Your Morning: Violence erupts at UCLA protests

What’s going on: California law enforcement agencies started clearing protesters from an encampment on the University of California, Los Angeles campus early Wednesday morning after violent clashes broke out overnight between the pro-Palestinian protesters and counter-protesters. “At the request of UCLA, due to multiple acts of violence within the large encampment on their campus, the LAPD is responding to assist UCLA PD, and other law enforcement agencies, to restore order and maintain public safety,” LAPD HQ posted on X. The latest >

Columbia cleared: New York City police officers cleared pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University after the school requested help Tuesday. A tent encampment on the school’s property was cleared along with Hamilton Hall that had been occupied by protesters earlier in the day. Dozens of arrests were made. “After the University learned overnight that Hamilton Hall had been occupied, vandalized, and blockaded, we were left with no choice,” the school said. “The decision to reach out to the NYPD was in response to the actions of the protesters, not the cause they are championing. We have made it clear that the life of campus cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules and the law.” The White House condemned the move by protesters to take over Hamilton Hall, calling it the “wrong approach.” What to know >

House effort: House lawmakers announced a new effort to crack down on what they say is antisemitism on college campuses, warning that universities that don’t comply could lose federal funding. “Antisemitism is a virus, and because the administration and woke university presidents aren’t stepping in, we’re seeing it spread,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. “We have to act.” Protests have broken out at universities across the country, with those participating calling for their schools to divest from companies that support Israel and speaking out against Israel’s military action in Gaza. A look at who’s organizing the protests > 

Tonight: House Speaker Mike Johnson joins Blake Burman on “The Hill” at 6p/5C. Here’s how to watch > 

‘Glimmer of hope’: On Saturday, Hamas released a video appearing to show two hostages who have been held in the Gaza Strip since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. In the video, hostages Omri Miran, 47, and American Israeli Keith Siegel, 64, spoke in front of an empty background and asked to be released. “Saturday evening here in Israel was a very painful evening for our family,” Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Miran, told “NewsNation Now.” “But at the same time, it also gave us a glimmer of hope.” Read more >

What to know: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The proposal, which still needs to be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), would recognize the medical uses of cannabis, but it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use. The latest >

What’s next? Once OMB gives its stamp of approval, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug to Schedule III, after a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department. Heroin and LSD are Schedule I drugs, and ketamine and some anabolic steroids are Schedule III. Following the public comment period and a review by an administrative judge, a final rule will be published. “Today, the Attorney General circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III,” Justice Department director of public affairs Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement. The DEA is a component of the Department of Justice. “Once published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act.” What marijuana reclassification means for the U.S. >

Election year announcement: News of the possible ease on restrictions comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022. The announcement could help Biden win the support of young voters, since the drug has become increasingly accepted by young adults. A Gallup poll from last fall showed that 70% of adults support marijuana legalization — More than double the roughly 30% of adults who backed it in 2000. Learn more about the historic shift >

Both sides: Critics argue the DEA should keep marijuana’s classification, saying changing it comes with harmful side effects. Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, expressed concerns about the proposed change since he thinks marijuana is a possible “gateway drug.” Others argue marijuana should be treated how alcohol is in the U.S. Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said “Congress must do everything we can to end the federal prohibition on cannabis.” Thirty-eight states have already legalized medical marijuana and 24 have legalized recreational use. Take a closer look >

Watch: A newly released video shows one of the suspects in the killings of Kansas moms Veronica Butler and Jilian Kelley just days after their deaths. The video, exclusively obtained by NewsNation, will air on “Banfield” Wednesday at 10/9C. Find your channel to watch. See what we know about the case here >

What’s happening: Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday will use a break from his hush money trial to hit the campaign trail in the battleground states of Wisconsin and Michigan. His remarks will be watched closely after he was held in contempt of court and received a $9,000 fine for making public statements about people connected to the hush money case. Judge Juan M. Merchan said if the former president continued to violate his orders, he “will impose an incarceratory punishment.” Trump argues he is exercising his free speech rights. The latest >