Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial

An investigation led by The Associated Press has found that the practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts. The injections are given by medical personnel during police encounters. The investigation shows how a strategy intended to reduce violence and save lives has resulted in some avoidable deaths. While sedatives were mentioned as a cause or contributing factor in a dozen official death rulings, authorities often didn’t even investigate whether injections were appropriate in the 94 deaths identified by the AP over a decade. About half of the 94 who died were Black.

Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have popped up on an increasing number of U.S. college campuses following last week’s arrest of more than 100 demonstrators at Columbia University. The students are calling for universities to separate themselves from any companies that are advancing Israel’s military efforts in Gaza — and in some cases from Israel itself. Protests on many campuses have been orchestrated by coalitions of student groups. The groups largely act independently, though students say they’re inspired by peers at other universities.

Donald Trump’s defense team in his hush money case is seeking to undermine the testimony of the prosecution's first witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Pecker returned to the witness stand Friday for a fourth day as defense attorneys tried to poke holes in his testimony about his tabloid’s efforts to protect his old friend from potentially damaging stories. Two other witnesses followed Pecker as prosecutors built the foundation of their case involving a hush money payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels, who alleged a sexual encounter with Trump. Trump’s longtime executive assistant told jurors she recalled seeing Daniels in a reception area of Trump Tower, though the date of the visit wasn’t clear.

Columbia University students who inspired pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country say they have reached an impasse with administrators and intend to continue their encampment until their demands are met. The announcement Friday after exhaustive negotiations comes as Columbia’s president faces harsh criticism from faculty. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested across the nation, sometimes amid scuffles with police. Other schools have been quick to call law enforcement to douse demonstrations before they can take hold. Columbia officials have said they will seek other options if the negotiations with protesters fail.

A tornado has plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, demolishing homes and businesses as the twister tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. It wasn’t yet clear Friday afternoon if anyone was injured or killed in the storm. Multiple tornadoes were reported in Nebraska but the most destructive storm moved from a largely rural area into suburbs northwest of Omaha, a city of 485,000 people. Photos from social media showed damaged homes and shredded trees. After passing through the airport, the tornado crossed the Missouri River and into Iowa.