tonight, the tense standoff at columbia university as pro-palestinian protests escalate on campuses nationwide. columbia now threatening to expel

students who have taken over a historic campus building after they smashed windows and used furniture to barricade doors. and the new arrests, more than a thousand nationwide, since the unrest began. also tonight, donald trump held in contempt for violating his gag order in his hush money trial. the judge warning if he does it again, he could go to jail. and the former president making headlines with his agenda for a possible second term. what he said about letting states track women's pregnancies. mass deportations and refusing to rule out violence if he loses again. the historic move on marijuana. the biden administration planning the biggest policy change in more than 50 years. major river flooding and tornado reports in the heartland. al roker is here. new details in the shootout that killed four officers in north carolina, plus, what was found at the scene. a man with a sword going on a deadly rampage in london. the moment police with a taser took him down. the issue many iphone users report

with their alarms. the setting you may need to turn off. and it's a whole new ball game. can rugby players succeed on the nfl field? >> announcer: this is "nbc nightly news" with lester holt. >> good evening and welcome. the student-led resistance movements playing out on college campuses around the country are being met with a stronger hand tonight in some places, police clashing with protesters on several campuses and clearing encampments. but some four dozen of the tent camps remain across the country, including at new york's columbia university, where pro-palestinian demonstrators turned up the heat overnight, breaking windows, storming and occupying a major building on the main campus as the administration made good on its threat to suspend protesters who have refused to leave. demonstrators insisting the universities divest from israel. the nypd tonight remaining out of the columbia standoff as

new york's mayor warns of outsiders trying to coopt the movement and telling protesters to leave the area now for their own safety. erin mclaughlin is there. erin, where do things stand right now? >> reporter: lester, tonight the mayor of new york pointing to external actors, is urging parents to call their children to get them to leave the campus immediately for their safety. meanwhile, the nypd says they're ready to assist if the university calls and asks for their help. tonight tensions at columbia university reaching a new high with the school threatening expulsion. after pro-palestinian protesters stormed the historic hamilton hall overnight, renaming the building hen's hall after a 16-year-old palestinian girl killed in gaza. student journalist joseph zuluoga was on the scene. >> i think when one of

the protesters broke one of the windows, that's when it set in for all of us that history was unfolding before our eyes. >> reporter: in a statement today, the university said this is about responding to the actions of the protesters, not their cause. while the protesters pointed to the historic occupations of the hall and reiterated their key demand that the university divest from israel, which columbia says it won't do. physic student charles beck says he was pushed away when he tried to stop the protester. >> i certainly was a little afraid. but you know, i also just felt like it was important that someone do something. i would not describe last night's protest as peaceful at all. >> reporter: today the student protesters fortifying their position inside the hall, hoisting supplies to the top. columbia university has so far refrained from calling back the police, but that's not the case at ut austin, with protesters back on campus today following yesterday's clashes which resulted in 79 arrests. at tulane university, protesters clashed with police on horseback.

and at the university of north carolina chapel hill, tense moments. nationwide, more than 1200 have been arrested so far as the calls for universities to divest from israel grow louder. >> we deserve to know where our money is going, where our resources are going. we deserve to know what our university is invested in. >> reporter: today the white house writing the protests must be peaceful and lawful. forcibly taking over buildings is not peaceful. it is wrong. while house speaker mike johnson called on campuses to crack down. this as universities across the country struggle to balance free speech and hate speech. >> a lot of people like that i went to classes with, ate dinners with that are chanting for the erasure of the state and the death of my family. so i do feel a little heartbroken by this. >> reporter: columbia professor reinhold

martin was locking hands with protesters. >> the divestment question has been on the table for a very long time, and not only with respect to the conflict in palestine. to me it's a legitimate tool. >> reporter: erin mclaughlin, nbc news, new york. we turn now to the hush money trial of former president trump. the judge holding mr. trump in contempt of court and threatening to jail him if he continues to violate a gag order, which mr. trump calls unconstitutional. laura jarrett now with late developments. >> reporter: tonight former president trump hit with a $9,000 fine at his hush money trial, with the judge finding multiple violations of the gag order prohibiting mr. trump from attacking witnesses. now threatening to throw him behind bars, saying jail may be a necessary punishment in the future. mr. trump's attorneys had argued it's unfair to hold him accountable for reposting criticism others have voiced, and that certain witnesses like michael cohen frequently attack mr. trump. the presumptive republican nominee later deleting the nine posts about cohen and stormy daniels that landed him in hot

water. >> this gag order is not only unique, it's totally unconstitutional. i'm the republican candidate for president of the united states. there is no crime. there is no anything here. >> reporter: the former president joined in court today by son eric, the first family member to attend. the prosecution calling keith davidson, the lawyer who represented daniels and karen mcdougal two women who say they had sex with mr. trump, which he denied. mr. trump is charged with a low-level felony, falsifying business documents over his reimbursements to cohen, who allegedly made the hush money payments. davidson testifying that after the release of that damaging "access hollywood" tape, interest in what daniels had to say reached a crescendo. but davidson only testified about dealings with cohen, not offering evidence of mr. trump's knowledge of the plans. >> and laura, meantime, this flare-up over the gag order is not over yet?

>> reporter: yeah, that's right, lester. prosecutors continue to say that mr. trump violates the gag order and is seeking more fines. the judge plans to hold a hearing on all of this on thursday morning. lester? >> all right, laura, thank you. in a new interview, mr. trump provides more insights into what a second term would look like. here is gabe gutierrez. >> reporter: tonight, former president trump is revealing more of his second term agenda, including new details of his controversial plan to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. >> i will stop the invasion. >> reporter: trump now telling "time" magazine he would use the national guard and possibly the military to deport migrants and isn't ruling out building new detention camps. when asked whether he'd ignore a u.s. law that prevents deploying troops against civilians, the former president responded well, these aren't civilians. these are people that aren't legally in our country. in fact, civilians are commonly defined as someone who is not an active member of the armed service, regardless of immigration status. trump said he would

comply with all supreme court orders. when asked whether he might fire a u.s. supreme court attorney who didn't follow orders, trump responded it would depend on the situation. the wide ranging interview also making headlines about abortion. president trump saying he would not sign a national abortion ban, leaving decisions up to the state. >> it's all about will of the people. >> reporter: now, asked whether he was comfortable if states decide to punish women who access abortions, he responded "the states are going to make that decision. the states are going to have to be comfortable or uncomfortable, not me." he was also asked whether states should monitor pregnancies to know if women get an abortion? "i think they might do that," he said. you'll have to speak to the individual states. president biden shot back, this is reprehensible. donald trump doesn't trust women. i do. former president trump was also pressed on the potential for political violence if he doesn't win. same quote, "it always depends on the fairness of an election." lester? >> gabe gutierrez at the white house, thank

you. also tonight, a historic shift from the federal government on how we think of marijuana, legally, medically and more. blayne alexander reports. >> reporter: for more than 50 years, marijuana has been listed among the world's most dangerous drugs, classified alongside the likes of heroin or ecstasy. but tonight, in a major shift according to sources with knowledge of the decision, the biden administration is looking to reclassify the drug to schedule 3, like ketamine or testosterone or tylenol with codeine, which would allow marijuana to be more easily studied for medical benefits. the change would not legalize recreational marijuana, the possession and distribution of which is still a federal crime, but would recognize it as a drug less likely to lead to addiction. stephanie shepherd served nine years for conspiracy to distribute. what does this mean for incarceration rates in america? >> hopefully it means a step closer to lowering those rates

and also releasing those who are serving heinous sentences for cannabis. >> reporter: public opinion has shifted dramatically in the last 20 years, from 34% of americans who believe marijuana should be legal to 70%, nearly half of states have legalized marijuana for recreational use. but tonight, one opposition group says the cannabis industry has lobbied heavily to sell demonstrably harmful products and calls out the biden administration for a, quote, thinly veiled attempt to reverse polling trends. president biden has already pardoned thousands of marijuana offenders, and the move could garner political support this election year, particularly among young and black voters. the proposed change still has to go through a public comment period and would not become official for at least 60 days. blayne alexander, nbc news. we're tracking a new threat of severe weather tonight. there are reports of a

tornado in westmoreland, kansas in the topeka area, and there is a chance of more flooding like they're seeing across the state after the storms of the last week. al roker is following it all. how bad will be the weather be? >> lester, right now we've got some very serious, active conditions. we have tornado watches but we also have tornado warnings now in parts of nebraska and in kansas. we're going to be watching this continually through the evening. the strong storms, we've got at least 8 million people at risk, strong tornadoes, damaging hail up to 2 inches from sioux city all the way down to wichita. baseball to softball-sized hail. tomorrow, the next system comes in. the threats from nebraska to kansas, from hastings all the way down to midland and abilene could be strong tornadoes as well. again, that two-inch hail risk all the way to midland, up into dodge city. flood risk from omaha to austin, because lester, we're talking upwards of 5 inches of rain in the next 24 hours.

>> all right, al roker. al, thanks very much. now to that shooting in north carolina, with the death toll rising to four law enforcement officers killed near charlotte yesterday. sam brock is there. >> reporter: in the aftermath of bullets flying and officers running into the line of fire, there is a cavernous hole in charlotte tonight. with the death toll now up to four, deputy u.s. marshall thomas weeks, department of correction veterans sam poloche and alden elliott, and officer of the month joshua eyer. >> he was out getting illegal guns off the street. he is going to be sorely missed. >> reporter: this tragedy now the deadliest for police in gunfire in almost a decade. >> it's been very tough. knowing that you have families are hurting right now. >> reporter: law enforcement says this man, terry hughes jr. with a lengthy criminal record gunned down the officers as they approached serving a warrant before he was shot in the yard out this house. investigators

recovered an ar-15, a handgun, and more than 100 shell casings after a furious confrontation. >> how does a convicted felon acquire a high-powered assault rifle? >> i think you can ask any -- anybody on the streets. you can have these laws on the books, but if someone wants to possess a firearm, they can certainly get one. >> reporter: now after a spate of recent attacks on officers, another reminder of what these public servants stand for. >> would you do this again, knowing your fate yesterday? would you do it again? there would be a blusterous yes. >> reporter: sam brock, nbc news, charlotte. now to the terrifying moments today in london. a man going on a stabbing rampage with a sword, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four others. police chased him down using tasers to subdue him. the motive was unclear, but police do not believe it was a targeted attack or terror-related. 60 seconds, the

news phase in russia's information war against the u.s. our exclusive reporting is next. the risk of kidney failure with farxiga. because there are places you'd like to be. farxiga can cause serious side effects, including ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration, urinary tract, or genital yeast infections, and low blood sugar. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop taking farxiga and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection, an allergic reaction, or ketoacidosis. ♪ far-xi-ga ♪ this week on chewy, shop all your pet's favorites and get a $30 egift card. enjoy more savings on more food, more toys, and more treats. more of everything they love, delivered right to your door. only with chewy. feeling claritin clear is like... ♪♪ [cat meow] —is she? letting her imagination run wild even though

she has allergies. yeah. we're back now with our nbc exclusive. as divisions grow deeper in the u.s. over the war in gaza, we learned russia is exploiting the conflict online, including using ai to try to fuel unrest here. here is hallie jackson. >> reporter: a new front in russia's information war against the u.s. with the kremlin shifting its focus to the war between israel and hamas, trying to inflame existing tensions in america, nbc news has learned, from two sources familiar with the intelligence reporting and independent researchers. they say the kremlin is using fake social media accounts and bots along with propaganda pushed by state-run outlets. look at these posts attacking the u.s. government's response to campus protests. what is russia's end game here?

>> so russia at times just wants to create more chaos. so this is just a win for russia any time there is a conflict in the u.s. >> reporter: experts say the kremlin is trying to position itself as a champion of palestinians while condemning the u.s. for supporting israel. >> this is an opportunity for them. this is a chance to divert attention away from their invasion of ukraine and to focus the world's attention on israel's offensive in gaza. >> reporter: researchers warn not to overstate the influence of the russian campaign. >> these protests would happen with or without russia's involvement. >> reporter: but look ing ahead to november, some u.s. officials recently sounding the alarm. >> there is a history here in presidential election business the russian federation, by its intelligence services. and there is plenty of reason to be concerned. >> reporter: the kremlin has long denied interference. but with russian actors now allegedly using ai to spread disinformation more easily, u.s. officials are bracing for what's to come. lester? >> hallie jackson, thank you. coming up, why the alarm on your iphone may not be working. what apple says about it.

and the rush just before one of the most restrictive abortion laws takes effect, next. discover the ozempic® t. ♪ ♪ i got the power of 3. i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. i'm under 7. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. i'm lowering my risk. adults lost up to 14 pounds. i lost some weight. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking ozempic® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may increase low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems.

living with type 2 diabetes? ask about the power of 3 with ozempic®. ( ♪ ♪ ) start your day with nature made. the #1 pharmacist recommended vitamin and supplement brand. when my doctor gave me breztri for my copd things changed for me. breztri gave me better breathing, symptom improvement, and reduced flare-ups. breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. don't take breztri more than prescribed. breztri may increase your risk of thrush, pneumonia, and osteoporosis. call your doctor if worsened breathing, chest pain, mouth or tongue swelling, problems urinating, vision changes, or eye pain occur. ask your doctor about breztri.

for a lot of iphone users, it's a worst nightmare come true. many reporting their iphone alarms have been failing to sound off and wake them up. apple says it's aware and working on a fix. in the meantime, some say turning off the phone's attention aware feature will do the trick. we'll take a turn now to florida, where in a matter of hours, a six-week abortion

ban takes effect. it's led to a scramble at clinics in the state that used to have one of the least restrictive abortion laws in the south. here is marissa parra. >> reporter: tonight, abortion clinics in florida stretched to the limit, squeezing in double, even triple the usual number of patients before the state's six-week abortion ban takes effect tomorrow. >> a lot of patients will come in for their consult and be told we can't see them. >> reporter: kelly flynn runs a clinic in jacksonville. are you prepared for that moment when you to tell patients you can't treat them? >> no. you can't prepare for that. >> reporter: she says a third of their patients come from outside florida. that's because the surrounding states have some of the strictest abortion laws in the country. come tomorrow, the closest drivable options for care after six weeks will be north carolina and virginia. >> we're looking at the southeast completely like it's an abortion desert now. >> reporter: state represent mike beltran was one of the ban's sponsors. >> we're a conservative state. we should not be allowing abortions, and we shouldn't be providing abortion

tourism for other states in the south. >> reporter: he points out the law has exceptions for rape, incest and human trafficking up to 15 weeks and for the life of the mother and fatal fetal abnormalities. >> when they are born, how are they going to be taken care of. >> reporter: cassie is four weeks' pregnant. she can't afford another baby so she started the process of ending her baby. what is it that you think they don't understand that you wished they did? >> i wished they understood that there is more to having a baby than just birthing it. >> reporter: in november, floridians will vote on a proposed ballot amendment that will protect abortion rights until roughly 24 weeks, but cassie worries what will happen to other women making difficult choice in the meantime. >> by the end of this week, there might be women two weeks further along than you, and they wouldn't be able to get the same procedure. >> i would really feel for them. because it's just not right.

>> reporter: marissa parra, nbc news, jacksonville. and we will take a break here. coming up, the lateral moves into the nfl. meet the players who have never played a snap and are suddenly on football's biggest stage. ♪d♪ i have type 2 diabetes, but i manage it well ♪ ♪ jardiance! ♪ ♪ it's a little pill with a big story to tell ♪ ♪ i take once-daily jardiance ♪ ♪ at each day's start! ♪ ♪ as time went on it was easy to see ♪ ♪ i'm lowering my a1c! ♪ jardiance works twenty-four seven in your body to flush out some sugar. and for adults with type 2 diabetes and known heart disease, jardiance can lower the risk of cardiovascular death, too. serious side effects may include ketoacidosis that may be fatal, dehydration that can lead to sudden worsening of kidney function, and genital yeast or urinary tract infections. a rare, life-threatening bacterial infection in the skin of the perineum could occur. stop jardiance and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of this infection ketoacidosis, or an allergic reaction. you may have an increased risk for lower limb loss.

call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of infection in your legs or feet. taking jardiance with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. ♪ jardiance is really swell ♪ ♪ the little pill ♪ ♪ with a big story to tell! ♪ (tammy) i used to smoke, i thought it helped relieve my stress. but then i had open heart surgery. my tip is, find healthy ways to cope with stress, because open heart surgery, it's pretty stressful. (announcer) you can quit. for free help, call 1-800-quit-now. a year after a heart attack,

mike's feeling like himself again. but even though time has passed, his risk of a second attack hasn't. mike is still living in the red. with a very high risk of another heart attack or stroke. he doesn't know with his risk factors his ldl-c (bad cholesterol) is still too high - the recommended level is below 55. are you living in the red? get in the know. learn how to get a free ldl-c test at attackheartdisease.com. always dry scoop before you run. listen to me, the hot dog diet got me shredded. it's time we listen to science. one a day is formulated with key nutrients to support whole body health. one a day. science that matters. i love your dress. oh thanks! i splurged a little because liberty mutual customized my car insurance and i saved hundreds. that's great. i know, right? i've been telling everyone. baby: liberty. did you hear that? ty just said her first word. can you say “mama”?

baby: liberty. can you say “auntie”? baby: liberty. how many people did you tell? only pay for what you need. jingle: ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ baby: ♪ liberty. ♪ ♪♪ missing out on the things you love because of asthma? get back to better breathing with fasenra, an add-on treatment for eosinophilic asthma that is taken once every 8 weeks. fasenra is not for sudden breathing problems or other eosinophilic conditions. allergic reactions may occur. don't stop your asthma treatments without talking with your doctor. tell your doctor if your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. step back out there with fasenra. ask your doctor if it's right for you.

finally, the rugby players tackling a new challenge after being drafted into the nfl, despite never playing competitive football. kaylee hartung explains. >> look at that! that is awesome. >> reporter: with the union jack flag wrapped around his shoulders, travis clayton was welcomed to the nfl. >> the buffalo bills select travis clayton. >> reporter: even though he's never played a down of competitive football. >> go to buffalo! >> reporter: has it sunk in you are an nfl player? >> i think i need to pinch myself, but i think it's really sunk in just yet. >> reporter: the former english rugby winger has spent nearly four months honing his skills to become an nfl offensive lineman. at 6'7", the bills say clayton's 40-yard dash is the fastest they've clocked from a lineman in ten years. how steep has the learning curve been? >> wow, extremely steep.

i think coming in on the first day, not knowing really anything about the sport, i climbed up and just learned everything possible. >> reporter: and in march, welsh rugby star louis rees-zammit signed with the defending super bowl champion kansas city chiefs. clayton and rees-zammit are products of the international players pathway, a program designed to seek out talent from around the world, like eagles left tackle jordan mailata. another former rugby player from australia who recently signed a $66 million contract extension. are you ready to step on to a field right now? >> 100%. 100%. i'm ready to go. this is what i've been training for. >> reporter: kaylee hartung, nbc news, los angeles. >> it will be fun to watch. that is it for "nightly news." for this tuesday. thank you for watching, everyone. i'm lester holt. please take care o

remains a mystery. the latest on the most contested congressional race in the country