Celebrity Power Couple ‘Brangelina’ Headed for Divorce
One of Hollywood’s most famous couples is splitting up. CNN reported Tuesday that Angelina Jolie has filed for divorce from Brad Pitt after two years of marriage. The pair have six children together. TMZ says legal papers cite “irreconcilable differences” as the reason behind the split. [CNN]
The Makers of Skittles Aren't Happy About Being Used in a Racist Meme
On Monday evening Donald Trump Jr. tweeted a meme comparing Syrian refugees to poisoned skittles. In response, an executive from Wrigley America, the parent company of Skittles, hit back with what should be common sense: “Skittles are candy. Refugees are people.”
It turns out the photographer of the bowl of Skittles used to illustrate that questionable comparison wasn't on board with the use of his image either. He claims it was lifted from his Flickr account without permission. [Raw Story and BuzzFeed]
Video Shows Victim Had Hands Up Moments Before Fatal Shooting
Video footage released Monday by the Police Department in Tulsa, Oklahoma, shows that Terence Crutcher, an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by a white officer last week, had his hands up above his head moments before being killed. Crutcher was shot after police received reports of an abandoned car blocking a road. The encounter was recorded by a police helicopter and a patrol car’s dashboard camera. [New York Times and ABC]
Ku Klux Klan Fliers Found in Towns Across U.S.
In towns from California to New Jersey, residents have reported finding small plastic bags on their lawns stuffed with KKK paraphernalia.
“It’s really creepy,” one person who found the flier said in a Facebook Live video. “I have no idea what this mess is, but it’s not wanted in our town.” [Washington Post]
George H.W. Bush Will Vote for Hillary Clinton
Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend, the former Maryland lieutenant governor, met with George H.W. Bush on Monday. Bush allegedly told her that he will vote for Hillary Clinton for president in November. Townsend posted the news on Facebook. [Politico]
David Wildstein and Chris Christie
David Wildstein is the former director of interstate capital projects at the Port Authority and star witness of the Bridgegate trial — which alleges that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie knew about the plan to close lanes on the George Washington Bridge and snarl traffic for political retribution. Wildstein has known Christie for years, and New York Magazine’s Andrew Rice has written a lengthy piece examining the relationship between the two men and questioning whether Wildstein’s role in the trial will ultimately take down Christie. [New York Magazine]
The American Couple Who Risked Everything to Defy the Nazis
Rev. Waitstill Sharp and his wife, Martha, rescued more than a hundred people persecuted during the Nazi regime in Europe. They also helped provide aid in the form of food and assistance to scores in need. Their rarely-told story is the subject of a new documentary co-directed by Ken Burns and the Sharps’ grandson Artemis Joukowsky. [Washington Post]
Edward Snowden and a Presidential Pardon
Margaret Sullivan veered away from her paper’s own editorial board to give a forceful argument that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden deserves a pardon and a patriots welcome after receiving asylum in Russia for what many have argued constitutes treason. [Washington Post]
Money for Cancer Research Taken to Fight Zika, NIH Officials Confirm
The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci, said the federal government has had to take money from other diseases — including cancer — to create a vaccine for the Zika virus. The agency, Fauci told Jonathan Capehart of the “Cape Up” podcast, “borrowed money” from malaria funding, Ebola and finally from cancer, diabetes, heart disease and mental health. [Washington Post]
How the Feds Are Trying to Regulate Self-Driving Cars
The federal government just released new guidelines for self-driving cars, essentially trying to fix the patchwork of rules currently regulating the new technology, state by state. Here’s a primer on what that means. (Hint: According to a White House official, it means “a future where you can take your hands off the wheel … where your commute becomes productive and restful.” Sounds great! Until the robots start their war, that is.) [The Verge]
Self-Driving Boats Are Coming to Amsterdam’s Canals
And in more self-driving vehicular news, scientists from MIT have teamed up with Dutch researchers to launch “roboats” next year that will propel themselves around Amsterdam’s famous canals. One of their first tasks: collecting the thousands of bicycles that end up in the water. [Quartz]
The Book of Springsteen
For all you Springsteen fans out there, here’s a deep dive into Bruce, why he decided to write a memoir, his life with depression, and more. [Vanity Fair]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Eddie Small, Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, Jeanmarie Evelly, Gwynne Hogan, Shaye Weaver, Rachel Holliday Smith, Irene Plagianos, Nikhita Venugopal, Emily Frost, Carolina Pichardo, Noah Hurowitz, Dartunorro Clark and Allegra Hobbs.
