Hundreds of students around the country are being arrested, suspended, put on probation and, in rare cases, expelled from their colleges for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Many are still waiting to hear the full consequences. Their plight has become a central part of the protests this month, with students and a growing number of faculty demanding amnesty for the protesters. At issue is whether universities and law enforcement will clear the students of charges, or whether the suspensions and legal records will follow them into their adult lives.

Key mediator Qatar urges Israel and Hamas to do more to reach a cease-fire deal

Nicole Kidman won the AFI Life Achievement Award with a film career that Meryl Streep said is all about love. Streep, who presented the award to her co-star from “The Hours” and “Big Little Lies,” says Kidman's excellence comes not from her willingness to bare her soul, but because she loves acting so much. The 56-year-old, Oscar-winning Australian received the award Saturday night at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Others who praised Kidman during a show that will air in June on TNT included Reese Witherspoon, Morgan Freeman, Zac Efron, Naomi Watts and Kidman's husband, Keith Urban.

Nicole Kidman, who 'makes movies better,' gets AFI Life Achievement Award

A senior Qatari official has urged both Israel and Hamas to show “more commitment and more seriousness” in cease-fire negotiations. Qatar hosts Hamas headquarters in Doha and has been a key intermediary. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson told Israeli media that both Israel and Hamas have made decisions based on political interests and not with the good of civilians in mind. Pressure is building on both sides to move toward a deal that would free some hostages and bring a cease-fire in the nearly seven-month-long war in Gaza. A deal also might avert or delay an Israeli invasion of the southern city of Rafah.

Protests are roiling college campuses nationwide as administrators with graduation ceremonies next month face demands that schools cut financial ties to Israel against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war. About 275 people were arrested on Saturday at campuses including Indiana University at Bloomington, Arizona State University and Washington University in St. Louis. Those have pushed the number of arrests nationwide to nearly 900 since New York police removed a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at Columbia University and arrested more than 100 demonstrators on April 18. Since then, students have dug in at dozens of pro-Palestinian encampments around the country, prompting a range of responses from administrators.

U.S. police departments have reported a year-over-year increase in sworn officers for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic and the police killing of George Floyd. A survey released by the Police Executive Research Forum shows more officers were hired in 2023 than in any of the previous four years. It also notes there were fewer retirements and resignations of officers among the 214 law enforcement agencies that responded. Forum Executive Director Chuck Wexler says departments appear to be turning the corner on hiring but aren't out of the woods yet. Departments saw an exodus of officers after the pandemic and Floyd's 2020 death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.