Happening in the World: Pope Francis continues to uphold his progressive image within the Catholic Church with his most recent announcement on Tuesday. The Pope acknowledged, for the first time, the sexual abuse endured by nuns at the hands of the church’s priests and bishops. While the process of prosecuting sexual offenders has begun, Francis […]

Happening in the World: A dam rupture in Brumadinho, Brazil left 84 dead and 276 missing earlier this week. Three Vale employees and two engineers were arrested on Tuesday for the collapse of the dam, which had been weighed down by waste and mud. The people arrested were involved with the initial construction and/or recent inspection […]

Happening in the World: Farmers in Edalpur, India locked cows in public schools to prevent them from destroying crops. Nearby villages followed suit, occupying schools with cows and sparking outrage amongst educators. While the issue seems nonsensical on the surface, Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes cows’ sacred status in Hinduism protects them under the law. (Washington […]

Bwoglines: Children are returning to school this week in Anchorage, Alaska following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit the city on November 3oth. Parents worry about aftershocks as their children return to school, especially considering much of the initial damage still needs repairing. State support for Anchorage schools has decreased in recent years, and the […]

Happening in the World: Israel Defense Forces announced it will begin destroying tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah under Israel’s northern border. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims the Lebanese militant group dug the tunnels “to attack and murder innocent Israeli men, women and children” (Washington Post). He also stated the digging of the tunnels was funded by Iran. […]

Happening in the World: Maj Gen Alenka Ermenc was appointed to head of the armed forces in Slovenia. Maj Ermenec has served in the army since 1991, holding roles such as army commander and deputy chief of staff. Slovenia is the first Nato state to have a woman serve as head of the army (BBC). Happening […]

Happening in the World: Amazon announced it will be building HQ2 in Long Island City, New York and Arlington, Virginia. Amazon’s arrival will transform the neighborhood in Queens, taking up 4-8 million square feet of office space and bringing in at least 25,000 new employees (CNN). Happening in the U.S.: The death toll in the Northern […]

Happening in the World: A New Zealand fisherman saved a drowning toddler after mistaking him for a porcelain doll floating in the ocean. The young boy had wandered away from his parent’s campsite while they were sleeping (The Guardian). Happening in the U.S.: The Democrats took back the House of Representatives, gaining at least 26 seats. Republicans retain […]

Happening in the World: China now has the world’s largest sea-bridge, stretching 34 miles across the Pearl River Delta, connecting Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai. In total, the project cost about $20.7 billion and took 9 years to construct (NY Times). Happening in the U.S.: The leaders of three San Francisco Bay Area dioceses were […]

Happening in the World: Canada is officially the second country in the world to legalize possession and recreational use of marijuana. The first country to do so was Uruguay, which legalized the cultivation of weed in 2014 and the sale in 2017 British Columbia will open up its first legal store this coming week (BBC News). Happening […]

Happening in the World: The Xinjiang region in China has legalized internment camps for Muslim Uighurs. Detainees are forced to renounce their faith and pronounce their loyalty to President Xi Jinping. Happening in the U.S.: On her way out of office, Nikki Haley claims international respect for the United States has grown, despite a Pew Research […]

The Milstein Center will be holding its ribbon cutting ceremony today at 2:30pm. After the ceremony, there will be tours and demonstrations throughout the building until 5:30pm. Stop by to see all of the exciting new resources for Barnard and Columbia students! You can read more about the event here.   Photo via Barnard

Happening in the World: Rédoine Faïd has been recaptured after escaping from jail through a hijacked helicopter in July. The French gangster was detained north of Paris, and officials worry he will escape again. Happening in the U.S.: A Times investigation revealed that Trump received about $413 million from his father’s business, discrediting his claim of […]

Happening in the World: Trump delivered a speech to the United Nations on Tuesday filled with inaccuracies, including him signing the “biggest tax cut in American history” (NY Times). Happening in the US: Bill Cosby was sentenced to 3-10 years in a Pennsylvania prison for sexually assaulting and drugging Andrea Constand in 2004. Bill Cosby did not […]

Happening in the World: Christine Blasey Ford, Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser, reported she would not testify in a public hearing unless the FBI first investigates her allegations. The GOP will most likely continue to move forward with Kavanaugh’s confirmation, claiming Ford had the chance to testify and failed to do so (CNN). Happening in the US: […]