Should you add self-driving cars to your list of things to look out for while crossing the street? NYC says yes. Editor’s Note: Violence and Death. 

Happening in the World: Seven left dead after car bomb hits market in Azaz, Syria. According to the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue group in Syria, two children were among the deceased. Azaz is run by pro-Turkish militias currently fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, however it is unknown who conducted the attack. At the time of the bombing, the market was packed with shoppers ahead of Eid al-Fitr. (BBC)

Happening in the US: Fertilizer spill in Iowa kills about 800,000 fish in a 60-mile stretch of rivers. A Missouri official who was monitoring the damage reported that banks of the Nishnabotna River were covered in fish carases, and that dead fish were visible in the river water. The devastation occurred on March 11, when a valve was left open over the weekend on a storage tank at an agricultural business in Red Oak, Iowa, allowing for 265,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer to spill into the river. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: New York City is now allowing companies to test autonomous vehicles on city streets. For each vehicle, a trained safety driver must be behind the wheel at all times. The Department of Transportation will also require companies to have frequent meetings, share data, and safety plans with Department of Transportation officials. Companies that apply must also work with the police and fire departments to figure out how their autonomous vehicles will interact with emergency vehicles. However, regardless of these initiatives, John Samuelsen, the international president of the Transport Workers Union, warns that allowing these vehicles in the city will be disastrous as pediatricians in New York are unlike any other and autonomous vehicles don’t have a great track record. In San Francisco, a city where autonomous vehicles are currently operating, vehicles are blocking law enforcement efforts as well as ambulance responses. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: On Monday, April 1, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm, Columbia will be hosting an online seminar event on the utilization of Germline and Somatic Testing in the Management of Hereditary Breast Cancer. This testing has played a crucial role in cancer treatment and prevention as hereditary breast cancer accounts for 5-10% of breast cancer, so the ability to identify it may lead to decreased risk. Look here for more information on the event. 

Image via Wikimedia Commons.