Monday Briefing | April 26 - Journal of Political Inquiry

Photo: At least 82 people are dead after a fire in a Baghdad hospital Saturday night. Credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56875804.

Stories to follow:

More than 80 people killed in Baghdad hospital fire. Oxygen tanks exploded in a hospital in Iraq’s capital city Saturday night, leaving at least 82 people dead and another 110 injured. Many of the patients were being treated for Covid-19, and the fire was contained to the hospital’s second floor. The events were captured on social media, where firefighters worked to battle the blaze while hospital staff rushed patients to emergency exits. An investigation is underway.

No need for a Covid-19 vaccination appointment in NYC. As of Friday, April 23, city-run vaccination clinics are walk-ins, meaning people no longer need to schedule an appointment before getting a shot. That means you can now receive a jab under the big blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History near Central Park. Mayor de Blasio says the decision to do away with appointments is to help simplify the process and allow all eligible New Yorkers the opportunity to get vaccinated from Covid-19.

Biden receives report card after first 100 days in office. A recent poll indicates that 52 percent of Americans believe President Biden has been off to a good start in the Oval Office, compared to 42 percent who say they disapprove. His rating after his first 100 days is only higher than Ford’s and Trump’s, with many people questioning how he handles immigration, particularly at the country’s southern border.

Happening this week:

NYU’s graduate student workers are going on strike as of Monday, April 26, after NYU and the student union failed to come to an agreement regarding workers’ contract renewal. This means TAs, adjuncts and many other students will not be reporting to work on Monday. If you’d like to donate to the grad students’ mutual aid fund, you can do so here.

In your free time:

Netflix is releasing new episodes of The Circle each week, with the finale scheduled to drop on May 5. The reality TV show pits contestants against each other as top social media influencers for a chance at a $100,000 cash prize. The second season began releasing episodes on April 14, and the third batch will be released on April 28.

This week’s Monday Briefing was brought to you by Emmy Freedman.