Why yes, the koalas too are getting vaccinated.

Happening in the World: As a part of a clinical trial, 400 Australian koalas will be vaccinated against chlamydia in an effort that will play a significant role in the long-term survival of the species. Each koala will receive one dose of the vaccine and will be microchipped before being released into the wild. Notably, the most recent estimate of koala populations calculated that there were only around 330,000 koalas left in Australia. Since chlamydia often causes infertility in koalas, the hope is that this vaccine will improve the survival of the species by increasing its rates of reproduction (CNN).

Happening in the US: On Monday, Microsoft revealed that it had warned Bill Gates to stop sending flirtation emails to a midlevel female employee—but had eventually, dropped the matter after he agreed to stop. The Wall Street Journal’s report on a meeting between Gates and some Microsoft executives regarding these inappropriate email exchanges stated that Gates didn’t deny the exchanges and that the other executives refused to take further action due to the lack of physical interaction between Gates and the employee. These disclosures contribute to an ongoing conversation about the effectiveness of Microsoft’s workplace harassment and gender discrimination policies (AP News).

Happening in NYC: The Public Art Fund brought in a life-size sculpture of photographer Diane Arbus to Central Park’s Doris C. Freedman Plaza this week. Created by artist Gillian Wearing, Arbus’ statue depicts her with her finger on the shutter button of her twin lens camera. Notably, the statue is only the second statue depicting real women in Central Park, after last year’s unveiling of the statue of Women’s Rights Pioneers. The statue will be on display in Central Park until at least August 14, 2022 (Gothamist).

Happening in Our Community: Today at 4 pm, the Harriman Institute is hosting a book talk in conversation with Emil Draitser, the author of In the Jaws of the Crocodile: A Soviet Memoir. The event is a part of the Institute’s Contemporary Culture Series and will be held online. You can find more information about registering for the event here.

Generic Vaccine Image via Bwarchives