Dozens of American military personnel are expected to withdraw from Chad in coming days, three senior U.S. officials said Thursday, amid a broader, involuntary reconfiguration of Washington’s security policy in a volatile part of Africa. wapo.st/3WhB4rI

Katherine Goforth will receive Washington National Opera’s inaugural award for transgender and nonbinary singers. wapo.st/3WfBUoB

Secretary of State Blinken was set to meet top Chinese leaders on Friday, including a visit to a basketball game and a conversation with Chinese college students, enabling the world’s biggest economies to manage their tense and interdependent relationship. wapo.st/3QjMyHs

The Supreme Court spent hours Thursday morning debating former president Donald Trump’s claim of immunity from prosecution for allegedly conspiring to undo the results of the 2020 election.

Here are some key takeaways: wapo.st/3UuwC7v

Analysis by Aaron Blake: The verdict is in Donald Trump's Manhattan case is important; how the trial plays might be more important.

Here’s what to watch for: wapo.st/3QH6Niv

Review by Ty Burr: Luca Guadagnino’s tennis-themed three-way, “Challengers,” is a masterstroke of court and spark. wapo.st/49RL91p

The latest protests began after police arrested pro-Palestine demonstrators contesting Israel’s actions in Gaza at Columbia University last week, leading students at several colleges across the United States put up their own tent encampments in solidarity. wapo.st/3JxTcG2

As word got out that pro-Palestine protesters opposing Israel’s actions in Gaza were planning to occupy a lawn on the University of Texas campus, Gov. Greg Abbott made a dramatic move: calling in more than 100 state troopers with orders to clear them out. wapo.st/3QozWyz

A small local business in Baltimore is the first private entity to file a lawsuit against the owner of the ship that crashed into the Key Bridge, a disaster that killed six people, destroyed a major roadway and crippled business in the Port of Baltimore. wapo.st/3UeZnDY

The Washington Commanders made official the rumored selection of LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft, the first major domino at a draft expected to be dominated by the top quarterbacks, wide receivers and offensive tackles. wapo.st/49ZfSK6

Analysis by Philip Bump: Views of the protests at Columbia — also the site of large protests during the Vietnam War — and on other campuses nationwide vary widely, often depending on opinions of Israel’s actions in Gaza, which triggered the demonstrations. wapo.st/3JAp3WG

Students at a growing number of U.S. colleges are gathering in protest encampments with a unified demand of their schools: Stop doing business with Israel — or any companies that support its ongoing “genocide” in Gaza. wapo.st/44eoKdv

With Palestinians facing starvation in Gaza, and little sign that Israel would heed U.S. pleas to allow more food into the besieged enclave, President Biden pledged to open a “maritime corridor” via the Mediterranean Sea using a temporary floating pier. wapo.st/3Ucs2cR

Breaking news: Chicago Bears select QB Caleb Williams first overall; Washington Commanders take QB Jayden Daniels. The first two players chosen were both former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks and more quarterbacks are expected to follow. wapo.st/44juAdW

Chiropractor works on giraffe, is nuzzled: “Giraffes are just giant dogs?”

Three quick videos of Joren Whitley adjusting Gerry the giraffe’s neck and jaw have been together viewed more than 48 million times on TikTok. wapo.st/3Weabog

Some of the biggest ships trapped behind the wreckage of Baltimore’s Key Bridge can finally escape, as a new, deeper temporary channel opened Thursday for carefully choreographed journeys in and out of the Port of Baltimore. wapo.st/4d8fEmR

Analysis by Philip Bump: The Supreme Court oral argument was a reflection of how a president can avoid accountability. wapo.st/3wblBPc

As the NBA playoffs ramp up, the spotlight on players’ performance will get even brighter — underscoring the importance of finding peace amid pressure. wapo.st/44dT9c4

Long before the Supreme Court’s messy involvement in the 2024 race (or the 2000 contest), Joseph P. Bradley was the decider in the contentious election of 1876. wapo.st/4aO4wKl

Opinion by Peter Maass: I’m Jewish, and I’ve covered wars. I know war crimes when I see them. Israel has no right to bomb and shoot civilians, block food aid, attack hospitals, and cut off water supplies in self-defense. wapo.st/3UvknHY