How many of you can say you survived being swallowed by a whale? Editor’s warning: mention of transphobia.

Happening in the World: Adrían Simancas was swallowed by a humpback whale while kayaking through the Strait of Magellan and survived. Simancas felt something hit him from behind, and, when he opened his eyes, he found himself within the whale’s mouth. While this was occurring, his father’s camera, tied to the back of his kayak, recorded the whole incident. Simancas feels this experience is not purely about his survival but that he was granted a “second chance” when the whale did not swallow him. This serves as a reminder to not kayak where whales usually swim! (BBC)

Happening in the US: During just the first few weeks in office, Donald Trump remakes both domestic and foreign policy. Within the last week, Trump has ended efforts to isolate Russia diplomatically three years after its invasion of Ukraine, begun large-scale layoffs across the government, dropped corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams, and proposed a global reworking tariff, which he calls “reciprocal tariffs.” Congress, under a Republican majority, is allowing Trump to continue his agenda with little to no pushback. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: Just a day after the Stonewall National Monument website removed the word “transgender” from its spot on the website, hundreds of people rallied at the Monument on Friday. The website cited the presidential order as the reason for the website changes. Transgender individuals played a central role in the Stonewall riots, such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, and there were displays honoring them at the rally as their legacy of advocacy continues. (NYT)

Happening in Our Community: On Monday, February 17, Dr. Thoai Ngo, the Chair of the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, will have a discussion with Dr. Brian Theide, an Associate Professor at The Pennsylvania State University, for the first session of PopTalks. The event is titled Population Health and Migration in a Changing Climate and will discuss the impacts of climate change. Specifically, the talk will discuss the links between climate exposures, child health, and human migration; how vulnerable populations are impacted by climate change; and opportunities for future research and interventions to mitigate future impacts. The event is happening from 11:45 am to 12:45 pm in the Hess Commons room in the Allan Rosenfield Building. You can fill out the required registration to attend here.

Header Image via Bwog Archives