I’m rooting for 32 Chunk. Editor’s Warning: Racism

Happening in the World: According to a ruling from the European Union’s top court, Gender Identity changes must now be recognized across all E.U. borders. This decision comes after a transgender man, Arian Mirzarafie-Ahi, challenged the Romanian government for refusing to change his gender identity on official documents, such as his birth certificate, despite already having legally changed his gender identity in Britain. Now, Romania must recognize the changes Mirzarafie-Ahi made in Britain, including his name and gender, a standard that will now apply for all countries in the E.U. (NYT)

Happening in the US: It’s “Fat Bear Week,” an annual contest celebrating the brown bear feeding season where participants are asked to find the fattest bear in Katmai National Park. The park even provides a live webcam for the event, allowing millions of virtual visitors to watch the bears and cast their votes, ultimately finding the winner through a March-Madness-style bracket. Katmai is home to more than 2,200 brown bears, one of the largest populations in the world. The winner will be decided on October 8th, also known as “Fat Bear Tuesday.” (NYT)

Happening in NYC: Photos of New York Congressman Mike Lawler wearing blackface have resurfaced. The photos, dated to 2006, show Lawler wearing a Michael Jackson Halloween costume at a college party in which his face is notably darkened. The Congressman acknowledged the images, claiming the costume was “a genuine homage to my musical hero,” and that the “ugly practice of blackface” was not his intention. He apologized, adding that, “for anyone who takes offense to the photo, I am sorry […] all you can do is live and learn.” Representative Lawler is up for reelection in district NY-17 this November, and is currently neck-and-neck with Mondaire Jones, a Black former congressman. (NYT)

Happening in Our Community: Six-time Emmy winner Hank Azaria will be at The Forum on 125th for an event about Social Neuroscience and how the brain functions in social contexts. Azaria, who is the voice actor for Moe the Bartender in The Simpsons, will discuss why humans are so social (as both himself and Moe) alongside Columbia Psychology professor Dr. Kevin Ochsner. The conversation will be recorded for Sing For Science, a podcast, and open to any guests on a first-come, first-served basis. (Columbia University Events)

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