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all states and situations. Tonight

0:32

the tenth standoff at Columbia

0:34

University as pro-Palestinian protests escalate

0:37

on campuses nationwide. Columbia

0:39

now threatening to expel students who have

0:41

taken over a historic campus building after

0:44

they smashed windows and used furniture

0:46

to barricade doors and the new

0:48

arrests more than a thousand nationwide

0:50

since the unrest began. So

0:53

tonight Donald Trump held in contempt

0:55

for violating his gag order in

0:57

his hush money trial. The

0:59

judge warning if he does it again, he could go to

1:02

jail. And the former

1:04

president making headlines with his agenda

1:06

for a possible second term. What

1:08

he said about letting states track

1:10

women's pregnancies, mass deportations and refusing

1:12

to rule out violence if he

1:14

loses again. The historic move on

1:17

marijuana, the Biden administration planning the

1:19

biggest policy change in more than

1:21

50 years. Major

1:23

river flooding and tornado reports in

1:25

the heartland. Al Roker is here.

1:27

New details in the shootout that

1:29

killed four officers in North Carolina.

1:32

Plus what was found at the

1:34

scene. A man with a

1:36

sword going on a deadly rampage in London.

1:38

The moment police with a taser took him

1:40

down. The issue many iPhone

1:42

users report with their alarms, the setting

1:44

you may need to turn off. And

1:47

it's a whole new ball game. Can

1:50

rugby players succeed on the NFL field?

1:54

This is NBC nightly news with

1:56

Lester Holt. Good

1:59

evening and welcome. The student-led resistance movements

2:01

playing out on college campuses

2:03

around the country are being

2:05

met with a stronger hand

2:07

tonight in some places. Police

2:09

clashing with protesters on several

2:11

campuses and clearing encampments. But

2:13

some four dozen of the

2:15

tent camps remain across the

2:17

country, including at New York's

2:19

Columbia University, where pro-Palestinian demonstrators

2:21

turned up the heat overnight,

2:24

breaking windows, storming and occupying a

2:26

major building on the main campus

2:29

as the administration made good on

2:31

its threat to suspend protesters who have

2:33

refused to leave. Demonstrators

2:35

insisting the university's divest

2:37

from Israel, the NYPD

2:39

tonight remaining out of the Columbia

2:41

standoff as New York's mayor warns

2:44

of outsiders trying to co-op the

2:46

movement and telling protesters to leave

2:48

the area now for their own safety.

2:51

Erin McLaughlin is there. Erin, where do you think

2:53

stand right now? Lester,

2:56

tonight the mayor of New York

2:59

pointing to external actors urging

3:01

parents to call their children

3:03

to get them to leave

3:05

the campus immediately for their safety.

3:07

Meanwhile, the NYPD says they are

3:09

ready to assist if the university

3:12

calls and asks for their help. Tonight

3:16

tensions at Columbia University reaching a

3:18

new high with the school

3:21

threatening expulsion. After

3:23

pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the historic

3:25

Hamilton Hall overnight, renaming the

3:28

building Hinn's Hall after a

3:30

six-year-old Palestinian girl killed in

3:32

Gaza. Student

3:36

journalist Joseph Zulaga was on the

3:38

scene. I think when one

3:40

of the protesters broke one of the windows, I

3:42

think that's when it's setting for all of us

3:45

that history was really unfolding for our eyes. In

3:47

a statement today, the university said this is

3:50

about responding to the actions of the protesters,

3:52

not their cause. All the

3:54

protesters pointed to the historic occupations of

3:56

the hall and reiterated their key demand

3:58

that the university, the from Israel,

4:00

which Columbia says it won't do. Physic

4:03

student Charles Beck says he was pushed away

4:06

when he tried to stop the protesters. I

4:08

certainly was a little afraid, but

4:13

I also just felt like it was

4:15

important that someone do something. I would not describe last

4:17

night's protest as peaceful at all. Today

4:19

the student protesters, fortifying their position inside

4:21

the hall, hoisting supplies to the top.

4:24

Columbia, Boston! Columbia

4:26

University has so far refrained from calling

4:29

back the police. But that's not the

4:31

case at UT Austin. The protesters back

4:33

on campus today, following yesterday's clashes, which

4:35

resulted in 79 arrests.

4:39

At Tulane University, protesters clashed with

4:41

police on horseback and at the

4:43

University of North Carolina Chapel Hill,

4:45

at this moment. Nationwide

4:47

more than 1,200 have been arrested so

4:50

far, as the calls for universities to

4:52

divest from Israel grow louder. We deserve

4:54

to know where our money is

4:56

going, where our resources are going. We deserve to

4:59

know what our university is invested in.

5:01

Today the White House writing, the

5:03

protests must be peaceful and lawful.

5:05

Forcibly taking over buildings is not

5:07

peaceful, it is wrong. While

5:09

House Speaker Mike Johnson called on campuses

5:11

to press down. This

5:14

is universities across the country struggle to

5:16

balance free speech and hate speech. A

5:18

lot of people like that I went

5:21

to classes with, a dinner with,

5:23

that are chanting

5:26

for the arrangement of the truth to say

5:28

to them that that's my family. So

5:31

I do feel a little heartbroken

5:33

by this. Columbia professor

5:35

Reinhold Martin was locking arms on

5:38

Monday with fellow faculty members to

5:40

protect student protesters. The divestment

5:42

question has been on the table for a

5:44

very long time and not only with respect

5:46

to the conflict in Palestine, but it's a

5:48

legitimate tool. Erin McGonklin, NBC News,

5:51

New York. We turn out

5:53

of a hush money trial of former President

5:55

Trump, the judge holding Mr. Trump in contempt

5:57

of court and threatening to jail him. If

6:00

he continues to violate a gag

6:02

order, which Mr. Trump calls unconstitutional.

6:05

Laura Jarrett now with Lake Developments.

6:08

Tonight, former President Trump hit with a $9,000 fine

6:11

at his hush money trial, with

6:13

the judge finding multiple violations of

6:16

the gag order prohibiting Mr. Trump

6:18

from attacking witnesses, now threatening to

6:20

throw him behind bars, saying jail

6:22

may be a necessary punishment in

6:24

the future. Mr. Trump's attorneys

6:27

had argued it's unfair to hold

6:29

him accountable for reposting criticism others

6:31

have voiced, and that certain witnesses

6:33

like Michael Cohen frequently

6:35

attacked Mr. Trump. The

6:37

presumptive Republican nominee later deleting the nine

6:40

posts about Cohen and Stormy Daniels that

6:42

landed him in hot water. The

6:57

former president joined in court today

6:59

by son Eric, the first family

7:01

member to attend, the prosecution calling

7:03

Keith Davidson, the lawyer who represented

7:05

Daniels and Karen McDougall, two women

7:07

who say they had sex with

7:09

Mr. Trump, which he has

7:11

denied. Mr. Trump is charged with

7:13

a low-level felony, falsifying business records

7:16

over his reimbursements to Cohen, who

7:18

allegedly made the hush money payments.

7:21

Davidson testifying that after the release

7:23

of that damaging Access Hollywood tape,

7:25

interest in what Daniels had to

7:28

say reached a crescendo. But Davidson

7:30

only testified about dealings with Cohen,

7:33

not offering evidence of Mr. Trump's

7:35

knowledge of the plans. And

7:38

Laura, meantime, this flare-up over the gag order

7:40

is not over yet. Yeah,

7:44

that's right, Lester. Prosecutors continue to say that

7:46

Mr. Trump violates the gag order and is

7:48

seeking more fines. The judge plans

7:50

to hold a hearing on all of this on

7:53

Thursday morning. Lester. All right, Laura,

7:55

thank you. And in a new interview, Mr. Trump

7:57

provides more insights into what a second term would

7:59

look like. like. Here's Gitt Gutierrez.

8:02

Tonight, former President Trump is revealing

8:05

more of his second term agenda,

8:07

including new details of his controversial

8:09

plan to deport millions of undocumented

8:11

immigrants. I will stop the invasion.

8:13

Trump now telling Time Magazine he'd

8:15

used the National Guard and possibly

8:17

the military to deport migrants and

8:19

isn't ruling out building new detention

8:22

camps. When asked whether he'd ignore

8:24

a U.S. law that prevents deploying

8:26

troops against civilians, the former president

8:28

responded, well, these aren't civilians. These

8:30

are people that aren't legally in

8:32

our country. In fact,

8:34

civilians are commonly defined as someone

8:36

who's not an active member of

8:38

the armed services, regardless of immigration

8:40

status. Trump says he'd comply with

8:42

all Supreme Court orders. When asked

8:44

whether he might fire a U.S.

8:47

attorney who didn't follow the president's

8:49

order to prosecute someone, Trump responded,

8:51

it would depend on the situation.

8:53

Yeah, the wide-ranging interview also making

8:55

headlines about abortion. Trump recently said

8:57

he would not sign a national

8:59

abortion ban, leaving decisions up to

9:01

the states. It's all about will

9:03

of the people. Now asked whether he

9:05

was comfortable if states decide to punish

9:08

women who access abortions, he responded, the

9:10

states are going to make that decision.

9:12

The states are going to have to

9:14

be comfortable or uncomfortable, not me. He

9:17

was also asked whether states should monitor

9:19

pregnancies to know if women get an

9:21

abortion. I think they might

9:23

do that, he said. You'll have to

9:25

speak to the individual states. President Biden

9:28

shot back. This is reprehensible. Donald Trump

9:30

doesn't trust women. I do. Former

9:33

President Trump was also pressed on the

9:35

potential for political violence if he doesn't

9:37

win, saying, quote, it always depends on

9:39

the fairness of an election. Lester?

9:42

Gabe Gutierrez of the White House, thank

9:44

you. Also tonight, a historic share from

9:46

the federal government on how we think

9:48

of marijuana, legally, medically and more. Blaine

9:51

Alexander reports. For

9:54

more than 50 years, marijuana has

9:56

been listed among the world's most

9:58

dangerous drugs. Classify. alongside the

10:00

likes of heroin or ecstasy. But

10:03

tonight, in a major shift, according

10:05

to sources with knowledge of the decision, the

10:08

Biden administration is looking to reclassify

10:10

the drug to schedule three, like

10:12

ketamine or testosterone or Tylenol

10:15

with codeine, which would allow

10:17

marijuana to be more easily studied

10:19

for medical benefits. The change would

10:21

not legalize recreational marijuana, the

10:23

possession and distribution of which is

10:26

still a federal crime, but would recognize

10:28

it as a drug less likely to

10:30

lead to addiction. Stephanie Shepherd served

10:32

nine years for conspiracy to distribute.

10:34

What does this mean for incarceration

10:37

rates in America? Hopefully it

10:39

means a step closer to

10:42

lowering those rates and

10:45

also releasing those who are

10:47

serving heinous sentences for

10:50

cannabis. Public opinion has

10:52

shifted dramatically in the last 20 years from

10:54

34% of Americans who believe marijuana

10:57

should be legal to 70%. Nearly

11:00

half of states have legalized

11:02

marijuana for recreational use. But

11:04

tonight, one opposition group says the

11:07

cannabis industry has lobbied heavily

11:09

to sell demonstrably harmful products

11:11

and calls out the Biden administration

11:13

for a, quote, thinly veiled attempt

11:15

to reverse polling trends. No one

11:18

should be jailed. President Biden has

11:20

already hardened thousands of marijuana offenders

11:22

and the move could garner political

11:25

support this election year, particularly among

11:27

young and black voters. The

11:29

proposed change still has to go through a

11:32

public comment period and would not become official

11:34

for at least 60 days.

11:36

Blaine Alexander, NBC News.

11:38

We're tracking a new threat of severe

11:41

weather tonight. There are reports of a

11:43

tornado in Westmoreland, Kansas in the Topeka

11:45

era area, and there's a chance of

11:47

more flooding like they're seeing across the

11:49

state after the storms of the last

11:51

week. Al Roker is following it all.

11:53

How banned will the weather be? Well,

11:55

Lester, right now we've got some very

11:57

serious active conditions. We've got tornado watches.

12:00

But we also have tornado warnings now in

12:03

parts of Nebraska and in Kansas. And

12:05

this, and we're going to be watching

12:07

this continually through the evening, these strong

12:09

storms. We've got at least 8 million

12:11

people at risk, strong tornadoes, damaging hail

12:14

up to two inches from Sioux City

12:16

all the way down to Wichita, baseball

12:18

to softball sized hail. Tomorrow the next

12:20

system comes in. The threats from Nebraska

12:22

to Kansas, from Hastings all the way

12:25

down to Midland and Abilene could be

12:27

strong tornadoes as well. Again, that two

12:29

inch hail risk all the way down

12:31

to Midland up into Dodge City. Flood risk

12:33

from Omaha down to Austin because Lester, we're

12:36

talking about upwards of five inches of rain

12:38

in the next 24 hours. All

12:40

right, Al Roker. Al, thanks very much.

12:43

Now to that shooting in North Carolina

12:45

with the death toll rising to four.

12:47

Law enforcement officers killed near Charlotte yesterday.

12:49

Sam Brock is there. In

12:56

the aftermath of bullets flying and officers

12:58

running into the line of fire, there's

13:00

a cavernous hole in Charlotte tonight with

13:03

the death toll now up to

13:05

four. Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks,

13:07

Department of Correction Veterans, Sam Palocchi

13:09

and Alden Elliott and Officer of

13:11

the Month Joshua Iyer. He

13:14

was out getting illegal guns off the street

13:16

and it's going to be sorely missed. This

13:19

tragedy now the deadliest for police from

13:21

gunfire in almost a decade. It's just

13:24

been very tough and

13:28

knowing that you have families that are

13:31

hurting right now. Law enforcement says

13:33

this man Terry Hughes Jr. with a lengthy

13:36

criminal record gunned down the officers as they

13:38

approached serving a warrant before he was shot

13:40

in the yard of this house. Investigators

13:43

recovered an AR-15, a

13:45

handgun and more than 100 shell casings

13:48

after a furious confrontation. How does

13:50

a convicted felon acquire a high-powered

13:52

assault rifle? You know, I think

13:54

you can ask any anybody

13:57

on the streets. You can have these laws on the board.

14:00

books. But if someone wants

14:02

to possess a firearm, they can

14:04

certainly get one. Now, after a

14:06

spate of recent attacks on officers,

14:08

another reminder of what these public

14:10

servants stand for. Would you do

14:12

this again? Knowing your fate yesterday?

14:14

Would you do it again? They

14:16

would be a boisterous. Yes, Sam

14:19

Brock, NBC News Charlotte. Now

14:22

to the terrifying moments today in London, a

14:24

man going on a stabbing rampage with a

14:27

sword killing a 14 year

14:29

old boy and injuring four others,

14:31

police chasing him down using tasers

14:33

to subdue him. The motive

14:35

is unclear, but police do not believe

14:37

it was a targeted attack or terror

14:39

related. In 60 seconds,

14:41

the new phase and Russia's information

14:44

war against the U.S. Our exclusive

14:46

reporting is next. The

14:49

UN Refugee Agency or UNHCR responds

14:51

to emergencies and provides long term

14:53

solutions for refugees. They provide aid

14:56

in over 130 countries, including Ukraine,

15:00

Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan, where people

15:02

are forced to flee from war

15:04

and persecution at their greatest moment

15:07

of need. UNHCR helps and protects

15:09

refugees by providing food, shelter, medical

15:11

care and other life saving essentials.

15:14

The agency jumpstarts relief in three

15:16

key ways. They transport core relief

15:18

items stored in even the most

15:20

remote areas of the world. They

15:22

deploy expert emergency staff trained to

15:24

help in crisis situations and they

15:26

transfer funds directly to support the

15:29

emergency. Because of generous supporters and

15:31

donors, UNHCR can scale up its

15:33

response within 72 hours

15:35

of a large scale

15:37

emergency. Your support helps

15:39

provide life saving aid

15:41

for refugees whenever and

15:43

wherever emergencies occur. Donate

15:45

to USA for UNHCR

15:47

by visiting unrefugees.org/donation. We're

15:51

back now with our NBC News exclusive

15:53

as divisions grow deeper in the U.S.

15:55

over the war in Gaza. We've learned

15:58

Russia is exploiting the conflict online,

16:00

including using AI to try to

16:02

fuel unrest here. Here's

16:05

Halle Jackson. A

16:07

new front in Russia's information war

16:09

against the U.S. With

16:13

the Kremlin shifting its focus to

16:15

the war between Israel and Hamas,

16:17

trying to inflame existing tensions in

16:19

America, NBC News has learned from

16:21

two sources familiar with the intelligence

16:23

reporting and independent researchers. They

16:25

say the Kremlin's using fake social

16:27

media accounts and bots, along with

16:29

propaganda pushed by state-run outlets. Just

16:32

look at these posts attacking the U.S.

16:34

government's response to campus protests. What

16:37

is Russia's endgame here? So

16:39

Russia at times just wants to create more

16:41

chaos. So this is just a win for

16:43

Russia any time there is a conflict in

16:45

the U.S. Experts say the

16:48

Kremlin's trying to position itself as a

16:50

champion of Palestinians while condemning the U.S.

16:52

for supporting Israel. This is an

16:54

opportunity for them. This is a chance

16:56

to divert attention away from their invasion

16:58

of Ukraine and to focus the world's

17:00

attention on Israel's offensive in

17:02

Gaza. Researchers warn not to

17:05

overstate the influence of the Russian campaign. These

17:07

protests would happen with or without Russia's

17:10

involvement. But looking ahead to November,

17:12

some top U.S. officials recently sounding the

17:14

alarm. There is a history

17:16

here in presidential elections by

17:19

the Russian Federation, by its intelligence

17:21

services, and there's plenty of reason

17:24

to be concerned. The Kremlin has long

17:26

denied interference, but with Russian actors

17:28

now allegedly using A.I. to spread

17:30

disinformation more easily, U.S. officials are

17:32

bracing for what's to come. Lester?

17:36

Ellie Jackson, thank you. Coming up, why

17:38

the alarm on your iPhone may not be

17:40

working. What Apple says about it. And

17:43

the rush just before one of the

17:45

most restrictive abortion laws takes effect. Next.

17:50

For a lot of iPhone users, it's

17:52

a worst nightmare come true. Many reporting

17:54

their iPhone alarms have been failing to

17:56

sound off and wake them up. Apple

17:59

says it's a bad thing. to wear and

18:01

working on a fix. In the meantime, some

18:04

say turning off the phone's attention-aware feature will

18:06

do the trick. We'll take

18:08

a turn out of Florida, where in a

18:10

matter of hours, a six-week abortion ban takes

18:12

effect. It's led to a scramble at clinics

18:15

in the state that used to have one

18:17

of the least restrictive abortion laws in the

18:19

South. Here's Marisa Parra. Tonight,

18:23

abortion clinics in Florida stretch to the limit,

18:25

squeezing in double, even triple the usual number

18:27

of patients before the state's six-week abortion ban

18:29

takes effect tomorrow. A lot of patients will

18:31

come in for their consult and be told

18:34

that we can't see them. Sally

18:37

Flynn runs a clinic in Jacksonville. Are

18:39

you prepared for that moment when you have to tell the

18:41

patients you can't treat them? You

18:43

don't. You can't prepare for

18:45

that. She says a third of their

18:47

patients come from outside Florida. That's because

18:49

the surrounding states have some of the

18:51

strictest abortion laws in the country. Come

18:53

tomorrow, the closest drivable options for care

18:55

after six weeks will be North Carolina

18:57

and Virginia. We're looking at

18:59

the Southeast completely like it's an abortion

19:01

desert now. State Rep Mike Beltran

19:04

was one of the banned sponsors. We're

19:06

a conservative state. We should not be

19:08

allowing abortions, and we certainly shouldn't be

19:10

providing abortion tourism for other states in

19:12

the South. He points out

19:15

the law has exceptions for rape, incest, and

19:17

human trafficking up to 15 weeks, and to

19:19

the life of the mother and fatal fetal

19:21

abnormalities. When they are born,

19:24

how are they going to be taken care

19:26

of? Cassie is four weeks pregnant. She didn't

19:28

want us to share her last name, but

19:30

told us she can't afford another baby, so

19:32

she started the process of ending her pregnancy.

19:35

What is it that you think that they don't understand that you wish that

19:37

they did? I wish that

19:39

they understood that there's more to

19:42

having a baby than just birthing

19:44

it. In November, Floridians

19:47

will vote on a proposed ballot amendment that

19:49

would protect abortion rights until roughly 24 weeks,

19:52

but Cassie worries what will happen to

19:54

other women making difficult choices in the

19:56

meantime. By the end of this week, there

19:58

might be women who are just two weeks. further along than

20:00

you and they wouldn't be

20:02

able to get the same procedure. I

20:06

would really feel for them because it's just

20:11

not right. Marisa Parra,

20:13

NBC News, Jacksonville. And

20:15

we will take a break here coming

20:17

up. The lateral moves into the NFL

20:19

meet the players who have never played

20:21

a snap and are suddenly on football's

20:23

biggest stage. Suddenly

20:28

the rugby players tackling a

20:30

new challenge after being drafted

20:32

into the NFL despite never

20:34

playing competitive football. Kaylee Hartung

20:36

explains. Look

20:38

at that. That is awesome. With

20:41

the Union Jack flag wrapped around his

20:43

shoulders, Travis Clayton was welcome to the

20:46

NFL. The Buffalo

20:48

Bills, Travis Clayton. Even

20:51

though he's never played a down of

20:53

competitive football. Go to Buffalo. No! Has

20:57

it sunk in? You are an NFL

20:59

player. I think I should

21:01

have tried to pinch myself, but I

21:03

don't think it's really sunk in just

21:05

yet. The former English rugby

21:07

winger has spent nearly four months honing

21:09

his skills to become an NFL offensive

21:12

lineman. At six foot seven, the Bills

21:14

say Clayton's 40 yard dash is the

21:16

fastest safe clock from a lineman in

21:18

10 years. How

21:20

steep has the learning curve been? Oh

21:23

wow. Extremely steep.

21:25

I think coming in on the first

21:27

day not knowing anything really about the

21:29

sport, I just climbed up and just

21:31

learned everything possible. And

21:33

in March, Welsh rugby star

21:36

Louis Rees-Zamit signed with the defending Super

21:38

Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Clayton

21:41

and Rees-Zamit are both products of the

21:43

NFL's international player pathway, a program designed

21:45

to seek out talent from around the

21:47

world. Like Eagles left tackle

21:49

Jordan Milata, another former rugby player from

21:52

Australia, who recently signed a $66 million

21:55

contract extension. Are

21:57

you ready to step onto an NFL field?

22:00

right now. 100% 100%

22:02

I'm ready to go. This is what I've been training for.

22:05

Kayleigh Hartung, NBC News, Los Angeles.

22:08

It'll be fun to watch. That is nightly

22:10

news for this Tuesday. Thank you for watching

22:12

everyone. I'm Lester Holt. Please take care of

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