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Senate races are roiled by campus protests over the war in Gaza as campaign rhetoric sharpens

Published

2 years ago

May 4, 2024

Senate races are roiled by campus protests over the war in Gaza as campaign rhetoric sharpens

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The student protest movement disrupting university campuses, classes and graduation ceremonies over the war in Gaza is also roiling Senate contests across the nation as Democrats tread cautiously over an internal divide and Republicans play up their rivals’ disagreements.

The political impact of the protests on the White House campaign has drawn considerable attention, with opposition to President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war reverberating from Columbia to UCLA. The fast-evolving landscape of the demonstrations is shaping pivotal Senate races, too.

Tent encampments have popped up at universities in many states where Democrats this election year are defending seats essential to maintaining the party’s razor-thin Senate majority. At some schools, police crackdowns and arrests have followed.

The protests have sharpened the campaign rhetoric in Pennsylvania, Nevada, Ohio and Michigan, among other places. Republican candidates in California and Florida have stepped up their criticism of the Democratic president for the U.S. response to the war or for chaotic scenes on American campuses.

Some Republicans have shown up at encampments, including one at George Washington University, not far from the White House. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who is facing reelection, said on social media that he went there to show solidarity with Jewish students. “We need to do all we can to protect them,” he said.

Republican candidate David McCormick, during a visit to the University of Pennsylvania, said protesters at the Ivy League school did not know the “difference between right and wrong, good and evil,” and were creating a hostile atmosphere for Jewish students.

McCormick has decried what he frames as a lack of leadership and moral clarity on the part of his Democratic opponent, Sen. Bob Casey, as well as by Biden and administrators at the school buffeted by accusations of harboring antisemitism.

“What’s happening on campuses is clearly a test of leadership and moral courage, both for the college presidents and for our leaders and for Sen. Casey and President Biden,” McCormick said in an interview.

Israel and its supporters say the protests are antisemitic, a charge that Israel’s critics say is sometimes used to silence legitimate opposition. Although some protesters have been caught on camera making antisemitic remarks or violent threats, protest organizers, some of whom are Jewish, say it is a peaceful movement aimed at trying to save the lives of Palestinians civilians.

Many Democrats, from Biden on down, avoided saying much about the situation until recently as universities began to crack down and comparisons were made to anti-war protests of the 1960s.

Even then, Democrats balanced their criticism of antisemitism and rule-breakers with the need to protect the right to free expression and peaceful protest. Some have tried to avoid taking sides in protests that have pitted pro-Israeli versus pro-Palestinian Democrats and divided important parts of the party’s base, including Jewish, Arab American and younger voters.

Republicans, meanwhile, have railed at what they characterized as equivocating or silence by Democrats. Republicans professed solidarity with Jews against antisemitism while condemning the protests as lawless.

Mike Rogers, a Republican seeking an open Senate seat in Michigan, said student protesters at Columbia were “Hamas sympathizers.” In California, GOP Senate candidate Steve Garvey called them “terrorists” practicing “terrorism disguised as free speech.”

In five states, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm, is using the protests in digital ads about student loan forgiveness, saying Democrats want to pay off the loans of students “radicalized by the far left” who are “threatening Jews,” “attacking police” and “acting like terrorists.”

McCormick and others say universities that, in their view, tolerate antisemitism should lose federal subsidies and that visas should be revoked for any foreign student inciting violence or expressing pro-Hamas sentiments at the encampments.

Casey, long a staunch supporter of Israel, has criticized acts of antisemitism on campuses and pointed to legislation he sponsored as a way to make sure the Education Department takes action.

“Students of course have the right to peacefully protest, but when it crosses the line either into violence or discrimination, then we have an obligation to step in and stop that conduct,” Casey said Thursday as he urged colleagues to pass his bill.

Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada, who is Jewish and facing reelection, said she was “horrified” by displays of antisemitism on campuses and, like Casey, called for the department to hold schools accountable.

In California, U.S. Rep Adam Schiff, the Democratic nominee for an open Senate seat, took aim at the Columbia demonstration and said “antisemitic and hateful rhetoric is being loudly and proudly displayed.” Accused by Garvey of being “incredibly silent” on the protests, Schiff, who is Jewish, voted for a House bill similar to Casey’s and released a statement that condemned violence and the “explicit, repeated targeting and intimidation of Jewish students.”

Republicans elsewhere contended statements by Democrats were equivocating and inadequate.

Republicans called out Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, after he told an Axios reporter last week that he was “not going to talk about the politics of that. People always have the right to speak out and should.”

His Republican opponent, Bernie Moreno, charged that Brown had “wholeheartedly endorsed these vile and violent antisemitic demonstrations.”

Later, at a news conference, Brown gave more expansive comments. “Students want to make their voices heard, they need to do it in a way that’s nonviolent, they need to do it in a way that doesn’t spew hatred, and laws need to be enforced,” he said.

In Michigan, which has a relatively significant Muslim population, Biden’s handling of the war is expected to factor heavily into the presidential and Senate races.

Rogers, a favorite for the GOP nomination, thanked New York City police for confronting protesters and “standing up to protect Jewish students at Columbia from the visceral hatred we’ve witnessed from Hamas sympathizers on their campus.”

Republicans argued that U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the front-runner for the Democratic nominationfor Senate, had not spoken out strongly against protests at Columbia, her alma mater, and that she took five days after they began to say anything at all.

Slotkin, who is Jewish, said in an April 22 statement — the most recent wave of demonstrations began at Columbia on April 17 — that “the use of intimidation, antisemitic signs or slogans, or harassment, is unacceptable.”

It was, she suggested, a complicated topic.

“I would rather be thoughtful and take more time than have a knee-jerk answer for any issue,” Slotkin said in an interview. “But especially this one.”

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Associated Press reporters Adam Beam in Sacramento, California; Joey Cappalletti in Lansing, Michigan; Mike Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey; Tassanee Vejpongsa in Philadelphia; and Stephany Matat in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.

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World

Electric bikes can be fast and dangerous. Here’s how to stay safe

Published

4 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Electric bikes can be fast and dangerous. Here’s how to stay safe

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The 14-year-old was riding an electric bicycle at an estimated 25 mph when he slammed into Janet Stotko during her evening walk, leaving her unconscious and bleeding on a sidewalk in her Minnesota neighborhood.

The 2024 crash nearly killed Stotko, who was raced to a hospital with severe brain injuries, a facial fracture and broken eardrum. But after being on a ventilator for two days, spending three weeks in the hospital and enduring brain surgery, she survived, surprising even her doctors.

At a checkup, she said, her doctors told her, “Wow, we can’t believe you’re here.”

Now, she’s pushing for stricter laws regulating e-bikes in hopes that others won’t be hurt.

E-bikes offer a convenient, eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative to cars, but their increasing use is drawing safety concerns. A study by the University of California, San Francisco found that rider injuries from e-bikes nearly doubled each year from 2017 to 2022, and a University of California, San Diego study showed injuries in San Diego among e-bike riders under 18 soared 300% from 2019 to 2023.

Under federal law, most e-bikes are considered nonmotorized vehicles just like traditional bicycles, so riders don’t need a driver’s license or insurance and they don’t have to wear a helmet. But many states have more stringent rules, and regulations vary widely.

Health experts have called for new laws and better enforcement of existing regulations, and officials in many places are taking action.

Here’s what e-bikers should know to keep themselves and people around them safe.

This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.

Not all e-bikes are the same

Many states have adopted a three-tier classification of e-bikes: Class 1 have motors that kick in while riders pedal with maximum speeds of 20 mph; Class 2 have throttles that reach the 20 mph maximum without pedaling; and Class 3 provide pedal-assist up to 28 mph.

There are faster versions available, sometimes called e-motos, that can reach 40 mph even without pedaling. Many states treat these bikes like motorcycles, so they’re not allowed on sidewalks or paths, but in some states there are no specific rules for the ultra-fast bikes.

As John Maa, a general surgeon at MarinHealth Medical Center in Northern California, notes, it’s basic math that increased speeds lead to increased injuries.

“It’s Newton’s principles, right? Force equals mass times acceleration, and also kinetic energy is mass times velocity squared,” Maa said.

Learn where you can and can’t ride

Speed limits, helmet requirements and other rules for e-bikes are changing rapidly, and what’s legal in one city or state might be illegal in the next.

New York City imposed a speed limit of 15 mph on all electric bikes in October, and Florida lawmakers recently sent the governor a bill limiting e-bike speeds to 10 mph within 50 feet of pedestrians. In Connecticut, an October law requires all e-bike riders to wear a helmet, and bikes without pedals equipped with batteries over 750 watts will require a driver’s license.

“We were not only hearing from manufacturers and riders, but we were hearing from concerned citizens trying to share the road with these new electric bikes and e-scooters, and also law enforcement who really needed some clear policies set into place,” said Christine Cohen, the Connecticut state senator behind the legislation.

Know your bike

The market is full of vehicles that blur the line between a traditional e-bike and something closer to a motorcycle, and manufacturers don’t always make the distinction easy to spot.

To understand a bike’s capabilities and where it can be legally ridden, check its top speed, motor wattage, and whether it requires pedaling or operates on throttle alone. Anything outside the three-class classification could be subject to motor vehicle regulations, making it illegal to ride on some shared-use paths where slower e-bikes are allowed.

“The first thing we always tell people is familiarize yourself, read the manual, look at some videos, look at your specific model,” said Charles DiMaggio, an injury public health researcher and professor at New York University’s medical school.

Going to a local bike shop instead of buying online can help, enabling riders to ask questions, take a test ride and learn what’s legal and what isn’t.

Follow traditional bike safety measures

Hospitals and medical groups like the American College of Surgeons and American Association of Neurological Surgeons have called for stricter policies and offered safety tips.

Above all, they stress wearing a helmet. Other tips include riding defensively around cars, using front and rear lights, wearing reflective vests in the dark, and avoiding biking under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Experts also recommend against altering an e-bike to make it faster.

Maa added that e-bike riders should consider wearing a motorcycle helmet that covers the neck to protect against spinal injuries. He also advises parents to make sure their children can comfortably ride a pedal bike before they graduate to e-bikes.

“Make sure they’re comfortable, they understand the rules of the road, they’re able to navigate turns, understand the flow of traffic, the use of bicycle lanes,” Maa said.

Minnesota victim wants accountability

After she was injured, Stotko told the city council in her community of Hastings, Minnesota, about her crash to push for a stricter ordinance. The city agreed, reducing maximum e-bike speeds to 15 mph on city trails, prohibiting e-bikes on sidewalks and imposing penalties.

City police issued a citation to the 14-year-old rider for operating an e-bike underage, but no one was charged for the injury to Stotko.

“It’s really about taking accountability and ownership of owning an e-bike and operating one,” she said.

World

Zelenskyy offers cutting-edge drone defense to Gulf allies as Ukraine seeks missile support

Published

5 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Zelenskyy offers cutting-edge drone defense to Gulf allies as Ukraine seeks missile support

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is turning battlefield innovation into bargaining power, offering Ukraine’s anti-drone systems to Middle Eastern allies, while seeking more air-defense support as the war with Russia drags into its fourth year.

Zelenskyy met Friday in Abu Dhabi with United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the two discussed an agreement by which Ukraine would provide its cutting-edge counter-drone technology in exchange for ballistic missile support and financial aid.

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News after the meeting, Zelenskyy detailed how Ukraine’s battlefield innovations, namely its anti-Russian drone systems, are influencing defense partnerships worldwide.

ZELENSKYY ANNOUNCES NEXT ROUND OF TALKS WITH US, RUSSIA AS UKRAINE AIMS FOR ‘REAL AND DIGNIFIED END TO THE WAR

In a wide-ranging interview with Fox News, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy detailed how Ukraine’s battlefield innovations are influencing defense partnerships worldwide. (Fox News)

“We have, for example, drone interceptors. We have [a] system of electronic warfare and a lot of things. All these jointly work in one system. This is what we have [that] nobody has,” Zelenskyy told Fox News correspondent Matt Finn in Abu Dhabi.

Ukraine is now sharing elements of that system with at least four Persian Gulf nations — the UAE, Qatar, Jordan and Saudi Arabia — as they confront growing threats from Iran’s drone capabilities.

But Zelenskyy emphasized the partnership must be reciprocal. Ukraine continues to face a “big deficit” of critical air defense weapons, particularly PAC-3 Patriot missiles used to intercept ballistic threats.

“We are ready to help Middle East countries with our expertise and with our knowledge, and we hope … that they can help with anti-ballistic missiles,” Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine has already signed 10-year defense agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with a similar deal with the UAE expected soon, according to the AP.

TRUMP MEETS WITH ZELENSKYY; TALKS COULD UNLOCK FIRST ZELENSKYY-PUTIN CALL IN FIVE YEARS: SOURCE

A plume of smoke rises from the site of a strike in Tehran early on March 28, 2026. (Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)

Zelenskyy also warned that increasing U.S. military focus on the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran and the ongoing “Operation Epic Fury” could slow the flow of weapons to Ukraine.

He claimed Russia is already strengthening Iran’s military by sharing drone technology, including Shahed “kamikaze” drones, as well as battlefield tactics developed during the war.

“Russia will share all they know about this war. … They’re already sharing with Iranians,” Zelenskyy said.

While he stopped short of confirming missile transfers, Zelenskyy suggested Moscow has a strategic interest in prolonging instability in the Middle East to divert U.S. attention away from Ukraine.

“This is what they do,” Zelenskyy said.

On the battlefield, Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine will not cede territory in the contested Donbas region, arguing it would weaken defenses, damage troop morale and displace tens of thousands of civilians.

“I think their morale will decrease,” Zelenskyy said.

He also urged the Trump administration not to lose sight of Ukraine while addressing Middle East tensions.

AS UKRAINE WAR DRAGS ON, TRUMP HITS PUTIN BY SQUEEZING RUSSIA’S PROXIES

Destroyed homes after a Russian drone attack March 28 in Odesa, Ukraine. (Viacheslav Onyshchenko/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

More than 270 Russian drones struck Ukraine overnight Friday, leaving at least five people dead, Ukrainian officials said Saturday, according to AP.

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“I hope that President Trump … will find a way to end this war with pressure on the Iranian regime, and I hope that also they will not forget about … the war of Russia against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Matt Finn currently serves as a Los Angeles-based correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He began working with FNC in 2013 as part of the Junior Reporter program based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

World

The EU's recipe for trade deals : easy on beef, tough on wine

Published

7 hours ago

March 29, 2026

Press Room

Within weeks, the European Commission has wrapped up deals with Mercosur, India and Australia. Yet despite the backlash over the Latin America agreement, Brussels is sticking to a familiar playbook: offensive on wine and cars, defensive on beef.