New High for Gun Sales on Black Friday
In the throes of what seems like mass shooting after mass shooting, FBI background checks for gun sales reached a record high on Black Friday, the Associated Press reported. The FBI processed 185,345 background checks, about two per second, and five percent higher than last year. The record number of gun sales occurred on the same day as a shooting at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado that left three dead and wounded nine more. [AP]
Trump Retweets Post About Mass Shootings Helping His Poll Numbers
Donald Trump’s retweeting habits have gotten the best of him again — this time the presidential-wannabe retweeted a post on Thursday morning from a supporter who said “his poll numbers jump every time instances like [the San Bernadino shooting] occur.” [Washington Post]
Why 212 Will Always Beat 646
A look at the hierarchy of New York City area codes, and why having a 212 or a 917 at the start of your phone number grants you street cred that a 347 just can’t. In 2017, the city will get a new 332 area code — one that most longtime New Yorkers will try to avoid for fear of looking like a newbie transplant. [NY Post]
Pentagon Opens All Combat Roles to Women
After generations of limits, all roles — including grueling special operations units like Navy SEALS and Army Delta forces will now be available to women in the military. The positions across all armed services should be fully open by April. [AP]
A Drug for Heroin Addiction That Doesn’t Let Users Get High
An intensely personal and heartbreaking look at one man’s attempt to fight his heroin addiction with an underutilized drug that prevents users from getting high on heroin, even if they want to. [NY Magazine]
Carrie Fisher Is Amazing
Among the many great answers in this short interview with the real-life Princess Leia is her response to a dad in New Jersey who, according to the local Fox affiliate, was upset at having to answer questions from his kids about the Princess Leia doll that comes in a gold bikini. "Tell them that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn’t like it." Badass. [Wall Street Journal]
Jerry Seinfeld Announces Stand-up Residency at Beacon Theater
A couple of years ago Jerry Seinfeld bought a Hamptons mansion from Billy Joel. Now, the Brooklyn-born stand-up performer will also follow one of Joel’s career moves. Seinfeld, who announced that he would perform once a month at the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side, said he got the idea to do the residency from Joel after attending one of his concerts at Madison Square Garden. Tickets for “Jerry Seinfeld: The Homestand,” which is scheduled to start on Jan. 7, will range from $79 to $175. The comedian will do at least 6 shows. [NYT]
“United States of Pop 2015” has Arrived
Jordan Roseman, aka DJ Earworm, has released a mash-up of the year’s top 25 hits every year since 2007 but decided to do something a little different for his big release in 2015: a mash-up of 50 songs that defined the year, which he calls “50 Shades of Pop.” The track includes hits from pop luminaries like The Weeknd, Ellie Goulding, Taylor Swift and — of course — Adele. “It wouldn’t be a year in summary without her,” Roseman said. [Billboard]
Scientists Can Predict How Funny Words Are
Researchers have created a model that predicts the funniness of made up words. By testing 6,000 made up words on participants, the researchers discovered a pattern whereby using improbable letters added to a words’ humor. Throwing a ‘z’ into the word made it funnier as did any combination that served as a “violation of our expectations,” one of the lead researchers told Quartz. [Quartz]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Jeanmarie Evelly, Emiliy Frost, Gwynne Hogan, Noah Hurowitz, Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, Irene Plagianos, Eddie Small, Daneille Tcholakian and Shaye Weaver.
