DeRay Mckesson, Black Lives Matter Leader, is Running For Mayor of Baltimore
A prominent Black activist with a massive Twitter following, Mckesson will run as a democrat in the city that, he says, “made me the man that I am.” [Medium]
“I Am Running for Mayor of Baltimore” https://t.co/tYQ58AOXYp
— deray mckesson (@deray) February 4, 2016
Undocumented Immigrant to Receive Law License in New York
Cesar Vargas, 32, of Staten Island, became the first undocumented immigrant in the state to get his law license on Wednesday. Vargas, whose family came to the U.S. from Mexico illegally when he was 5, passed the bar exam in 2011, but was initially denied the right to practice because of his immigration status. He sued and last year a five-judge panel ruled he could be admitted to practice law in New York. [WABC]
Leaked Emails Expose Culture of Racism at Historically Jewish University of Chicago Frat
A centennial University Chicago fraternity has a deep-seated culture of racism, according to emails leaked to BuzzFeed News by a whistleblowing fraternity brother. In the emails from the fraternity’s list service dating between 2011 and 2015, Muslim students are called terrorists. Members joke about “dynamite and C-4” as being integral parts of Islamic culture. Others use sexist or racial slurs and goad members to eat fried chicken, watermelon and binge drink on “Marathon Luther King Day.” [BuzzFeed]
'Pharmabro' Martin Shkreli Couldn’t Keep a Straight Face at House Hearing
Embattled pharma CEO Martin Shkreli didn’t do anything to help his image during a panel of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Shkreli pleaded his Fifth Amendment rights and kept silent while lawmakers questioned him and smiled while being rebuked. One politician told Shkeli that “It’s not funny, Mr. Shkreli. People are dying and they’re getting sicker and sicker,” according to The New York Post.
Later he posted on Twitter, calling lawmakers “imbeciles.” [NY Post]
Hard to accept that these imbeciles represent the people in our government.
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) February 4, 2016
Fewer Women Are Using Birth Control Since Texas Defunded Planned Parenthood
A drop in birth control usage and a spike in pregnancies — as well as the cost the government has to pay — are some of the consequences of the decision in Texas to cut off support for their local Planned Parenthood affiliates, according to a new study. [NBC]
Transgender Girl Scout Stands Up to a Bully by Selling a Ton of Cookies
After a man told her that “no one wants to buy cookies from a boy in a dress,” a transgender Girl Scout in Illinois named Stormi proved him very wrong by selling more than 3,000 boxes of cookies to people as far afield as Australia. [BuzzFeed]
$63 Million from Unclaimed Lottery Ticket Might Go to California Public Schools
There’s a $63 million winning lottery ticket out there, but nobody’s claimed the money yet, hours from a deadline to cash in. The ticket was sold Aug. 8 in Chatsworth, Calif., a suburb north of Los Angeles, but there’s a six-month deadline for claiming the winnings. The money will go to the state’s schools if no one comes forward by 5 p.m. PST. [Mercury News]
Ranking All 49 Super Bowls
Slate writer Justin Peters has spent the past two months watching every Super Bowl in football history ahead of Sunday's game and has now ranked them from best to worst. He describes the list as “completely unscientific” and “totally foolish,” noting that he based them on “idiosyncratic and nonsensical criteria,” so you may disagree with some or most of the choices. But what’s the point of having rankings if you can’t argue about them? [Slate]
Playboy’s Newly Redesigned Issue Goes for the Snapchat Look
Playboy announced it was going more digital and less fleshy back in October, but the publisher confirmed there’s still a centerfold and naked women in the newly launched March issue, according to the New York Times. The shots, however, have been taken in “ways intended for strategic concealment.” The cover, which features model Sarah McDaniel clad in a white tank top and her arm poised for a selfie, dons the phrase “heyyy ;)” à la Snapchat, perfect for the millennial audience the magazine said it’s trying to reach. The centerfold shot goes a bit more traditional with model and great-granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, Dree Hemingway. [NYT]
Watch the Birth of This Tiny Baby Giraffe
A baby giraffe was born this week at the Greenville Zoo in South Carolina, and its birth was captured on video and streamed live to viewers. Watch the calf as it takes its first wobbly steps, as parents Autumn and Walter look on. You can also check in on the family’s progress with the zoo’s live EarthCam. [The Fresno Bee]
The Sad Truth About Seltzer
Turns out throwing back lots of seltzer may not be the best for your teeth. But, you know, it's still better than drinking a soda. [The Atlantic]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Jeanmarie Evelly, Emily Frost, Gwynne Hogan, Noah Hurowitz, Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, Carolina Pichardo, Irene Plagianos, Eddie Small, Danielle Tcholakian, Shaye Weaver and Nikhita Venugopal.
