By Jade Walker

Syria has issued a conservative dress code for women who want to go swimming or just hang out by the water. From now on, women must wear burkinis (swimwear that covers their full body) at public beaches and pools as well as cover-ups or robes while en route. The new regulations, which were signed by interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, reflect the influence of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist coalition now leading the country’s transitional government. It’s unclear what the repercussions will be for breaking the rules.

Here's what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

A protester in Las Vegas holds a Mexican flag on Wednesday. John Locher/AP

Nationwide protests

Demonstrations against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown have continued to spread across the US. On Wednesday, police in New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle and Spokane, Washington, arrested dozens of anti-ICE protesters. An overnight curfew was enacted for a second night in downtown LA to “stop bad actors who are taking advantage of the President’s chaotic escalation,” LA Mayor Karen Bass wrote on X. A similar curfew was also announced in Spokane. More than 1,800 "No Kings" events to protest the administration’s actions are scheduled to take place on Saturday, the same day as President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, DC. Ahead of that parade, Trump told reporters that any protesters should be prepared to be met with a show of force. 

Gaza

A bus carrying more than two dozen workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial US and Israeli-backed aid initiative, was attacked late Wednesday. “We are still gathering facts, but what we know is devastating: there are at least five fatalities, multiple injuries, and fear that some of our team members may have been taken hostage,” the GHF said in a statement. The aid group accused Hamas of carrying out the assault; the militant group has not yet responded to the allegations. The GHF was established amid Israeli accusations that Hamas is stealing aid in Gaza and profiting off its sale but the organization has been controversial from the get-go and criticized by multiple international aid agencies. Also on Wednesday night, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security agency announced the recovery of two deceased hostages during a military operation. 

Immigration

A federal judge has granted Mahmoud Khalil’s habeas corpus petition and blocked the Trump administration from continuing to detain the former Columbia University graduate student. During the 2024 demonstrations on campus, Khalil served as a liaison between students protesting the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and school administrators. He was one of the first in a series of high-profile arrests of pro-Palestinian student activists caught up in the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on antisemitism on college campuses and his detention sparked protests across the US. In the three months he was imprisoned in Louisiana, Khalil missed his own graduation and the birth of his first son. In other immigration news, Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikTok personality and a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF, has left the US after being detained at the airport by immigration agents in Las Vegas for allegedly overstaying his visa. 

Vaccines

Earlier this week, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed the entire panel of vaccine advisers that guides the CDC on the vaccine schedule and required coverage of immunizations. On Wednesday, he appointed eight new members, including several prominent critics of the government’s Covid-19 response. Kennedy’s overhaul of the panel has drawn rebukes from physicians, nurses, former health officials and the American Medical Association. The AMA even adopted a resolution calling for Kennedy to reverse his decision to remove the previous panel members. “With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses,” AMA President Dr. Bruce Scott said in a statement.

Harvey Weinstein

A jury in New York convicted former movie studio boss Harvey Weinstein of forcibly subjecting a woman to a criminal sex act in 2006. Although Weinstein, 73, was acquitted of another sex crime, jurors will continue deliberating today on a third charge that he allegedly raped another woman in 2013. In 2020, Weinstein was convicted of sex crimes and sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York; however, in 2024, the state’s highest court awarded him a new trial. Weinstein was also convicted of sex crimes in 2022 and sentenced to prison in California; he is currently appealing that case.

Air India flight to London crashes with 242 on board
An Air India flight bound for London crashed shortly after taking off from an airport in India’s western city of Ahmedabad. There were 242 passengers and crew members on board. The plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, according to Flightradar24. 

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Character actor Harris Yulin dead at 87
The Emmy-nominated stage and screen actor appeared in the TV shows “Frasier” and “Ozark,” on Broadway and in numerous movies, including “Scarface” and “Ghostbusters II.”

Former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis dead at 52
Lewis was a fixture on MTV’s programming in the 1990s and also had her own talk show. She shared her cancer journey with CNN last year.

Thieves break into Macklemore’s home
Seattle police are investigating the incident at the rapper's house. A nanny was attacked during the burglary but three children in the house were reportedly unharmed.

Surprise! That’s some unique DNA.
Scientists studying 6,000-year-old skeletons found in the Eastern Colombian Andes made an interesting discovery: The subjects belonged to a previously unknown population.

‘I’m missing you like mad’
A love letter written by John Lennon to his first wife will be up for auction next month. The four-page missive is expected to fetch more than $50,000.

$7 million

That’s at least how much the Department of Education is paying per month to employees who were forced to go on leave.

“We want peace for Ukraine. Despite weeks of diplomatic attempts, despite (Ukraine’s) President (Volodymyr) Zelensky’s offer of an unconditional ceasefire, Russia continues to bring death and destruction to Ukraine. Russia’s goal is not peace, it is to impose the rule of might.”

— European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after the European Union announced a new package of sanctions against Russia.

‘There’s a cost to grace’
“Lights Out: Nat ‘King’ Cole,” a new play starring Dulé Hill ("The West Wing," "The Wonder Years"), explores the trials and triumphs of the late crooner.

5 Things AM is edited by CNN's Andrew Torgan and Lauren Chadwick.

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