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GOP rep applauds Ole Miss counter protesters who taunted Black woman

Pro-Palestine demonstrations at the University of Mississippi were overtaken with counter protesters Thursday, resulting in a viral clip of white students taunting a Black student. The video was shared online and applauded by a Republican lawmaker.

Pro-Palestine demonstration interrupts University of Michigan commencement

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan briefly interrupted the spring commencement ceremony Saturday. Videos of students wearing caps, gowns and keffiyehs, a symbol of Palestinian nationalism, circulated online during the ceremony in Ann Arbor. “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” they chanted. “Regents, regents, you can’t hide! You are funding genocide!” they said, according to The New York Times. One person in the audience could be heard yelling back at the protesters, “You’re ruining our graduation!”

Bag of snakes found in passenger's pants at Miami International Airport

According to an X post by the TSA, officers at Miami International airport found a bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's pants while at a checkpoint late last month.

Boeing is on the verge of launching astronauts aboard new capsule, the newest entry to space travel

After years of delays and stumbles, Boeing is finally poised to launch astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA. It’s the first flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule with a crew on board, a pair of NASA pilots who will check out the spacecraft during the test drive and a weeklong stay at the space station. NASA turned to U.S. companies for astronaut rides after the space shuttles were retired. Elon Musk’s SpaceX has made nine taxi trips for NASA since 2020, while Boeing has managed only a pair of unoccupied test flights. Boeing program manager Mark Nappi wishes Starliner was further along. “There’s no doubt about that, but we’re here now.” The company’s long-awaited astronaut demo is slated for liftoff Monday night.

Houston braces for flooding to worsen in wake of storms

The Houston area was under threat of worsening flood conditions Saturday, a day after heavy storms slammed the region and authorities warned those in low-lying areas to evacuate ahead of an expected “catastrophic” surge of water. A flood watch remained in effect through Sunday afternoon as forecasters predicted additional rainfall Saturday night, bringing another 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) of water to the soaked region and the likelihood of major flooding. Friday’s storms forced numerous high-water rescues, including some from the rooftops of flooded homes. Officials redoubled urgent instructions for residents in low-lying areas to evacuate, warning the worst was still to come.