Baltimore Marilyn
“I assured his family that no one is above the law, and I would pursue justice on their behalf.” And with that, State’s Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby announced that six Baltimore police officers have been charged in connection with the death of Freddie Gray. Given related stories that have swept across the country in recent months, some may be shocked that killing someone can result in a murder charge.
+ Second-degree depraved-heart murder is the most serious charge in the case. Here’s a look at all the charges.
+ “Nobody can accuse her of being anti-black. But it would be just as ridiculous to accuse Mosby of being anti-cop.” Michael Daly on the 35 year-old prosecutor who could save Baltimore.
+ “Like a lot of America, my first real look at life in East and West Baltimore … came from watching The Wire. Unlike most people who watched the show, though, I’m from Baltimore.”
+ FiveThirtyEight: The most diverse cities are often the most segregated.
Trust No One
Millennials don’t trust you. At least there’s a good chance they don’t. Because, according to the latest polling, they really don’t trust anyone; not government, not the Supreme Court, and definitely not the media.
Weekend Reads
You think your business has been affected by the Internet? Consider Patrick Clark’s look at the Twilight of One-Hour Photo.
+ “The behavior of this group is dramatic: visiting different hospitals with various aliases, injecting feces into the veins to induce sepsis, eating rotting food to perforate the bowels.” Münchausen syndrome has been around for a long time. But the Internet makes it a whole lot easier. The Guardian’s Jules Montague on the sickness bloggers who fake it online.
+ “To meet the enterprising leader of Westarctica, you’ll have to travel to West Hollywood, Calif., where he works as a recruiter for a media company.” Bloomberg’s Jennifer Parker with a guide to the weird, wild world of micro-nations where anybody can be king. (This is like Game of Thrones without the frontal nudity.)
Social Justice
Fortune’s Dan Primack on childhood sex abuse victims who seek justice (or at least a little support) via social media. “Lauzon was told that the matter was then referred to the state Attorney General’s office, but he soon felt that he was getting the runaround. Where he went next was Facebook.”
Weighing In on the Fight
The much-anticipated Pacquiao v Mayweather prizefight is a big deal in America. But it’s a way bigger deal in the Philippines where Manny Pacquiao fights are treated like a national holiday. And “residents of the western Philippines are being asked to turn off their refrigerators so there will be enough electricity to watch this weekend’s fight.” (Americans love sports, but nothing could get us to unplug the fridge.)
+ “What do you get when you cross Muhammad Ali, Sly Stallone, Vaclav Havel, Michael Vick, Che Guevara, & Clay Aiken?” GQ’s excellent Andrew Corsello did a great piece on Manny: The Biggest Little Man in the World.
+ When Pacquiao fights, Filipinos take a national holiday. When Floyd Mayweather fights, American women take a holiday from getting beat up. Megan Garber in The Atlantic: “Given all the hype, it’s easy to forget that ‘the last great prizefighter’ is also a repeated batterer of women.”
+ LA Times: Mayweather to post Suge Knight’s $10-million bail if he wins fight. (My preference in a fight hasn’t been this one-sided since Rocky fought Ivan Drago…)
+ And finally, The Economist explains how a knockout punch works.
Where Everyone Knows Your Name
David Wildstein, the former Chris Christie ally, pleaded guilty in the Bridgegate scandal. That’s bad news for Christie. And, as it turns out, it’s not particularly good news for Kirstie Alley.
Epidemic on the Reservation
“They call him the Tall Man spirit. He’s appearing to these kids and telling them to kill themselves.” On South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, nine people between the ages of 12 and 24 have committed suicide in the last five months. The NYT’s Julie Bosman tries to find out what’s going on. “Many more youths on the reservation have tried, but failed, to kill themselves in the past several months: at least 103 attempts by people ages 12 to 24 occurred from December to March.”
Musk Never Sleeps
The Energizer Bunny finally stopped; at least long enough to listen to Elon Musk’s much-hyped introduction of Tesla’s new batteries aimed at the home and business markets. Wired’s Alex Davies on Tesla’s plan to power the world with batteries.
Uptown Flunk
It’s not unusual for modern pop songs to have several writers. And following a legal claim made by the Gap Band, my son’s favorite song Uptown Funk now has a list of royalty-earning writers that goes to eleven.
The Bottom of the News
It “is an exclusive enterprise; of the dozen or so cannonballs performing today, the majority are related by blood or marriage. Their methods are trade secrets, handed down from generation to generation.” At long last, Robbie Gonzalez provides us with a glimpse inside the secretive world of human cannonballs.
+ What’s that gunk in your eyes when you wake up in the morning?
+ The New Yorker wades into the complex debate between Hahaha and Hehehe.
+ And pssst. For a limited time, we’ve got T-shirts…
