Happening in the World: Over thirty people have been injured and ten people, including a baby, have died in a Paris apartment fire early this morning. Around 250 firefighters have been working for over five hours to control the flames and help trapped tenants escape. The fire has been found to have started on the second floor and spread upwards. A female suspect has been detained for starting the fire after attempting to set a nearby car on fire after a fight with a neighbor. (BBC)
Happening in the US: The Coastal Conservation Association of Florida will be releasing more than 16,000 fish into the waters of southwest Florida in efforts to repopulate ecosystems affected by red tide. This repopulation paired with catch-and-release restrictions will hopefully help rebuild fisheries off the coast of the state. The red tide killed over 2,000 tons of marine wildlife off of Florida’s Gulf Coast last year. (CNN)
Happening in New York: The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the warden of Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center are being sued by New York City lawyers for keeping inmates in the prison without power and heat following an electrical fire for about a week. Inmates were kept in frigid temperatures during one of the coldest months in recent history. Activists congregated outside the jail during the power outage to show their disapproval of the inhumane conditions these people were forced to face. David Patton, the executive director of the Federal Defenders of New York, toured the facility during the week of limited power and shared inmates were kept in pitch blacks cells with water leakages at temperatures between 50 and 69 degrees. The power was turned back on this past Sunday evening. (NBC News)
Happening on Campus: Join the Italian Academy in their annual event academic event that addresses discrimination and crimes against humanity in observance of the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz last week. This year’s event addresses “Antisemitism, Hate Speech, and Social Media.” The event will take place at the Italian Academy (1161 Amsterdam Ave) from 5:30-7:30 PM.
red tide disaster via Flickr