Elon Musk’s ‘Starship’ preparing to launch, exciting sports news, and more in this edition of Bwoglines.

Happening in the World: Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza has been sentenced to 25 years in jail on charges related to his criticism of the war in Ukraine. He was found guilty of treason, spreading “false” information about the Russian army, and affiliation with an “undesirable organization.” Kara-Murza, who has denied all charges, is the latest in a series of Putin opponents to face arrest or forced exile from Russia. The tough sentence reflects the authorities’ determination to silence critics and neutralize perceived threats to the political system. The verdict has been widely condemned by international governments and human rights organizations. Kara-Murza, a former journalist and politician, has been involved in advocating for sanctions against human rights abusers in Russia and has survived two alleged poisonings. His case was primarily built off a speech he made in the US last year where he said Russia was committing war crimes in Ukraine with the bombing of maternity hospitals and schools. (BBC)

Happening in the US: Elon Musk and SpaceX are preparing to launch Starship, a massive 394-ft reusable rocket, on a test flight that would launch from South Texas of the Gulf Coast and ultimately splashdown near Hawaii. Starship is an upgraded version of Falcon 9, which is currently the most frequently launched rocket in the world. If Starship succeeds it will revolutionize SpaceX and space travel by significantly lowering the cost. The originally planned test flight for early Monday morning has been postponed due to an issue with the valve in the booster’s pressurization system. Elon Musk has stated that the company will attempt to reschedule the launch in a few days, giving them more time to prepare for this historic event. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: For the first time in over 30 years all five men’s basketball and hockey teams from New York City, including the Knicks, Nets, Devils, Rangers, and Islanders, are simultaneously in the playoffs. The last time this happened was in 1994 when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup in hockey and the Knicks lost in the NBA Finals. This has generated excitement among sports fans in the city, with fans from Long Island to New Jersey having a reason to watch the playoffs. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: On Tuesday, April 18 from 12:10 pm to 1:10 pm join Columbia Human Rights Institute in Jerome Greene Hall 107 for an event that will bring together both human rights and technology experts in order to examine ChatGPT from a human rights perspective. They will cover everything from the possible benefits to the risks and impacts associated with the platform. Registration is required and lunch will be served.

Rocket launching via Flickr