As the saying goes: “in these unprecedented times…”

Happening in the World: Berlin police confirmed Wednesday that at least 70 artifacts from the capital’s museums were visibly damaged this month. The targeted museums include the Pergamon Museum, Alte Nationalgalerie, and Neues Museum, which belong to Berlin’s Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The artifacts, sprayed with a “mysterious oily liquid,” include Ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, stone sculptures, and 19th-century paintings (CNN). 

Happening in the US: The US Justice Department announced Wednesday that Purdue Pharma, the maker of the highly addictive drug OxyContin, has agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges as part of an $8 billion settlement. The US government alleged that Purdue aggressively promoted its opioids to healthcare providers, making the opioid highly available and resulting in overprescription and abuse (Washington Post).

Happening in NYC: Governor Cuomo has loosened some of NYC’s COVID-19 restrictions, allowing some non-essential businesses and schools in Queens to reopen. The governor’s office formally announced the new “micro-cluster” strategy metrics on Wednesday, which will aid the government in implementing restrictions policies. “Micro-clusters” are defined as outbreaks of new cases within a limited and definable geographic area. Restrictions will be based on geographic case prevalence and severity of spread and will be reviewed after 14 days to determine if the spread has been reduced (NY Times).

Happening in Our Community: Join Barnumbia’s first Latin dance troupe, Sabor, in a traditional Latinx dance workshop open to people of all levels of experience! The event will be held via Zoom on Friday, October 23 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm. You can find more information about the event here.

Cover Song of the Week: “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix (originally by Bob Dylan)

Alte Nationalgalerie via Wikimedia Commons