Starting off the year, ICE has made multiple attacks on Minneapolis residents. Out of the multiple people that have been killed by ICE, two of them were U.S citizens. On January 7th, Renée Nicole Macklin Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer. President Donald Trump made a statement saying the ICE officers who shot her made an act of self-defense, though people argue otherwise. Trump also stated that Good ran the ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, over with her car. This sparked major outrage in Minneapolis, leading to multiple protests.  Protests have been happening in other major cities in the U.S including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C and Seattle. The Department of Justice Civil Rights Division declined to conduct a constitutional investigation, leading to even more protests.  On January 24th, Alex Jeffrey Pretti was shot multiple times by an ICE agent. Agents thought he was holding a gun, but later it was shown that it was a cellphone. Pretti was also licensed to carry a gun. In less than five seconds, he was shot ten times. This shooting was also defended by the president. 

Written By: Jasmeet K. Sidhu

Source: Killing of Alex Pretti, Killing of Renée Good 

Valentine’s Day is celebrated every February 14 as a day for love, romance, and showing people you care with cards, candy, and flowers.

It goes way back to ancient Rome, where a mid-February festival called Lupercalia celebrated fertility and spring with some pretty wild pairing-up rituals. When Christianity spread, the church linked February 14th to Saint Valentine, a 3rd-century guy who was executed for secretly marrying young couples (the emperor thought single men made better soldiers). One popular story says he wrote a love note to his jailer’s daughter signed “From your Valentine” before he died.

In the Middle Ages, poets started connecting February to romance and birds finding mates. By the 1700s and 1800s in England and America, people began sending handmade love notes, and companies turned it into the big card-and-gift holiday we have now.

Today the main symbols are pretty straightforward. Hearts stand for love and feelings coming straight from your heart. An arrow through one means Cupid hit his target. Cupid is that little winged baby with a bow who makes people fall in love when he shoots them. Red roses mean passion and deep romance. Chocolate became huge because it’s sweet, luxurious, and people see it as romantic (plus it tastes amazing in those heart-shaped boxes). Cards started as personal notes and now we buy or make them to say “I love you” or “Be mine.”

People celebrate in all kinds of ways; fancy dates, small gifts for friends, or just treating yourself. It’s a nice excuse to spread some love, whether you’re with someone or a single pringle.

Written By: Astral Carbon

Sources: Themself

The (V) train used to run between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and 2nd Avenue in the Lower East Side from 2001 to 2010 during weekdays. During late nights when the (V) didn’t run, the (G) ran to and from Forest Hills-71st Avenue. The line was replaced by the (M) line in 2010 due to budget cuts.

The (M) used to be Brown. Running between Middle Village-Metropolitan Avenue and Broad St. With rush hour trips to Bay Parkway along the (D) line. The line was changed to Orange and rerouted to serve Northern Queens.

The (W) was discontinued in 2010 due to budget cuts. During this time, the (Q) ran service to and from Astoria-Ditmars Blvd. The (W) was later resurrected in 2016 in favor of the Second Avenue Subway.

Speaking of the Second Avenue Subway, did you know the (T) line is expected to be a part of the Second Avenue Subway in the near future? The construction of which has been delayed significantly, he (T) will run under 2nd Avenue between 125th Street and Hanover Square.

The (9) used to run as a skip-stop variant of the (1) train, similar to how the (Z) runs as a skip-stop variant of the (J). It was discontinued in 2010 due to budget cuts.

The (K) ran in the 1980s running between 168th Street and World Trade Center. However, it was discontinued in 1988 due to the irrelevance of the route with the (A)(C)(E) service.

The subway used to run Double Letters which was retired in the 1960s, for example:

- (L) used to be called the “(LL)”

- (QB) ran as a “Q via Bridge” and (QT) as “Q via Tunnel”

- (EE) ran between Forest Hills and Whitehall Street

- Shuttle lines used to be designated as “(SS)”

Written By: Mieszko Pekala

Sources: NYC Subway