Culture

NFL Coaching Jobs, Michigan, 21 Savage, Jay-Z and more

Uristocrat

Jan 9, 2024 — 3 min read

This is an edition of Uristocrat Notes, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest culture stories of the day.

‘Floating pool’ to open in New York City river in 2025

After more than a decade of fits and starts, a floating pool that’s shaped like a plus sign is headed for one of New York City’s waterways this summer — though it won’t be open to the public until 2025, assuming tests go well.

New York Could Become First State to Offer Paid Leave for Prenatal Care

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday proposed a series of initiatives to address maternal and infant death in New York, including one that would make the state the first to provide paid leave for prenatal care.

The announcement comes as New York City tries to address troubling rates of life-threatening emergencies related to childbirth. The risks are especially stark for Black women in the city, who are nine times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth than their white counterparts.

‘Plant-Based’ Has Lost All Meaning

Meat alternatives, I found, cost more than their conventional counterparts and are made with complicated ingredients that raise doubts about their healthiness—and even then, taste just okay. Other people have had similar concerns, part of the reason the popularity of those products has declined in recent years to such a degree that Beyond Meat is reportedly now in “survival mode.” But beyond the meat aisle, the “plant-based” label lives on in virtually every food product imaginable: instant ramen, boxed mac and cheese, Kraft singles, KitKat bars, even queso. You can now buy plant-based peanut butter. You can also wash your hair with plant-based shampoo and puff on a plant-based vape.