New York University

Madison police discovered about 30 partially clothed young men, mostly 18 years old, covered in food, condiments and other liquids in the basement of an Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house after responding to an anonymous tip. The room's thermostat was reportedly set to 81 degrees, and several of the men had visible injuries consistent with physical abuse. Officers escorted the men outside to check for incapacitation and injuries.

Brayden J. Klein and Samuel N. Vane, both 20, were arrested on hazing and disorderly conduct charges and booked into Dane County Jail. Police noted the fraternity's president and vice president were present and spoke with officers, though it was unclear if the arrested men held those roles.

The Alpha Epsilon Pi chapter is unrecognized by the University of Wisconsin but remains affiliated with the national organization, which said it takes the allegations seriously and will cooperate with investigators, pledging to expel anyone found responsible for criminal conduct. The university is separately investigating the incident under its nonacademic misconduct process. The investigation remains ongoing.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington seeking to restore White House access after their reporters were denied entry and had press credentials revoked following Trump's announcement banning the outlets over what he called "fake news" coverage. The suit, naming Trump, aide Steven Cheung, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secret Service Director Sean Curran, argues the ban violates First Amendment press freedoms and 14th Amendment due-process rights, calling it unconstitutional "viewpoint discrimination." It cites the 1977 Sherrill v. Knight precedent barring arbitrary denial of press passes based on coverage content, as well as the earlier Jim Acosta case.

Trump denied targeting a free press, calling it instead an "assault on the FAKE News." The White House Correspondents' Association backed the outlets, warning the standard could be applied to any news organization. Separately, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News said they would no longer supply camera crews for White House pool coverage after CNN was removed from pool duties, leaving no television crews traveling with Trump to the UN General Assembly.

CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) and Politico filed an emergency First Amendment lawsuit Monday in the DC District Court seeking to restore White House access after President Trump revoked their reporters' credentials over coverage he called "fake news." Reporters Betsy Klein (CNN), Akayla Gardner (MS NOW) and Cheyenne Haslett (Politico) had their press badges disabled Saturday and were denied entry; CNN also lost its pool coverage slot, meaning no television network traveled with Trump that day, an unprecedented gap.

The lawsuit names Trump, chief of staff Susie Wiles, spokesperson Steven Cheung and Secret Service chief Sean Curran, arguing the ban is unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination lacking due process, citing precedent involving Jim Acosta and the Associated Press. White House Correspondents' Association president Jacqui Heinrich and press-freedom advocates called the move "textbook viewpoint discrimination," warning the precedent could later be used against any outlet. Trump has said he might expand the ban further, and legal experts widely expect courts to strike it down.

New York Assemblymember Alex Bores, who led the state's push to regulate artificial intelligence before losing a bid for Congress, says he wants another shot at Big Tech regulation before leaving office and would back a special legislative session in Albany. Bores argues New York should stop deferring to California on AI standards, pointing to his state's tech talent and his own $30 million group aimed at shaping a Democratic AI agenda. Governor Kathy Hochul's office says no special session is currently planned, even as California Governor Gavin Newsom has floated recalling lawmakers to Sacramento and signed an executive order to speed up enforcement of AI safety laws, including a possible "kill switch" requirement for advanced models.

The state-level activity comes as public alarm over AI risks grows, fueled partly by warnings from within the industry itself and a widespread expectation that Congress will not act soon. New York regulators recently ordered utilities to report AI usage, and Attorney General Letitia James has urged AI company employees to report rule violations. Democratic state lawmakers returning to Albany in January are weighing options and bracing for tech-industry pushback.

A new national free speech ranking from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found the average campus climate score is 61.36 out of 100 — a seven-year high, but still a D-. Of 261 schools ranked, 121 received an F and only 24 earned a C or better. The University of Chicago topped the list for the third time in seven years, followed by Claremont McKenna, Georgia Tech, Michigan Tech and Vanderbilt; New York University ranked last. In Minnesota, the University of Minnesota and Macalester College both flunked, with Macalester criticized for restrictive speech policies and intolerance of opposing views, while Carleton College earned a D- but was praised for improved political tolerance.

The University of Arkansas scored 56.6 amid controversies including the rescinded hiring of a law school dean over her support for transgender athletes and discipline against a professor over pro-Palestinian posters. Nationally, students report high self-censorship, most often on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, followed by Trump, Charlie Kirk's assassination, abortion, immigration and transgender rights. Some schools lost points for firing professors over posts about Kirk's death; Utah Valley University fell sharply after dropping a commencement speaker. The findings arrive as the Trump administration pressures universities over protests, funding and diversity programs.