Motorcycle rallies and casinos and shopping malls, oh my!

Happening in the World: Greece’s largest migrant camp, Moira, which hosts nearly 13,000 people on the island of Lesbos, has been destroyed in what the German foreign minister calls a “humanitarian crisis.” The cause of the fire is unknown, with some officials pointing to wildfires burning elsewhere on Lesbos and others arguing the blaze was caused by arsonists looking to take advantage of the overcrowded camp. Most of the fires were extinguished Wednesday morning (BBC).

Happening in the US: A motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota that took place from August 7-16 is widely considered to have caused over 250,000 coronavirus cases across at least 10 states. Social distancing and mask-wearing practices were not in place at the rally (US News).

Happening in NYC: Casinos will reopen across New York state today at 25% capacity, and shopping malls will reopen in New York City at 50% capacity. Indoor dining at restaurants is still suspended due to COVID-19 restrictions (NBC NY).

Happening on Campus: Another day, another reminder to get tested! You can find more information about how to get tested for COVID-19 for free here.

Happening Online: Columbia is hosting a virtual event from 12:00-1:00 PM titled: “Redefining the Local News Crisis: Deconstructing the News Desert.” There will be a discussion with four panelists regarding the use of ecological concepts to explain the rapid evolution of journalism spurred by the novel coronavirus pandemic. You can register for the event here.

Book Recommendation: The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle. I am deconstructing the matrix one Bwoglines at a time.

Photo via Pixabay