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☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

☆ A Mother-Daughter Team Went to the Bronx With $350,000 for a New Place. Which Option Did They Choose?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Debra Kamin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Jeanine Edwards always wanted to buy her own place, but as a lifelong New Yorker, she wasn’t sure it was possible. She turned her sights to Riverdale, the leafy Bronx enclave where home prices are less than half of those in Harlem. After years of living in Manhattan, Riverdale seemed a little “too far from the mix,” she said. But Sadie’s school was there, and it suddenly seemed like the best option. Among the homes she considered, all within a five-minute drive of Sadie’s school:

☆ How Big Tech Shakeup, Layoffs Leave Social-Media Creators Scrambling
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Brooke Erin Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Meanwhile, laborers who rely on social-media platforms for visibility, reputation burnishing, and income have been left reeling — from journalists and academics to freelancers and adult performers. Last month, a plus-size creator told me how self-censorship becomes a risk-reduction strategy for marginalized creators. As the journalist Paul Gallant argued, queer content creators face a continuous struggle to avoid "the wrath that comes from violating ever-changing and poorly explained terms of service." Even coverage of the influence on social-media creators has been more tuned in to those with the biggest followings. But the real pain from this tug-of-war for the future of social media will be felt by those who have long faced the greatest hurdles: marginalized creators.

☆ Check out the pitch deck the Y Combinator alum SilkChart used to raise $5.2 million from investors like SoftBank
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Madeline Renbarger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The marketing startup SilkChart seeks to help businesses better understand their advertising data. It was in Y Combinator's spring 2022 class and says it was able to grow revenue during the program. Now, SilkChart has raised $5.2 million in funding to scale its data-analytics business. Investors include Y Combinator, SoftBank, the ad agency Dentsu, Harlem Capital, and Global Founders Capital. Check out the 12-slide pitch deck that the founders of SilkChart used to raise $5.2 million in funding:

☆ Public-Corruption Charges Dismissed Against Former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( James Fanelli | Corinne Ramey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A federal judge Monday tossed the bulk of a public-corruption case against former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin , finding the Justice Department’s charges didn’t meet the legal bar for prosecuting alleged bribery involving campaign contributions. U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken in Manhattan threw out three corruption charges against Mr. Benjamin, a Democrat who was indicted earlier this year on five criminal counts for allegedly soliciting campaign donations from a real-estate developer in exchange for steering $50,000 in state funds to the developer’s education nonprofit in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood.

☆ Some charges dismissed against ex-N.Y. lieutenant governor arrested in campaign finance fraud investigation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Bribery and fraud charges against former New York Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin were tossed out Monday by a federal judge, leaving Benjamin to face only records falsification charges and prompting his lawyers to say it was tragic that the case was ever brought. Benjamin, a Democrat, resigned after his arrest last April. During a state Legislature career that began in May 2017, he emphasized criminal justice reform and affordable housing. The charges that were left intact allege that Benjamin knowingly made a false entry in a record with the intent to impede an investigation.

☆ Gladys Knight, George Clooney, Amy Grant feted at Kennedy Center Honors
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

WASHINGTON — A heartfelt Patti LaBelle praised her lifelong friend Gladys Knight. Matt Damon playfully teased his friend George Clooney — a lot — while Sheryl Crow gave thanks and a heartfelt rendition of “Baby Baby” to her fellow singer Amy Grant during Sunday’s Kennedy Center Honors. Every year the Kennedy Center honors a select group of people for their artistic influences on American culture. 2022 Kennedy Center Honorees, front row from left, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, George Clooney, Tania León, join, back row from left, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., The Edge, and Bono for a group photo at the State Department following the Kennedy Center Honors gala dinner, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in Washington. León said during an interview when the honorees were announced that she wasn’t expecting “anything spectacular” when the Kennedy Center initially reached out to her.

☆ CDC encourages people to wear masks to help prevent spread of Covid, flu and RSV over the holidays
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Centers for Disease Control Prevention on Monday encouraged people to wear masks to help reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses this season as Covid, flu and RSV circulate at the same time. The CDC director said the agency is considering expanding its system of Covid community levels to include other respiratory viruses such as the flu. The system is the basis for when CDC advises the public to wear masks. About 5% of the U.S. population lives in counties where the CDC is officially recommending masks due to high Covid levels. Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, board chair of the American Medical Association, said the circulation of Covid, flu and RSV at the same is a "a perfect storm for a terrible holiday season."

☆ George Clooney, Gladys Knight among Kennedy Center honorees
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second from left, and his wife, Evan Ryan, left, join 2022 Kennedy Center Honorees, front row from left, Amy Grant, Gladys Knight, George Clooney, Tania León, and Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter, back row from left, Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein, along with fellow 2022 Honorees Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., The Edge, and Bono for a group photo at the State Department following the Kennedy Center Honors gala dinner, Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022, in Washington. Sometimes the Kennedy Center honors not just individuals but groups; "Sesame Street" once got the nod. Composer and conductor León said during an interview when the honorees were announced that she wasn't expecting "anything spectacular" when the Kennedy Center initially reached out to her. After all, she's worked with the Kennedy Center numerous times over the years going back to 1980, when she was commissioned to compose music for a play. León left Cuba as a refugee in 1967 and eventually settled in New York City.

☆ Rap industry leaders say hip-hop should not be the ‘scapegoat’ for the growing violence
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Candice Williams | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +14 min

The hip-hop community calls for change, but there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to the violence. So I think hip-hop is the scapegoat for a lot of things.”Greg Yuna and Lenny Santiago. Some of those murders are now being explored in a new WE tv’s docuseries “Hip Hop Homicides,” which looks at the shooting deaths of rap artists including Pop Smoke, XXXTentacion and King Von. In some cases, money exacerbates some of these things.”Although Lathan believes there should be more accountability in hip-hop from those who create the violence, rap artists can’t always be blamed for the violence that surrounds them or happens to them. Caz said that in those days hip-hop music was used as a form of escape.

☆ See the first 36 groups that won coveted licenses to sell recreational cannabis in New York, including Housing Works and The Doe Fund
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Jeremy Berke | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

New York regulators announced the first 36 groups who'll be able to sell cannabis in the state. The 36 licensees include 28 groups of "justice-involved" individuals, who have been convicted of prior cannabis-related offenses in New York state and also have experience running profitable businesses. Wright has repeatedly said that cannabis sales would begin in New York before the end of the year. That means companies are unable to own both a cultivation facility and a retail store, unlike in some other states with legal cannabis markets. The regulations also outline different license types to be awarded in the future, including supply-side licenses, microbusinesses, and retail stores.

☆ Award-winning actor John Leguizamo says the lack of Latino representation in Hollywood is 'cultural apartheid'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

John Leguizamo is an Emmy and Tony award-winning actor, and he's calling out Hollywood. In an open letter to Hollywood, he says it's way past time that Latinos have more lead roles. In an "Open Letter to Hollywood" published in the LA Times, Leguizamo said the time for more Latino representation in film, TV, and plays is way past overdue. Leguizamo argued that the absence of Latinos onscreen isn't even reflective of the city in which Hollywood resides. Latino representation also means including Latinos of all hues, since "more often than not," the Latinos who are cast in major roles are "white-passing."

☆ Lena Horne becomes first Black woman to have a Broadway theater named after her
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A theater on Broadway has been officially renamed in honor of the late actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne. Horne is the first Black woman to have a theater named in her honor. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 01: A view of signage at the Nederlander Organization's unveiling of Broadway's new Lena Horne Theatre on November 01, 2022 in New York City. It seats 1,069 and is one of The Nederlander Organization’s nine Broadway theatres. In September, the Shubert Organization re-christened a Broadway theater to honor actor James Earl Jones.

☆ See the pitch deck this startup used to raise $7.9 million to help homeowners find contractors for routine maintenance
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The home-maintenance startup Humming Homes has raised $7.9 million in seed funding. Its CEO walked Insider through a pitch deck that won over Thrive Capital and other investors. Humming Homes, which launched a tech-enabled platform in October 2020, aims to solve that problem by creating personalized, seasonal maintenance programs for homeowners for as little as $250 a month. Humming Homes operates in markets such as Florida, New York, and Connecticut. Mallick walked Insider through the pitch deck that helped Humming Homes secure its funding.

☆ Women athletes now have their own sports network
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Kaitlin Balasaygun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The first-ever network to focus on female athletes, the Women's Sports Network, launched Wednesday, offering 24/7 streaming of original programming, competitions, documentaries and a daily studio show "Game On." The Women's Sports Network is a free, ad-supported network featured on streaming services including Amazon.com 's Freevee, Fox Corp .'s FuboTV and Tubi, along with smart TVs. The Women's Sports Network has partnerships with the Women's National Basketball Association, Women's Football Alliance, Ladies Professional Golf Association, U.S. Female athletes at the collegiate level are also proving to be winners in the NIL era, garnering deals with brands including Nike now that college athletes can be paid for their name, image and likeness. "The Women's Sports Network is exactly what athletes, fans and sponsors have been asking for," Mollie Marcoux Samaan, commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, said in a release announcing the network launch.

☆ Explainer: Drag queens and how they got pulled into politics
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

Opponents often coordinate protests at drag events that feature or cater to children, sometimes showing up with guns. Some politicians have proposed banning children from drag events and even criminally charging parents who take their kids to one. Is drag sexual? Many drag opponents cite nudity in their objections. Threats to drag events, and story hours in particular, have increased along with the rhetoric.

☆ Rev. Calvin Butts, influential pillar of Harlem, dies at 73
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Calvin O. Butts III, who welcomed generations of worshippers as well as political leaders from across the nation and around the world at Harlem’s landmark Abyssinian Baptist Church, died Friday at age 73, the church announced. “The Butts Family and entire Abyssinian Baptist Church membership solicit your prayers for us in our bereavement,” the church said on its website. Butts began serving as a youth minister at Abyssinian in 1972 and was senior pastor there for more than 30 years. Calvin O. Butts III speaks onstage during the André Leon Talley Celebration of Life at The Abyssinian Baptist Church on April 29, 2022 in New York City. Al Sharpton called Butts a major pillar in the Harlem community.

☆ The Trump Organization tax-fraud trial jury has been chosen, and it's mostly minority and mostly male
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

It took three days to seat the jury for the Trump Organization criminal tax fraud trial in Manhattan. The mostly male, mostly minority jury has 2 men the defense tried to boot for their views on Trump. She does not read the news, and said she had no strong opinion about Trump. "Of course, President Trump was the president of the United States," she said in court. Juror 10: A custodian for Macy's, he said he had strong opinions concerning Trump, but could be fair.

☆ Seeking a Manhattan Studio With Design Potential for $600,000. Which Option Did He Choose?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Stefanos Chen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Nothing excites Eric Wong like the thrill of the hunt — usually in the clearance section of a West Elm outlet store. “I get high as hell on a deal,” Mr. Wong, 42, said of his best finds at the interior-design chain. “He’s basically furnished his whole apartment with West Elm stuff,” said his sister, Elke Wong. “I still love them, so hard,” Mr. Wong said of his erstwhile coworkers. Mr. Wong wanted something centrally located, but also fun for a bachelor.

☆ LoveShackFancy built a pretty, skinny, rich-girl dreamworld. The fantasy was impossible to live up to.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Anna Silman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +34 min

Suddenly, in the midst of discussing what Cohen should wear to the next LoveShackFancy store opening, there was the sound of glass clanging. (Another person confirmed hearing this exchange, though the person close to the company said multiple Zoom attendees did not recall it.) The person close to the company said, "It is not uncommon for trips to have dual purposes — they always generate content." Another time, during a visit to the Palm Beach store, Cohen freaked out after seeing staffers in sweatshirts and sneakers. "As with most contemporary fashion brands, we currently do not operate in the plus-size business," the person close to LoveShackFancy said.

☆ I was never a chef and never had a business plan — and now I'm building a vegan food empire worth $100 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I'm not a trained chef, but my restaurant business is now valued at $100 million with eight locations, four food trucks, and a sister company. When Slutty Vegan first came to me I thought, 'Oh, 'slutty' and 'vegan' don't go together, but I can make them go together and make something really cool.' I'm introducing people to vegan food in a way that's fun and familiar. I just wanted to get people's attention and start a conversation about vegan food. I really got luckyI chose New York for my first Slutty Vegan location outside of the South because it represents the US as a whole.

☆ 36 Hours in New York City
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Becky Hughes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

3:30 p.m. Get a bird’s eye view of the cityPack in 400 years of history at the Museum of the City of New York in East Harlem ($20 suggested admission), opposite Central Park at the top end of Museum Mile . Its ongoing exhibition, “ New York at Its Core, ” will give you a glimpse of the neighborhoods you’ll encounter this weekend, and an overview of the many eras of the city’s development, including its few decades as the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam, its 19th-century shift to an immigrant hub, the growth of the city’s park program after the New Deal and the birth of the punk and hip-hop subcultures of the 1970s and 1980s.

☆ How much do Big Tech companies pay their employees?
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Well, we took the guesswork out of it for you by analyzing some data to determine just how much different companies pay their employees. Positions we looked at included data scientists, data engineers, senior analysts, and more — see how their salaries stack up. Positions we looked at included data scientists, data engineers, senior analysts, and more — see how their salaries stack up. Finally, take a look at Insider's Big Tech salary database to see how much Apple, Microsoft, Intel, Facebook, and other companies pay their workers. By combing through data, Insider got a sense of how companies like Google, Hulu, and Disney pay their employees.

For the first time in history, Black veterans are getting a monument to acknowledge their service and contributions in the U.S. military. The African American Veterans Monument (AAVM) was unveiled Saturday in Buffalo, New York, to honor Black veterans and active-duty military service members both past and present. The monument serves as a permanent marker recognizing the contributions of African Americans who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. “The African American Veterans Monument will enhance visitors’ understanding of the diversity in the armed forces throughout American history,” Hodges said. She said she hopes the monument will shed light on their service and contributions.

☆ Nike is aggressively opening new stores as it pushes forward on its plan to sell directly to consumers. Wall Street isn't sold on the strategy.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The stores are popping up all over the US and significantly increase Nike's store footprint. At the time of the filing, the company had 209 clearance stores and 48 full-price stores. The other 87 Nike stores were for its Converse brand. Even much smaller competitors, such as Allbirds, operate nearly as many full-price stores, roughly 35, as Nike does. Nike's new stores opening in the US and Europe appear to be a mix of the recently introduced Live and Unite formats.

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