The Yankees Playoff Run Begins Tonight, But It Also Might End Tonight
The Yankees have returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2012, but this year's run could be extremely short, as their season will end in just a few hours if they don't beat the Astros in Tuesday's win-or-go-home Wild Card game at Yankee Stadium. Baseball fans hungry for information about factors to watch for in the matchup should check out Sports Illustrated's detailed breakdown of the game, which analyzes pitching, hitting and everything in between for both teams. [Sports Illustrated]
CC Sabathia Shocks by Checking into Rehab Ahead of the Playoffs
If the Yankees do make it through to the American League Division Series to face the Kansas City Royals, they'll be down a crucial member of their pitching rotation. CC Sabathia shocked fans Monday when he announced that he is checking himself into rehab for alcohol abuse. In a statement released by the Yankees, Sabathia said, "It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player." [Deadspin]
The Race to Stop Mass Shooters
As America is forced once again to face another mass shooting, Mother Jones' timely cover story “Inside the Race To Stop The Next Mass Shooter” goes beyond the gun-control debate, and examines how law enforcement officials, and now more colleges and corporations, are trying to bolster ways to identify mass shooters before they strike. Some of the disturbing take-aways: officials continually identify young people who want to copy-cat the Columbine murders — leaving the reporter to question how the media should cover mass shootings in the future. [Mother Jones]
Welcome to the Hole, Gotti’s Body-Dumping Ground
The Hole, a run-down and isolated area between East New York and Howard Beach, on the Brooklyn-Queens border, resembles Louisiana rather than New York City, according to a Gothamist profile of the neighborhood.
Over the years, the Hole has become known as a body-dumping ground for the mafia.
The bodies of two suspected mafia members were discovered there in 2004, more than two decades after the body of Al Indelicato, a Bonanno crime family captain, was also found nearby. [Gothamist]
The Times Square of Your Dreams
Amid all of the controversy over the painted ladies and costume characters that swarm it, Adam Sternbergh took a step back and examined the history of Times Square in a long profile for New York Magazine. He argued that the few blocks that make up the area serve as shorthand for New York itself, writing, "Once, Times Square was a high temple of glamour, the glowing heart of a go-go metropolis. Then it, like the city around it, slid into seedy decline." [NY Magazine]
Fewer People Are Living in Extreme Poverty
The World Bank estimates that fewer than 10 percent of people worldwide live in extreme poverty — a decrease from 12.8 percent in 2012 — which is less than half the number of people living in extreme poverty in 2015 than there were in 1990, according to the Washington Post. The World Bank said that growth in developing countries and investment in education, health and social safety have had a big effect on global poverty rates. [Washington Post]
The Cartel Hip-Hop Scene in Queens, via Mexico
La Boom, a club in Woodside, caters to Mexican immigrants in love with “banda,” described in the article as “Mexico’s hip-hop.” A New York Times report paints a picture of the club, where popular banda acts play folk-ish sounding songs about the drug-dealing life of the famed cartels of Mexico’s Sinaloa state to audiences dressed up like cowboys who belt out lyrics about luxury cars and kingpins. “It’s our way of being gangsters,” said banda accessory seller Eugenio Herrera Jr. from his shop in East Harlem. [NYT]
A Closer Look at Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders has been doing his part all summer to make the Democratic presidential race interesting, even if the GOP has consistently stolen the show. And while the Vermont senator’s fight against inequality is nothing new, many Americans are hearing about him for the first time. In this New Yorker profile, Margaret Talbot looked at the populist socialism Sanders has expounded for decades and the conditions that may finally have allowed his message to find a toehold in national politics. [New Yorker]
It’s All About the Crowd on Dating Apps
New York Magazine’s sex columnist Maureen O’Connor has used more than a dozen dating apps on the market in the last two years, and here’s what she found: No matter what algorithm an app claims to have, it’s the people on it that matter the most. With all the apps out there, take it from O’Connor — the best people are found after the app’s been around for a while. [NY Magazine]
The Tyranny of McDonald's Breakfast Hours is Gone
McDonald’s customers can now order breakfast for dinner or come up with their own menu mashups. The fast food chain has launched its all-day breakfast menu, meaning you can get all of the McMuffins and hash browns you want after 10:30 a.m.
The crowd-pleasing move — which is part of McDonald’s efforts to boost sales in the U.S. — does have a caveat: not all its breakfast items will available all day and the menu varies by location. [TIME]
Malia Obama Tries to Choose a College
Malia Obama's college tour has included six Ivies, Stanford, New York University and Tufts all stops along the way. But unlike most seniors, Malia’s tours are led by the elite. Guides have included the sons of prominent jurists and the daughter of a former deputy secretary of state. And in case you're wondering, her SAT score and current grades are unknown. [NYT]
Selfie Sorority Uses Spotlight for a Good Cause
After baseball announcers made fun of a group of Chi Omega sorority members caught on camera taking selfies at an Arizona Diamondbacks game last week, the girls decided to use their viral fame to do some good. They turned down a gesture of apology from the Diamondbacks that included free tickets to another game, asking the team to instead donate the seats to a local domestic violence nonprofit. They also asked the public to donate to the organization.
"If everyone who viewed this statement took the time to make a donation in recognition of domestic violence awareness, which is Alpha Chi Omega’s national philanthropy, we would be so grateful,” the sorority wrote on their Facebook page, according to Jezebel.
And who said millennials were selfish?
This column was complied by DNAinfo staff members Julia Bottles, Serena Dai, Jeanmarie Evelly, Noah Hurowitz, Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, Irene Plagianos, Eddie Small, Rachel Holliday Smith and Shaye Weaver.
