5 things to know for April 30: University protests, Trump trial, Bird flu, Internet bills, coal plants

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As protests and encampments proliferate on college campuses, some companies are wondering if these actions could start to spread to offices as well. Google CEO Sundar Pichai already fired about 50 employees for protesting the company’s relationship with the Israeli government as he urged his staffers to keep “politics” out of the workplace. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested on over 20 college campuses from coast to coast as schools prepare for spring commencement ceremonies. Overnight, at least 200 student protesters at Columbia University barricaded the entrance to one of the school’s main buildings for undergraduates. Protesters began occupying the building hours after the school began suspending students who refused to vacate an on-campus encampment. Another Ivy League school, Cornell University, said Monday it was suspending student protesters who declined to move to an alternate location. Dozens of others were also arrested at UT-Austin, most of whom are not believed to be affiliated with the university, school officials said. The third week of former President Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial will kick off in New York today, with prosecutors expected to continue questioning Michael Cohen’s former banker Gary Farro. Last week, Farro testified about working with Cohen and banking arrangements that were made to pay $130,000 to adult film star Stormy Daniels, which is at the center of the case. Farro’s testimony today is expected to get into the documents that detail the paper trail tied to the 34 counts of falsifying business records that Trump faces. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies the alleged affair. Meanwhile, Judge Juan Merchan has yet to rule on whether he’ll hold Trump in contempt for violating a gag order that bars him from talking publicly about trial witnesses, the prosecutors, court staff and their families. The US Department of Agriculture said it is testing beef, including ground beef from grocery stores, for the presence of the H5N1 bird flu virus that is spreading in dairy cattle. The agency is also conducting cooking studies, which will inoculate ground beef with a “virus surrogate” and cook it to different temperatures to see how much virus is killed under each heat setting. The agency sought to quell concerns about consuming beef, saying in a statement Monday that “USDA is confident that the meat supply is safe.” It outlined “multiple safeguards in place” and recommended consumers cook meat to a “safe internal temperature,” which kills bacteria and viruses. More than 23 million US households will be forced to pay hundreds more per year or give up internet access as a key federal aid program runs out of money. Specifically, a federal benefit known as the Affordable Connectivity Program — which covers home internet service for low-income Americans — could end in May. The program is heavily used by Americans over age 50, military veterans and low-income working families nationwide, according to FCC data. Military families account for almost half of the ACP’s subscriber base, according to the White House. President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats have blamed Republicans on Capitol Hill for blocking legislation that would extend the ACP, even as many Republican congressional districts have received millions of dollars from the program.