Prince Died from an Opiate Overdose
Health officials have confirmed that legendary singer Prince died of an accidental overdose of painkiller fentanyl. It's an opiod usually prescribed to cancer patients, but that has, like numerous prescription medications, fueled a drug addiction for many. News of the legendary singer’s tragic addiction to pain pills came out after his sudden death in April. [CNN]
Airbnb Kicks Off Racist Host Amid Mounting Pressure to Combat Racism On the Site
A racist North Carolina Airbnb user, who refused to rent his room out to a black woman and called her the N-word, was kicked off the site amid mounting pressure that the site respond to racism, Buzzfeed reports. The civil rights lawsuit was recently filed against the company by a renter who said that he was denied lodging using his own profile and accepted using a white avatar. Another black man had similar issues when trying to book on the site and wrote about his experiences on Medium. [BuzzFeed]
Former FIFA Officials Took More than $80 Million in Bribes and Bonuses
As if Sepp Blatter needed more press, the former FIFA president and other officials were found to have awarded themselves raises and World Cup bonuses of roughly $80 million over their last five years in office. [AP]
Where Welfare Money Goes
Slate and Marketplace have been taking a look at welfare in the United States to mark the 20-year anniversary of Bill Clinton’s welfare reform. Their latest entry examines how states actually spend the federal welfare dollars they get. The results show a surprisingly high amount going toward programs ranging from foster care to marriage initiatives and a relatively small amount going toward cash assistance for poor families — what many people think of when they hear the loaded term “welfare.” [Slate]
The New “X-Men” Poster Depicts Violence Against Women, Critics Say
Actress Rose McGowan and others are criticizing billboards and posters for “X-Men: Apocalypse” that shows Mystique, played by Jennifer Lawrence, being strangled by Oscar Isaac’s Apocalypse. “F*** this shit,” McGowan said on Facebook. [The Guardian]
A Greenwich Village Tour Guide Is Retracing His Photographer Father’s Footsteps
Timothy McDarrah’s dad used to drop him off to be babysat by Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick so he could go out and photograph the beat movement all over the Village. McDarrah now takes people on tours of the neighborhood to show them all the little-known spots his father would frequent. Check out Crain’s New York’s profile of the tour guide. [Crain's New York]
According to Trump, Being Latino is Now a Conflict of Interest
The federal judge presiding over a lawsuit involving Donald Trump’s Trump University is of Mexican descent, and according to the presumptive GOP nominee, that alone makes him too biased to judge fairly. The judge, Gonzalo Curiel, was born to immigrant parents in Indiana. In 1953. [BuzzFeed]
My How the NYC Skyline Has Changed, A Look Back
The New York Times Magazine’s latest issue examines the city’s always-growing skyline, from who exactly lives and works among the tallest buildings, to the workers and the natural elements that make up their job. The issue breaks down the history of how New York City got so tall, to the its relentless drive to always remain on top. [NYT Magazine]
Dream Job Alert: Bacon Critic
Yes, you read that right. The team at “Extra Crispy,” a food news site from the makers of TIME Magazine, is looking for a freelance bacon critic to spend three months “researching, writing about, obsessing over and critiquing bacon,” the job posting published this week said. Sound like your cup of pork? Get on it. [Extra Crispy]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Rachel Holliday Smith, Eddie Small, Gwynne Hogan, Carolina Pichardo, Shaye Weaver, Nikhita Venugopal, Noah Hurowitz, Irene Plagianos and Danielle Tcholakian.
