☕️ What is happening at U.S. colleges?

Good morning.

You may have seen that yesterday the Prime Minister announced several new measures to combat domestic violence.

On today’s podcast, we explain what those measures are, and explain what the Government’s national plan to combat violence against women actually is.

You can listen here.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Quote of the day

“Young people… are showing up to emergency departments [with an] incredibly high level of nicotine dependence… We start seeing people who have almost hallucinatory effects when they present to hospital from the high levels.”
Dr Michael Bonning, President of the Australian Medical Association NSW, giving evidence at a Senate inquiry into vaping.

Stat of the day

11.1%
How much house prices have increased since January 2023, according to new data from CoreLogic.

Today in history

2008
Osama bin Laden was killed during a raid by U.S. special forces in Pakistan. He led the terrorist organisation al Qaeda which was responsible for 9/11.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• Westpac has announced it will delay the closure of its regional branches “until at least 2027”. It had previously announced a one-year pause on branch shutdowns, which expired in February. However, the ‘big four’ bank said it will extend the pause for another three years. Westpac said the decision was based on customer feedback from regional communities. It comes after Bankwest announced it would close all of its branches by the end of the year to become a fully digital bank.

• South Korea has discussed plans to join AUKUS – the military and security partnership between Australia, the UK, and the U.S. It comes after talks between Australian and South Korean foreign and defence ministers were held in Melbourne yesterday. South Korea’s involvement could be focussed on improving AUKUS’ defence technologies, after similar recent talks between Australia and Japan.

Recommendation of the day

I’ve got 1 minute

Nine members of an extremist group are facing trial in Germany this week, over an alleged violent plot to overthrow the country’s government in 2022.

The men have been linked to the ‘Reichsbürger’ movement, which refuses to recognise the Federal Republic of Germany as a legitimate state.

This week’s hearings mark the first in a series of trials of 26 suspected Reichsbürger members — including former soldiers and a former politician. It’s believed to be the biggest anti-terror case in recent German history.

The group

In 2022, Reichsbürger was believed to have around 23,000 members. The group has refused to acknowledge the German Government's validity since the end of World War II.

A recent study of over 5,500 people found that 5% of Germans were open to Reichsbürger ideologies.

According to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, “one in 20 were “convinced” that Germany has been ruled by “occupying powers” (e.g. the U.S. and UK) since WWII ended in 1945.

The plot

The group’s intended coup would have seen the descendant of a minor royal family, Prince Heinrich XIII Reuss, appointed as Germany’s leader.

Former far-right MP Birgit Malsack-Winkemann intended to serve as the Justice Minister of the proposed new state.

The group allegedly gathered an extensive number of weapons to overthrow the German Parliament by force. The plot was intercepted by a series of police raids in 2022. Several suspects were arrested at the time.

Court case

Suspected members of the collective are facing charges including ‘high treason’ (undermining a government or its laws) and belonging to a terror organisation.

Those charged will be tried in three separate cases across three cities, starting in Stuttgart where 300 witnesses are expected to be called across 48 days of hearings.

If found guilty, the nine men facing trial first face up to 10 years in prison.

One man, identified by authorities as ‘Markus L’, has also been accused of shooting at police during a raid of his home. If found guilty, he’ll face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Reuss and Malsack-Winkemann will face trial in Frankfurt next month.

The final hearings will be held in Munich in June. Rulings aren’t expected until next year.

I’ve got 2 minutes

More than 1,000 students have been arrested for protests at campuses across the U.S. Here’s what is happening.

Student protests over the Israel-Hamas war have intensified across U.S. college campuses in the past few weeks.

More than 1,000 arrests have been made across numerous colleges in the U.S.

Universities have said they are seeing increased antisemitism on campuses.

The protests have started to spread to universities in other countries, including at the University of Sydney.

Background

On 7 October, Hamas launched an attack on Israel. According to data cited by the UN, roughly 1,200 people were killed. Hamas, which Australia lists as a terrorist organisation, captured about 240 hostages. 133 remain captive today.

Israel responded by declaring war and bombarding Gaza. According to data cited by the UN, at least 34,000 Palestinians have now been killed since 7 October. Israel’s war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis.

In the seven months since the war began, there have been mass protests all over the world.

College protests

The recent wave of student protests in the U.S. began at Columbia University in New York City in mid-April. On 18 April, more than 100 students were arrested after they refused to vacate an encampment (a group of tents) on campus.

The protests at Columbia have only intensified since then. In the past day, students have forcefully occupied one of the halls on campus.

On Tuesday morning (local time), the university released a statement saying that students occupying the building “face expulsion”.

Riot police have since entered the building and removed dozens of protesters. A spokesperson for U.S. President Joe Biden said “forcibly taking over a building on campus is absolutely the wrong approach”.

Protests elsewhere

Students are now protesting at around 50 other university campuses in the U.S. and Canada, including Harvard, Yale, and Johns Hopkins.

CNN reports more than 1,000 students have been arrested across at least 21 states.

Some universities have cancelled graduation ceremonies, including the University of Southern California, in the wake of these protests.

Protest aims

Protesters are calling for an immediate ceasefire, and for their universities to ‘divest’ from (stop investing funds in) companies linked to Israel.

On Monday, Columbia University announced it “will not divest from Israel” but said it will expedite a review into the matter.

Brown University has reached a rare agreement with protesters. It has announced that its leaders have agreed to discuss, and later vote on, divesting funds from companies connected to Israel. The students have ended their protest on campus as part of the agreement.

Antisemitism

There have been many reports of antisemitism occurring during the protests.

Columbia University has strongly condemned “chants, signs, taunts, and social media posts from our own students that mock and threaten to ’kill’ Jewish people”. It said “many [Jewish students] have left campus, and that is a tragedy”.

Videos show Jewish students being physically prevented from entering their colleges, and some incidents of assault.

Last week, Biden condemned the antisemitism, saying it was “reprehensible and dangerous” and that it had “no place on college campuses or anywhere in our country.”

Australia

Encampments have now been established at some Australian universities, with organisers calling for similar demands.

For example, the organisers of the encampment at the University of Sydney (USYD) have asked it to stop its partnership “with a slew of Israeli institutions”.

Macquarie University said it is “working to wholly understand” what happened when one of its academics, Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, ran an event at the USYD protests for young children, where they were filmed chanting phrases including “intifada” and “Israel is a terrorist state”.

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Give me some good news

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has successfully mapped the weather of a planet 280 light years away.

The planet, named exoplanet WASP-43b is a hot gas giant, similar in size to Jupiter. Using infrared light and 3D modelling technology, scientists observed water vapour on the planet.

TDA tidbit

France is opening up its iconic Champs-Élysées in Paris for a 4000-person picnic. 

The world-famous street will be transformed with a 216-metre gingham picnic rug.

There’s a catch - tickets will be distributed by a ballot, meaning you can’t buy your way in. Attendees will get a free picnic basket. 

Bonne chance and bon appétit! 

Want more from The Daily Aus? Listen to our podcast!

The Prime Minister has announced several new measures to combat domestic violence.

It comes after new data this week revealed the rate of women killed by a partner in Australia increased by nearly 30% in 2022/23 compared to the previous year.

Today on the podcast, we unpack yesterday’s announcement and explain what the Government’s national plan to combat violence against women actually is.

TDA asks