Columbia expels some students involved in building takeover in 2024 protests

Columbia University announced Thursday it's disciplining students involved in the occupation of a campus building during protests against the Israel-Hamas war last spring.

The big picture: The move comes after the Trump administration last week pulled some $400 million in federal grants and contracts from the university over allegations of antisemitism and after federal agents arrested a Columbia protest leader.

Driving the news: Columbia's five-member University Judicial Board issued punishments to students, including multi-year suspensions, temporary degree revocations and expulsions "in relation to the occupation of Hamilton Hall last spring," the university said in a statement.

• "With respect to other events taking place last spring, the UJB's determinations recognized previously imposed disciplinary action," the statement adds.
• The disciplinary actions come after the completion of a months-long process that included investigations and hearings.
• It was not immediately clear how many students have received such punishments. The university did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment in the evening.

Context: The building takeover was part of an escalation of campus protests sweeping the nation over the Israel-Hamas war last spring, with Columbia as the movement's epicenter.

• Dozens of protesters breached an administrative building at the Ivy League campus in Manhattan in April 2024, barricading entrances and flying a Palestinian flag out a window.

• At the time, the protesters inside Hamilton Hall were ordered to leave or face expulsion or even charges of burglary in the third degree, criminal mischief and trespassing.
• The occupation came after the university began suspending students for refusing to leave their on-campus encampment.

Schumer won’t say if there will be enough Democratic votes to advance the GOP funding bill

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer leaves the Democratic caucus lunch at the US Capitol on Thursday.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer declined to say if there will be enough Democratic votes to advance the House-passed GOP funding bill tomorrow, shortly after he announced he would vote to avert a shutdown. 

“Members are making their own decisions right now,” he said tonight. “It’s not an easy decision. I think that people in my caucus have made their — are making their decisions, and I made mine,” he added.

Yesterday, Schumer went to the floor and declared that Republicans would not have the votes to advance their funding bill, and said that Democrats were united behind a shorter, stop gap funding bill. Pressed on how he would respond to Democratic voters who will be disappointed that he is are caving, Schumer defended his decision.

“Well, look, the bottom line is, you have to make these decisions based on what is best for not only your party but your country. And I firmly believe and always have that I’ve made the right decision,” he said.

The next steps: The New York senator said that they are still negotiating a time agreement and possible amendment votes, and that an amendment vote for Democrats’ one-month funding bill is still on the table.

“We have to work that out with Thune, but that would be our preference, yes,” he said, referring to the GOP Majority Leader John Thune.

Schumer also said that he spoke in the last few hours with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who opposed the GOP-led funding bill.

Vance deflects on possibility of recession

Vice President JD Vance deflected Thursday when asked if he could rule out the possibility of a recession, saying in part “you never can predict the future.” “Well, look, I think you never can predict the future, but I think the economy, the fundamentals of the economy, are actually quite strong right now,” the vice president said in an interview on Fox News. Some context: Fears of a severe economic downturn have escalated in recent weeks. US stocks plunged earlier this week after President Donald Trump said he wouldn’t rule out a recession. Goldman Sachs has increased its chances of a recession in the next year to one-in-five, and former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers told CNN on Monday there is a “real possibility” of a recession caused by massive uncertainty over Trump’s policy. Trump’s aides have downplayed recession fears, suggesting instead that new tariffs will cause momentary “disruption” as global trade is realigned toward the United States. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday defended Trump’s tariffs as a necessary measure to save the US economy. “Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people,” she said, arguing that tariffs are needed to bring production back to the United States and punish countries that have taken advantage of the US in the past. Economists have warned the burden of tariffs could ultimately fall on American consumers.