What to Know
- Colin Kroll, the co-founder of HQ Trivia and Vine, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment
- Twice as many high school students used nicotine-tinged electronic cigarettes this year compared with last year, an unprecedented jump
- Cardi B is asking the public to not bash Offset, who became the target of internet outrage after he interrupted her set in Los Angeles
Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.
Co-Founder of HQ Trivia and Vine Found Dead at 34
Colin Kroll, the co-founder of HQ Trivia and Vine, was found dead in his Manhattan apartment, NBC News reported. Police responded to a 911 call for a welfare check at the Spring Street apartment, an NYPD Spokesman told NBC News. Kroll was 34, police said. Police found Kroll unconscious and unresponsive in a bedroom of the apartment, the spokesman said. He was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.
White House Closer to Partial Shutdown With Wall Demand
Pushing the government to the brink of a partial shutdown, the White House is insisting that Congress provide $5 billion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border despite lawmaker resistance from both parties. Without a resolution, parts of the federal government will shut down at midnight Friday. "We're going to do whatever is necessary to build the border wall to stop this ongoing crisis of illegal immigration," White House senior adviser Stephen Miller said. Asked if that meant having a government shutdown, he said: "If it comes to it, absolutely." Trump said last week he would be "proud" to have a shutdown to get Congress to approve a $5 billion down payment to fulfill his campaign promise to build a border wall. But the president doesn't have the votes from the Republican-controlled Congress to support funding for the wall at that level.
Most Teen Drug Use Is Down, But Officials Fret Vaping Boom
Local
Twice as many high school students used nicotine-tinged electronic cigarettes this year compared with last year, an unprecedented jump in a large annual survey of teen smoking, drinking and drug use. It was the largest single-year increase in the survey's 44-year history, far surpassing a mid-1970s surge in marijuana smoking. The findings echo those of a government survey earlier this year. That survey also found a dramatic rise in vaping among children and prompted federal regulators to press for measures that make it harder for kids to get them. Experts attribute the jump to newer versions of e-cigarettes, like those by Juul Labs Inc. that resemble computer flash drives and can be used discreetly.
Offset Interruption of Cardi B's Set at Rolling Loud Draws Outrage
Cardi B is asking the public to not bash Offset, who became the target of internet outrage after he interrupted her set at the Rolling Loud Festival in Los Angeles and asked her to get back together with him. Cardi B said in an Instagram video that she wishes people wouldn't bash the father of her daughter. The festival's co-founder Tariq Cherif said in a statement that the festival had nothing to do with Offset's appearance and that headliners and their teams have full control of the stage and who is allowed on it. The couple broke up in early December after little more than a year of marriage. They got married in September 2017 and welcomed a baby girl in July.
Philippines Contestant Named Miss Universe
The Philippines' Catriona Gray was named Miss Universe 2018 in a competition in Bangkok, besting contestants from 93 other countries and delighting her home country. The 24-year-old Gray wore a sparkling red dress she said is inspired by a volcano in the Philippines as she was handed the crown to the delight of a roaring crowd that generally favored Southeast Asian contestants. She said she wore red because "when I was 13 my mom said she had a dream that I would win Miss Universe in a red dress." She said her mom cried when they saw each other after she won the competition. Gray edged out first runner-up Tamaryn Green of South Africa and third-place Sthefany Gutierrez of Venezuela. She succeeds Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters of South Africa.