Kanye West tried to keep his New York fans from being disappointed last night. Instead, he disappointed them twice—and plunged the East Village into chaos. Thanks to inclement weather, the final day of the weekend’s Governor’s Ball music festival was canceled on Sunday, along with West’s scheduled performance. But West, never one to be upstaged, gave fans hope by tweeting there would be a surprise 2 AM show at Webster Hall. Four thousand fans descended on the East Village venue, and West supposedly made efforts to call the mayor and have the streets blocked off, but in the end the show never happened and police were called in to clear the crowd. (Gothamist)
Gov. Andrew Cuomo came to the defense of Israel on Monday. The governor announced an executive action that would require state agencies to divest themselves of companies and organizations aligned with an anti-Israel boycott movement. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (B.D.S.) movement was launched by pro-Palestinian activists in 2005 and calls for economic pressure against Israel to recognize Palestinian rights. Cuomo denounced the campaign, saying ““If you boycott against Israel, New York will boycott you.” (The New York Times)
A new investigation found that homelessness is having an effect on New York City schools. At PS 188 in the Lower East Side, 47 percent of students are homeless. According to the New York City Education Department, over 80,000 children in city public schools were living in shelters or temporary and makeshift housing last year. That’s about as many children as are enrolled in the entire Austin, Texas public school system. (The New York Times)
Governors Ball wasn’t the only celebration that ended prematurely this weekend. The second floor balcony of a Bushwick mansion collapsed during a party early Sunday morning. The building, known as Cook Mansion, was designated a city historic landmark in 2013. Sixteen people were taken to the hospital with injuries, but thankfully no one was killed. (NBC)
On last night’s episode of Last Week Tonight, John Oliver gave away the largest amount of money in TV history. At the end of a segment on debt buying, Oliver explained that he had formed a debt buying company online and bought the medical debt of 9,000 people. The debt totaled $15 million, which Oliver’s company acquired for only $60,000. He then forgave the debt by hitting a big red button on a stage adorned with giant dollar signs. “Fuck you, Oprah,” he declared—Winfrey held the record for TV giving until now because of her 2004 car giveaway. (YouTube)
