RIP Gina DePalma
Gina DePalma, the beloved pastry chef at Mario Batali’s Greenwich Village mainstay Babbo, passed away earlier this week, Eater reported, after a long battle with ovarian cancer. Batali tweeted that she was “the finest pastry chef I’ve ever known.” [Eater]
RIP to the finest pastry chef I've ever known. Gina DePalma was everything @BabboRistorante xxxxx Gina you are in our hearts FOREVER
— Mario Batali (@Mariobatali) December 30, 2015Spike in Rapes May Be Because More Victims are Comfortable Coming Forward
A 6 percent uptick in rapes reported this year may be explained by the fact that victims are more comfortable reporting the crime to law enforcement, WNYC reports. Of the 1,392 rapes reported this year in New York City, 21 percent happened before 2015. In 2011 just one percent of rapes reported came from an earlier year; that number has been steadily climbing since, according to WNYC.
The jump in victims reporting rape years after the fact may correspond with highly publicized instances of rape on college campuses and accusations against stars like Bill Cosby with media coverage encouraging others to come forward. [WNYC]
Mexican Marijuana Farmers See Profits Tumble as U.S. Loosens Laws
The price Mexican farmers are paid for pot has dropped from $100 to $30 per kilogram in the northern state of Sinaloa. Officials from both sides of the border attribute the drop in crime to the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana in the U.S. In New York, the state issued medical marijuana licenses to five companies who plan to open dispensaries in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx with some expected to open in January. [LA Times]
Americans Will Have Returned $260 Billion in Merchandise in 2015, Analysts Predict
We’re in an era of “return anything,” The Atlantic’s Bourree Lam reports. Shoppers are now more enticed by a generous return policy than lower prices when shopping online, data shows. For the whole year, analysts anticipate we’ll have made returns amounting to $260 billion. We’re in a buy now, think about whether we actually want or need it later moment, says Lam. [The Atlantic]
Watch Aretha Franklin Totally Slay, Carol King Lose Her Mind and President Obama Cry
At 73, Aretha Franklin can still bring down the house. The Queen of Soul sang, to perfection, one of her classics, “Natural Woman” at the 2015 Kennedy Center Honors, celebrating songwriter Carole King, in Washington, D.C earlier this week. Watching her sing — and play piano in a full-length fur coat — is incredible. The audience's reaction — including tears from the President and utter joy from King — is pretty great too. [Vulture]
A Look Back At President Obama’s 2015
Pete Souza, the official White House photographer, posted a gallery on Medium of powerful, intimate and amusing photos he took this year as he followed President Obama and his family. Photos include his somber address to those who lost their loved ones in mass shooting in Charleston to lighter shots like the president taking three-point shots on a basketball court at Georgia Tech and — an annual favorite — playing with babies. [Medium]
Reflecting On A Painful Year
This year might have been hard, but some years are harder than others. Writer Emma Carmichael explains in detail how she survived a devastating car crash and the burden of carrying visible signs of trauma. [The Awl]
New York Times Critic Has a Great Time at Señor Frog’s Time Square Location
New York Times food critic Pete Wells visited Señor Frog’s Time Square location to review the spot for the paper of record, and had a great time eating food off of skateboards and drinking Frogasms. The review of the location by Wells, known for his hilarious and eviscerating review of Guy Fieri’s Times Square restaurant, was filled with memorable lines including:
“I came to Señor Frog’s later than most of its customers. Founded in Mexico in 1969, the chain thrives in Caribbean beach towns and caters to college students on spring break who will fake orgasms on stage to win a margarita. I wasn’t one of them. My most memorable spring break was whiled away in my room reading 'The Sorrows of Young Werther' in German.
"This did not get me invited to many orgasm contests, but I was inclined to think the time with Goethe had been well spent until Señor Frog’s opened on 42nd Street last summer. For the first time, I wished I had some memories of the chain.” [NYT]
RIP Specials Drummer John Bradbury
Influential drummer for British band The Specials, which pioneered the “two-tone” ska sound the blended reggae, ska and punk, died earlier this week. He was 62. The band tweeted the news, calling him "the world's greatest drummer” and added in a statement "Brad's drumming was the powerhouse behind the Specials, and it was seen as a key part to the 2 Tone sound." Aside from The Specials — known for songs like “Ghost Town” and “A Message to You Rudy” — Bradbury played in the Special Beat and The Selector. [Rolling Stone]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Emily Frost, Gwynne Hogan, Noah Hurowitz, Irene Plagianos, Nicholas Rizzi, Gustavo Solis, Danielle Tcholakian and Shaye Weaver.
