“We’re in a cacophonous, disorienting, deteriorating mess”

JANUARY 11, 2022

THE BIG STORY

Robert Durst, a murderer and the subject of HBO's The Jinx, has died at 78

Robert Durst sits in the courtroom as he is sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole. Myung J. Chun / AP

Robert Durst, the multimillionaire who was found guilty of murdering his friend, died on Monday at a hospital in California. According to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Durst died of natural causes. He was 78 years old.

Durst gained renewed notoriety in 2015 after seeming to confess to three murders during the HBO documentary The Jinx. On Oct. 14, Durst was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Susan Berman in 2000. Though Durst had not been charged in the disappearance or death of his first wife, Kathie Durst, the jury's verdict on Berman's murder signaled that they believed prosecutors' arguments that he also killed Kathie Durst.

😷 STAYING ON TOP OF THIS (PANDEMIC)

Confusion and chaos: Why the pandemic is such a mess right now

Sam Island for BuzzFeed News

As Omicron infects and hospitalizes record numbers of people globally, many people feel a lingering and strange sense of déjà vu. Even though we now have safe and effective vaccines, lifesaving treatments, and a much greater understanding of the virus, why does living through the pandemic feel so much more confusing than it did during the first year of COVID-19?
"I would say we're in a cacophonous, disorienting, deteriorating mess," said Arthur Caplan, the medical ethics director at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. While regular people struggle to make sense of new variants and changing guidelines, experts are wondering how we got here — and how we haven't done a better job of preparing for it.

SNAPSHOTS

Britney Spears fans have a new purpose: Freeing Nichelle Nichols from her conservatorship. Since 2018, Nichols has been living under what some believe is another abusive conservatorship that has allowed her son, Kyle Johnson, to take control of her life and finances and decide who she sees and where she lives.

Pete Davidson shared a rare Instagram statement to mourn the death of Bob Saget and opened up about how he guided him through some "rough" mental health issues. An outpouring of other celebrities, such as John Stamos, Andy Cohen, Patton Oswalt, have also paid tribute to the late beloved comedian.

The federal government is still undercounting extreme weather and climate deaths. Excess deaths analyses run by BuzzFeed News have shown that NOAA's numbers for fatalities in the two deadliest extreme weather events of 2021 reflect only a fraction of the death toll.

Donald Trump is once again in court arguing he can't be sued for what he said while president. The former president argues that he's protected by a legal doctrine that shields sitting presidents from being sued over actions they take as part of the job — and thus can't be sued for his speech on Jan. 6 that preceded the Capitol riot.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE BRONX FIRE?

The Bronx apartment building where 17 people died in a massive fire had open safety violations

Firefighters hoisted a ladder to rescue people through their windows after a fire broke out inside the apartment building. New York Daily News / TNS

The Bronx building where a fire killed 17 people — including eight children — had a history of serious violations related to heat, ventilation, and other safety issues, some of which were still unresolved when officials say a malfunctioning space heater sparked one of the deadliest blazes in the city's history.

In 2021, residents of the Twin Parks North West building filed more than 30 complaints that detailed dangerous and poor living conditions, including descriptions of ventilation issues and defective fire retardant material. The 120-unit brick building also had no fire escapes and outdated stairways, making it difficult for residents to flee the smoke.

Additionally, violations filed with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) show that some automatic self-closing doors, which are required in all buildings with three or more apartments and help slow a fire's spread, did not work in 2017 and 2019. In an interview, Mayor Eric Adams said there "may have been a maintenance issue" with the apartment door where the fire started.

WEIRD HOW THIS HASN'T HAPPENED TO ME!

Life is brutal but Kate Middleton's journey to royal life is soothing

Oh to be a student at St. Andrew's University in Scotland, only to befriend a prince, only to become his roommate, only to start dating that prince, only to break up, only to get back together, only to get married and become parents, only to prepare to become the future Princess of Wales.

Here's a look back at Kate's journey from commoner to a member of the royal family, in honor of her 40th birthday.

Kate Middleton models on the catwalk at a student fashion show attended by Prince William on March, 26, 2002, in St. Andrews, Scotland. M Neilson / Getty Images, Anwar Hussein Collection / WireImage

Kate Middleton and Prince William on the day of their graduation ceremony at St. Andrew's University on June 23, 2005, in Scotland. Middleton Family / Getty Images

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Queen Elizabeth II watch part of a children's sports event while visiting Vernon Park during a Diamond Jubilee visit to Nottingham on June 13, 2012. Wpa Pool / Getty Images

President Barack Obama talks with Prince William as Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, plays with Prince George and first lady Michelle Obama talks with Prince Henry at Kensington Palace on April 22, 2016. The White House / Getty Images

Don't save it for another day,

Alexa

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