If I had unrestricted access to YouTube as a kid, I would have binge-watched “hey, it’s FRED” till the end of time.

Editor’s Warning: death threats

Happening in the World: New Zealand has reported its first COVID-19 case in months, in a 56-year-old woman who had recently traveled to Europe. The woman tested positive after completing New Zealand’s compulsory two-week isolation period and has continued to isolate since then. The case follows a period of praise for the country’s handling of the pandemic, with only 25 deaths since the pandemic’s start (BBC).

Happening in the United States: Garret Miller, the Texas man who posted death threats towards Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and a U.S. Capitol police officer, has been charged with five criminal charges by the Department of Justice. The threats included a tweet saying “assassinate @AOC” and an Instagram post stating Miller was going to “hug [the officer’s] neck with a nice rope” and that it was “huntin’ season.” Miller’s first court appearance is on Friday, and his arrest was on January 20. In response to his participation in the January 6 insurrection on the Capitol, Miller tweeted “we acted with honor” (USAToday).

Happening in NYC: Due to a loophole, NYC public school students have unrestricted access to YouTube. Parents Eric Steele and Tania Lewis made the discovery when their nine-year-old daughter was able to view videos like “Skinny Versus Pretty: Which is Better?”—content typically restricted by her parents. Their daughter was able to view said video due to how the New York City Department of Education’s setup forbids parents from restricting access to YouTube. DOE said that it’s “trying to standardize filter controls across the school system,” while YouTube’s parent company Google said that the responsibility falls on the individual school districts (Gothamist).  

Happening in our community: On Tuesday, January 26 Columbia Global Centers | Paris, the European Institute, and the Alliance Program continue their “Debating the Future of Europe” series with a debate on whether the region is truly democratic. The debate will begin at 1 pm EST. Click here to register.

Study tip of the week: If you’re feeling overwhelmed, order your tasks from most to least important, based on factors like deadlines and levels of difficulty. And yes—it’s okay if you only get to a few of them today.

Capitol via Bwog Archives