No, not Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga: Eclipse, but something almost as cool.

Content Warning: Mention of sexual assault

Happening in the World: The world still hasn’t heard from Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai. It’s been 14 days since Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli, China’s former vice-premier, of sexual assault. She first shared the allegations in a social media post. The post was immediately removed, along with hundreds of other posts on her highly followed account. As former world No. 1 in doubles and world No. 14 in singles, Shaui is a valued member of the tennis community, and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has demanded proof that she is alive and well. The Chinese Tennis Association has responded, claiming that Shuai is safely in Beijing. Media analysts, however, suspect foul play (BBC).

Happening in the US: Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris was given presidential power while President Biden had a colonoscopy. Similarly, President Bush transferred his presidential powers to former Vice President Dick Cheney when having his own colonoscopies. Harris is the first woman to receive presidential powers, even if she only had them for 85 minutes. President Biden’s physician reported that the procedure was a success and that the President is healthy and able to perform his duties (BBC).

Happening in NYC: Everyone knows Stephenie Meyer’s “Eclipse,” but there’s also the fascinating lunar eclipse that appeared yesterday morning. This ‘beaver eclipse’ was red and brown in color because of its near complete coverage by the earth’s shadow. It was also the longest partial eclipse to have occurred in nearly 600 years! For those who didn’t wait up till 4 am to see it, there are plenty of photos and videos of the scientific phenomenon that lasted roughly an hour (Gothamist).

Happening in Our Community: Need a study break and a fun event to celebrate the weekend? Bryant Park’s ice skating rink is open daily, from 8 am to around 10 pm. The best part? There’s free admission. You can either bring your own skates or rent them there. Just be sure to reserve your tickets, found here, in advance. The holidays are upon us, people!

eclipse via wikimedia commons