One Ivy League-educated social media influencer warned TikTok has taken an "ominous turn" in the wake of the war in Israel, going so far as to re-label Gen Z "Generation Terrorism.""You really have seen since October 7th, especially, the algorithm seems to have taken a bit of an ominous turn. You're really seeing Gen Z become Gen T, Gen Terrorism. And I saw that not just as a joke, but as a reality," comedian and TikTok star Zach Sage Fox said on "America's Newsroom" Tuesday.College campuses across the U.S., including Columbia and Yale, have illustrated an alarming rise in anti-Israel sentiment among younger Americans. The wave of protests has come alongside the spread of hate speech and antisemitism on social media since Hamas' attack.JEWISH COLUMBIA STUDENTS DENOUNCE CAMPUS ‘ANARCHY’ AS RABBI WARNS THEM TO LEAVETikTok has become a major outlet for sharing news and information alongside other social media apps, raising concerns over misinformation, hate speech and censorship."All the social media platforms have a misinformation problem. This isn't just TikTok, but when you are speaking to young people, when I'm interviewing them on the streets about the misinformation they're hearing right now, it is…90% of it is coming from TikTok," Fox explained.According to a Pew Research Center study from Nov. 2023, 44% of Americans between 18 and 29-years-old get their news through TikTok. In addition, TikTok is an information source for 42% of those who are high school aged and younger, as well as 60% of Democrats or individuals leaning left.While Fox acknowledged there is a lot of good which can come from platforms like TikTok, he knew "we were making a deal with the devil."LIBERAL COMEDIAN MICHAEL RAPAPORT TELLS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTORS TRUMP WILL WIN ‘BECAUSE OF YOU’"The moment for me [when] I started getting terrified was when you saw Gen Z supporting Osama bin Laden. I mean, this has gone in a crazy direction. There's Holocaust denialism rampant throughout the app. This is where you're seeing the most misinformation."In the last few months, Fox has shifted his platform to focus on "combat[ing] antisemitism and anti-Israel propaganda." Much of this determination stems from Fox's visit to Auschwitz a few years ago. While at the concentration camp, Fox was approached by a man in a wheelchair whose family was "massacred" at Auschwitz during the Holocaust. The touching exchange was captured on video, and Fox made a promise to the man he is now living out on his platform."You see us hugging and crying and I told him, I said, ‘I promise I will make sure that nothing like that ever happens again.’ But when I said that promise, I meant it. I really meant it. But it was hard to imagine that it would really come into play like this," Fox said. "That what we're seeing on these college campuses, especially right now, could actually happen. I never understood how the Holocaust could happen. I knew it did happen, and I knew why, but it felt like a dystopian past. It didn't feel like a present."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"It's no coincidence that you are seeing Gen Z, like the Z stands for ‘zombie.’ They are just repeating everything they're seeing online. And I'm not just here to criticize Gen Z because free speech is super important. I'm a comedian. But it's not fair to young people who are so impressionable – these are the most impressionable people in the world. So I feel bad for these college students, too, because they've been brainwashed by something that is out of their hands, and sadly, right now, outside of our government's hands, to be able to rein it in," Fox added.As Congress weighs legislation to crack down on TikTok, Fox said while he is "conflicted" given his success on the platform, ultimately the social media network needs to be sold to an American company to better allow regulation.

Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said on Tuesday a fan in Milwaukee directed a racial slur at his younger brother during the team’s playoff game against the Bucks.Haliburton said the incident occurred in Game 1 of the teams’ playoff series. The Pacers, the lower seed, started the series off at the Fiserv Forum.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"My little brother in the stands the other day was called an N-word," he told reporters after Indiana’s 125-108 Game 2 win over Milwaukee. "It was important for us as a family to just address that. That was important for us to talk about because that didn’t sit right with anybody in our family. It’s just been important to have my family here right now, and my little brother’s handled that the right way"The Bucks responded to Haliburton’s remarks."An arena guest services representative reported that during Sunday’s game a few guests were not sitting in their correct seats," a team spokesman said. "The guest services representative asked the group to move one section over to their correct seats. NIKOLA JOKIC'S BROTHERS APPEAR TO GET INTO PHYSICAL ALTERCATION IN STANDS AFTER TEAM'S COMEBACK"Then, one of the individuals in the group claimed to the representative that a person sitting in front of him had used a derogatory term toward him. The accused person denied the accusation. The group moved to their correct seats and no further incident was reported."We take our fan environment extremely seriously and are committed to providing a safe and secure experience."The series is tied 1-1 after Tuesday night’s game. Game 3 is set for Indianapolis on Friday night.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

If you think getting tickets to a Taylor Swift concert or the World Series is tough, try booking a hotel room in an American college town for Graduation Day.Toni Milbourne faced this before her daughter's graduation from West Virginia University in May. Hotel room rates in Morgantown doubled before the local event. In a nearby town, prices more than tripled to $350 a night."It absolutely feels like price gouging," said Milbourne, managing editor for a West Virginia newspaper. "People need to be aware that companies are taking advantage of people in times that should be a celebration."MILITARY MOM SURPRISED WITH GRADUATION MESSAGE FROM HER SON DEPLOYED AT BORDER: 'I STARTED TO CRY'Parents of college kids frequently suck it up, and not just around Graduation Day.Whether for Family Weekends or Homecomings, smaller communities often get swarmed by visitors far beyond their ability to handle them. Meanwhile, pricing algorithms for airlines and hotels do what they were designed to do - crank up prices when demand soars."A lot of smaller college towns might have 20,000 or 30,000 people, and maybe 2,000 hotel rooms," said Professor Chris Anderson, who researches pricing, at Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration."With crazy high-demand dates, like a college graduation, all of a sudden you have 40,000 parents and guests arriving for multiple days of festivities. Now you have a real imbalance of supply and demand."COLLEGE GRADUATION COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS OVERWHELMINGLY LIBERAL, SEGREGATED CEREMONIES ON THE RISE: SURVEYAs a result, parents must pay super-high prices for hotels and flights, if they are available at all.To avoid this quandary, Shama Diegnan, a digital marketer from South Orange, New Jersey, sprung into action for Parents Weekend at a Midwestern college even before her younger son had accepted the school's offer."It never occurred to me that these hotels may cost more than in a major metropolitan city," said Diegnan. She was stunned that one local hotel charged over $1,000 a night, up from its usual room rate of about $100.How can parents avoid Graduation Day nightmares? Here are a few tips.Many hotels typically take reservations a year in advance. If your child is slated to graduate next year, start booking now. As for Parents Weekends in the fall, you should have already booked. If those dates are still not set, check the university parents' Facebook group for updates.Note that for such high-demand dates, hotels may be stricter than usual, and may require prepayment for nonrefundable bookings or set a minimum number of nights, Anderson said.Hotels have a fixed number of rooms, but homeowners on Airbnb or VRBO may offer extra rooms, apartments or houses on high-demand dates.For Parents Weekend, Diegnan booked a $300-a-night Airbnb 10 minutes from campus, instead of a local hotel room at $500 or more.One caveat from Anderson: Some parts of the country, like New York City, are stricter about short-term rentals, limiting homeowners' ability to absorb huge influxes of visitors.Parents wishing to cancel nonrefundable hotel rooms are in a tight spot. That is why online hotel marketplaces have sprung up."They specialize in having hotel rooms for high-demand dates, and allowing people to offload prepaid rooms that they don't need anymore," Anderson said. "It's like a StubHub secondary market, but for hotel rooms."Milbourne gave up on local hotels and plans to bunk at the home of family members instead."I don't think hotels should be able to jack up prices in moments like this," she said. "Not only is my daughter graduating, but she spent four years on active duty in the Army. This is a big deal for us."

"How America Works" host Mike Rowe called out the Ivy League for allowing "madness" and antisemitism on campuses in a post Monday. Rowe said that his foundation, mikeroweWORKS, is helping place young people at trade schools, which unlike the Ivy League, he argued, does not have students that are calling for the extermination of Jews. "[T]he Ivy League has truly lost its mind," he wrote on social media platform X. "Consider the latest madness at Columbia University, where the president, Minochuhe Shafik, has announced a new round of remote learning - effective immediately - in response to a noisy rabble of thugs and bullies calling for the eradication of Israel," Rowe continued. "If I had a kid at Columbia, I’d be livid. It’s simply mind-boggling that the president of this university would rather consign her students to another crucible of remote learning, than permanently expel the protesters."COLUMBIA JEWISH STUDENTS 'NO LONGER FEEL SAFE,' SAY ANTI-ISRAEL MOB CHASED THEM OFF CAMPUSColumbia University President Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik said in a statement posted early Monday morning that she was "deeply saddened" by certain actions of the agitators and called for a "reset.""I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus," Shafik wrote. "Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns," Shafik said."I mean, seriously, what does it take to get expelled from Columbia?" Rowe asked, calling out "creeps" on campus who have been caught "literally screaming into the faces of Jewish students." MIKE ROWE CALLS GEN Z THE NEXT 'TOOLBELT GENERATION' AMID INCREASING VOCATIONAL ENROLLMENT"In a now-infamous image, one demonstrator appeared before a group of counter-protesters holding Israeli and American flags with a sign pointing in their direction that read, ‘Al-Qasam’s next targets,'" Rowe wrote. "That’s what you get for $68,000 a year at Columbia – an administration who cowers in the face of thugs and bullies, and a university president who would rather make your kids try to learn off campus, than take a truly hard line with those students calling for the murder of Jews. For the love of God, expel them." "Calling for murder is not protected speech, he added.Columbia University said it had no comment on Rowe's remarks.Fox News' Lawrence Richard contributed to this report. 

The United Nations called Tuesday for "a clear, transparent and credible investigation" of mass graves uncovered at two major hospitals in war-torn Gaza that were raided by Israeli troops.Credible investigators must have access to the sites, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters, and added that more journalists need to be able to work safely in Gaza to report on the facts.Earlier Tuesday, U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said he was "horrified" by the destruction of the Shifa medical center in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis as well as the reported discovery of mass graves in and around the facilities after the Israelis left.PELOSI CALLS ON NETANYAHU TO RESIGN, CONDEMNS HIM AS 'OBSTACLE' TO PEACEHe called for independent and transparent investigations into the deaths, saying that "given the prevailing climate of impunity, this should include international investigators.""Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law," Türk said. "And the intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who are ‘hors de combat’ (incapable of engaging in combat) is a war crime."U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel on Tuesday called the reports of mass graves at the hospitals "incredibly troubling" and said U.S. officials have asked the Israeli government for information.The Israeli military said its forces exhumed bodies that Palestinians had buried earlier as part of its search for the remains of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war. The military said bodies were examined in a respectful manner and those not belonging to Israeli hostages were returned to their place.The Israeli military says it killed or detained hundreds of militants who had taken shelter inside the two hospital complexes, claims that could not be independently verified.The Palestinian civil defense in the Gaza Strip said Monday that it had uncovered 283 bodies from a temporary burial ground inside the main hospital in Khan Younis that was built when Israeli forces were besieging the facility last month. At the time, people were not able to bury the dead in a cemetery and dug graves in the hospital yard, the group said.The civil defense said some of the bodies were of people killed during the hospital siege. Others were killed when Israeli forces raided the hospital.Palestinian health officials say the hospital raids have destroyed Gaza’s health sector as it tries to cope with the mounting toll from over six months of war.The issue of who could or should conduct an investigation remains in question.For the United Nations to conduct an investigation, one of its major bodies would have to authorize it, Dujarric said."I think it’s not for anyone to prejudge the results or who would do it," he said. "I think it needs to be an investigation where there is access and there is credibility."The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said after visiting Israel and the West Bank in December that a probe by the court into possible crimes by Hamas militants and Israeli forces "is a priority for my office."The discovery of the graves "is another reason why we need a cease-fire, why we need to see an end to this conflict, why we need to see greater access for humanitarians, for humanitarian goods, greater protection for hospitals" and for the release of Israeli hostages, Dujarric said Monday.In the Hamas attack that launched the war, militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.In response, Israel’s air and ground offensive in Gaza, aimed at eliminating Hamas, has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, around two-thirds of them children and women. It has devastated Gaza’s two largest cities, created a humanitarian crisis and led around 80% of the territory’s population to flee to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave.

Legendary investor, Bill Gurley, once warned us that incumbents keep out new, innovative, and disruptive competitors by ‘gaming the system’ in their favor. It’s an age-old story; those with power often give lip service to change yet shun genuine innovation that threatens their supremacy. The massive business of sports is no different. How many great, cool things have we all been deprived of because of resistance to change? In sports, how many great innovations have been snuffed out because behemoths in charge use their market power to crush anything new? People are deprived of new, fun, amazing things when innovation is killed, and we all suffer when competition is killed.Recently we witnessed phenomenon Caitlin Clark electrify not just fans of women’s basketball but seemingly captivate the attention and adoration of the entire American populace. While making attendance and ratings history, Catlin made lots of people lots of money and has just begun her journey. Social media posts from countless sports fans now decry the unfair state of women’s basketball that only pays Caitlin $76,535 as a rookie and locks her in at under $100,000 for each of her first four seasons in the WNBA. While I agree many women in the WNBA including Caitlin are pathetically under-compensated, I believe the blame is pointing in the wrong direction.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMPlayers (labor) and consumers are not a priority to sports’ powerful incumbents when they exert their power. Worse, the biggest impediment to empowering female as well as male black and brown basketball players is the fact that white MEN run basketball. While the NBA C-Suite slickly bombards fans with "woke" catchphrases, do these suits in charge really want change? There are no Black or female owners of NBA teams, and NBA players might be well compensated but that doesn’t mean they still aren’t looked at and treated as the "hired help."And crucially, the NBA holds the reins over the WNBA, perpetuating this imbalance. Which brings me back to Caitlin Clark. She not only represents an incredibly entertaining piece of business as an athlete playing for the BIG3, but she would also provide our league a perfect engine for driving the breakdown of further stereotypes and promoting diversity by showcasing a female competing at a world-class level with men.That’s why we made an offer to Caitlin. On a personal level, we guaranteed Caitlin that Nancy Lieberman, the pioneering women’s basketball great and two-time Hall of Fame player, would be her coach. And financially, compared to her paltry WNBA salary it was a MEGA offer. Ten million dollars of salary over two years, a percentage of team ownership worth millions, 50% of merchandising revenues from her name and likeness, and ownership of a BIG3 documentary with a seven-figure advance. In total, we’re talking fifteen million dollars or more to merely play a ten-game season. While still allowing her to play in the WNBA. The absolute best of both worlds!By playing in both leagues, her sponsorship potential would increase dramatically too. Kobe Bryant always believed that a female player would make it to the highest level to play against men professionally. Lieberman's own experience competing against men and the resultant surge in her marketability served as a precursor to what could have been for Caitlin. Additionally, a two-league arrangement would benefit from the BIG3’s consistently growing domestic and international reach further amplifying Caitlin’s market value - especially given the BIG3’s higher television ratings and attendance, with regular-season ratings actually higher than that of even the NHL and MLS. A two-league deal for Caitlin would present the perfect solution to the very problem posted recently on X by President Biden, "Women in sports continue to push new boundaries and inspire us all. But right now, we're seeing that even if you're the best, women are not paid their fair share."WNBA STAR ANGEL REESE: 'PROTECT YOUNG WOMEN IN SPORTS'But alas, men run the business of basketball, and those men are driven to protect the incumbent system. The NBA will tell you the WNBA does not make money, but surprisingly a solid percentage of the NBA teams don’t either in any given year. Sports is about team asset appreciation and that is why all those owners are making billions. Yet, if the NBA siphons off the merchandising, sponsorship, and media money by using the WNBA in its deals, how can women benefit from the change in consumer preference?When asked about the BIG3 offer during the NCAA tournament, Caitlin said "I found out about the BIG3 thing…

Another day, another place in the history books for Caitlin Clark.Clark won the James E. Sullivan Award for the second straight year on Tuesday. She is the first two-time winner of the honor in its 94-year history. The award is given to the nation’s most outstanding player at the college or Olympic level.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"The AAU Sullivan Award is an incredible honor," Clark said. "I have been inspired by so many athletes that came before me and I hope I can be that same inspiration for the next generation to follow their dreams."Olympians David Taylor and Emery Lehman, gymnast Frederick Richard, volleyball player Madisen Skinner and Paralympic swimmer Noah Jaffe were also finalists.49ERS STAR GEORGE KITTLE PRAISES CAITLIN CLARK: 'SHE'S JUST SO AUTHENTIC'Clark left Iowa as the NCAA Division 1 college basketball all-time scoring leader. She finished her career with 3,951 points. It is the most points scored of any man or woman in college basketball history.Last week, the Indiana Fever selected Clark with the No. 1 overall draft pick. She joined a team that already has the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year in Aliyah Boston. The Fever will be looking to make their first playoffs since the 2017 season.The Fever last won the championship in 2012. Tamika Catchings, Katie Douglas and Briann January were among the points leaders on that team.The Associated Press contributed to this report.Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Students at a growing number of U.S. colleges and universities are forming anti-Israel protest encampments with a unified demand that their schools stop doing business with Israel.Inspired by ongoing protests and the arrests last week of more than 100 students at Columbia University in New York City, seen at the epicenter of the ongoing demonstrations, students from Massachusetts to California, and Tennessee to Texas, are now gathering by the hundreds and are pledging to stay put on campus until their demand is met."We want to be visible," said Columbia protest leader Mahmoud Khalil. "The university should do something about what we’re asking for, about the genocide that’s happening in Gaza. They should stop investing in this genocide."The nationwide movement has gained momentum and has taken on new strength as administrators continue to allow anti-Israel demonstrations at schools like Columbia, Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley, University of Southern California, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, University of Virginia and others.ANTI-ISRAEL CAMPUS PROTESTS ARE SPREADING: CALIFORNIA, TEXAS BRACE AFTER ACTIVISTS OVERRUN COLUMBIA, YALEThe protests come as the Israel-Hamas war surpassed the six-month milestone earlier this month, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths. The stories of suffering in Gaza have sparked international calls for a cease-fire and protests around the world.Students at campuses across the U.S. have demanded their schools stop doing business with Israel or the U.S. Defense Department, which gives money to it. While the specific demands may vary from campus to campus. Among them include:COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVES TO HYBRID LEARNING ON MAIN CAMPUS AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTSPresident Biden was asked this week whether he condemned "the antisemitic protests" and he said that he did. "I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians," Biden added after an Earth Day event Monday.The president of Columbia University, seen as the origin point of the mass demonstrations, said she was "deeply saddened" by the actions of agitators who riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants."I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus," said Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik. "Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas.""We need a reset," she added in her statement Monday. "To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A third person of interest has been taken into custody in Puerto Rico as investigators continue unraveling the Florida carjacking that authorities believe left Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas dead.Kevin Ocasio Justiniano, 28, was arrested by U.S. Marshals for unrelated drug trafficking and weapons charges, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma announced Tuesday. He is believed to have been the driver on the green Acura seen in the now-viral video of the armed carjacking at a busy Winter Springs intersection on April 11. Justiniano's case and one of another person of interest currently in custody for an unrelated case, 28-year-old Jordanish Torres-Garcia, will be referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Both are expected to be charged with carjacking resulting in a death. Investigators believe Torres-Garcia is the man who walked up to the white 2017 Dodge Durango Aguasvivas was driving while brandishing a firearm. "This case is about drugs and money," Lemma said in a statement. "We believe the most dangerous people connected with this case are now off our streets."DEADLY FLORIDA CARJACKING: PERSON OF INTEREST ARRESTED, ANOTHER ON THE LOOSE AS PLOT THICKENSThe third person of interest, Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez, 27, turned him into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County late Monday night, according to FOX 35 Orlando. He was wanted for unrelated drug charges. Hernandez was the last person Aguasvivas spoke to via Facetime before she was killed, Seminole County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators believe she was on her way to meet Hernandez at his Casselberry home to "deliver money and other items." DEADLY FLORIDA CARJACKING VICTIM'S FATHER SPEAKS OUT: 'A BIG HIT TO OUR FAMILY'Hernandez has not been charged in connection with the carjacking/homicide. He remains incarcerated on charges of fentanyl trafficking and marijuana with intent to sell.Aguasvivas' brother and husband are no longer cooperating with detectives, Lemma said during a press conference Tuesday.DEADLY FLORIDA CARJACKING TIED TO KILLING OF TOW TRUCK DRIVER, POLICE SAY; DEPUTY SUSPECTED OF LEAKING"The husband is not cooperating at all," he said. "And the brother feels like he's cooperating, but he's telling us lies."

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).A former Washington state police officer accused of killing his ex-wife and 17-year-old girlfriend – as well as abducting the 1-year-old son he shared with his girlfriend – has been found dead with a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head following a chase in Oregon, authorities said Tuesday. Oregon State Troopers found the wounded body of Elias Huizar, 39, following a police chase near Eugene at around 3 p.m. Tuesday. His 1-year-old baby, who was with him, was taken safely into custody by Oregon State Police troopers.The troopers began chasing the ex-Yakima officer when they saw him driving southbound on Interstate 5. Huizar fled after a trooper tried to pull over his vehicle, Oregon State Police Capt. Kyle Kennedy said at a media briefing Tuesday evening.WASHINGTON MOTHER ACCUSED OF KILLING, STABBING 4-YEAR-OLD SON 41 TIMES: REPORTTroopers pursued Huizar's vehicle at high speeds and at one point exchanged gunfire with him, according to Kennedy. The pursuit, for about 25 miles, ended when Huizar's vehicle hit a commercial vehicle that was stopped on the interstate because of an unrelated crash.Huizar's vehicle spun and became immobile in the median, and when troopers tried to make contact with him, he shot himself and died at the scene, Kennedy said.Huizar is accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife, Amber Marie Rodriguez, outside William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland around 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday, Huizar shot Rodriguez eight times in front of their 9-year-old son and other witnesses, police said. Rodriguez had recently obtained a protection order against Huizar.When police conducted a search at Huizar's home on South Highlands Boulevard later that day, they reportedly located his deceased teenage girlfriend, Apple Valley News reported.CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWSLater on Monday, Washington State Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Roman Huizar, the suspect's 1-year-old son, whom he reportedly shared with his minor girlfriend. Police said Huizar was traveling to Mexico in a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla, license plate No. CBZ4745, with the 1-year-old boy."All day our thoughts have been how to rescue this young boy and we’re thankful for the outcome that occurred," Kennedy said.Rodriguez filed for a custody change involving her two young sons with Huizar last week, court documents obtained by the Tri-City Herald revealed. SKELETAL REMAINS FOUND AT ILLINOIS HOME IDENTIFIED AS WOMAN MISSING SINCE 2008One of Rodriguez's friends described her as "sweet and kind" in a Monday Facebook post.The couple divorced in 2020, and Rodriguez reportedly filed for a protection officer after Huizar was accused of raping a teenage girl in February, the Tri-City Herald reported.Huizar allegedly sexually assaulted the unconscious teen after the victim and Huizar's teenage girlfriend had been drinking. Police arrested the 39-year-old officer after his girlfriend allegedly caught him assaulting her friend, the Tri-City News reported.Investigators were working to determine whether Huizar's girlfriend was of legal age when she became pregnant with their child, the outlet reported.The former officer posted $200,000 bail after his arrest, and the rape case was pending at the time of his wife's and girlfriend's murders on Monday.According to court records, Huizar had, at least until early this year, been living with the 17-year-old girl whom he met when she was 11, and he was a middle school resource officer in Yakima. He impregnated her when she was 15, and their baby recently turned 1, Rodriguez wrote in seeking a protection order against Huizar.The Yakima Police Department said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that Huizar left the department in 2021 "after receiving discipline." It did not provide any other information.The Richland School District said it terminated Huizar's employment following his arrest in February. It said it had received recommendations from the Yakima School District before hiring him in 2022, and that he had passed background checks."We are extremely disheartened that information about Mr. Huizar’s past was not disclosed to us through the various processes we have in place to vet RSD candidates for employment," the district said. "It is the expectation for individuals who apply for employment with RSD to be forthcoming and truthful in their applications."

If you think getting tickets to a Taylor Swift concert or the World Series is tough, try booking a hotel room in an American college town for Graduation Day.Toni Milbourne faced this before her daughter's graduation from West Virginia University in May. Hotel room rates in Morgantown doubled before the local event. In a nearby town, prices more than tripled to $350 a night."It absolutely feels like price gouging," said Milbourne, managing editor for a West Virginia newspaper. "People need to be aware that companies are taking advantage of people in times that should be a celebration."MILITARY MOM SURPRISED WITH GRADUATION MESSAGE FROM HER SON DEPLOYED AT BORDER: 'I STARTED TO CRY'Parents of college kids frequently suck it up, and not just around Graduation Day.Whether for Family Weekends or Homecomings, smaller communities often get swarmed by visitors far beyond their ability to handle them. Meanwhile, pricing algorithms for airlines and hotels do what they were designed to do - crank up prices when demand soars."A lot of smaller college towns might have 20,000 or 30,000 people, and maybe 2,000 hotel rooms," said Professor Chris Anderson, who researches pricing, at Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration."With crazy high-demand dates, like a college graduation, all of a sudden you have 40,000 parents and guests arriving for multiple days of festivities. Now you have a real imbalance of supply and demand."COLLEGE GRADUATION COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS OVERWHELMINGLY LIBERAL, SEGREGATED CEREMONIES ON THE RISE: SURVEYAs a result, parents must pay super-high prices for hotels and flights, if they are available at all.To avoid this quandary, Shama Diegnan, a digital marketer from South Orange, New Jersey, sprung into action for Parents Weekend at a Midwestern college even before her younger son had accepted the school's offer."It never occurred to me that these hotels may cost more than in a major metropolitan city," said Diegnan. She was stunned that one local hotel charged over $1,000 a night, up from its usual room rate of about $100.How can parents avoid Graduation Day nightmares? Here are a few tips.Many hotels typically take reservations a year in advance. If your child is slated to graduate next year, start booking now. As for Parents Weekends in the fall, you should have already booked. If those dates are still not set, check the university parents' Facebook group for updates.Note that for such high-demand dates, hotels may be stricter than usual, and may require prepayment for nonrefundable bookings or set a minimum number of nights, Anderson said.Hotels have a fixed number of rooms, but homeowners on Airbnb or VRBO may offer extra rooms, apartments or houses on high-demand dates.For Parents Weekend, Diegnan booked a $300-a-night Airbnb 10 minutes from campus, instead of a local hotel room at $500 or more.One caveat from Anderson: Some parts of the country, like New York City, are stricter about short-term rentals, limiting homeowners' ability to absorb huge influxes of visitors.Parents wishing to cancel nonrefundable hotel rooms are in a tight spot. That is why online hotel marketplaces have sprung up."They specialize in having hotel rooms for high-demand dates, and allowing people to offload prepaid rooms that they don't need anymore," Anderson said. "It's like a StubHub secondary market, but for hotel rooms."Milbourne gave up on local hotels and plans to bunk at the home of family members instead."I don't think hotels should be able to jack up prices in moments like this," she said. "Not only is my daughter graduating, but she spent four years on active duty in the Army. This is a big deal for us."

A third person of interest has been taken into custody in Puerto Rico as investigators continue unraveling the Florida carjacking that authorities believe left Katherine Altagracia Guerrero De Aguasvivas dead.Kevin Ocasio Justiniano, 28, was arrested by U.S. Marshals for unrelated drug trafficking and weapons charges, Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma announced Tuesday. He is believed to have been the driver on the green Acura seen in the now-viral video of the armed carjacking at a busy Winter Springs intersection on April 11. Justiniano's case and one of another person of interest currently in custody for an unrelated case, 28-year-old Jordanish Torres-Garcia, will be referred to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Both are expected to be charged with carjacking resulting in a death. Investigators believe Torres-Garcia is the man who walked up to the white 2017 Dodge Durango Aguasvivas was driving while brandishing a firearm. "This case is about drugs and money," Lemma said in a statement. "We believe the most dangerous people connected with this case are now off our streets."DEADLY FLORIDA CARJACKING: PERSON OF INTEREST ARRESTED, ANOTHER ON THE LOOSE AS PLOT THICKENSThe third person of interest, Giovany Joel Crespo Hernandez, 27, turned him into the John E. Polk Correctional Facility in Seminole County late Monday night, according to FOX 35 Orlando. He was wanted for unrelated drug charges. Hernandez was the last person Aguasvivas spoke to via Facetime before she was killed, Seminole County Sheriff's Office said. Investigators believe she was on her way to meet Hernandez at his Casselberry home to "deliver money and other items." DEADLY FLORIDA CARJACKING VICTIM'S FATHER SPEAKS OUT: 'A BIG HIT TO OUR FAMILY'Hernandez has not been charged in connection with the carjacking/homicide. He remains incarcerated on charges of fentanyl trafficking and marijuana with intent to sell.Aguasvivas' brother and husband are no longer cooperating with detectives, Lemma said during a press conference Tuesday.DEADLY FLORIDA CARJACKING TIED TO KILLING OF TOW TRUCK DRIVER, POLICE SAY; DEPUTY SUSPECTED OF LEAKING"The husband is not cooperating at all," he said. "And the brother feels like he's cooperating, but he's telling us lies."

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).A former Washington state police officer accused of killing his ex-wife and 17-year-old girlfriend – as well as abducting the 1-year-old son he shared with his girlfriend – has been found dead with a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head following a chase in Oregon, authorities said Tuesday. Oregon State Troopers found the wounded body of Elias Huizar, 39, following a police chase near Eugene at around 3 p.m. Tuesday. His 1-year-old baby, who was with him, was taken safely into custody by Oregon State Police troopers.The troopers began chasing the ex-Yakima officer when they saw him driving southbound on Interstate 5. Huizar fled after a trooper tried to pull over his vehicle, Oregon State Police Capt. Kyle Kennedy said at a media briefing Tuesday evening.WASHINGTON MOTHER ACCUSED OF KILLING, STABBING 4-YEAR-OLD SON 41 TIMES: REPORTTroopers pursued Huizar's vehicle at high speeds and at one point exchanged gunfire with him, according to Kennedy. The pursuit, for about 25 miles, ended when Huizar's vehicle hit a commercial vehicle that was stopped on the interstate because of an unrelated crash.Huizar's vehicle spun and became immobile in the median, and when troopers tried to make contact with him, he shot himself and died at the scene, Kennedy said.Huizar is accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife, Amber Marie Rodriguez, outside William Wiley Elementary School in West Richland around 3:30 p.m. local time on Monday, Huizar shot Rodriguez eight times in front of their 9-year-old son and other witnesses, police said. Rodriguez had recently obtained a protection order against Huizar.When police conducted a search at Huizar's home on South Highlands Boulevard later that day, they reportedly located his deceased teenage girlfriend, Apple Valley News reported.CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWSLater on Monday, Washington State Patrol issued an Amber Alert for Roman Huizar, the suspect's 1-year-old son, whom he reportedly shared with his minor girlfriend. Police said Huizar was traveling to Mexico in a silver 2009 Toyota Corolla, license plate No. CBZ4745, with the 1-year-old boy."All day our thoughts have been how to rescue this young boy and we’re thankful for the outcome that occurred," Kennedy said.Rodriguez filed for a custody change involving her two young sons with Huizar last week, court documents obtained by the Tri-City Herald revealed. SKELETAL REMAINS FOUND AT ILLINOIS HOME IDENTIFIED AS WOMAN MISSING SINCE 2008One of Rodriguez's friends described her as "sweet and kind" in a Monday Facebook post.The couple divorced in 2020, and Rodriguez reportedly filed for a protection officer after Huizar was accused of raping a teenage girl in February, the Tri-City Herald reported.Huizar allegedly sexually assaulted the unconscious teen after the victim and Huizar's teenage girlfriend had been drinking. Police arrested the 39-year-old officer after his girlfriend allegedly caught him assaulting her friend, the Tri-City News reported.Investigators were working to determine whether Huizar's girlfriend was of legal age when she became pregnant with their child, the outlet reported.The former officer posted $200,000 bail after his arrest, and the rape case was pending at the time of his wife's and girlfriend's murders on Monday.According to court records, Huizar had, at least until early this year, been living with the 17-year-old girl whom he met when she was 11, and he was a middle school resource officer in Yakima. He impregnated her when she was 15, and their baby recently turned 1, Rodriguez wrote in seeking a protection order against Huizar.The Yakima Police Department said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that Huizar left the department in 2021 "after receiving discipline." It did not provide any other information.The Richland School District said it terminated Huizar's employment following his arrest in February. It said it had received recommendations from the Yakima School District before hiring him in 2022, and that he had passed background checks."We are extremely disheartened that information about Mr. Huizar’s past was not disclosed to us through the various processes we have in place to vet RSD candidates for employment," the district said. "It is the expectation for individuals who apply for employment with RSD to be forthcoming and truthful in their applications."

Students at a growing number of U.S. colleges and universities are forming anti-Israel protest encampments with a unified demand that their schools stop doing business with Israel.Inspired by ongoing protests and the arrests last week of more than 100 students at Columbia University in New York City, seen at the epicenter of the ongoing demonstrations, students from Massachusetts to California, and Tennessee to Texas, are now gathering by the hundreds and are pledging to stay put on campus until their demand is met."We want to be visible," said Columbia protest leader Mahmoud Khalil. "The university should do something about what we’re asking for, about the genocide that’s happening in Gaza. They should stop investing in this genocide."The nationwide movement has gained momentum and has taken on new strength as administrators continue to allow anti-Israel demonstrations at schools like Columbia, Yale, MIT, UC Berkeley, University of Southern California, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina, University of Virginia and others.ANTI-ISRAEL CAMPUS PROTESTS ARE SPREADING: CALIFORNIA, TEXAS BRACE AFTER ACTIVISTS OVERRUN COLUMBIA, YALEThe protests come as the Israel-Hamas war surpassed the six-month milestone earlier this month, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths. The stories of suffering in Gaza have sparked international calls for a cease-fire and protests around the world.Students at campuses across the U.S. have demanded their schools stop doing business with Israel or the U.S. Defense Department, which gives money to it. While the specific demands may vary from campus to campus. Among them include:COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVES TO HYBRID LEARNING ON MAIN CAMPUS AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTSPresident Biden was asked this week whether he condemned "the antisemitic protests" and he said that he did. "I also condemn those who don’t understand what’s going on with the Palestinians," Biden added after an Earth Day event Monday.The president of Columbia University, seen as the origin point of the mass demonstrations, said she was "deeply saddened" by the actions of agitators who riled students and faculty with anti-Jewish slogans and chants."I am deeply saddened by what is happening on our campus," said Dr. Nemat "Minouche" Shafik. "Our bonds as a community have been severely tested in ways that will take a great deal of time and effort to reaffirm. Students across an array of communities have conveyed fears for their safety and we have announced additional actions we are taking to address security concerns. The decibel of our disagreements has only increased in recent days. These tensions have been exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia who have come to campus to pursue their own agendas.""We need a reset," she added in her statement Monday. "To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday. Faculty and staff who can work remotely should do so; essential personnel should report to work according to university policy. Our preference is that students who do not live on campus will not come to campus.The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CLOCK IS TICKING – AOC sounds off as college president sets imminent deadline for anti-Israel camp; first deadline passes. Continue reading …'WHOLE OTHER LEVEL' – FBI director sounds alarm on rising threats after Oct. 7: Is anyone listening? Continue reading …ABOUT-FACE – White House visitor logs contradict vow to ban DC official who praised notorious antisemite. Continue reading …$1M HOME HEIST – Homeowners to win big against squatters after landlord handcuffed for changing locks. Continue reading …'JUST SO AUTHENTIC' – NFL star gives honest opinion of Caitlin Clark after meeting her with his wife. Continue reading …-'SOME AMOUNT' – Experts weigh in on likelihood of Trump's presidential immunity case at Supreme Court. Continue reading …'SIX LONG MONTHS' – $95 billion Ukraine, Israel aid bills clear Senate and head to Biden's desk. Continue reading …UPHILL CLIMB – Here's what GOP rebels want to support Johnson as head of House GOP. Continue reading …CAUSING CHAOS – Mob of anti-Israel agitators arrested in front of top Democrat's home. Continue reading …Click here for more cartoons… PROTEST AT THE POLLS? – Some worry Anti-Israel protesters will 'sandbag' Biden re-election chances. Continue reading …'ULTIMATELY DESTROY US' – Expert sounds the alarm on national security threat electric vehicles pose. Continue reading …'KOTOWS TO THIS MOB' – Jewish-American alum says Columbia president should have taken these steps 'the second' protests started. Continue reading …KANGAROO COURT – Evan Gershkovich to remain imprisoned in Russia through June after losing another appeal. Continue reading …GREGG JARRETT – Trump Trial Day Two: The mysterious 'other crime' that is not. Continue reading …TED JENKIN – Thinking of moving? Your blue state may soon charge you an exit tax. Continue reading …--LAURA INGRAHAM – From day one, Alvin Bragg was on a political mission, not a legal one. Continue reading …JESSE WATTERS – This is a political show trial that Trump's not allowed to describe. Continue reading …SEAN HANNITY – Schools do nothing in the face of 'raw, repulsive' antisemitism. Continue reading …GREG GUTFELD – 'Gutfeld!' panelists wonder whether President Biden will debate former President Trump. See video … TRUTH IS OUT THERE – UFO 'cover-up' is real, as government spends 'millions on something they say doesn't exist': GOP congressman. Continue reading …AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – From pop performers to popular pups, how well do you know our nation? Continue reading …'WHERE THERE'S SMOKE THERE'S FIRE' – Meghan Markle bullying claims cast shadow over royal’s lifestyle brand: expert. Continue reading …OUT OF REACH – Vast majority of aspiring homeowners say they cannot afford the American dream. Continue reading …DRAMATIC RESCUE – When a small bear cub in Connecticut plunges off a bridge into the water below, watch how quickly a mama bear snaps into action. See video … JOHN YOO – It's not up to the Manhattan DA to enforce federal election law. See video …MIKE PENCE – The time has come for a minimum national standard on abortion. See video … What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading… THE LAST WORD FacebookInstagramYouTubeTwitterLinkedIn   Fox News FirstFox News OpinionFox News LifestyleFox News Entertainment (FOX411)Fox BusinessFox WeatherFox SportsTubiFox News GoThank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We’ll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday.

A 69-year-old man fell over 300 feet to his death on Sunday while hiking with his wife along Oregon’s scenic southern coast, authorities said.The hiker, identified as Richard Ehrhart from San Jose, California, had gotten separated from his wife as the pair hiked the coastal trail near Natural Bridges, about twelve miles north of Brookings, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office said.Ehrhart’s wife had returned to their car without realizing her husband had fallen, according to authorities.Meanwhile, another hiker on the trail called 911 around 2:35 p.m. after spotting what appeared to be "a person on the rocks below him that appeared to be deceased."CALIFORNIA WOMAN DIES IN FALL DOWN 140-FOOT CLIFF WHILE HIKING WITH HUSBAND, TODDLER IN ARIZONASearch and rescue crews rappelled about 300 feet down steep terrain to reach the victim. Ehrhart’s body was brought up the rocky slope and carried to the parking area, where his body was given over to Redwood Memorial Chapel.No information about the circumstances leading to Ehrhart falling off the trail was immediately provided.CALIFORNIA COLLEGE ENGINEERING STUDENT DIES AT BIG SUR WATERFALL IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT: ‘PASSION FOR ADVENTURE’Oregon State Police is investigating and has provided information to the Curry County District Attorney."We here at the Curry County Sheriff’s Office express our condolences to the family and friends of Richard Ehrhart," Sheriff John Ward said. "We also want to remind everyone of the dangers of hiking the coastal trails, and to please be safe."Natural Bridge is one of many coastal viewpoints along an 18-mile section of the Oregon Coast Trail, an area that features "craggy bluffs, secluded beaches, and offshore rock formations," according to Oregon State Parks.

After anti-Israel protests formed at Columbia University, UC Berkeley and Yale, additional activist groups have become inspired to lead their own resistance movements, forcing schools in California, Texas and Maryland to brace for potential mayhem, Fox News has learned.Activist groups at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Texas at Austin, and Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, have all announced on social media that they will hold anti-Israel protests on Wednesday, April 24.Pro-Palestinian factions at all three universities have posted on social media indicating that they intend to hold "resistance" movements, including a post from the Hopkins Justice Collective which calls members to "stand in support of our brothers and sisters in Gaza, as well as the students on many college campuses across the country fighting for divestment from the settler colony of Israel.""Bring your signs, bring your posters, and — most importantly — bring your energy," the post continues.COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVES TO HYBRID LEARNING ON MAIN CAMPUS AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTSThe newly anticipated anti-Israel protests come as activists have seen massive turnouts with hundreds of students at Columbia University in New York City and Yale in New Haven, Connecticut. Similar protests have risen at other universities in recent days.The University of Maryland - College Park, Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have all experienced similar protests in recent days targeted at Israel and its war with the terror group Hamas in Gaza.Many of the protesters are calling for an end to the fighting in the region, which has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian Palestinian deaths."Our universities have chosen profit and reputation over the lives of the people of Palestine and our will as students. The supposed power of our administrators is nothing compared to the strength of the united students, staff, and faculty committed to realizing justice and upholding Palestinian liberation on campus," Students for Justice in Palestine, University of California Los Angeles wrote on Instagram.The post continued: "In the footsteps of our comrades at Rutgers-New Brunswick SJP, Tufts SJP, and Columbia SJP, we will take back our university and force our administration to divest for the people of Gaza!"COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS: 5 DRAMATIC MOMENTS FROM A WEEK OF CHAOSIn Austin, Texas, the Palestinian Solidarity Committee is calling for students to walk out of class on April 24, and to "occupy the South Lawn.""In the footsteps of our comrades at Columbia SJP, Rutgers-New Brunswick, Yale, and countless others across the nation, we will be establishing THE POPULAR UNIVERSITY FOR GAZA and demanding our administration divest from death," the post continues.The new protests are continuations of anti-Israel protests exhibited across the U.S.Protesters and agitators in the U.S. have successfully targeted and held protests at all top five U.S. universities, according to the U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 Best National University Rankings.These include Princeton, MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and Yale — each witnessing active anti-Israel protests in the last few days.According to these rankings, at least half of the top 50 U.S. universities have had active anti-Israel protests in the past week.While many of these universities have had anti-Israel protests in waves since the Hamas-led terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, they have seen more recent protests sparked by or after the April 17, 2024, Columbia University protests.

Columbia University in New York set a deadline for administrators and anti-Israel protesters to reach an agreement to end the encampment on campus, as a police presence is standing by at the university.University President Minouche Shafik initially set a deadline of midnight for an agreement with student organizers that must include dismantling the encampment, dispersing and following university policies going forward.Shafik said in a message to the university community Tuesday night that if discussions are unsuccessful, administrators would have to "consider alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm to campus so that students can complete the term and graduate." The university has already moved to hybrid learning for the remainder of the semester over safety concerns sparked by the protest.Around the expiration of the midnight deadline, a student demonstrator announced on the university's South Lawn that administrators had extended the negotiation deadline to 8 a.m., the university's student newspaper, the Columbia Spectator, reported.Then around 3:15 a.m., a campus spokesperson released a statement saying that university officials and protest organizers were hashing out four main agreements and there is now a 48-hour window for negotiations — there was no mention of an 8 a.m. deadline extension. Those terms include students removing a significant number of tents, that those protesting are only Columbia students, that those protesters comply with FDNY safety implications, and that "student protesters have taken steps to make the encampment welcome to all and have prohibited discriminatory or harassing language."COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MOVES TO HYBRID LEARNING ON MAIN CAMPUS AMID ANTISEMITIC PROTESTSDemonstrators said they would not continue to negotiate with the administration without a written commitment that the administration will not be using the New York City Police Department or the National Guard on its students.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she has no plans to call in the National Guard to respond to the protests. But the NYPD did have its riot police and counterterrorism unit standing by overnight, according to student reporters from radio station WKCR. Police told demonstrators inside the camp to keep down the use of amplified noisemakers and beating against barricades or risk arrest.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. tweeted Tuesday night that any police enforcement against the anti-Israel protesters would be an "escalatory, reckless, and dangerous act.""It represents a heinous failure of leadership that puts people’s lives at risk. I condemn it in the strongest possible terms," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.This comes after Ocasio-Cortez labeled anti-Israel protests on college campuses as "peaceful," and ahead of Columbia University's president setting a midnight deadline for protesters to reach an agreement or else face police invlovement.Ahead of the initial midnight deadline Tuesday, demonstrators began to dismantle tents on the west side of the South Lawn, according to the Columbia Spectator. Some demonstrators had relocated to Furnald Lawn while dozens of others remained on the west side of the South Lawn.Shortly after midnight, demonstrators began moving the tents back onto the west side of the South Lawn.TRUMP SLAMS COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY FOR CLOSING CAMPUS AMID ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS: 'MEANS THE OTHER SIDE WINS'The deadline for an agreement comes just days after the university authorized the police on Thursday to sweep the encampment, leading to more than 100 arrests."I also want to be clear that we will not tolerate intimidating, harassing, or discriminatory behavior," Shafik wrote in her message Tuesday night. "We are working to identify protesters who violated our policies against discrimination and harassment, and they will be put through appropriate disciplinary processes.""The right to protest is essential and protected at Columbia, but harassment and discrimination is antithetical to our values and an affront to our commitment to be a community of mutual respect and kindness," Shafik continued.

A U.S. congressman said he believes there's a government UFO "cover-up" and is fed up with what he characterized as diversion tactics and stonewalling while millions of dollars seemingly vanish into a black hole. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., who's been a leading voice trying to get to the bottom of the UFO debate, expressed his frustration with the government on this topic in an interview with Fox News Digital."I think there is a cover-up," he said. "I mean, it's a cover-up when you release a file, and it's just half blacked out. And there's a cover-up when one group says one federal authority says something exists, and then another federal authority says it doesn't exist. That's a cover-up."So, yeah, it exists. The cover-up is real, for whatever reason. And you're spending tens of millions of dollars on it on something that you say doesn't exist, yet you continue spending the money on it. It makes you wonder."UNDERWATER UFOS DISPLAY CAPABILITY THAT ‘JEOPARDIZES' US MARITIME SECURITY,’ EX-NAVY OFFICER SAYSLast week, Burchett was one of about a dozen people in a SCIF, a sensitive compartmented information facility, about UFOs, which is a highly classified briefing, and he left feeling "discouraged, as all this other stuff is."Instead of releasing classified files to the public that a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers had been calling for, federal government officials "bring you in a secure setting, even for the most mundane so-called facts. And, to me, that just reeks of a cover."PENTAGON UFO REPORT FINDS NO ALIEN EVIDENCE: ‘IF US WON’T FESS UP, OTHER NATIONS WILL,' EXPERT WARNSBecause the meeting was classified, Burchett couldn't discuss the details, but he said he didn't learn anything new and wondered why it couldn't be discussed in public. "I really think the whole thing is so compartmentalized that we'll never get to the bottom of it until you have a commander-in-chief who says enough is enough. We just got to put this stuff out. Let's clear the air. And let's move on," Burchett said. "Like I said before, it's not about little green man or flying saucers, it's about tens of millions of dollars that our federal government is spending on something that at least some of the members of the federal government say does not exist. Yet they will not release all the files."WATCH: "JELLYFISH UAP" FLIES OVER IRAQ At times, Burchett said he felt like they were close to getting answers, but then they're told they have to ask someone else."And that person isn't in the SCIF, and then you start all over again. We need a coliseum to put everyone in one place, so we get all the questions answered."As recently as 2021, an Intelligence Community Control Access program "was expanded to protect UAP reverse-engineering … without sufficient justification," the Pentagon's February report on UFOs (or UAP, unidentified anomalous phenomena) said.RUSSIAN UFO ENGAGEMENTS, SECRET ‘TIC TAC’ REPORT AND 3 KEY FIGURES SLIP UNDER RADAR AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING"This program never recovered or reverse-engineered any UAP or extraterrestrial spacecraft. This IC (intelligence community) program was disestablished due to its lack of merit," according to the report. But it doesn't say the cost of the project or how much was spent. "If they (federal government) don't have anything to hide, they sure are doing a great job of hiding it," Burchett said with a smirk. "And also, if (UFOs) don't exist, why do they keep spending tens of millions of dollars researching? And why do they not declassify the documents?"And when they do declassify them, they're so redacted it just looks like blotches of blacked out ink."A representative of AARO, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which is the Pentagon's office that studies UFOs, didn't immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Fox News Digital's Brooke Curto contributed to this report. 

The "optics" of a homeowner handcuffed after changing the locks on a squatter in her Queens home worth $1 million pushed New York lawmakers to enact a harsh new law to protect property owners, a real estate attorney told Fox News Digital.A portion of New York's 2024 state budget agreement, signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul Monday, specifically excludes squatters from tenant protections under state law. The language defines a squatter as someone staying on a property without permission from its owner or the owner's representative. This wording, lawmakers said, will make it easier for police to intervene in squatting cases, sparing homeowners months or even years in housing court.Real estate lawyer Michael Romer told Fox News Digital the case of Brian Rodriguez pushed lawmakers "over the finish line" to pass anti-squatter legislation. Rodriguez had allegedly commandeered and subletted a home in Queens and summoned police to detain owner Adele Andaloro after she tried to change the locks.SQUATTER CHARGED AFTER ALLEGEDLY TAKING OVER $1M PROPERTY, GETTING HOMEOWNER ARRESTED FOR CHANGING LOCKS"I think this is what pushed it over the finish line, the investigation surrounding this case and the media surrounding this case. The optics of a homeowner being taken from their own home in handcuffs. That picture is what inspired Albany to act earlier today," Romer said."If somebody was effectively squatting or staying in a property that didn't belong to them and that happened for at least 30 days, then according to the prior laws, that squatter would effectively be considered a tenant and would have to be evicted in the court system," Romer explained. "What this bill change effectively does is it changes the definition as to what a squatter is and no longer affords them tenant's rights."It's a game changer." Rodriguez, 35, pleaded not guilty to second-degree burglary, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, second-degree criminal trespass and fourth-degree criminal mischief last week, according to the Queens District Attorney's office. NYC HOMEOWNER ARRESTED AFTER STANDOFF WITH SQUATTERS SHE SAYS ILLEGALLY TOOK OVER HER $1 MILLION PROPERTYOn Feb. 29, the office said, Rodriguez forced his way back into Andaloro's home after she changed the locks and tried to hold the door closed. When he claimed that he was a legal tenant, police had no choice but to remove Andaloro from the property. The subsequent press coverage, Romer said, prompted the district attorney's office to build a case against the 35-year-old squatter. At least four lawmakers penned legislation to protect homeowners from squatters after his arrest, ABC 7 reported. Andaloro was removed from the property but is not facing criminal charges, the Queens District Attorney's Office told Fox News Digital. Rodriguez's arrest followed a series of high-profile squatting incidents covered by Fox News Digital.QUEENS SQUATTERS FLEE $1 MILLION HOME AFTER STAND-OFF WITH HOMEOWNER, VISIT FROM 'VIGILANTES': REPORTOne squatter, Cheng Chen, was arrested after allegedly starting the fire that burned a home in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, to the ground earlier this year, causing $900,000 in damage, according to the New York Post.But even after the 67th Street home became uninhabitable, neighbors said at a rally earlier this month, his fellow squatters took up residence in its backyard.THE LEFT IS ALL ABOUT SQUATTERS' RIGHTS PUTTING HOMEOWNERS LIKE YOU AT RISKOwner Zafar Iqbal, 53, told the New York Post he was left powerless by the squatters who "have more rights" than homeowners. He continues to try to refurbish the property, but the unwelcome guests just "keep coming back." "I got a call from the fire department that the house is burnt out. Somebody got in there and torched my house," he said. "That’s when I found out it was a squatter living there. The squatters have more rights than the homeowners. I’m the owner of the house. How much more can I do? I need help."Romer told Fox News Digital he has seen an "uptick" in instances of squatting complaints from clients compared to his earlier 20 years practicing real estate law. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said "no one should return home to find their property seized by squatters, who now have more rights on their property than they do."For too long, my constituents have grappled with the current reality where individuals unlawfully occupy their spaces without any recourse. We witness distressing scenarios unfold in the news week after week — hardworking homeowners facing legal repercussions for rightfully reclaiming their own property from individuals who brazenly occupy it without consent." 

The United Nations called Tuesday for "a clear, transparent and credible investigation" of mass graves uncovered at two major hospitals in war-torn Gaza that were raided by Israeli troops.Credible investigators must have access to the sites, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters, and added that more journalists need to be able to work safely in Gaza to report on the facts.Earlier Tuesday, U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said he was "horrified" by the destruction of the Shifa medical center in Gaza City and Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis as well as the reported discovery of mass graves in and around the facilities after the Israelis left.PELOSI CALLS ON NETANYAHU TO RESIGN, CONDEMNS HIM AS 'OBSTACLE' TO PEACEHe called for independent and transparent investigations into the deaths, saying that "given the prevailing climate of impunity, this should include international investigators.""Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law," Türk said. "And the intentional killing of civilians, detainees and others who are ‘hors de combat’ (incapable of engaging in combat) is a war crime."U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel on Tuesday called the reports of mass graves at the hospitals "incredibly troubling" and said U.S. officials have asked the Israeli government for information.The Israeli military said its forces exhumed bodies that Palestinians had buried earlier as part of its search for the remains of hostages captured by Hamas during its Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war. The military said bodies were examined in a respectful manner and those not belonging to Israeli hostages were returned to their place.The Israeli military says it killed or detained hundreds of militants who had taken shelter inside the two hospital complexes, claims that could not be independently verified.The Palestinian civil defense in the Gaza Strip said Monday that it had uncovered 283 bodies from a temporary burial ground inside the main hospital in Khan Younis that was built when Israeli forces were besieging the facility last month. At the time, people were not able to bury the dead in a cemetery and dug graves in the hospital yard, the group said.The civil defense said some of the bodies were of people killed during the hospital siege. Others were killed when Israeli forces raided the hospital.Palestinian health officials say the hospital raids have destroyed Gaza’s health sector as it tries to cope with the mounting toll from over six months of war.The issue of who could or should conduct an investigation remains in question.For the United Nations to conduct an investigation, one of its major bodies would have to authorize it, Dujarric said."I think it’s not for anyone to prejudge the results or who would do it," he said. "I think it needs to be an investigation where there is access and there is credibility."The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said after visiting Israel and the West Bank in December that a probe by the court into possible crimes by Hamas militants and Israeli forces "is a priority for my office."The discovery of the graves "is another reason why we need a cease-fire, why we need to see an end to this conflict, why we need to see greater access for humanitarians, for humanitarian goods, greater protection for hospitals" and for the release of Israeli hostages, Dujarric said Monday.In the Hamas attack that launched the war, militants killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Israel says the militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of more than 30 others.In response, Israel’s air and ground offensive in Gaza, aimed at eliminating Hamas, has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, around two-thirds of them children and women. It has devastated Gaza’s two largest cities, created a humanitarian crisis and led around 80% of the territory’s population to flee to other parts of the besieged coastal enclave.

London police have contained two military horses that were seen running around loose without riders in the heart of the U.K. capital on Wednesday morning. Several other horses are still believed to be on the loose.Details remain sketchy as to what happened but British media is reporting that seven military horses initially got loose, with police working with army personnel to recapture them.Reports have emerged that a taxi driver waiting near Buckingham Palace had his car window smashed by a spooked horse, while a parked double-decker tour bus had its windscreen damaged.US NATIONAL PARK FACING REMOVAL OF WILD HORSES GAINS SUPPORT FROM CONGRESSCity of London police said two of the horses had been recaptured and that officers were waiting for a horse box from the British Army to collect the animals and take them to a veterinarian.Images of the two horses, one of which is black and the other white, wearing saddles and bridles, were circulating across social media. The front of the white horse was covered in red.They were seen running on the road near Aldwych, which is in between London’s historic financial center and the West End, the hub of the capital’s entertainment industry.Police officers contained the horses about 4 miles east of central London, near Limehouse.

An Australian counterterrorism force announced the arrests Wednesday of seven male teenagers who reportedly have links to a 16-year-old charged with stabbing an Assyrian church bishop during a livestreamed mass outside of Sydney. Police say the teens, who are associates of the young attacker who targeted bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel on April 15 at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, pose an "unacceptable risk" to society and allegedly are involved in a religiously motivated extremist ideology, according to Reuters. "I can assure the community there is no ongoing threat to the community, and the action we have taken today has mitigated any risk of future or further harm," the news agency quoted New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson as saying. The 16-year-old who has been detained in the wake of the stabbing is now facing a terrorism charge. SYDNEY CHURCH BISHOP SAYS HE FORGIVES ATTACKER "Seven people have been arrested after 13 warrants were executed in Sydney and Goulburn today, as the Joint Counter Terrorism Team Sydney continues to investigate an alleged stabbing at a Wakeley church," NSW Police said in a statement Wednesday. "About 11.15am today, investigators executed 13 search warrants across a number of suburbs in Sydney including Bankstown, Prestons, Casula, Lurnea, Rydalmere, Greenacre, Strathfield, Chester Hill, and Punchbowl, as well as a premises in Goulburn," police added. "The operation involved more than 400 police." Officials say seven juvenile males were arrested in the operation and another five people, including two adult males, are being questioned. "A number of items have also been seized as a result of today’s activity, including a significant amount of electronic material. Operational activity remains ongoing," NSW Police also said. AUSTRALIA SAYS BISHOP, PRIEST’S CHURCH STABBING WAS A ‘TERRORIST INCIDENT’ Authorities previously have described the assault on the bishop as a "terrorist incident. "I am doing fine, recovering very quickly... there is no need to be worried or concerned," Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel later said in an audio message posted on social media, his first public comments since the attack. "I forgive whoever has done this act... I will always pray for you and whoever sent you to do this, I forgive them as well." Bishop Emmanuel, who was injured in the attack, is the leader of a conservative sect of the Assyrian Orthodox faith. He has a strong social media following and is outspoken on a range of issues, including the war in Gaza and COVID-19 restrictions, according to Reuters. Fox News’ Chris Pandolfo and Reuters contributed to this report. 

The head of Mexico’s detective service acknowledged Tuesday that the country is "the champion" of fentanyl production, something that appears to run counter to past statements by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.López Obrador has hotly denied in the past that any fentanyl is produced in Mexico, saying Mexican cartels only press it into pills or add finishing touches.But Felipe de Jesus Gallo, the head of Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency, said that since the 1990s "Mexico has been the champion of methamphetamine production, and now fentanyl." He spoke at a U.S.-Mexico conference on synthetic drugs in Mexico City.CHINA PUSHING US FENTANYL CRISIS, HOUSE PANEL REPORT REVEALSExperts agree that cartels in Mexico use precursor chemicals from China and India to make the synthetic opioid and smuggle it into the United States, where it causes about 70,000 overdose deaths annually.While fentanyl is not widely abused in Mexico, methamphetamine addiction is commonplace.Gallo said that Mexican cartels have launched industrial-scale production of meth in many states throughout the country and now export the drug around the world."Believe me, methamphetamine production has become industrialized, it's not just in the mountains anymore," Gallo said. "We now expect to see (drug) laboratories not just in the mountains of Sinaloa and Sonora, but in Hidalgo as well, Puebla, and also in Jalisco."DRUG OVERDOSES HAVE REACHED RECORD HIGH, PER LATEST CDC REPORT: ‘GRIM STATISTICS'He was apparently referring to thousands of drug labs detected in previous years in the hills and scrublands around Culiacan, the capital of the northern state of Sinaloa. Those clandestine, rural production sites were often bare-bones, improvised labs covered with tree branches and tarpaulins.Now, the meth trade has become so lucrative and so sophisticated that Mexican meth is exported as far away as Hong Kong or Australia, and the cartels have found ways to avoid detection of their drug money."The business models have become very innovative, or as old and antiquated as barter; ‘I’ll trade you precursor chemicals for meth,' to avoid leaving a money trail," Gallo said.There is little question that drug production goes on at a huge scale in Mexico.In February, Mexico's Navy seized over 45 tons of methamphetamine at the biggest drug lab found during the current administration. The lab was in Quiriego, a township in a remote part of the northern border state of Sonora.The 91,000 pounds of meth found there was more than half of the 162,000 pounds of the drug Mexico has seized so far this year.Fentanyl production is also huge, though because it is a more potent drug, the volume is smaller.A year ago, soldiers seized more than a half-million fentanyl pills in Culiacan in what the army at the time described as the largest synthetic drug lab found to date.Soldiers found almost 630,000 pills that appeared to contain fentanyl, the army said. They also reported seizing 282 pounds of powdered fentanyl and about 220 pounds of suspected methamphetamine.López Obrador, who took office on Dec. 1, 2018, also claims that Mexicans are culturally immune to drug addiction.

A prominent German far-right lawmaker said Wednesday that he will dismiss an assistant who was arrested on suspicion of spying for China, but will remain the Alternative for Germany party's top candidate in the upcoming European Parliament elections.Maximilian Krah's assistant, Jian Guo, was arrested Monday. Prosecutors accuse Guo — a German national who had worked for Krah since his election to the European Union legislature in 2019 — of working for a Chinese intelligence service and of repeatedly passing on information on negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament in January.Prosecutors allege that he also snooped on Chinese dissidents in Germany. On Tuesday night, a judge ordered Guo held in custody pending a possible indictment.GERMAN LAWMAKER'S AIDE ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF SPYING FOR CHINA IN EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTThe arrest cast an unflattering light on the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which already faced criticism for having Russia-friendly positions. The European Parliament elections will take place June 9 in Germany.Krah said Wednesday he had held "a very friendly and constructive, but appropriately serious" meeting with the party's leaders. Now that Guo has been ordered kept in custody, "I will dismiss the employee concerned today," he said."I am very much interested in clearing this up, and will endeavor to find out what exactly he is accused of," Krah said, adding that his office would work to "reconstruct everything" Guo worked on.Krah conceded that "the election campaign is, of course, being terribly overshadowed by this matter." He said that, as a result, he won't appear at AfD's official opening campaign rally Saturday in the southwestern town of Donaueschingen."But if you think this the end of me as the lead candidate, I must disappoint you," he told reporters. "I am and remain the top candidate; what this is about now is refocusing the election campaign on European issues and getting away from this very unpleasant matter."Krah said there was no wrongdoing on his own part.News of Guo's arrest came a day after three Germans suspected of spying for China and arranging to transfer information on technology with potential military uses were arrested in a separate case.Also on Monday, British prosecutors said a former researcher working in the U.K. Parliament and another man were charged with spying for China.

European Union auditors said on Wednesday that they are unable to establish whether some of the billions of euros the bloc has given to Turkey to help it cope with Syrian refugees is actually having any impact.Under a deal concluded between EU leaders and Turkey in 2016, the bloc committed to provide at least $6.4 billion to Turkey to help it cope with migrants crossing in from Syria. Turkey in turn committed to stop migrants leaving its territory for Europe.16 DEAD, INCLUDING 4 CHILDREN, AFTER MIGRANT BOAT SINKS OFF THE COAST OF TURKEYIn March 2016, a month after the deal came into effect, Turkey’s government said the number of migrants crossing illegally into Greece had dropped from around 6,000 per day in November 2015 to about 130 daily.In 2021, the leaders announced plans to send a further $3.2 billion for refugees in Turkey. The pact, which was hailed in Europe as a great success, served as a template for other more recent and elaborate deals with Tunisia and Egypt.Money from the agreement is used to supply cash cards to some of the more than 4 million registered refugees, as well as to improve education and health, help people to better integrate and to build facilities in Turkey that people fleeing the war in Syria might need.But the European Court of Auditors, or ECA, in a follow-up last year on whether the money was being used effectively, said that Turkey’s education ministry had refused to provide information that might allow them to assess what impact EU projects are having."I’m quite sure that European citizens would like to see some results coming out of the various development and humanitarian projects that the EU is funding," ECA member Bettina Jakobsen told reporters.According to the European Commission, the bloc's executive branch, at least $566 million was destined to "support quality inclusive education of refugees in Turkey." It's meant to pay teacher salaries and provide education equipment, Turkish language and teacher training, as well as counselling and other guidance.Auditors sought a list of the schools receiving EU support and the number of refugee pupils who are attending, as well as information on whether children who were not in education had been reintegrated into the school system and their exam pass rates, compared to Turkish students.Without the data, Jakobsen underlined, "we are not able to conclude on measuring impact or sustainability" of the education projects underwritten by the EU.Asked by The Associated Press what was preventing the auditors from getting the information from the education ministry, one EU auditor involved in the process said: "They just claimed that they didn’t have the data.""We do know that data should normally exist," said the auditor, who under ECA regulations could not be named. "It’s not up to us to guess why or why not they don’t want to provide the data."An ECA official noted that it is relatively rare for authorities to fail to cooperate with auditors.The auditors and officials from the commission, which is responsible for ensuring that the bloc’s money is correctly spent, made joint and individual requests for the information, but without success.The auditors were able to visit some schools, as well as hospitals, which benefit from EU funds and could see that the facilities were used by refugees and Turkish pupils and that teachers were working there.In general, given the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, a major earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February 2023, and Turkey's rampant inflation, the auditors found that the EU funding package "provided relevant support to refugees and host communities" in Turkey.But Jakobsen also noted that auditors "found weaknesses in the commission’s assessment of project budgets" and said the EU’s executive branch "did not systematically assess whether project costs were reasonable or compare similar costs between different projects."

Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei has tried to dismiss the worsening budget crisis at public universities as politics as usual, a contest with his leftist political rivals who hold sway over liberal campuses.It does not feel that way to many of the students at the elite University of Buenos Aires, where halls went dark, elevators froze and air conditioning stopped working in some buildings last week. Professors taught 200-person lectures without microphones or projectors because the public university — among the best in Latin America — couldn't cover its electricity bill."This is an unthinkable crisis," said Valeria Añón, a 50-year-old literature professor protesting Milei's austerity measures in downtown Buenos Aires with thousands of others on Tuesday. "I feel so sad for my students and for myself."JAVIER MILEI CRUSHES ARGENTINE LEFT, BECOMES WORLD'S FIRST LIBERTARIAN HEAD OF STATEIn his drive to reach zero deficit, Milei is slashing spending across Argentina — shuttering ministries, defunding cultural centers, laying off state workers and cutting subsidies. On Monday he had something to show for it, announcing Argentina’s first quarterly fiscal surplus since 2008."We are making possible the impossible even with the majority of politics, unions, the media and most economic actors against us," he said in a televised address.Crowds of university students and professors walked out of class Tuesday in a massive display of defiance, joining thousands of demonstrators streaming into the city center. Some privately financed schools closed in solidarity. Protests also gripped other cities in Argentina. "The university will defend itself!" students shouted."We are trying to show the government it cannot take away our right to education," said Santiago Ciraolo, a 32-year-old student in social communication protesting Tuesday. "Everything is at stake here."In a sign of the larger ideological battle at play, members of trade unions and left-wing parties also filled the streets. Describing universities as bastions of socialism where professors indoctrinate their students, Milei has accused his political enemies of fomenting discontent. "The cognitive dissonance that brainwashing generates in public education is tremendous," he said.Since last July, when the fiscal year began, the 200-year-old University of Buenos Aires, or UBA, has received just 8.9% of its total budget from the state as annual inflation now hovers near 290%. The university says that's barely enough to keep lights on and provide basic services in teaching hospitals that have already cut capacity.Declaring a financial emergency, UBA warned last week that without a rescue plan, the school would shut down in the coming months, stranding 380,000 students mid-degree. It's a shock for Argentines who consider a free and quality university education a national birthright. UBA has a proud intellectual tradition, having produced five Nobel Prize winners and 17 presidents."I've been given access to a future, to opportunities through this university that otherwise my family and many others at our income level could never afford," said Alex Vargas, a 24-year-old economics student. "When you step back, you see how important this is for our society."President Milei came to power last December, inheriting an economy in shambles after years of chronic overspending and suffocating international debt. Brandishing a chainsaw during his campaign to symbolize slashing the budget, he repeats a simple catchphrase to compatriots reeling budget cuts and the peso’s 50% devaluation: "There is no money."Overall, Argentina puts about 4.6% of its gross domestic product into education. Critics of the university system say the budget cuts also are an attempt to raise efficiency and increase fiscal transparency. Some want foreign students to start paying dues. Public universities are free not only for Argentines but also for international pupils, drawing legions of students from across Latin America, Spain and further afield."Where I'm from, high-quality education is unfortunately a privilege, not a basic right," said Sofia Hernandez, a 21-year-old from Bogota, Colombia studying medicine at UBA. "In Argentina there is a model that I wish more countries could have."The government said late Monday it was sending some $24.5 million to public universities and another $12 million to keep medical centers operating. "The discussion is closed and settled," presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni said Tuesday.University authorities disagreed, saying the promised transfer — which they still have not received — covers just a fraction of what they need. For UBA, that means a 61% annual budget cut, when accounting for inflation.It also won't help the income of teachers who have seen their salary decline in value more than 35% in the past four months, said Matías Ruiz, UBA's treasury secretary. Staff salaries can be as low as $150 a month. Many…

Two former United Nations employees in Montreal have been charged with participating in a conspiracy to sell Chinese-made drones and other military equipment in Libya, Canadian police said Tuesday.RCMP spokesman Sgt. Charles Poirier said the alleged offenses occurred between 2018 and 2021, when the two men were working at the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency headquartered in Montreal.Police identified the two men as Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek, 61, and Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh, 37. Poirer said they violated U.N. sanctions related to the Libyan civil war. The sanctions have the force of law in Canada by way of federal regulation.UN PLASTIC POLLUTION TREATY TALKS APPROACH DEADLINE IN CANADA"What we found is that through some shell companies, they attempted to sell this Chinese military equipment to Libya, which is a direct violation of the regulation," Poirier said, adding that the military equipment included large drones that can carry multiple missiles.Poirier said the regulation prohibits anyone in Canada from supplying military equipment to any of the factions that were fighting in the Libyan civil war, or helping to finance those groups. The alleged conspiracy, he said, would have benefited one of the two main factions in the conflict, which ended in 2020."The second part of this scheme was to export Libyan oil to China," Poirier said. "So at the time, the oil fields were under the control of Gen. Khalifa Hifter and the plan was to sell millions of drums of crude oil to China without anyone knowing about it."Hifter's self-styled Libyan National Army fought against Libya’s U.N.-backed government and held much of the country’s east during the civil war; he continues to be a powerful figure in that region.Poirier said Mhaouek, a Canadian citizen, was arrested Tuesday morning at his home in the Montreal suburb of Ste-Catherine, Que., and was scheduled to appear in a Montreal court later in the day.Mhaouek’s alleged accomplice remains on the run. An Interpol red notice — an alert sent to police around the world — and a Canada-wide warrant have been issued for Sayeh’s arrest.Poirier said investigators have no indication that military equipment or crude oil ever reached their alleged final destinations, but he said if they had, the two co-conspirators stood to gain several million dollars in commissions."The theory behind the motivation is primarily financial," he said. However, it would have also benefited China by allowing it to covertly support Hifter's faction and by giving the country prime access to Libyan oil.Poirier said the investigation began in 2022 after the RCMP received what he described as "credible intelligence."Both men had diplomatic immunity due to their work with the U.N. Their immunity had to be waived by ICAO before the two men could be charged.The U.N. organization, which sets international aviation standards, has been collaborating with the police investigation."There’s no indication that ICAO was aware of the conspiracy until they were approached by us," Poirier said.Police don’t know where Sayeh, a Libyan national, may be."He could be in Libya, but with the level of influence and the networking that these men had working at ICAO, he could be anywhere," Poirier said.The UN’s civil aviation agency said in an emailed statement that it is committed to upholding Canadian laws, U.N. standards and its own ethics code."ICAO is fully cooperating with the RCMP investigation of the individuals involved in the complaint, who left the organization a number of years ago," the agency said. "ICAO strongly condemns any actions of individuals that are inconsistent with the organization’s values."

Armenia and Azerbaijan on Tuesday came a step closer toward normalizing relations after a bitter conflict over territory, as experts in both countries worked to demarcate their boundaries and the first border marker was placed.The two nations are working toward a peace treaty after Azerbaijan regained full control of the Karabakh province that had been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces since the 1990s. A six-week war in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan retaking large parts of the breakaway region, and in September 2023, Azerbaijani forces launched a lighting blitz that forced Karabakh's Armenian authorities to capitulate in negotiations mediated by Russian forces.ARMENIAN VICTIMS GROUP ASKS INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT TO INVESTIGATE GENOCIDE CLAIMSeveral days ago, Armenia and Azerbaijan reached an agreement over a stretch of border that would cut through four Armenian villages in the Tavush province, meaning that Armenia would cede some territory to Azerbaijan.Armenian and Azerbaijani authorities on Tuesday announced that the first border marker was installed. It wasn’t immediately clear where exactly it was placed.In Armenia, protests erupted, and demonstrators blocked roads in the northeastern region that the proposed border would run through. They also set up roadblocks along two key routes elsewhere in the country, including one leading to neighboring Georgia. Photos carried by Armenian and Russian media showed cars and trucks lining country lanes as protesters stood in groups around them.And yet, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said Baku and Yerevan were edging closer to a common understanding of what a peace agreement might look like."We are close and maybe closer than ever before (to signing a peace agreement)," Aliyev said.Last month, Armenia’s prime minister said the Caucasus nation needs to quickly define the border with Azerbaijan to avoid a new round of hostilities. Many residents of Armenia’s border regions have resisted the demarcation effort, seeing it as Azerbaijan’s encroachment on areas they consider their own.Earlier this month, Russia began withdrawing its forces from Karabakh, where they have been stationed as peacekeepers under a truce brokered by Moscow that ended the 2020 war.The peacekeepers’ duties included ensuring free passage on the sole road connecting Karabakh with Armenia. But Azerbaijan began blocking the road in late 2022, alleging Armenians were using it for weapons shipments and to smuggle minerals, and the Russian forces did not intervene.After months of increasingly dire food and medicine shortages in Karabakh due to the blockade, Azerbaijan launched its offensive last year.After Azerbaijan regained full control of Karabakh, the vast majority of its nearly 120,000 population fled to Armenia, although Azerbaijan said they were welcome to stay and promised their human rights would be ensured.

Armored vehicles roll slowly past Haiti’s National Palace as police scan the horizon for gangs. Every day, bullets whiz past the area, striking buildings and people alike.Gangs control most of the territory that surrounds the palace, but a transitional council charged with selecting a new prime minister and Cabinet for Haiti is demanding that its members be sworn in at the palace.HAITI'S HEALTH SYSTEM PUSHED TO THE BRINK OF COLLAPSE BY RAMPANT GANG VIOLENCEThe ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday even as officials scramble to impose tight security measures, according to two high-ranking regional officials with knowledge of the matter who asked that their names be withheld because they were not authorized to speak to the media.The push to hold the ceremony at the palace is considered by some a show of force to suggest the Haitian government is still in charge despite marauding gangs who have previously attacked the palace and have promised to derail the ceremony as a daily barrage of gunfire persists in downtown Port-au-Prince."No one out here is safe," said Josil Djaimeska, 33, as he waved his hand in reference to the sprawling public park known as Champ de Mars where he sat Tuesday morning near the palace.Just steps from where he sat, a stray bullet struck Djaimeska late last week. The bullet is still in his calf, and he’s hoping a doctor will operate on him soon.Shortly after he spoke, a pop-pop-pop of gunfire erupted briefly nearby.More than 2,500 people were killed or wounded across Haiti from January to March, a more than 50% increase compared with the same period last year, according to a recent U.N. report. Much of the violence is concentrated in Port-au-Prince.In a speech Monday at the U.N. Security Council, María Isabel Salvador, the U.N. special envoy for Haiti, said the council’s priorities should include a plan for near-term security."Gang leaders and other spoilers have stated their intention to violently disrupt the current political process," she said. "I cannot stress enough the need to assist Haiti with its efforts to reestablish security."While gangs have long operated in Haiti, they now control 80% of Port-au-Prince, and the coordinated attacks launched starting Feb. 29 have paralyzed the capital and beyond. They have burned police stations and hospitals, opened fire on the main international airport that remains closed since early March and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates."I am 63 years old and this is the first time I see something like this in Port-au-Prince," said Renoir Auxil, who now lives in an abandoned bathroom in the Champ de Mars park after gangs raided his neighborhood.He said the ongoing violence should not deter Haiti from moving forward."Whatever the circumstance is, they have to swear in the council," he said.The transitional council consists of nine members, seven of them with voting powers. Those awarded a seat are Petit Desalin, a party led by former senator and presidential candidate Jean-Charles Moïse; EDE/RED, a party led by former Prime Minister Claude Joseph; the Montana Accord, a group of civil society leaders, political parties and others; Fanmi Lavalas, the party of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide; the Jan. 30 Collective, which represents parties including that of former President Michel Martelly, and the private sector.As preparations to install the council continue, sporadic gunfire broke out several times near the National Palace on Tuesday.It’s a sound that hundreds of people who were forced to flee their homes and are now living in a makeshift shelter close to the palace have gotten used to. But they are still talking about the shooting that occurred Sunday. One of their own was hit in the back by a stray bullet in the yard of the shelter while buying spaghetti.The man remains hospitalized and requires surgery, said Chesnel Joseph, 46, director of the shelter, which previously housed Haiti’s Ministry of Communications.Joseph once worked as a math teacher, but since nearly all schools in Port-au-Prince have closed as a result of the violence, he is now unemployed.Regional officials told The Associated Press that swearing in the council at the National Palace is considered too risky and that they are urging members to choose a safer venue.While the venue of the ceremony is still being debated, some Haitians like Marie-André Blain, 46, doubt it will be held at the palace."There is no security in this country. You just basically pray to God," she said. "If the higher ranks aren’t safe, we ourselves aren’t safe."