There is a lot going on right now. Editor’s Warning: mentions of death, violence and homophobia.

Happening in the World: In a landmark ruling, India’s top court is set to recognize same sex marriage. Since April, India’s Supreme Court has been hearing arguments from campaigners contesting the law in a historic case that is being broadcast live to the public and viewed by tens of thousands of people daily. The opposition to the activists is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). They argue that same-sex marriage is a “Western” concept without “any basis” in the Indian constitution. It told the court in a recent submission such unions were an “urban” and “elitist” concept, and therefore not welcome in the country. The court’s official ruling will be made soon. (CNN)

Happening in the US: After an intense two-day manhunt that had the state on edge, the Army reserve who opened fire in a bowling alley and subsequently at a pub in Lewiston, Maine, murdering eighteen people, was found dead on Friday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The body of mass killing suspect Robert Card was found at a recycling plant he formerly used to work at. The murders by Card mark the deadliest shootings in Maine history and spur conversation on gun laws and regulation in America. (AP News)

Happening in NYC: The MTA closed down Grand Central Station for two hours last night in an unprecedented move to pacify hundreds of protesters calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Protesters began flooding the station at 6 pm, during the evening rush hour : the demonstrators belong to the anti-zionist group Jewish Voice for Peace. The demonstration led to over 200 individuals being taken into custody. The protest was organized in response to a resolution passed by the House of Representatives Wednesday broadly reaffirming its support of Israel. Grand Central Station was later reopened to ticketed customers only shortly after 9 pm. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: Columbia law school is organizing an incredible art exhibit from 9 am to 12 pm today featuring the art works of Kenneth Reams. Kenneth Reams spent more than 25 years on death row. In order to share his experience and the story of mass incarceration in America, Mr. Reams resorted to painting while he and his legal team worked on a federal habeas petition to reverse his conviction. Mr. Reams’ painstaking drawings, paintings, and sculptures depict the grisly history of the death penalty in America using media that is restricted by prison regulations. To view the exhibit and learn more about the conference being held by system-impacted artists, register here.

Subway Picture via Bwarchives