Prince Is Dead
The iconic singer, songwriter and performer died at his Minnesota home Thursday at 57, according to TMZ. Prince's publicist confirmed his death to the Associated Press. It has been reported that Prince Rogers Nelson had been suffering from the flu for several weeks and was hospitalized last week. Prince has been performing in cities throughout the country and recently announced he would be releasing a memoir next year. In 2016 so far we also lost legendary singers Merle Haggard and David Bowie this year. [TMZ]
BREAKING: Publicist: Pop music superstar Prince has died at his home in suburban Minneapolis.
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 21, 2016
Three Michigan Officials Criminally Charged in Flint Toxic Water Crisis
As Michigan’s attorney general continues to investigate the bureaucratic debacle that led to Flint’s water-system being poisoned with lead, three state employees are now facing criminal charges. The attorney general said the investigation will likely bring more charges — and the state’s governor has not been ruled out. [Reuters]
Kelly Ripa Ditches Her Show After Announcement of Strahan’s Move
After news broke that Michael Strahan will be moving to ABC’s “Good Morning America” from “Live With Kelly and Michael,” Kelly Ripa didn’t show up to work Wednesday and is reportedly planning to sit out the rest of the week, at least. The Times reported through a source that she was “blindsided” by the news. [TMZ]
Hold on, Andrew Jackson Will Still Be on the $20
Awesome news that Harriet Tubman will be on the new $20 bill spread like wildfire on Wednesday, with the assumption that she will replace former president and slave-owner Andrew Jackson. Well, that’s not the case. Jackson will still be on the $20, just on the other side with an image of the White House … opposite of Tubman. That’s one heck of a juxtaposition. [Slate]
Donald Trump’s Jet Has Been Grounded by the FAA
Donald Trump’s personal Cessna has been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration after it emerged that the jet has been cruising around to campaign stops across the country without the required registration since February. [NYT]
The Bible Won’t Be Tennessee’s State Book After All
An effort to make the Bible Tennessee’s official state book appears to be at an end, as legislators in the state failed to override Gov. Bill Haslam’s veto of the bill on Wednesday. Haslam had criticized the bill for trivializing the Bible and violating the Constitution, and although Tennessee’s House of Representatives passed the measure by a vote of 55-38 last year, their attempt at an override went down by a vote of 43-50. [Tennessean]
$10 Million Nut Heist Sheds Light on Black Market
Criminals are more likely to steal food and beverages than electronics, according to law enforcement. Nuts are a go-to commodity for thieves, who’ve made off with 30 loads of nuts, worth $10 million, from California’s Central Valley in the past six months.
Why nuts? “They’re expensive. They have a long shelf life. They have no serial numbers and can’t be electronically tagged or traced,” reports Quartz’s Corinne Purtill. [Quartz]
TIME Magazine Releases List of 100 Most Influential People
TIME announced its selection for this year’s “100 Most Influential People,” honoring the world’s top pioneers, titans, artists, leaders and icons. The list allows editors to “step back and measure the forces that move us,” the publication said in a statement. The magazine is celebrating this year’s release with six different covers, featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, Leonardo Dicaprio, Nicki Minaj, Christine Lagarde and Priyanka Chopra. [TIME]
Under New Law, Nearly Everyone in Oregon Will be Registered to Vote
While voting in New York can sometimes be a hassle — just ask this Queens man about his five-hour ordeal to vote in Tuesday’s primary — the state of Oregon is making it virtually effortless. Under a bill signed into law this week, the state will now automatically register all eligible residents to vote when they apply for a driver’s license or ID card, with the choice to opt out after. “Instead of asking voters, ‘Do you want to register to vote?’ they ask voters, ‘Do you not want to vote?’” one pundit said of the new law. [LA Times]
A Look at the Humans Behind the Chatbots
Behind those virtual personal assistants and bots that can schedule your meetings or order take-out meals for you are real-life people ordering your food online or scanning emails. Bloomberg examines some companies where humans are “pretending to be robots pretending to be humans.” [Bloomberg]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Nikhita Venugopal, Shaye Weaver, Carolina Pichardo, Camille Bautista, Irene Plagianos, Jeanmarie Evelly, Noah Hurowitz, Rachel Holliday Smith, Emily Frost and Eddie Small.
