Dozens of students take part in a demonstration during Jerry Seinfelds commencement speech at duke. In california, protests blocking the entry to a Graduation Ceremony there. Families and police voicing their frustrations with more demonstrations expected this week. And in the middle east, new fighting erupts across gaza. Israel once again warning citizens to evacuate the city of rafah. Well have the very latest. The fixer is in, former trump Attorney Michael Cohen ready to take the stand at the president s criminal hush money trial. The testimony that could be a makeorbreak for the case as trump steps up his offense on the campaign trail. A day without child care. Centers and schools closing. Rallies set to be held from coast to coast. Providers and parents coming together to bring attention to a growing crisis. What theyre demanding to make the cost of child care more affordable. Bad blood. The royal family rift potentially deepening after king charles awards Prince William, a new honorary role. Why that move is said to be so painful to prince harry. Were live in london. Ment. All that plus fast food fight, mcdonalds considering a big change to its menu. Inside its plan to win customers upset by soaring drivethrough prices. And countdown to kick off. The nfl getting set to unveil the long awaited schedule for the 2024 season this week. But first, were revealing the opening game exclusively today, monday, may 13th, 2024. Announcer from nbc news, this is today with Savannah Guthrie and hoda kotb. Live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. Hi, everybody. Good morning, welcome to today, monday morning. Somebody looks tan, rested and ready. How was bermuda . It was a lot of fun. How was your mothers day . It was wonderful. It was good. All last week we passive aggressively said hoda was on assignment in air quotes. We did have a good time. Thank you. We will begin with College Campus protests, interrupting Commencement Ceremonies from coast to coast. A number of graduations impacted over the weekend. Antiwar demonstrators walked out of graduation at Duke University as the schools highprofile keynote speaker Jerry Seinfeld took the stage. This all comes at a time of escalating tensions in gaza. Tens of thousands of palestinians fleeing the city of rafah over fears of an imminent israel invasion. Talks are once again on pause. We have it covered both here and overseas. Lets start with Stephanie Gosk at nyu, a school holding its commencement this week. Stephanie, good morning. Reporter good morning. It will be a week of graduation ceremonies. Nktd including here at nyus business school. They kick off events today, and we are likely going to see more protests like the ones we saw over the weekend. As you mentioned, dozens of students walked out on Jerry Seinfelds commencement speech at duke. They held their own ceremony outside the stadium. It is just one of many places where students used their own graduations to protest over the war in gaza. Tensions reaching a breaking point at College Campuses nationwide. With graduation ceremonies becoming the latest flash point for ongoing antiwar protests. Over the weekend, dozens of Duke University students staging a walkout as comedian Jerry Seinfeld began his commencement speech. I grew a jewish boy from new york. That is a privilege if you want to be a comedian. Reporter after hamas attacked israel on october 7th, seinfeld posted on instagram, i will always stand with israel and the jewish people and visited the country back in december to show his support. Duke university releasing a statement writing in part, we respect the right of everyone at duke to express their views peacefully without preventing graduates and their families from celebrating their achievement. This walkout just one of many nationwide impacting endofyear campus events. Pro palestinian demonstrators blocked entryways ahead of a ceremony for pomona college. The school had moved the event after protesters set up an encampment on the stage. At uc berkeley, home of the free speech movement, dozens of students interrupted graduation waving propalestinian flags and banners. The demonstration later moving behind the main stage where hundreds of others joined in. Dozens of vcu graduates silently walked out during Virginia GovernorGlenn Youngkins speech. This comes after police in riot gear arrested 25 protesters at the university of virginia last week. According to an nbc news tally, nearly 3,000 arrests have been made on campuses nationwide in weeks of protests. U. S. News and world report is out with a new survey today that says 60 of students say antisemitism is a problem on campus. 38 say they feel unsafe. As for duke, Jerry Seinfeld, his daughter graduated from the school, his son goes to the school. We reached out to his team for comment. They have not returned our request for comment. Guys, back to you. Stephanie, thank you very much. As for the war itself, there is breaking news overnight. Fighting has erupted again in northern gaza while Israeli Forces push deeper into the Southern City of rafah. This comes in the wake of some of the biden administrations harshest public criticism yet against israels monthlong operation. Nbc correspondent Richard Engel joins us now. Hes in jerusalem. Richard, good morning. Reporter good morning, hoda. The geography here is important and revealing. Since this war began about seven months ago, israel has been fighting from the north to the south, clearing cities like gaza city, which is in the north and then moving on to other cities, fighting hamas as it goes. Ultimately ending up in rafah, which is in the deep south. But now fighting has once again returned to the north, to gaza city. And in many ways, it is akin to what u. S. Troops found themselves facing many years ago in iraq. Back then they described it as whack a mole, fighting an enemy one place, only to see them turn up somewhere else. Israel is fighting hamas once again this morning in northern gaza, where the militants have regrouped. Secretary blinken this weekend offering increasingly public american criticism, suggesting israel has no exit strategy from gaza. Israel is on the trajectory potentially to inherit an insurgency with many armed hamas left or if it leaves anarchy probably refueled by hamas. Reporter israels main focus is still on rafah in southern gaza. Israel is ordering civilians to leave the city, packed with 1. 4 Million People, most of them displaced from other parts of gaza. Israeli troops have not moved into the center of rafah, but appear to be laying the ground work for a major assault, bombing heavily and destroying infrastructure. Amal harazadine tells us she cant move again with her five children. They walked to rafah from the north and live in this tent. My kids will die. They will be victims, she says. In israel, many families of the 132 hostages still in gaza are increasingly despondent, too. On mothers day, i spoke to rachel goldbergpolin. Her son, an american, was kidnapped and lost his hand during the massacre. A hamas video this month showed hes still alive, or at least was recently. Hostage negotiations have stalled. Are you are you on this emotional roller coaster every day . I am commanding myself every day to stay hopeful. So i dont go plummeting, and i dont go super high falsely. So the same way you dont count your chickens before they hatch, we dont count our hostages until were hugging them. Reporter today is memorial day in israel, when the country commemorates its fallen troops. And Prime Minister netanyahu said israel is now in a war for its survival, that its israels existence or hamas. Hoda. Richard engel in jerusalem, richard, thank you. Today marks a Pivotal Point in former president trumps hush money trial here. His former fixer and Attorney Michael Cohen set to take the stand, offering an insider view at the payments at the center of the prosecutions case. Nbcs senior Legal CorrespondentLaura Jarrett is here with details. Laura, good morning. Good morning to you. For years, Michael Cohen had been mr. Trumps attack dog. In front of the camera and of course behind the scenes. But that all fell apart once cohen came under federal investigation. This jury has already read his text messages, heard his voice on tape. But now they will be the ultimate judge of his credibility on the witness stand. He once said he would take a bullet for the former president , but this morning Michael Cohen takes the stand as a key witness for the state in Donald Trumps criminal trial. The dramatic faceoff between mr. Trump and his former fixer a Pivotal Moment as prosecutors wind down their case. The jury has seen evidence it was cohen who bought the silence of Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election as cohen admitted years later in a stunning moment before congress. Mr. Trump directed me to use my own personal funds to avoid any money being traced back to him that could negatively impact his campaign. Reporter and jurors have seen the invoices and checks documenting how mr. Trump paid cohen back, calling his repayments legal expenses, a disguise according to prosecutors and cohens lawyers to cover up the hush money scheme, which mr. Trump denies. I know that the corroboration and the detail backing up michael is what people dont recognize. It wasnt legal fees. Mr. Trump knew there were no legal services. Reporter but cohens baggage is well documented. His prior convictions for Campaign Finance violations and lying to congress likely just one part of what will undoubtedly be a grueling cross examination as the defense team argues hes a scorned man that makes a living off tearing down his old boss. Even the judge directing prosecutors to warn cohen to stop talking about mr. Trump from now on. The presumptive gop nominee moving from the trial to the trail over the weekend. Ive come here from new york. Reporter drawing huge crowds in neighboring new jersey, which overwhelming ly went for biden in 2020. I have been indicted more than the great al capone. I got indicted more than him. On [ bleep ]. Reporter mr. Trump pivoting to his Favorite Campaign topics, including immigration, invoking another famous criminal. Silence of the lamb. Has anyone seen it . The late great Hannibal Lecter is a wonderful man. He oftentimes would have a friend for dinner. The former president went on to levy his usual attacks against the district attorney, but made no mention here of Michael Cohen. Mr. Trump is still under a gag order that bars him from attacking witnesses and has paid 10,000 for his violations so far. The case may rise and fall on this witness, laura. Lets talk about another case, senator menendez. The trial starting today. Near blocks away from where trump is. This is the second time the senator has faced bribery allegations. He has pled not guilty and denies all wrongdoing, but this will be different from the last goaround because this time prosecutors have not only a cooperator, but they also charged his wife, which amps up the pressure to point fingers. His defense team is suggesting he didnt know anything about it and sort of laying the blame at the feet of his wife. Jury selection begins today. Well see where that one goes. The former president on trial, a senator on trial. Laura, youre busy. Lets go to a day without child care. Day cares and schools are preschools all across the country are closing their doors today as providers and parents join agent to demand for affordable child care for all families. Senior Business CorrespondentChristine Romans is here with that story. Hey, christine. Good morning. Good morning to you. Many parents feel like theyre being priced out of day care. At the same time providers are struggling with low pay, high turnover, high costs there. It adds up to a Crisis Brewing in child care. What do we want . Child care when do we want it . Now reporter this morning across the country thousands of parents and child care providers are calling out of work or closing their doors for national day without child care. Pressing lawmakers for affordable child care, including an expanded Child Tax Credit and better pay for educators. The cost of care has skyrocketed. According to bank of america, child care payments have soared 32 since 2019. Child care the second biggest expense for working families after rent or mortgage. Care. Com says the typical family spends nearly a quarter of its income on child care. Last year 20 of parents reported shelling out at least 3,000 a month or 36,000 a year. Thats much more than the average in State College tuition which runs just over 24,000 a year. Kora is a single mother who is only able to afford care through a subsidized scholarship. There are a lot of people that are in worse spots than i am. They might be forced to put their child in hands that are not qualified. Today, she is taking a day off from her job to support to support the walkout at t. J. s school, part of a national day without child care, organized by the group, change action in 15 statings. Our teachers make anywhere from minimum wage to 20 an hour. Reporter christine is an enrollment coordinator at an Early Learning center in mount sinai new york where tuition can run up to 2,000 a month. Christine says parents are strapped by rising tuition and educators face low pay and high turnover. Parents need care for their children, but if they band with us, it will help them and their teachers as well. Unlike the k through 12 school system, for most families, day care is largely left up to parents and child care in your local communities. Teacher turnover is high. There are long wait lists at many centers and emergency covid funding used to boost wages is starting to run out. Instant child care can run up to 15,000 a year in some places. Paper is a Strong Economy . This is one of the number one things t which is impossible math for some families. I have been traveling to swing states and asking people, what concerns you . Whats happening in your world . Why dont you feel whats on paper is a Strong Economy. This is one of the number one things they tell me about. Its a huge part of someones salary. Absolutely. It affects their ability to work. You cant work if you dont have quality child care. It takes up so much of the paycheck. Thank you, christine. We have craig here this morning. Savannah, hoda, good morning. Good morning to you as well, folks. The unofficial start of summer just around the corner, and travel for memorial day, Memorial Day Travel could break records. Aaa predicting 44 million americans will be driving or flying over the Holiday Weekend with the airports bracing for a big spike in travelers. Nbcs brian cheung is at Reagan National airport for us this morning. Brian, first of all, good morning to you. Walk us through how busy those airports are expected to be this memorial day weekend. Reporter yeah, good morning, guys. Again that 43. 8 million figure by the way, that could be the largest that aaa as seen in over 20 years. At airports just like this one, washington national, the expectation is for 3. 51 million americans to hit the skies for that weekend. That would be a 4 increase, nearly 5 increase from last year. Headed to popular destinations like orlando, florida, seattle as well as new york, new york. Now, whats interesting is despite the cutbacks and the roots due in part to those production related issues, we havent seen prices for tickets go up that much, which should be welcome news for those trying to plan a getaway for the unofficial start of summer. Yeah, so, you know, we have covered the flying there. For those driving, hitting the road, what can they expect, brian . Reporter yeah. Well, a lot of people expected to hit the roads. 38. 4 million according to aaa in that new report this morning. That would be a 4 increase from expect last year. Whats really interesting about all that is that as people try to hit the roads, gas prices are about the same as they were last year, about 3. 61 per gallon as of right now. Also worth noting, though, is that if you are trying to drive, dont get stuck in traffic. The guidance from aaa is if you are trying to leave, try to leave before 11 00 a. M. On thursday or friday. If you want to come back and not hit traffic on the way back home, try to hit the roads before 1 00 p. M. On sunday. Plan ahead, guys. All right. Good tips, brian cheung, Reagan National airport. Brian, thank you. 7 18. Mr. Roker at his post, got a check of the weather. Hey, al. I can feel the glow coming off of you right now. Wowsers she brought the sun from bermuda. Yes, she did. Wow. Look at that tan. Any way, where are my sunglasses . Weve got some strong storms again making their way across the coast. Flood watches from texas all the way into florida. Parts of southwestern georgia. Weve got a risk of Severe Weather from austin, houston, new orleans all the way to panama city as these storms fire across 23 Million People at risk. Cant rule out tornadoes. Biggest problem going to be hail from san antonio to new orleans. We could see two to four inch in diameter hail with this. And