Extra Extra: We are but a series of data points

It’s Friday afternoon in New York City, and this New Jersey town is welcoming the new year by dropping a giant fiberglass M&M.

Here’s what else is happening:

• “Karma,” the nightclub that was so central to the “Jersey Shore” series, was torn down this week, and will be replaced by a mixed-use condo development.
• Spotify Wrapped really tapped into our desire to look at ourselves as a series of data points, so much so that many other companies came out with their own versions. But do you really need to know how many times you ate McDonald’s this year?
• If Washington D.C. had its own Wrapped, these stories would rank as the weirdest of the year.
• A tenant and porter of an Upper West Side building got into a dispute that ended with the resident throwing a box of cockroaches at the porter.
• It’s that time of year when many gyms make it incredibly easy (and cheap) to sign up for a membership. But if you’ve ever tried to cancel a gym membership, you know how frustrating that process can sometimes be. A new bill in New Jersey would change that by requiring gyms to offer the option to cancel or renew memberships online.
• A dog named Cornell, who is believed to be about 2 years old, was found stabbed 17 times on Long Island. Officials are offering a $5,000 reward for help solving the case.
• The global population grew by 75 million people this year at a growth rate of just under 1%. The U.S. population grew by just 0.53% in 2023. At this pace, the 2020s might end up being the slowest decade for population growth in U.S. history.
• And finally, an art lesson: