Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American ballerina, was released in a prisoner swap after being imprisoned in Russia for donating to a Ukraine aid charity. Editor’s note: mentions of death.

Happening in the World: Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American ballerina, was released after being imprisoned in Russia for over a year on treason charges. She was arrested in January 2024 while visiting family in Yekaterinburg, accused of donating $51.80 to a charity that sends Ukrainian aid on the day Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian authorities claimed the money helped fund the Ukrainian military. In August, she was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony after a closed trial where she reportedly admitted guilt. Her release was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who credited President Donald Trump for securing her freedom. (NBC)

Happening in the US: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the Trump administration must facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man wrongly deported to El Salvador. A Justice Department lawyer acknowledged that Garcia was deported due to an “administrative error,” but said it could not compel El Salvador to return Garcia. (BBC)

Happening in NYC: A helicopter crash in the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon killed six people, including a Spanish family of five and the pilot. The victims were Agustin Escobar, a Siemens executive from Barcelona, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their children aged 4, 5, and 11. The pilot, 36, also died. The Bell 206 helicopter, operated by New York Helicopters, took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport at 2:59 p.m. and crashed around 3:17 p.m. near the George Washington Bridge after a brief flight. Witnesses described the aircraft breaking apart mid-air, with loud noises, parts falling off, and the helicopter crashing inverted into the water. (ABC7)

Happening in our Community: FeiFei Zhou of the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation will be discussing her new book, Field Guide to the Patchy Anthropocene: The New Nature, Friday from 1-2 p.m. in room 400 of Avery Hall. The book explores how human activity has reshaped the planet—not uniformly, but through fragmented, localized “patches” where plants, animals, chemicals, and even viruses play key roles in transforming ecosystems. While the Anthropocene hasn’t been officially declared a geological epoch, the book argues that understanding its effects is more urgent than ever. Columbia affiliates can register here.