Gen Z was raised on dystopian literature. This fact is coming to haunt its predecessors.

Happening in the World: On Thursday, the Thai government issued a decree banning large gatherings and restricting the media to curb protests. The ongoing Thai protest movement calls for government reform and the end of intimidation of critics to the government. Earlier in the week, the demonstrators raised the three-finger salute, a symbol of resistance from the Hunger Games trilogy, at a royal motorcade carrying the Thai queen. They proceeded to break through police lines and march to the prime minister’s residence (CNN).

Happening in the US: The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration to stop the 2020 census count on October 15, two weeks before it was scheduled to end. Since May, the Census Bureau has reported delays in counting for the 2020 census due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Trump administration argued that it needed more time to process data before the end-of-year legal deadline. Civil rights groups and local governments argued that minorities and others in hard-to-count communities will be missed with the new deadline (BBC).

Happening in NYC: The NYPD’s Chief of Patrol and highest-ranking Latino officer, Fausto Pichardo, abruptly retired from the department on Tuesday. Chief Pichardo has played a key role in confronting the challenges of unrest over police brutality, criticism of department practices, and COVID-19 restrictions. The reason behind Pichardo’s sudden resignation is unconfirmed (NY Times).

Happening in Our Community: Join Barnard Student Life and the Columbia Ballet Collaborative to watch one of the New York City Ballet’s digital Fall 2020 performances on October 16 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm EST. Sign up here.

Cover Song of the Week: “The Man Who Sold the World” by Nirvana

Thailand Protest Via Wikimedia Commons