“The political system is in shambles” “Wow, very nice!”

Happening in the World: Kazakhstan’s tourism board has embraced the Sacha Baron Cohen satire “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.” The video campaign celebrates Kazakhstan’s cities, landscapes, food, and people and depicts actors exclaiming variations of Borat’s signature phrase, “Wow, very nice!” This a reverse from the government’s previous condemnation of the mockumentary and its promotion of Kazakh stereotypes (CNN).

Happening in the US: The chief executives of Facebook, Twitter, and Google were summoned before the Senate on Wednesday to answer questions concerning online censorship and misinformation. This hearing comes largely in response to allegations of anti-conservative bias in online spaces. The executives defended federal internet regulation law Section 230. Section 230 exempts platforms from legal liability for content generated by its users and was cited by the tech giants to be crucial for free expression online (NYT).

Happening in NYC: The New York City Board of Elections will increase hours for in-person early voting beginning Friday. This adjustment comes after citizens waited in long lines lasting for several hours to vote across the city. The NYC BOE is under scrutiny as New York State bars waiting times of more than 30 minutes for early voting sites. Executive Director Michael Ryan acknowledged that the city’s 88 polling sites were unprepared for the massive voter turnout (CBS New York).

Happening in Our Community: Barnard’s Well-Woman peer educator Denise is hosting a virtual crafting session on Oct 29th, at 5 pm EST. Celebrate your Halloweek by creating origami bats or working on your own craft project! Use this Zoom link to join!

Cover Song of the Week: The Tourists: ‘I Only Want to Be With You’ (originally by Dusty Springfield)

voting line in Brooklyn via Wikimedia Commons