It’s the start of a new week, but hopefully this three day weekend will give some life to us burnt out students.

Happening in the World: Scientists in the city of Otjiwarongo in Namibia have been successfully doing research with a goal of saving cheetahs from extinction. This lab created the first cheetah embryo that made it to the stage right before implementation using sperm and eggs that have been captured from cheetahs. Using their DNA samples has also allowed the scientists to realize that cheetahs only have four sub-species, rather than five, which shows the genetic diversity problem that threatens the species (CNN).

Happening in the US: Amidst the pandemic, many Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebrations and remembrances have gone virtual this year. Among those is “Gamechangers & Name Changers: A Virtual MLK Day Celebration” put on by Chicago’s Hyde Park Art Center. To access the Zoom meeting code and more information, click here.

Happening in NYC: Some Starbucks across Manhattan were closed on Sunday out of fear of protests related to President-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration this coming Wednesday. A spokesperson explained that the closures were out of an abundance of caution in case of protests preventing mass transit from running smoothly and allowing workers to go home (APNews).

Happening in our Community: Columbia is accepting applications for the COVID-19 emergency funding grant funded by the CARES act until Sunday, January 24th at 11:59 p.m. If a student is not eligible for the CARES act but receives financial aid, they may apply for a grant funded by other sources. To apply, click here.

Quote of the Week: Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

mlk via Wikimedia Commons