Burlington, VT - The University of Vermont says it is canceling a speech by U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield planned for the school's upcoming commencement. The school also says some of the students taking part in a pro-Palestinian encampment could face disciplinary procedures. University President Suresh Garimella issued a statement Friday afternoon, six days after the encampment went up on Harris Common. President Garimella says, "that the demonstration has been continuously in violation of university policies since its inception." He added, "those who continue to violate UVM policies ..read more

(The Hill) — Mark Hamill says the force is with President Biden — the actor made a surprise visit Friday to the White House briefing room and offered a "Star Wars"-inspired nickname for the commander in chief.  "How many of you had Mark Hamill will lead the press briefing on your bingo cards?" Hamill, sporting a pair of sunglasses, told reporters at the top of the White House's press briefing.  "I just got to meet the president and he gave me these aviator glasses," added Hamill, known for his role as Luke Skywalker, said. Asked about his Oval Office visit with Biden, Hamill said, "I ..read more

NEW YORK (AP) — Police officers repeatedly fired their guns at a New York City man who had called 911 during a mental health crisis as his mother and younger brother begged officers not to shoot, bodycam video released Friday shows. Win Rozario's family called on the officers to be fired and charged with murder after the footage of the killing was made public by the state's attorney general. “The video that was released makes it clear that Win should be alive but the police came and murdered him in our kitchen without any care for him or us,” said a statement from Rozario’s mother, brother and ..read more

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona's new heat officer said Friday that he is working with local governments and nonprofit groups to open more cooling centers and ensure homes have working air conditioners this summer in a more unified effort to prevent another ghastly toll of heat-related deaths, which topped 900 statewide last year. “We don’t want to see that happen again,” Dr. Eugene Livar said of last year's deaths. “We cannot control it, even though we can control our preparation in response. And that’s what we’ve been focusing on.” Livar, a physician with the Arizona State Department of Health S ..read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — Israel this week briefed Biden administration officials on a plan to evacuate Palestinian civilians ahead of a potential operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah aimed at rooting out Hamas militants, according to U.S. officials familiar with the talks. The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity to speak about the sensitive exchange, said that the plan detailed by the Israelis did not change the U.S. administration’s view that moving forward with an operation in Rafah would put too many innocent Palestinian civilians at risk. Israeli ..read more

Burlington, VT - One month ahead of the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, the Flynn unveiled the festival lineup. There are 21 performers and 35 student bands from around the region on the lineup. The festival takes place across Burlington from Wednesday, June 5 through Sunday, June 9. There are performances planned for the Flynn, the Vermont Comedy Club, along Church Street Marketplace and at the Burlington Waterfront Park. Nearly all of the performances are free of charge. The festival opens and closes with two ticketed performances. Hatian-American composer, singer and visual artist Cecile ..read more

ATLANTA (AP) — Leaders of Georgia's Fulton County testified Friday before a special state Senate committee that they had no legal power to control District Attorney Fani Willis' spending or her hiring of former special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The Republican-led committee is probing Willis' hiring of Wade to lead a team to investigate and ultimately prosecute Donald Trump and 18 others accused illegally trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Willis and Wade have acknowledged a romantic relationship with each other. In one example of the kind of threats Willis has been rec ..read more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Investigators found disconnected and missing hardware aboard a helicopter that crashed in 2022, killing the pilot and a North Carolina television station’s meteorologist, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB's final report on the 2022 crash, which was released Thursday, said the probable cause was inadequate inspections by the pilot and maintenance personnel, resulting in an eventual loosening of the hardware and subsequent loss of helicopter control. WBTV meteorologist Jason Myers and pilot Chip Tayag died after the Robinson R44 helicopter cra ..read more

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Members of the Austin City Council voted Thursday afternoon to approve offering some protections to local transgender people seeking gender-affirming care, though it may lead to more pushback by Texas Republican lawmakers. By a vote of 10-1, the council passed a resolution introduced by Council Member Chito Vela, who represents District 4. The measure directs Austin police to make enforcement of Senate Bill 14, which bans certain treatment options for transgender minors in the state, as their lowest priority. Only Mackenzie Kelly of District 6 voted against it, saying she belie ..read more

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, remnants of Halley's comet, peaks this weekend. And with just a waning crescent moon in the sky, it should be visible. The Eta Aquarids occur every year in early May. This year’s peak activity happens early Sunday with an expected 10 to 30 meteors visible per hour in the Northern Hemisphere. Viewing should be even better in the Southern Hemisphere. The shower lasts through May 27. Here’s what to know about the Eta Aquarids and other meteor showers. What is a meteor shower? Multiple meteor showers occur annually and you don’t need speci ..read more