The murder hornet problem has maybe been solved! One down, hundreds of other problems to go.

Happening in the world: Protesters in Poland have disrupted Sunday Mass services as part of a series of demonstrations against the latest anti-abortion ruling by the country’s top court. The ruling further tightened the strictest abortion laws in Europe, declaring that abortion due to the deformation of the fetus is unconstitutional, a move that has effectively banned abortions in the country. The protests have continued for days following the ruling. The new foray into Catholic church services suggests that the protests are also angling at what they see as an excessive influence of the Church over Poland’s secular government and politics. (BBC)

Happening in the US: Over the weekend, officials in Washington State announced that they had located and removed a murder hornet nest, the first of its kind in the United States. The stakes were high to find and remove any potential nests after reports of murder hornet sightings in the United States first began earlier in the year. The invasive species is capable of decimating honeybee populations vital to local crop survival, and its venom is potentially lethal to humans. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: Early voting began in the city this Saturday, the first time early voting has been allowed for a presidential election in the city, an initiative spearheaded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On just the first day of voting, over 93,000 people cast ballots, with lines scaling blocks and wait times of several hours. The high turnout for early voting has already lead to some New Yorkers calling for a permanent establishment of early in-person voting in the city. (Gothamist)

Happening in our community: This Wednesday from 2 pm to 3:30 pm, the Institute for the Study of Human Rights and Climate Refugees are hosting a talk addressing the intersections of climate change and race, especially in light of the recent murder of George Floyd, the ensuing protests, and COVID-19. The talk will focus on a discussion between professors and university officials from Columbia, Howard University, NYU, and more. To register, click here.

Happening in my mind: Thank God fall break is next week!!

Photo of a nice Washington forest where murder hornets could theoretically have been found via Flickr