Currently closing my eyes and imagining a beautiful world where all student loans are canceled. Editor’s note: mentions of death.

Happening in the World: Truong My Lan, a Vietnamese property developer, was sentenced to the death penalty for taking $44 billion in loans from the Saigon Commercial Bank over 11 years. This has been one of the largest trials in Vietnam’s history; 2,700 people testified, and 200 lawyers were involved. The trial marks a rare verdict of sentencing a woman to death for a white-collar crime. Vietnam’s Communist Party Attorney General, Nguyen Phu Trong, leads the anti-corruption campaign that worked toward prosecuting Truong My Lan. (BBC)

Happening in the US: On Friday, President Biden canceled $7.4 billion in student loan debt adding up to a total of $153 billion of debt forgiveness for 4.3 million borrowers. Biden hopes that his sweeping student loan forgiveness plans will gain support from young voters across the US. Despite Republican pushback and legal challenges, President Biden said that he is planning a large-scale debt forgiveness policy that would affect over 30 million people based on the Higher Education Act. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: Cases of leptospirosis are on an upward trend throughout NYC; so far, six cases have already been reported this year. Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria in the urine of infected animals—which largely means rats in New York City. Local cases typically occur from direct exposure to rat urine, either occupationally or residentially. Those infected with leptospirosis can experience severe illnesses, such as meningitis, kidney failure, or liver damage if left untreated. (Gothamist)  

Happening in Our Community: From 6 pm to 9:30 pm, Liga Filipina is hosting their annual Spring semi-formal event, LASA: Taste of the Philippines. “Lasa” is a Tagalog word meaning taste, and Liga is sharing Filipino culture through amazing food during this event. For more information, see Columbia University Events. 

Girl with money via Bwarchives