was last seen the night of Feb. 25 in the Hendersonville home of his mom Katie Proudfoot and stepdad Chris Proudfoot. Hear from Sebastian’s biological father on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” >