Another week of long-overdue social progress being made.

Happening in the World: The World Health Organization greenlighted the world’s first Malaria vaccine on Wednesday afternoon. Although Malaria is rare in the developed world—with just about 2,000 cases in the US per year—the disease continues to run rampant in sub-Saharan Africa and kills hundreds of thousands of people per year. Although the vaccine is new, the WHO is confident that it will save tens of thousands of lives every year, especially those of children (NYT).

Happening in the US: The U.S. Senate voted to confirm the lifetime appointment of Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen Lauren J. King for the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington. King will be the first Native American federal judge in Washington State history. King’s nomination was supported by over 15 local and national organizations fighting for indigenous rights and supporting Native American politicians (News Tribune).

Happening in NYC: When the pandemic hit last year, dozens of Brooklyn residents went on strike: refusing to pay rent until their long-neglected buildings are repaired. About half of one building’s residents in a gentrified region in Crown Heights are still refusing to pay. The NYC rent strike is just one way the pandemic has inspired mass amounts of human rights activism (NYT).

Happening in the Columbia Community: Take a moment and imagine the following scenario. You’ve just completed your senior thesis and are about to graduate college. What do you do with the research and non-fiction writing skills you’ve learned? Attend CU’s “Nonfiction Publishing for Scholars” webinar today from 6 to 7:15 pm to find out! More information, including registration details, can be found here.

Image via Flickr