Soccer, baseball, and a texting incident. The drama!

Happening in the World: Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter and former UEFA Michel Platini won their second trial verdict today against Swiss federal prosecutors in what has been a 10-year case based on charges of fraud, forgery, and mismanagement of over 2 million dollars from FIFA. As president of FIFA in 2011, Blatter approved the payment of 2 million Swiss francs from FIFA to Platini for supplementary and non-contracted salary in his role as presidential advisor. Both have claimed that they had a verbal “gentleman’s agreement” to one day settle Platini’s presidential advisor salary that FIFA could not afford to pay him by paying Platini one million Swiss francs for each year he wasn’t paid, which he began to ask for in 2010. In September 2015, Swiss police interrogated Blatter and Platini, resulting in Platini’s suspension from FIFA’s presidential election in which he was a favorite. Additionally, Platini and Blatter both haven’t worked in soccer since they were both banned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2016. After two acquittals, the prosecutors’ office stated it would decide how to further proceed. (AP)

Happening in the US: A journalist from The Atlantic was accidentally added to a group chat on the messaging app Signal, on which President Donald Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and other members of Trump’s cabinet were texting war plans. These plans included a US attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen, which started only two hours later. President Trump claims that he was unaware of the breach, and Hegseth denies that any war plans were being texted. A spokesperson from the White House verified the Signal text chain as genuine. (NYT)

Happening in NYC: For the Yankees’ Opening Day game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Yankees Clipper trains return. The Clipper trains are game day only, running on the Metro North Harlem and New Haven lines to the Yankees East 153rd Street station. Additionally, the New York Transit Museum offers Opening Day train rides on a 1917 IRT Lo-V and the Train of Many Colors, departing from the 4 train platforms at Grand Central and going straight to Yankee Stadium. These rides are one-way only and are the same price as the regular subway. Regular New York transit options will have expanded service as well. The game is scheduled to start at 3:05 pm. (Gothamist)

Happening in Our Community: The Global Studies librarians will be offering a 90-minute online event that will introduce international news sources available for research at Columbia University. It will focus on news sources from Africa, The Middle East, East and South Asia, Europe and Russia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The news sources discussed will be both current and historical and available in multiple languages. The event will take place from 12 to 1:30 pm. Register here.

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