Columbia protesters defy order to leave

Pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University defied orders to end their demonstration. A nasty storm system was moving across the Gulf Coast. And the feds are investigating Ford's hands-free driving system after two people died.

👋 Hey, Monday!Laura Davis here. Ready for the news? Let’s go.

But first: Where's Wally? 👀🐊 WallyGator, an emotional support alligator who gives hugs and kisses, has gone missing in Georgia.

Campus protesters defy deadline to clear out

Columbia University ordered pro-Palestinian protesters to disband their encampment Monday after school representatives and student organizers failed to negotiate a resolution of the standoff that began almost two weeks ago and fueled similar protests on campuses across the nation, but the students remained in place after the 2 p.m. EDT deadline for clearing out. 👉 Here's the latest on the developing situation.

📸 See photos:Protests erupt at universities across the nation.

Blinken pushes Hamas to accept truce proposal

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas on Monday to swiftly accept Israel's latest and "extraordinarily generous" proposal for a Gaza truce to secure a release of hostages amid a diplomatic drive to end the war between Israel and Hamas. Hamas negotiators were expected to meet Qatari and Egyptian mediators in Cairo on Monday to deliver a response to the phased truce proposal Israel presented at the weekend ahead of a threatened Israeli assault on the southern border city of Rafah. "The only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a cease-fire is Hamas," Blinken said. 👉 Here's what we know.

• Israeli officials fear international court is preparing arrest warrants over the Gaza war.

Real quick

• They both had cancer as kids. Life kept bringing them together.
• Buy or rent? If you want to live in a big city, the answer's clear.
• Gerard Depardieu detained in Paris over alleged sexual assaults.
• More pets, fewer vets: Is there a crisis in U.S. veterinary care?
• Britney Spears, dad Jamie settle legal battle over conservatorship.

Support the Short List andbecome a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Big storms batter Gulf Coast after weekend tornadoes

States along the Gulf Coast were under severe weather threats Monday as a storm system that spun up ferocious tornadoes across the central U.S. over the weekend – killing at least four people and inflicting widespread damage – moved over the region.

Heatwave hits East Coast: Elsewhere, record heat was possible along the East Coast, forecasters said, as high temperatures soared into the upper 80s and mid-90s in the mid-Atlantic, with one spot reaching a scorching 96 degrees.

More severe weather: Thunderstorms rolled across southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana into the afternoon, with damaging wind, hail, flash floods and up to 3 inches of rain falling every hour. More than 48,000 homes and businesses were without power. ⛈️ See the damage + the latest forecast.

📸See more photos:Midwest states hit by tornadoes.

Feds looking into Ford's hands-free driving tech

Federal safety regulators announced Monday they are investigating Ford’s hands-free driver assistance system, BlueCruise, on the heels of fatalities fatal crashes.

What happened? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it confirmed BlueCruise was engaged right before impact during two wrecks this year, one in Texas and one in Pennsylvania. The deaths mark the first fatalities involving the system, according to the NHTSA, and both crashes took place during "nighttime lighting conditions." 🔎 More about the investigation.

A break from the news

• 🥬💚 The best leafy greensto add to your diet.
• 🪫🔋 Run out of juice? How to change your AirTag battery.
• 🍿🎬 Grab the popcorn! 15 must-see summer movies.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hi:laura@usatoday.com. Support quality journalism like this?Subscribe to USA TODAY here.