Judge Fines Trump $9,000 for Violating Gag Order; Columbia Protesters Take Over University Building

Former President Donald Trump was fined and held in contempt of court by Justice Juan Merchan on April 30 for what he said were violations of a gag order prohibiting President Trump from discussing certain individuals involved in his campaign finance trial. Prosecutors had sought $1,000-fines for around a dozen Truth Social posts that the former president had made in relation to the case, while Justice Merchan fined him $9,000 for nine posts.

Dozens of students at Columbia University in New York City stormed across the campus and took over a building just one day after the school began suspending students who defied a deadline to disperse from a pro-Palestinian encampment, a spokesperson for the university confirmed to The Epoch Times. Video shows at least one individual breaking windows to gain entry to the hall.

Five Republican-led states are suing the Biden administration over changes to Title IX. The new rules expand federal civil rights law to include discrimination based on gender identity, with critics saying it takes away language that has long been used to protect women's sports. The states involved are Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Idaho, while Republican officials in Florida and Oklahoma have said they won’t enforce the new rules.