New York’s hottest Bwogline has it all: news on Monday’s earthquakes, the Pence-Trump feud escalates, and rat fighting! Editor’s Note: Mentions of Death
Happening in the World: Death tolls continue to rise in Turkey and Syria after Monday’s devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake, now with more than 21,000 people dead. Efforts to search through the rubble for survivors and to provide resources to those found continue. Still, with more than four days since the first quake, the situation looks grim to rescuers racing against time and freezing temperatures. Moreover, despite several countries pledging donations and personnel, getting assistance to survivors is difficult due to logistical issues, opening the possibility of a secondary disaster. (BBC)
Happening in the US: Former Vice President Mike Pence has been subpoenaed by the council investigating efforts made by former President Donald Trump and allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election. This news comes after Pence floated the idea of launching a presidential bid against Trump in 2024, and rumors of their estrangement since the storming of the Capitol continue. It is unclear what information the council seeks or if Pence declined to testify voluntarily before the subpoena was issued. (AP)
Happening in NYC: At a hearing in the city’s administrative law court, New York Mayor Eric Adams recently blamed the rat infestation at his Brooklyn home on his neighbor, arguing that he should not be held responsible for the situation and, therefore, be free of the $1,200 fine. As the mayor has made himself a sworn enemy of New York rats, claiming that fighting rats are one of the significant issues that need solving to make NYC “livable,” his inability to keep rats off his property implies that the rats are, in fact, winning this war—an unsurprising fact to anyone who has encountered a New York rat. An administrative judge will give a ruling within 30 days. (Gothamist)
Happening in Our Community: Organized by the Computational Design Practices Program, the upcoming Future Present Symposium explores how computers can be used to push boundaries between technology, design, activism, and critical thinking. A conversation between Sam Lavigne and Farzin Lotfi-Jam will follow a discussion between Imani Jacqueline Brown and Elaine Gan today from 1 to 3 pm. Register online for the zoom details.
Image via Bwog Archives