This video shows a 104-story leap of faith in New York City
What's it like to sneak into New York City's World Trade Center at 3 a.m., climb to the top of the new Freedom Tower and jump off? Three men did just that September and recorded the whole thing on video.
The B.A.S.E. jumpers turned themselves into police this week after a lengthy investigation led law enforcement to their homes, where officers found videos and other evidence they were involved in the stunt.
The men say they just strolled into the building and never encountered any security while climbing to the top of the 104-story building, according to The Verge. They say law enforcement should be more focused on the lack of security, rather than their actions. Nonetheless, the men are expected to face trespassing charges.
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Just a little off the top, right?
A Washington-based news outlet, Radio Free Asia, reports that within the past few weeks, North Korean colleges have ordered all male students to adopt "dear leader" Kim Jong Un's haircut. And it's not going over well, the report adds. But it's not entirely clear if this new mandate is intended for the whole country, a specific region or if it's being implemented at all. Another Washington-based news site, NKNews.org, doubts any such mandate would be imposed at all, adding that recent visitors to Pyongyang hadn't noticed the hairstyle becoming any more popular than before.
Boys' club: No women allowed
When it comes to comic books, there are heros of both gender. Sure there's Superman, but there's also Wonder Woman. And Magneto gave us the Scarlet Witch. But none of the superheroines have been made into starring roles in blockbuster movies, despite the proliferation of comic book-themed movies. Why's that? According to journalist Anne Thompson, it's because women aren't allowed to even try and fail.
Thompson spoke to Studio 360 about what it might take to get a superheorine movie. Turns out, the blockbuster success of movies like Gravity and The Hunger Games, with female leads, aren't enough to entice studios to try a female comic movie.
Iran has a hidden party scene where the alcohol flows
“Have a shot of tequila first, cheer up!”
That's the word at a party in Tehran The Independent checked out via a FaceTime chat. While alcohol is basically banned throughout Iran, it's still readily available. Some people import the real stuff, but many others make their own. Consequently, if you know the right people, alcohol isn't hard to find.
Especially for the country's wealthy youth. Many hold alcohol-fueled parties at their homes every weekend, inviting friends to come over and blow off steam. But the underground drinking culture has a dark side: injury and death from the homemade booze, as well as a rising rate of alcoholism.
Finally, she's able to visit home
Renata Teodoro came to the US at a young age as an undocumented immigrant. Until recently, her status kept her in the US. But President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has enabled Teodoro to go back to her native Brazil to visit her family for the first time in a long time.
The Boston college student says her childhood memories make a lot more sense, now that she's been able to see where she came from, and who she's related to. Teodoro was a toddler when she crossed the US border illegally with her family. PRI's The World has the story. For more stories about immigrants in America, visit our Global Nation section.
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Weather around the world
Signs are pointing to an El Nino summer in the Pacific Ocean, and for certain crops in already-parched Brazil that's bad news, according to a report from Reuters. Sugarcane, coffee and oranges have already had a rough season, and El Nino would make the situation worse — and send prices climbing even further. But if there's a little silver lining, El Nino would mean great weather for Brazil's soy bean and corn crops.