Did someone say supporting small neighborhood businesses and getting a delicious meal in exchange?

Happening in the World: The prime minister of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, has announced that he is stepping down from his position, effective immediately. He was Ireland’s youngest prime minister when elected in 2017, but stated that he believed he was “not the best person for the job anymore” when resigning on Wednesday. Varadkar was the head of Ireland’s Green Party and, in his time as prime minister, made improvements in employment rate, the country’s economic standing, and human rights, including those of the LGBTQ community and women. (BBC)

Happening in the US: A judge in Fulton County, Georgia allowed former president Donald Trump’s defense attorneys to attempt to appeal the ruling of his case involving Fani T. Willis, a Georgian district attorney who led Trump’s original prosecution in this long standing case. The Georgia Court of Appeals will now need to decide whether Willis can still lead the case, the appeal stemming from a relationship she had previously with a lawyer she hired for the election fraud case. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: Pharmacies in the state of New York are now permitted to dispense birth control to unprescribed individuals. The birth control dispensed will cover up to one year of contraception and will include pills, patches, and vaginal rings. This was an initiative largely pushed by Gov. Kathy Hochul and other members of the state’s Legislature to ensure reproductive autonomy and healthcare across the state. (The Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: Who wants chicken? The Forum at Columbia University is continuing their “Buy Local, Feed Local” event series today from 11:00 am to 2 pm in The Forum’s east Atrium on 125th Street. This week, the featured vendor is Charles Pan-Fried Chicken. Items from the regular menu will be ready for purchase for the entirety of the event, and the profits from all purchases support the availability of free meals to members of the community struggling with food insecurity. This is a weekly event, so be sure to check out their Columbia events page for more details and dates.

Chicken via Bwarchives