Companies choosing profit over biodiversity, what else is new? Editor’s note: mention of animal death

Happening in the World: Beef production from three of the world’s biggest meatpackers—JBS, Minerva, and Marfig—has been linked to illegal deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado, a savannah. The Cerrado hosts 5% of Earth’s species and buffers against climate change. Though the Cerrado sits next to the Amazon, it has not been afforded the same environmental awareness and subsequent protection. The savannah has suffered deforestation for decades, often to serve the needs of mining and agriculture. A new investigation from the human rights charity, Global Witness, has revealed that 42% of cattle farms based in the Cerrado had suffered deforestation, the majority illegal. (BBC)

Happening in the US: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case regarding the use of admissions criteria intended to diversify the student body at an elite public high school in Virginia, which clears the way for educational admissions focused on diversifying the population without the aspect of race to continue. The case was on a Virginia high school that changed its admissions standards from an entrance exam to prioritizing top-scoring students at public middle schools, and their experiences of learning English, their socioeconomic status, and came from a historically underrepresented school. A group of parents, many of whom were Asian American, formed a coalition to deem this unconstitutional, an opinion that ultimately the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit disagreed on. (New York Times)

Happening in NYC: The beloved New York City bald eagle Rover has been reported dead after being struck by a vehicle on the Henry Hudson Parkway. He was attempting to scavenge a small mammal. Rover was among the most well-known bald eagles in Manhattan and Brooklyn to many birders. Rover’s appearance around the city signifies positive developments in the population of bald eagles in the country. (The Gothamist)

Happening in the Our Community: The Forum presents “Buy Local, Feed Local” a new event series bringing local restauranteurs and small businesses to The Forum’s cafe space as part of a rotating pop-up schedule. The series will launch this February with local favorite Charles Pan-Fried Chicken. Select menu items will be available for purchase during lunchtime on Thursdays from February 8 through February 29, in The Forum’s east Atrium. For more information click here.

Image via Wikimedia Commons