Daily Dose: 9/29/16

11:58 AMIf you’re in New York City on Thursday, you might want to check out this Ad Week panel I’ll be moderating with The Undefeated’s Editor-In-Chief Kevin Merida, actor/activist Jesse Williams and Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.

You can add “pointing a vape at an officer” to the list of things that will get you killed if you’re black in America these days. That’s what happened in a town outside of San Diego, where a woman called the police because her brother had been acting strange and she needed help. A confrontation ensued, and by the time it was done, Alfred Okwera Olango, 38, ended up dead. Per usual, the video of the aftermath is heartbreaking. She explains that she knew his behavior was a death sentence. It shouldn’t be, though. ABC News reports.

On many levels, the Olympics are a complete boondoggle. The International Olympic Committee has managed to take this racket to some of the most vibrant cities across the globe, leaving a bunch of old equipment and failed housing projects in their wake. Ask Sochi, ask Brazil. Ask Sarajevo, for crying out loud. In this latest cycle, officials in Rome pulled out of the running for the 2024 Games, because they determined it just probably wasn’t a smart move. Meanwhile, Tokyo has already been awarded the 2020 Olympics. Experts say it’ll cost the country (ahem) $30 billion. Yikes.

I fear that one day, my life will consist of me sitting in a room, being entertained only by screens. This is pretty much how I spend my days now, but at least on the other end of those screens are typically actual human beings. These days, though, you never know. Algorithms and bots control quite a few aspects of life, including, unfortunately, your news intake. But what if we used those powers for good, instead of scaring people about imminent robot takeovers? FiveThirtyEight’s Laura Hudson explains.

The Dallas Cowboys have become the real-life version of some team in HBO’s Ballers. After last week’s win against the hapless Chicago Bears, wide receiver Dez Bryant was reported as hurt with a knee injury. So, aside from annoying the heck out of fantasy football players across the country, his coach and team were a tad concerned, since he’s a key part of the team’s offense. One problem, he decided to skip treatment day. He was supposed to get an MRI that day. Um, shady. ESPN’s Todd Archer reports.

Free Food

Coffee Break: If you ever wonder why people protest, why it makes sense beyond what you can understand, make sure your eyes are open enough to see everything. Check out this video of a guy in a gorilla mask harassing Black Lives Matter demonstrators on a college campus.

Snack Time: It appears that Jon Favreau will be remaking Lion King. This doesn’t bother me at all, considering that this movie was actually good. The only problem will be trying to recreate the music, which is excellent.

Dessert: Villanova is going to be looking VERY fresh on the court this season.