Columbia Said It Would Expel Students Occupying a Building

Early this morning, dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters stormed into an academic building on Columbia University’s campus and used furniture to barricade themselves inside. They smashed windows, unfurled banners and created a makeshift system to deliver food to demonstrators who, as of this evening, still remain inside. This afternoon, university officials announced that students involved in the building’s occupation would face expulsion.

Columbia closed the entire Manhattan campus to everyone except students who live in dorms there and employees who provide essential services. The arrests of protesters there about two weeks ago helped set off a cascade of campus activism. Here’s the latest on protests across the country.

Officials at Portland State University closed the campus after students broke into its library, and police officers made new arrests at universities in Virginia, North Carolina and elsewhere. More than 1,000 people have been detained on American campuses since April 18.

In some areas, there were signs that the disruption might be waning. Police officers managed to end the eight-day occupation of an administration building at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt. Encampments at Yale and the University of Pittsburgh also appeared to have been vacated.

Judge held Trump in contempt, and warned of jail time

The judge overseeing the criminal case against former President Donald Trump in Manhattan held Trump in contempt today for violating a gag order by making nine public statements attacking the witnesses or jurors. The judge, Juan Merchan, fined Trump $9,000 and warned that he could go to jail if he continued to ignore the court’s orders.

Merchan dismissed an argument from one of Trump’s lawyers, Todd Blanche, who said that the former president was simply responding to political attacks. My colleagues reported today that Trump has complained repeatedly that Blanche has been insufficiently aggressive.

Afterward, the jury heard from Keith Davidson, the lawyer for Stormy Daniels who negotiated the $130,000 hush-money payment at the heart of the case. He said he believed Trump was the hidden hand behind the deal. Here’s the latest.

The Binance founder was sentenced to four months

Changpeng Zhao, the billionaire founder of the giant cryptocurrency exchange Binance, was sentenced today to four months in prison for money-laundering violations. It was significantly less than the three years prosecutors had demanded for Zhao, who pleaded guilty last year.

Zhao resigned as chief executive of Binance in November. Until then, he had been in charge of the largest crypto company in the world. Prosecutors said Zhao had credited the company’s growth in part to his willingness to defy U.S. law.

The U.S. may ease its restrictions on marijuana

The Justice Department is planning to encourage the White House to lessen the federal restrictions on marijuana, according to three people familiar with the matter.

If the move is approved, it would kick off a lengthy rule-making process that could significantly shift how the government views the safety and the use of the drug for medical purposes. It could also lead to the softening of sentencing guidelines and banking restrictions surrounding its use or possession.

More top news

The nominees for Broadway’s top prizes

A semi-autobiographical musical by Alicia Keys (“Hell’s Kitchen”) and a play about a group of musicians struggling to record an album (“Stereophonic”) led the way today with 13 Tony nominations each.

“The Outsiders,” a musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s classic young adult novel, picked up 12 nominations; Daniel Radcliffe earned his first Tony nomination; and Sarah Paulson is a likely winner for her performance in “Appropriate.” Here are all the nominees, and these are this year’s biggest snubs and surprises. The ceremony is scheduled to take place on June 16.

“For theatergoers, this is an exciting time, with so many options,” our theater reporter Michael Paulson said. “For producers and investors, it’s a bit scarier, because Broadway has just become riskier than ever,” he added. “So now everyone is watching to see how the new shows fare, and what kind of difference the nominations make.”

There’s been a lot to cheer for at Madison Square Garden

The New York Knicks have a chance tonight to eliminate the Philadelphia 76ers and advance to the second round of the N.B.A. playoffs. It would be just the second time since the turn of the millennium that both the Knicks and the New York Rangers — both of whom play in Madison Square Garden in Manhattan — win a playoff series in the same year.

The Knicks have no doubt benefited from having a core group of players who have been buddies since they went to college together.

The world’s favorite dessert

Black Forest cake, the liquor-infused chocolate spongecake topped with whipped cream and cherries, originates from Germany. But it’s also a classic Trinidadian dessert, a signature Pakistani cake, a Chilean cake, a Lebanese cake, a Nepali cake, a Zimbabwean cake and a popular dessert on the remote islands of Fiji.

Dessert lovers from each country claim it as their own national treat. When my colleague Priya Krishna looked into why it became so widely beloved, she talked to several people who were astonished to learn of its German roots.

Have a delectable evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

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