Doesn’t “Kremlin” sound like a Lord of The Rings character?

Happening in the World: The Biden administration has threatened to slap severe economic sanctions on Russia in an attempt to deter the nuclear-equipped super power from attacking Ukraine. However, experts and political officials fear that the Kremlin will retaliate by cutting off natural gas supplies to Europe, which could potentially send the U.S. and European economies into free fall. (NBC) 

Happening in the US: On Monday, the Supreme Court announced that it will review a challenge over whether affirmative action in college admissions is constitutional. The court will examine cases that allege that Harvard and the University of North Carolina discriminate against Asian American applicants via their admissions processes. The current makeup of the Court— which has become more conservative since the last time this issue was reviewed—signifies that the constitutionality of affirmative action is increasingly likely to be overturned. (AP)

Happening in NYC: In a press conference on Sunday, New York City mayor Bill DeBlasio announced that the city will substantially expand its COVID-19 testing and vaccination infrastructure to prepare for a significant surge of Omicron cases in the coming weeks. DeBlasio, who was joined by mayor-elect Eric Admas, also urged President Biden to speed up the approval of Pfizer’s antiviral pill and to allocate greater federal resources to NYC to combat COVID. (Gothamist) 

Happening in Our Community: Today at 1 pm, University Life will hold a First-Generation Roundtable in partnership with the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement. Members of Columbia faculty will discuss their experiences as the first in their families to attend college, and while the series was initially conceived for graduate students, all Columbia students are encouraged to come. Those interested can register for the event here. 

ukraine vs russia via Flickr