After an over 328-day hiatus, will the snow finally make a comeback?

Happening in the World: China is desperate for a baby boom after its population shrank for the first time since the 1960s. China is trying to incentivize its citizens to have as many children as they want, even if they are unmarried, which is something unusual considering the iron grip China has had on the reproductive rights of its citizens. They are also trying to encourage college students to donate sperm in order to help spur population growth, in addition to their plan to expand national insurance coverage for fertility treatments that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars. This has been received with a lot of skepticism and ridicule by young Chinese adults, many of which were born during the extreme one-child policy. They are fighting back primarily because China is one of the most expensive countries to raise a child in and their new incentives do little to address the financial aspect of having a child or manage the rising costs of healthcare, education, and housing. (NYT)

Happening in the US: As the US approaches a presidential election year, candidates are getting ready to announce their presidential bids, the latest coming from Marianne Williamson, who was one of the 25+ candidates that unsuccessfully ran in the Democratic primary back in 2020. Williamson is the first Democrat to enter the race.  In an email sent to supporters and posted on Facebook, she announced that she has plans to run in the 2024 election to “…help bring an aberrational chapter of our history to a close, and to help bring forth a new beginning”. She is expected to officially announce her campaign at an event in Washington D.C. at Union Station this Saturday where she plans to further discuss her intentions and what she hopes to accomplish. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: New York City might finally see some real snow. The National Weather Service is expecting anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of snow starting around 7 pm on Monday night and carrying into Tuesday Morning before being washed away by rain. We should be expecting a “much heavier and wetter snow”. The southern part of the city is expected to receive less than 2 inches of snow meanwhile Upper Manhattan and the Bronx are expected to see up to 5 inches of snow. This is exciting news for snow lovers, especially since the city has barely seen any snow this year. The first snowfall this winter, falling on February 1, the latest in history, amounted to less than half an inch in Central Park. Before that, the city had gone over 328 days without measurable snowfall–the second longest since the National Weather Service started keeping records in the 1860s. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: Join The Forum at Columbia University for a night of Latin jazz featuring the talented players of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Performance Program (LAJPP). Music Monday is a free and open-to-the-public concert series hosted by the Forum on Monday evenings once a month. This event will take place Monday, February 26 from 6 to 7 pm in the West Atrium of The Forum on 601 W. 125th Street. RSVP is encouraged but not required.

Header image via Flickr