Today’s read: 3 min 52 sec

Good morning. There’s been a partisan fight over universities and colleges for much of modern politics. Democrats have supported the universities — expanding protections, pushing for loan forgiveness, and more. They're on the same team, after all.

Republicans have grown more hawkish over the years, pushing to tax endowments, cut government subsidies, and end diversity programs. This unique moment of radicalization — out in the open for all to see — is an opportunity for Republicans to move forward with their wishlist.

First time here? I’m Ari, and this is Upward News. Every day, we scour 100s of sources to bring you need-to-know news and insights you won’t see in the MSM. Sign up here.

WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

🇵🇸 Hamas claims they accepted a ceasefire deal. Hamas officials announced on Monday that they had accepted a three-phase ceasefire agreement mediated by Qatar and Egypt. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the deal would likely "leave Hamas intact," a nonstarter for the Israelis as their military operations continue in Rafah.

💰 President Biden’s donors are also funding Palestine protesters. Major supporters of the president, such as George Soros, David Rockefeller Jr., and Susan and Nick Pritzker, have been actively funding the groups organizing university anti-Israel protests. While most Americans support Israel, Biden is facing pressure from donors to adopt a softer position towards the Palestinian cause.

🇷🇺 An American soldier is being detained in Russia. U.S. officials confirmed that an Army serviceman was arrested in Russia last week on charges of theft. Congressional members have expressed concern over the situation, fearing that Vladimir Putin might impose harsh penalties on the soldier while demanding significant concessions for his release to the U.S.

🙅‍♂️ A.G. Merrick Garland will likely be held in contempt of Congress. House Republicans will vote next week to hold the Attorney General in contempt of Congress for the Justice Department's refusal to provide audio from President Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur. The DOJ denied Congress’s subpoena because they believed there was no “legitimate congressional need” to turn over the audio recordings.

TRUMP TRIAL WATCH

• New court filings suggest that the FBI tampered with Trump’s classified documents during their raid of Mar-a-Lago two years ago.

• In response to revelations about evidence tampering, Donald Trump exclaimed, “ARREST DERANGED [Special Counsel] JACK SMITH. HE IS A CRIMINAL!”

• Judge Merchan ruled that Donald Trump violated his gag order for the 10th time and that additional violations could land him in jail.

• A former Trump Organization employee said that Trump used his personal bank account to reimburse Michael Cohen for paying off Stormy Daniels.

INSIDE AMERICA

Consequences are on the horizon for protest-friendly universities

What’s happening: Many Americans have grown tired of the weeks of chaotic pro-Palestine demonstrations at universities across the country. Administrators are likely facing an impending backlash for which they are unprepared.

Bipartisan condemnation: Over the weekend, members of Congress from both sides of the aisle took to the airwaves to voice their displeasure with the protests.

• Republican Senators Tom Cotton (AR) and Marco Rubio (FL) slammed the universities and called for the visas of foreign students to be revoked if they took part in the protests.

• Democrat Senator Mark Kelly (AZ) voiced support for the police stepping in when protests become violent, and progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (CA) called out the more radical rhetoric while supporting the students who “simply want the war to end.”

Facing consequences: More college presidents are expected to be brought in by Congress to face searing questions about the conduct on their campuses. Congress has been taking a series of steps to punish universities for their failure to act against what they view as antisemitic behavior.

• Financial punishment: Congress is considering revoking the tax-exempt status of publicly funded universities that hosted such anti-Israel protests. House Republicans recently launched a probe into antisemitism on college campuses, threatening to withhold federal research grants and other aid.

• Law school boycott: Over a dozen federal judges signed a letter saying they will no longer hire Columbia students as law clerks.

Why it matters: Major American universities have dug themselves a hole by allowing protests to become violent, chaotic, and threatening to Jewish students. They are likely to soon face retaliation from both the federal government and the general public.

—B.G.

WHAT WE’RE HEARING

• Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and his wife were indicted on foreign influence charges after being accused of accepting nearly $600,000 in bribes from foreign entities.

• Israel has barred Al Jazeera from operating within the country for 45 days.

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said that young black kids in the Bronx don’t know “what the word ‘computer’ is.”

Exclusive interview: Curtis Yarvin on Elon Musk’s Flawed Ideology

Curtis Yarvin is an influential political writer who challenges heterodox perspectives about modern government. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

Yarvin critiques tech leaders’ hesitation to accumulate power, citing Elon Musk's recent actions with X: "Power is not even an understandable concept to these people."

Criticizing Musk’s approach to managing X, Yarvin points out a lost opportunity: "Musk had elite liberal journalists by the balls, but he let them go."

Highlighting the immense power of media, he notes, "Without media coverage, we wouldn’t know" about climate change, pointing out that media institutions like the New York Times have greater influence in shaping policy than institutions like Congress.

Addressing the challenges in conservative media, Yarvin observes, "Even Tucker [Carlson] is led by his audience," suggesting that conservative figures often follow rather than lead, hampering the development of a credible and authoritative conservative media.

On Chris Rufo’s approach: “Chris Rufo and I are allies. Only one of us looks like Ryan Gosling. But we both oppose the same regime. We just differ on who has a path that works… his path has been implausible for many decades and is only getting harder.”

On political advising, Yarvin prefers a hands-off approach, opposite to Chris Rufo: "I've been posting about my ideas for 15 years," emphasizing the organic spread of ideas over direct political engagement.

OUR QUESTION TO YOU

POLL RESULTS FROM THURSDAY

Are you suspicious of Kushner's business deals?

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 👍 Yes (81)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 👎 No (402)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🤔 Unsure (100)

IN THE LOOP

• Israel is launching airstrikes in Rafah and has taken control of Gaza’s border crossing with Egypt.

• Columbia University canceled its school-wide graduation ceremony due to the turmoil caused by anti-Israel protests.

• Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) announced that he’s running for re-election this year at the age of 82.

• A new poll found that Donald Trump leads President Biden on his handling of crime, immigration, and the economy.

• Foreign policy is not just for elites: America's relationship with other countries has a big impact on every American. Gain a common-sense understanding of American foreign policy with Hillsdale’s course, “American Foreign Policy.” Click to begin this free online course today.

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