An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: Trump held in contempt of court; Columbia protesters arrested; a mysterious Roman object; and more

By Hannah Jewell
with John Taylor

Listen to this briefing

Good morning. It's Wednesday, May 1, and for a different way to get caught up, check out The 7's daily podcast, hosted by yours truly. Now let's get to the news.

New York police arrested more students at Columbia University.

Last night: Dozens of officers in riot gear entered the New York City campus, breaching the building protesters of the Israel-Gaza war had occupied since early yesterday.
Other developments: Police arrived at UCLA this morning, arrests were made at City College of New York, and Brown said it would consider cutting financial ties with Israel.

Read this story

Donald Trump was held in contempt yesterday for violating a gag order.

What that means: The judge in Trump's New York criminal trial fined him $9,000 for breaking the court's rules, and warned he could go to jail if he keeps doing it.
What else to know: Jurors heard testimony from the former lawyer for Stormy Daniels, who explained why her story — of an alleged tryst with Trump — became more valuable.

Read this story

A six-week abortion ban takes effect in Florida today.

What to know: The law, confirmed by the state's Supreme Court last month, is one of the strictest in the nation and will all but eliminate abortion care in the Southeast.
But the ban might not last: Florida's November ballot will include a referendum on enshrining abortion rights in its constitution. Democrats hope it will energize Florida voters.

Read this story

The attorney general is moving to loosen federal marijuana restrictions.

What to know: Merrick Garland yesterday recommended reclassifying marijuana as a lower-risk drug. It has been classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin, for decades.
What it means: The proposal, if accepted, wouldn't legalize marijuana at the federal level. But it could broaden access for medicinal use and boost industries in states where cannabis is legal.

Read this story

The Biden administration will clear $6.1 billion in debt of former Art Institute students.

What to know: The debt is held by 317,000 former students of the defunct, for-profit chain of universities. Eligible borrowers will be notified today, and don't need to take action.
Zooming out: This is one of the administration's biggest student debt relief initiatives since the Supreme Court struck down Biden's $400 billion plan last year.

Read this story

Schools are finding ways to keep cellphones out of the classroom.

How? Having students put phones in a magnetically locking pouch at the beginning of the school day. At least 2,000 U.S. schools were using them last year.
One example: A Connecticut middle school got the pouches in December, angering some students and parents. Now, students smoke and fight less and take shorter bathroom breaks.
Why it matters: About a third of teens report that they use a social media site "almost constantly," and officials have raised alarm about harm to children.

Read this story

Archaeologists keep finding mysterious, 12-faced objects from Ancient Rome.

This "very strange and bizarre object" — about the size of a clenched fist — was unearthed in England last June. (Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group)

What you're looking at: One of around 130 hollow metal dodecahedrons found in Europe since the 1700s. They date to Roman times, and nobody knows what they're for.
Some theories: They could have been candleholders, dice, tools, or used in rituals. But these are just guesses — there are no references to them in ancient Roman texts.

Read this story