It’s a rule that every Puerto Rican must display at least three flags in their home at all times.

Happening in the World: Raúl Castro, successor to his brother Fidel who took the presidency after the Cuban Revolution, has announced that he is stepping down from his position. Known for his opening of the country to a private commerce and US diplomatic relations, he has chosen Communist Party loyalist Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez as his successor to the presidency. (NYT)

Happening in the US: Puerto Rico finds itself entirely in the dark once again, after a main power line went down. The power authority is trying to restore power in the next day to day and a half, prioritizing power to hospitals. The continued blackout in the Puerto Rico, where 40,000 people still lacked power before this island-wide outage, is now the longest in US history, 7 months after Hurricane Maria made landfall. (BBC)

Happening in NYC: Not quite in New York City so to speak, but residents of a Parrish, Alabama are protesting a stranded car of human waste from NYC that’s been filling their town with an unbearable stench. Part of a larger trend in dumping waste in the Southern states, Alabama’s cheap land, flexible zoning, and a ban on ocean dumping in New York have lead to a shitty situation all around. (NBC).

Happening on Campus: Speaking of Puerto Rico, join the Center for Race and Ethnicity tomorrow for the opening of an art exhibit entitled “Puerto Rico Under Water.” It features the work of 5 Puerto Rican artists, reflecting on the effects of the debt crisis on the island while at the same time serving a site of “memory, humor, and hope as Puerto Ricans rebuild not only homes but a collective future.” It takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in Hamilton 420.

Word of the Day: ziyou, the Chinese word for freedom. It’s 2 weeks until finals and I’m pretty sure the light of freedom is at the end of the tunnel, y’all.

i’ll find my island via Wikimedia Commons