What’s gone on since our last Bwoglines: aliens, school reopenings, vaccines… you know, the works.

Happening in the world: Four police officers in France have been put under criminal investigation following their beating of a Black music producer, Michel Zecler, in Paris. The attack was captured on video and has outraged the nation, especially as the recording emerged concurrently with the announcement of a new security bill that would seek to restrict the filming of police officers on duty. The officers are being charged with “intentional violence”, and two are being kept in custody as the investigation proceeds. (BBC)

Happening in the US: Remember that weird metal monolith that showed up in a random, remote part of Utah? It’s gone now, Utah officials said, and they weren’t the ones to remove it. The structure’s disappearance adds another layer of mystery to the piece, which officials believe is an (illegal) art installation… and definitely not aliens. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: In another plot twist, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that NYC public schools, which closed earlier this month due to rising COVID cases, will begin to reopen starting Monday, December 7th. The reopening will focus on elementary-age kids and comes after critiques of the city’s priorities in keeping indoor dining during the rise in cases while sending kids back home to learn remotely. (Gothamist)

Happening in our community: Tomorrow from 2:15 pm to 3:30 pm, the Maison Française is hosting the pan-African author Véronique Tadjo to discuss her novel, En compagnie des hommes, about the 2014-2016 Ebola crisis of West Africa. In keeping with her book, the talk will explore “how we cope with a global crisis and how we can combat fear and prejudice.” Register and learn more here.

Happening in my mind vaccine news: You thought the Monday vaccine news was over, didn’t you? It’s not! Today, Moderna filed for emergency use authorization in both the US and the EU for its vaccine, which trial data shows to be 94.1% effective. If approved by regulators, vaccination could begin for priority groups, such as healthcare workers, in mid-December. (BBC & NYT)

Image of a different, still-on-Earth monolith via Pxhere