NYC Midday News: Columbia Protests, Lawsuit, and Allergy Season

Columbia University Protests and Arrests

• 🇺🇸 U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that federal officials are reviewing the visa status of individuals arrested during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University.
• 🏛️ New York City police reported that 80 people were taken into custody after protesters occupied a reading room in the university's main library.
• 💔 Columbia's acting president, Claire Shippen, expressed heartbreak and outrage, noting that campus public safety officers were injured and that the protest occurred as students were preparing for finals.

Lawsuit Over Protest Incident

• ⚖️ A woman named Marielle and Novak is suing New York City after being struck by an SUV following a protest.
• 🚶‍♀️ Novak, who was acting as a safety marshal, claims she and another marshal were arrested without cause by NYPD officers while crossing the street in a crosswalk after the demonstration.
• ⏳ She was taken to a local hospital while handcuffed and then to police precincts, eventually being released 13 hours later without charges, and is seeking unspecified damages for false arrest.

New York City Allergy Season

• 🤧 New York City has only one individual, Dr. Guy Robinson, responsible for tracking pollen levels, despite a large population suffering from allergies.
• 🔬 Dr. Robinson, who volunteers his time, uses a Burkart sampler to collect pollen on tape, which is then prepared into microscope slides for counting and identification.
• 🌳 The primary allergens in New York City are from trees such as oak, birch, ash, and sycamore, which produce catkins that fall in large numbers.
• 📈 While pollen levels are generally increasing across North America over the last two decades, New York City and a few other locations are not yet showing significant increases or extended seasons, the reason for which is unclear.
• 🌦️ Currently, pollen levels are declining due to rain, but a peak is expected towards the end of May.