Will France become the world’s next casualty to far-right ideologue worship? Read today’s Bwoglines to find out!

Happening in the World: With inflation and high gas prices wracking the country, socioeconomic status is emerging as the most crucial factor among French voters. In the first round of voting, areas with more poverty and lower levels of education leaned towards Marine Le Pen, while districts with higher standards of living largely supported Emmanuel Macron. A third candidate, leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, was popular with university-educated voters and immigrants, particularly in urban areas. The final run-off vote between Macron and Le Pen will occur on April 24. (Reuters)

Happening in the US: Gilbert Gottfried, comedian and actor who was best-known for his voice as well as his dark humor, has passed away at age 67. His family announced the news on Tuesday, noting that Gottfried passed “after a long illness” and would have wanted everyone to “keep laughing as loud as possible in [his] honor.” Gottfried’s most famous roles include playing Iago in Aladdin and the Aflac duck in numerous commercials. (CNN)

Happening in NYC: On Tuesday morning, a man in an orange construction vest committed a mass shooting on an N train in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. The man, who is yet to be found, detonated two smoke bombs before firing 33 shots at others in his subway car. The attack injured at least 23 people, but there have been no fatalities, and all of the critically injured are expected to survive. This episode may spell a further decline in major transit ridership, which is at around 57% of pre-pandemic levels on a given weekday. (NYT)

Happening in our Community: Are you planning on applying to a prestigious postgraduate fellowship program such as the Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, Knight-Hennessy, or Truman Scholarship? Join a panel of Columbia faculty and alumni who have received these selective awards today from 1 to 2:30 pm over Zoom. This event is sponsored by Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. You can find more details here.

Marine Le Pen via Wikimedia Commons