Week 2 of Trump hush money trial begins

USA TODAY Investigative Education Reporter Chris Quintana explains how and why zombie colleges are popping up online.President Joe Biden vows to withhold weapons from Israel if its forces make a major Rafah invasion.There's a new COVID-19 variant called FLiRT.USA TODAY Wellness Reporter Charles Trepany explains why rage rituals are resonating with women.The Olympic flame arrives in Marseille.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations that began at Columbia University have ignited a wave of similar protests at colleges and universities across the country. Weeks into it, those protests seem to be only intensifying. Thousands have now been arrested. The students’ demands vary by campus, but the majority are asking for an end to the Israel-Hamas war and divestment from companies that are financially benefitting from the conflict. In decades past, student activism regarding the Vietnam War, civil rights and South Africa’s apartheid successfully sparked broad social and political change. Has this student-led movement reached the tipping point? To put the current protests in context, Robert Cohen, professor of social studies education at New York University and a scholar in student activism, joins The Excerpt.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stormy Daniels took the stand Tuesday in former President Donald Trump's hush money trial. USA TODAY Justice Department Correspondent Aysha Bagchi reports.Israel's military said it took control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, as cease-fire talks resume in Cairo.Pro-Palestinian protesters rallied at an Auschwitz Holocaust Remembrance Day march.Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a sweeping election overhaul bill.USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer discusses a Department of Homeland Security effort to push back against election threats.TikTok is suing the U.S. government.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Israel has moved forward with its planned assault on Rafah in southern Gaza.USA TODAY Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page breaks down new USA TODAY/Suffolk University polling on former President Donald Trump's hush money trial.Tornadoes touch down in Oklahoma.USA TODAY Money, Markets and Personal Finance Reporter Medora Lee talks about rental fraud and what it means for renters and landlords.The 2024 Met Gala is in the books.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are tied in a new USA TODAY/Suffolk poll.USA TODAY Justice Correspondent Aysha Bagchi recaps pivotal testimony from Hope Hicks and looks ahead to a new week of Donald Trump's hush money trial.Israel calls on civilians to evacuate parts of Rafah, in southern Gaza.USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise talks about the double brood cicada phenomenon.It's Met Gala Monday.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's now been nearly seven months since Hamas attacked Israel, killing nearly 1200 Israelis and taking over 200 hostage. Since then, the Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF, have executed a devastating bombing campaign and sent in ground forces to "eradicate" Hamas. The death toll in the Palestinian enclave is staggering, with more than 34,000 killed, according to the Gaza health ministry.The majority of those killed are women and children. The health ministry says the sheer scale of the tragedy unfolding in Gaza is unprecedented. The UN estimates that more than 70% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced. Food and medical supplies aren't nearly enough to meet the needs. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Islamophobia and anti-Muslim incidents have surged. Nihad Awad, co-founder and national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Muslim civil rights and advocacy nonprofit joins The Excerpt to share his thoughts. For a different perspective, please see last Sunday's episode which features Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League or ADL, a Jewish civil rights organization.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

USA TODAY National Political Correspondent David Jackson looks at a number of potential Trump VPs gathering at a donor retreat in Florida.More arrests have been made at campus protests, as Princeton students begin a hunger strike.Unemployment rose in April.USA TODAY National Correspondent Deborah Barfield Berry discusses protests against book bans and restrictions on Black history.President Joe Biden awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom Friday to 19 Americans.The 150th Kentucky Derby is today! Check out our special episode.Episode Transcript available hereAlso available at art19.com/shows/5-ThingsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump spoke out Thursday on campus protests. USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison puts their comments in context.Nearly 300 ex-Obama-Biden staffers have called to suspend military assistance to Israel.A lawyer who previously represented Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal testified that he believed their hush money deals may have helped Trump win the 2016 presidential election.USA TODAY Senior Reporter Jessica Guynn explains why white job candidates are more likely to get hired through employee referrals.The National Trust for Historic Preservation's annual list of most endangered US historic sites shows a desire to reflect stories "of all Americans."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In two short days, we are officially off to the races. The gates at the iconic Kentucky Derby will officially open May 4th, marking its 150th anniversary. This storied American tradition features horses with braided tails, jockeys in silk shirts, festive ladies’ hats and the signature mint julep at the historic Churchill Downs racetrack. The annual ‘Run for the Roses’ race is the longest continually held sporting event in North America. Last year, the race was mired in controversy after several horses died in the preceding weeks. Will this year’s race be less contentious, more exciting? What will we all be talking about come Saturday? Courier Journal Sports Reporter Jason Frakes and Lifestyle Reporter Kirby Adams join The Excerpt to dig into all of it.Episode Transcript available here Also available at art19.com/shows/5-Things See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pro-Palestinian protests continue on college campuses nationwide.USA TODAY Congress and Campaigns Reporter Savannah Kuchar looks at the impact of Florida's six-week abortion ban. Plus, the Arizona Senate has voted to repeal a near-total 1864 abortion ban.RFK Jr. proposes a 'no-spoiler' pledge with President Joe Biden to defeat former President Donald Trump.The Federal Reserve held its key interest rate steady Wednesday.USA TODAY Health Reporter Karen Weintraub has the latest from a bird flu outbreak.Episode Transcript available here Also available at art19.com/shows/5-Things See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.