New York City's Times Square in 1912
Welcome to the Overnight News Digest with a crew consisting of founder Magnifico, current leader Neon Vincent, regular editors side pocket, maggiejean, wader, Doctor RJ, rfall, JML9999 and Man Oh Man. Alumni editors include (but not limited to) palantir, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, ek hornbeck, ScottyUrb, Interceptor7, BentLiberal, Oke and jlms qkw.
OND is a regular community feature on Daily Kos, consisting of news stories from around the world, sometimes coupled with a daily theme, original research or commentary. Editors of OND impart their own presentation styles and content choices, typically publishing each day near 12:00AM Eastern Time.
Please feel free to share your articles and stories in the comments.
From CNN: FIFA officials pocketed $150m from 'World Cup of fraud,' U.S. Vows to Rid Global Soccer of Corruption
Allegations of corruption at FIFA are nothing new to those who follow the international soccer organization. But what was surprising to some on Wednesday was the sense that someone, somewhere, was finally doing something substantial about them.
The U.S. Justice Department unsealed a 47-count indictment in federal court in Brooklyn that detailed charges against 14 people accused of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
The most serious are the racketeering charges, which allege that the officials turned soccer "into a criminal enterprise," according to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who spoke to reporters in New York. A conviction could command a sentence of up to 20 years.
From the
New York Times:
Sepp Blatter: In Charge, but Left Unscathed
If Wednesday’s sweeping arrests of several FIFA officials at a five-star hotel in Zurich turn out to be the moment when everything finally started to unravel for Sepp Blatter, it would be hard to imagine a more appropriate setting. Mr. Blatter, the president of soccer’s governing body, has long been accused of running his organization like a Swiss bank, providing a minimum of transparency when it comes to the billions of dollars that flow into and out of its coffers every year.
Mr. Blatter has worked at FIFA since 1975, rising from technical director to general secretary to president. As FIFA’s leader, he has been praised for extending soccer’s reach to less developed nations, an effort that included bringing the World Cup to Africa for the first time. But Mr. Blatter, who was not indicted, has also been widely criticized as tone-deaf and dictatorial, an unworthy steward of the global game. “He’s part James Bond baddie, part Mayor Daley-style machine politician writ large,” said Roger Bennett, co-host of “Men in Blazers,” a soccer program on NBCSN.
Mr. Blatter has been dodging scandals almost from the moment he was elected president of soccer’s global governing body in 1998 — and his campaign that year was accused of bribing African delegates to secure victory. He denied he was involved in any wrongdoing.
The Justice Department may be hoping that a few of the FIFA executives named in the indictment will implicate Mr. Blatter in the alleged wrongdoing, in much the same way that law enforcement officials often start by going after the lieutenants in organized-crime rings. It is also possible that the arrests were timed in part to create pressure on Mr. Blatter to withdraw from Friday’s election for president, when he is widely expected to win a fifth term.
From
USA Today:
IRS says thieves stole tax info from 100,000
Thieves hacked into an Internal Revenue Service online service and gained access to information from more than 100,000 taxpayer accounts, the agency said Tuesday.
The criminals used personal data obtained from other sources, including Social Security numbers, street addresses and dates of birth, to get into the IRS "Get Transcript" service. The service has been temporarily shut down.
The thieves gained access to tax returns and other tax information on file with the IRS. The IRS' main computer system that handles tax filings wasn't compromised.
The IRS said in a statement that the hack occurred from February through mid-May. The IRS first detected unusual activity last week.
From the
Los Angeles Times:
More oil-covered mammals brought to SeaWorld San Diego from spill
The number of oil-covered mammals brought to SeaWorld San Diego from the spill at Refugio State Beach continues to rise, officials said Wednesday.
Three members of the park's animal rescue team remain at the site of the spill in Santa Barbara County to assist in recovery efforts.
SeaWorld is caring for 11 sea lions and six elephant seals brought from Santa Barbara. All are considered in guarded condition, officials said.
The animals have been washed and hydrated, and have had blood samples taken.
From
BBC News:
'New species' of ancient human found
A new species of ancient human has been unearthed in the Afar region of Ethiopia, scientists report. Researchers discovered jaw bones and teeth, which date to between 3.3m and 3.5m years old.
It means this new hominin was alive at the same time as several other early human species, suggesting our family tree is more complicated than was thought. The study is published in the journal Nature.
The new species has been called Australopithecus deyiremeda, which means "close relative" in the language spoken by the Afar people. The ancient remains are thought to belong to four individuals, who would have had both ape and human-like features..
From the
Washington Post:
Illegal immigration flows have slowed to their lowest level in at least 20 years
As the Department of Homeland Security continues to pour money into border security, evidence is emerging that illegal immigration flows have slowed to their lowest level in at least two decades. The nation’s population of undocumented immigrants, which more than tripled, to 12.2 million, between 1990 and 2007, has dropped by about 1 million, according to demographers at the Pew Research Center.
A key — but largely overlooked — sign of these ebbing flows is the changing makeup of the undocumented population. Until recent years, illegal immigrants tended to be the young men who were streaming across the border in pursuit of work. But demographic data show that the profile of the typical immigrant now is much more likely someone who is 35 or older and has lived in the United States for a decade or more.
Homeland security officials in the Obama and George W. Bush administrations — who have more than doubled the Border Patrol’s size and spent billions on drones, sensors and other technology at the border — say enhanced security is driving the new trends.
From
The Guardian:
Breast cancer could be 'stopped in its tracks' by new technique, say scientists
Certain breast cancers spread to the bones using an enzyme that drills “seed holes” for planting new tumours, research has shown.
The discovery could lead to treatments aimed at preventing secondary breast cancers in patients with non-hormone sensitive disease.
The enzyme lysyl oxidase (Lox) is released from the primary tumour in the breast. Scientists found that it produces holes in bone that provide fertile ground for the growth of spreading, or metastatic, cancer cells.
But the process could be blocked, at least in mice, with bisphosphonate drugs that prevent bone loss and are used to treat osteoporosis.
The drugs are already prescribed to men with advanced prostate cancer that has spread to the bones, to prevent pain and fractures.
From
The Hill:
Legal setback clouds fate of Obama’s immigration actions
The fate of President Obama’s controversial deportation-relief program has been thrown into question following a legal setback that has pro-immigration groups increasingly nervous.
In a split decision earlier this week, a three-judge panel from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals handed a victory to Obama’s opponents when it refused to lift a hold on his executive actions, which could allow millions of immigrants in the country illegally to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation.
The decision made it more likely the court battle will spill into 2016, the final year of Obama’s presidency.
“I think it’s a real concern that this litigation delay is going to be protracted and that this could very well push into next year,” said Marshall Fitz, vice president of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, which has close ties to Obama.
In a sign that the administration is now resigned to a lengthy legal battle, the Justice Department announced Wednesday it would not make an emergency request to the Supreme Court to lift the hold on his order. The DOJ is instead choosing to focus on its appeal of the injunction itself, a proceeding not expected at the 5th Circuit until July.
From
ABC News:
Pentagon Inadvertently Shipped Live Anthrax to Labs in Nine States
Samples of live anthrax were inadvertently shipped to private research laboratories in nine states and one in South Korea that were supposed to have received dead anthrax samples, the Pentagon confirmed today.
There is no known risk to the general public and there have been no suspected or confirmed cases of anthrax infection as a result of the inadvertent shipment, officials said.
"The Department of Defense is collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their investigation of the inadvertent transfer of samples containing live Bacillus anthracis, also known as anthrax, from a DoD lab in Dugway, Utah, to labs in nine states,” said Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman.
"There is no known risk to the general public, and there are no suspected or confirmed cases of anthrax infection in potentially exposed lab workers," he added. "The DoD lab was working as part of a DoD effort to develop a field-based test to identify biological threats in the environment. Out of an abundance of caution, DoD has stopped the shipment of this material from its labs pending completion of the investigation.
From the
Minneapolis Star Tribune:
Two lab chimps have their day in court
A lawyer seeking to free two chimpanzees from a state university told a judge Wednesday that their confinement for research purposes is akin to slavery, the involuntary detention of mentally ill people and imprisonment.
Steven Wise, an attorney with the Nonhuman Rights Project, told Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Barbara Jaffe in a nearly two-hour hearing that Hercules and Leo are “autonomous and self-determining beings” who should be granted a writ of habeas corpus and be moved from Stony Brook University on Long Island to a sanctuary in Florida.
“They’re essentially in solitary confinement,” Wise told the judge before a crowd of about 100 people packed into the Manhattan courthouse’s ceremonial courtroom. “This is what we do to the worst human criminal.”
The 8-year-old chimps, who did not attend the hearing, are used for locomotion studies at Stony Brook.
From
Yahoo! News:
The U.S. Could Get a Third of Its Electricity From Wind Power—and Save Billions of Gallons of Water
Could the United States get as much as 35 percent of its electricity from wind power within 35 years?
Absolutely, says the U.S. Department of Energy in a new report that details the benefits of replacing fossil fuel power plants with millions of wind turbines generating carbon-free electricity.
Like perhaps longer showers in drought-stricken regions.
Fossil fuel power plants consume huge amounts of water for cooling. If wind supplied a third of the nation’s electricity by 2050, it would save an estimated 260 billion gallons of water a year. That’s just what California currently uses in about a week, but the savings could have significant local impacts where water shortages are severe.
“Wind’s environmental benefits can address key societal challenges such as climate change, air quality and public health, and water scarcity,” the report states. “Wind deployment can provide U.S. jobs, U.S. manufacturing, and lease and tax revenues in local communities to strengthen and support a transition of the nation’s electricity sector toward a low-carbon economy.”
From
Slate:
McDonald’s, Unable to Fix Its Dismal Monthly Sales Numbers, Will Now Just Stop Sharing Them
There are plenty of reasons why it’s hard to forget McDonald’s is doing poorly, but one of the most important is its monthly same-store sales reports. Every month, McDonald’s announces how much sales have grown (or fallen) at restaurants open at least 13 months in its various market segments and across the globe. Lately, those figures have been nothing but dreadful. As of April, McDonald’s global same-store sales had shrunk for 11 consecutive months while its U.S. numbers had either declined or stayed largely flat. February was particularly bad: Sales plunged 4 percent in the U.S. and 1.7 percent globally, prompting McDonald’s to admit it needed to become a “modern, progressive burger company.”
But the McDonald’s Misery Watch is about to become less frequent: The company is ending its monthly reporting practice, which it began in 2003. According to Bloomberg, the company plans to stop reporting monthly same-store sales after June, when its second-quarter earnings are released. “To focus our activities and conversations around the strategic, longer-term actions we are taking as part of our plan, we have decided to discontinue our monthly sales disclosure, effective July 1,” Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s chief executive, said at an analysts conference in New York City on Wednesday. Other items on McDonald’s turnaround agenda: increased hourly wages for employees of its corporate-owned stores, more control for franchisees, customized burgers, and all-day breakfast.
While it’ll be sad to see the monthly figures go—especially if your job is to report on McDonald’s fortunes (or lack thereof)—this is probably a good decision for the chain. For starters, reporting monthly sales is a rather outdated practice. In 2009, Walmart decided to give up reporting monthly same-store sales. Two years later, there was a “mass exodus” of retailers as everyone from Abercrombie & Fitch to American Eagle ditched their monthly same-store sales reports. Until now, McDonald’s has continued to report monthly figures even though most of its competitors do not. Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Starbucks are among the chains that don’t provide monthly updates on same-store sales. If McDonald’s sales aren’t scrutinized by investors every month anymore, the company might finally have some breathing room to improve.
From
The Atlantic:
Recruitment, Resumes, Interviews: How the Hiring Process Favors Elites
As income inequality in the U.S. strikes historic highs, many people are starting to feel that the American dream is either dead or out of reach. Only 64 percent of Americans still believe that it’s possible to go from rags to riches, and, in another poll, 63 percent said they did not believe their children would be better off than they were. These days, the idea that anyone who works hard can become wealthy is at best a tough sell.
This growth in inequality has also sparked a national fascination in the so-called 1 percent. Namely, who are they? And how much money does one need to be part of this elite group? While the number varies by age (and there’s some geographical variation), in 2010 it took an income of $332,000 to be in the top 1 percent of U.S. households.
So who gets those jobs and how do they do it? Lauren Rivera, an associate professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, studies hiring and class and is the author of Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs, based on more than 100 in-depth interviews with people who are in charge of hiring for elite firms in finance, consulting, and law, and a year spent with an on-campus hiring team for an elite firm. The book provides an insider look at how top-notch places hire, and explores how their processes serve those with the most privileged and affluent backgrounds.
“Hiring is one of the most consequential status sorts that people face—not only are people's salaries on the line, but people's livelihoods are on the line,” says Rivera.
From
The Seattle Times:
Immediate HIV Treatment a Breakthrough
Everyone with HIV should be put on antiretroviral drugs as soon as they learn they are infected, federal health officials said Wednesday as they said they were halting the largest clinical trial of early treatment because its benefits were already so clear and pronounced.
The trial — known as START, for Strategic Timing of Antiretroviral Treatment — was stopped more than a year early because preliminary data showed that those put on treatment immediately had a 53 percent lower chance of dying prematurely or having an AIDS-related event than those who got drugs later. Typically, patients get medication before they show symptoms but after blood tests indicate their immune systems have begun to deteriorate.
The study is strong evidence that putting more people on treatment and doing it earlier would save more lives, the officials said. An estimated 35 million people are infected with HIV worldwide; about 13 million were being treated as of early 2014.
From
Salon:
Literary pissing match, bloggers vs. distinguished critic edition: The absurdity of these dumb “my ‘great books’ list is better than yours” debates
We want our favorites to rank high in the eyes of the world, which in turn confirms that we’re better-read and have better taste than a host of imaginary rivals. Hand us a list that denies both of those desires and you’re still giving us something we prize: a grievance, and the acrid joy of shaking our fists at the sky, prophets without honor in our own country.
So fierce is our hunger for these pleasures that when the world won’t supply us with greatest-books lists, we have to invent them. Presumably that’s why Vanity Fair magazine chose the headline “How Harold Bloom Selected His Top 12 American Authors” for a short piece about the octogenarian scholar’s new book, when the book, “The Daemon Knows: Literary Greatness and the American Sublime,” makes no such claim. Notice the finesse of that “his” — a word that readers, in their hunger for definitive pronouncements, can be counted upon to replace with “the.”
Sure enough, the Vanity Fair piece prompted an angry retort from the site BookRiot, an appealingly populist operation that claims “We geek out on books, embarrassingly so” on its list (yes!) of foundational “beliefs.” Contributor Rachel Cordasco, in a piece titled “Our Lists of the Greatest American Authors,” explained that “news of Bloom’s book” had “disturbed” BookRiot’s staff and provoked much discussion because the 12 writers Bloom examines are all white, mostly male and all wrote before the mid-20th century.
From
The Hollywood Reporter:
Backlash Brewing Against Binge TV as 'Orange Is the New Black' Creator Speaks Out
While pioneer Netflix has ridden the binge-viewing trend to media-darling status (62 million global subscribers and a $600 stock price), on May 21 the service quietly began rolling out Canadian co-production Between week-to-week on Netflix and Canada's City network. At the same time, observers and even Netflix creators acknowledge that the all-at-once model limits media attention on shows beyond the burst around the premiere and might lead audiences to eschew series that feel more like a 13-hour obligation than entertainment.
"I miss having people on the same page," Orange Is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan tells THR, adding, "I do miss being able to go online and have the conversation the day after. But it's kind of a waste of time to lament that because that's not the way our show comes." The comments by Kohan, whose prison dramedy debuts its third batch of episodes June 12, echo Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner saying May 20 that if he created a series for Netflix, he would ask that it roll out episodes over time "so at least there was just some shared experience. I love the waiting [and] marination."
Others agree. While streamers Amazon and Hulu were quick to emulate Netflix, Hulu is expected to explore non-binge release schedules for its upcoming slate and Yahoo released Community's sixth season over multiple weeks.
From
Variety:
Batman May Appear in ‘Suicide Squad’ After All
When iconic Batman villains the Joker (Jared Leto) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) were announced as part of Warner Bros.’ “Suicide Squad” lineup, fans began to wonder whether Ben Affleck’s Dark Knight might also appear in David Ayer’s supervillain team-up film.
Now it appears we may have our answer, after multiple onlookers shot video of a car chase being filmed on the streets of Toronto featuring what appears to be the Batmobile pursuing the Joker’s sports car.
In one video, the Joker’s neon green hair is visible through the driver’s side window.
In another, posted Wednesday, Batman (sans cape) can be seen riding on top of the villain’s vehicle as it swerves through the streets, much to the delight of the gathered crowd.
From
/Film:
Tilda Swinton in Talks for Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’
Doctor Strange stars Cumberbatch as the title character, a cocky surgeon who injures his hands. In an attempt to fix himself, he stumbles into the discovery of magic. Swinton will play the Ancient One, a Tibetan mystic who becomes Strange’s mentor.
The character is male in the comics, and Marvel initially wanted a male actor. Indeed, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Morgan Freeman, Bill Nighy, and Ken Watanabe were among those rumored for the role in the past. But the filmmakers have obviously changed their minds, presumably because Tilda Swinton is an ethereal being who transcends such petty human distinctions.
Swinton has made a career of eclectic choices. Last year she appeared in four films — Only Lovers Left Alive, Snowpiercer, The Zero Theorem, and The Grand Budapest Hotel — and was nearly unrecognizable from one role to the next. Next up for her are the Coen Bros. musical dramedy Hail, Caesar! and the Amy Schumer comedy Trainwreck. She previously won an Oscar in 2008 for Michael Clayton.
From
TMZ:
'19 Kids and Counting' More Advertisers Jump Ship
More advertisers are sending the message loud and clear to TLC ... they don't want ANYTHING to do with "19 Kids and Counting."
Jimmy Dean, Pure Leaf Iced Tea, Ace Hardware, David's Bridal, ConAgra Foods, Party City and Behr have all just announced they've removed their ad campaigns from the show and CVS, H&R Block, Ricola and Keurig all say they have no plans of advertising with the show if it's reinstated.
It's been almost a week since TLC said it was yanking the show from the schedule, at least for the time being. The latest batch of skittish advertisers follow in the footsteps of Walgreens and General Mills.
TLC has still not made a final decision on the future of the show.
From
People:
'19 Kids and Counting' Spin-Off May Be in the Works at TLC: Source
Instead of 19 Kids and Counting, could viewers soon be watching 2 Brides and Their Grooms?
TLC pulled all episodes of 19 Kids when a resurfaced police report from 2006 revealed that one of the show's stars, Josh Duggar, had been investigated for child molestation when he was a teen.
While the network has yet to announce whether or not 19 Kids and Counting is officially canceled – and full episodes of the show as well as promotional materials remain on the network's website – a source close to the Duggars says a new plan may shift focus away from the large brood headed up by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, and instead focus on newlyweds Jill and Derick Dillard, and Jessa and Ben Seewald.
"The show had begun to focus more and more on the next generation of Duggars, anyway – mainly Jill and Jessa and their marriages and babies," says the source. "That's when the show got its highest ratings."
From the
A.V. Club:
Musicians’ union suing pretty much everybody for reuse of old soundtracks
The American Federation of Musicians, the labor union that represents many of the performers who work on the music for Hollywood’s TV shows and movies, has issued a lawsuit against several major studios, accusing them of reusing portions of old soundtracks without paying the original artists. The suit, brought by attorney Lewis Levy, accuses Warner Bros., Paramount, Columbia, 20th Century Fox, Universal City Studios, and Walt Disney Pictures of breaking a 2010 agreement on soundtrack usage, with violations ranging from the use of the Jaws theme in Universal’s Little Fockers, to The Office’s Michael Scott lifting the soundtrack for his magnum opus, Threat Level Midnight, from The Bourne Identity.
Essentially, the AFM’s claim is that its contract with the studios guarantees union members the right to compensation for any usage of their existing soundtracks, whether that comes in the form of the Jaws strings playing while Barbra Streisand silently stalks Robert De Niro with murder in her heart (or whatever it is that happens in Little Fockers), or a character watching Die Hard on TV. (The agreement does distinguish between “synced” clips, where the soundtrack is played along with its original footage, and “un-synced” ones, where it’s used on its own, but both require some level of compensation.)
Given that the amounts that the AFM is charging—up to $3,000 for un-synced clips, or $1,500 for synced—are the movie-studio equivalents of loose change, it seems clear that the lawsuit is largely about making a point.
From
Cinema Blend:
'Wonder Woman' Is Probably Adding Chris Pine For A Major Role
Warner Bros. and DC’s upcoming Wonder Woman has been the source of much discussion, and though we know Gal Godot will play the titular Amazon warrior, and that she’ll show up in some capacity in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, there isn’t a whole lot else to tell. Though it looks like the production may have found its male lead in the form of Chris Pine.
Variety reports that Pine is in talks to join what will be the first female-fronted superhero movie to enter the current fray. Though Warner Bros. declined to comment on the matter, according to the trade’s sources, the Star Trek actor will play Steve Trevor, who, in the comics, Wonder Woman’s love interest throughout her origin story.
From
MarketWatch:
Walmart, Tracy Morgan settle lawsuit over June 2014 accident
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it reached an agreement with actor Tracy Morgan, Jeffrey Millea and Ardley Fuqua to settle a lawsuit against the discount retail giant over a June 7, 2014 accident involving the men on the New Jersey Turnpike. The terms and conditions of the settlement are confidential. "Our thoughts continue to go out to everyone that was involved in the accident," said Walmart U.S. Chief Executive Greg Foran. "While we know there is nothing that can change what happened, Walmart has been committed to doing what's right to help ensure the well-being of all of those who were impacted by the accident."
Morgan sued Wal-Mart after on its the company's truck drivers crashed into a limousine, killing one passenger and injuring four others, including Morgan. "Walmart did right by me and my family, and for my associates and their families. I am grateful that the case was resolved amicably," Morgan said.
From
Rolling Stone:
Legal Dispute Over B.B. King's Last Days Gets Uglier
The attorney representing B.B. King's daughters has fired back at the bluesman's business manager and her legal team, claiming that they are "dragging mourning daughters through the mud" over allegations that the guitarist was poisoned.
King's daughters, Karen Williams and Patty King, previously said in separate affidavits that they believe King's manager LaVerne Toney and personal assistant Myron Johnson administered an unknown substance to King on a nightly basis prior to his death. "I believe my father was poisoned and that he was administered foreign substances," King's daughters said in identical statements. "I believe my father was murdered."
"The allegations are baseless and unfounded and are unsupported in reality," Brent Bryson, a lawyer for the estate, previously said Tuesday. "Ms. Toney did everything she could to carry out the wishes of Mr. King while he was alive, and continues to carry out Mr. King's wishes after his death." Bryson claimed that three doctors all evaluated King shortly before his death, with the musician's primary care physician claiming that there was "no action being taken to hasten the demise of Mr. King."
From
The Daily Beast:
J.K. Rowling Takes On The Homophobic Trolls
The Westboro Baptist Church—those odd, hateful people who randomly picket funerals and spout virulent bigotry—really should have thought twice before taking on J.K. Rowling.
She has sold 450 million Harry Potter books. She knows how to spin the best magic from words, which 4.67 million Twitter followers are signed up to read.
Over the weekend, elated at the vote in favor of Irish marriage equality, Rowling posted on Twitter: “Sitting here watching the Irish make history. Extraordinary and wonderful.” Then, in response to a Tweet from someone asking: ‘What if Dumbledore and Gandalf Were Gay Together?” Rowling responded: “Then they could get married IN IRELAND,” surrounded by green love hearts, little shamrocks and rainbows.
This imagined ceremony between two imaginary characters was immediately leapt upon by the Westboro Baptist Church’s crack squad of lunatic placard-wavers, who tweeted back that if such a ceremony would happen they would picket it.
Big mistake.
Rowling shot back: “Alas, the sheer awesomeness of such a union in such a place would blow your tiny bigoted minds out of your thick sloping skulls.”
From
Billboard:
Taylor Swift's 'Bad Blood' Blasts to No. 1 on Hot 100
Taylor Swift soars to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Bad Blood," featuring Kendrick Lamar, following a full week of tracking after the song's video premiere to kick off the Billboard Music Awards, which aired May 17 on ABC. Winning an extremely tight race, "Blood" displaces Wiz Khalifa's Furious 7 soundtrack hit "See You Again," featuring Charlie Puth, after six weeks on top.
Plus, David Guetta reaches the top 10 with "Hey Mama," featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack.
"Blood," released on Big Machine Records and promoted to radio by Republic Records, surges from No. 53 to No. 1 on the Hot 100 following a week of tracking after Swift premiered its celebrity-studded clip to open the BBMAs. The song rockets 26-1 on Digital Songs with 385,000 downloads sold (up 721 percent) in the week ending May 24, according to Nielsen Music. It also vaults onto the Streaming Songs chart at No. 3 with 18.1 million U.S. streams, with 99 percent of its streaming activity from Vevo on YouTube clicks of its official video. On Radio Songs, "Blood" bounds 46-15 with a 109 percent increase to 57 million all-format audience impressions.
The track sweeps the Hot 100's three top gainer awards, for digital sales, streaming and airplay, marking the first song to so triple up since Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk!," featuring Bruno Mars, earned all three honors on the Jan. 3 chart.
From
Cosmo:
The Night That's Haunted Me for 20 Years
Seven years after a Goldschläger-wielding football player claimed my virginity, I wrote a law school term paper that ended with a plea: Victims of date rape should work together to alter their public perception and effect change. Then I lived my life and waited for someone else to do it.
Twelve years later, my call was answered when countless victims made their voices heard. I felt the weight of the Columbia student's mattress as she dragged it to class in protest, and Lena Dunham's rage when her partner removed his condom and flung it into a tree. I felt confusion and panic alongside the women who said they sipped a drink with Bill Cosby and awoke with no memory of what followed. Yet I also felt safe, shielded from their trauma by the distance between us, the comfortable gap between writer and reader, anchor and audience. These were their ghosts, not mine.
Then one Friday night, at a table for two at a restaurant in Manhattan's Upper East Side, I stopped being a safe, silent observer. Over chicken and pinot with my husband, I became the subject of the conversation.
"Can you educate me?" he asked, as my small sip of wine turned into a gulp. He didn't have to explain further; I knew he was talking about my ghost. He wanted a glimpse behind the curtain, a peek into the part of my past we'd discussed only once in our nearly six years together. "I need you to help me understand."