Ben Reininga, Refinery29

Ben Reininga

Refinery29

New York, NY, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • Refinery29
  • Vocativ
  • Slate

Past articles by Ben:

Striking Photo Series Shows What It's Really Like Living With HIV

Sara, a 54-year-old woman living with HIV, says that when she got her diagnosis, her first thought was “it means death.” That was 1990, when the rate of new inflections globally was increasing to an all-time high. "People were dying everywhere." In the 24 years since, a lot has changed. Sara has survived. Advances in treatment have vastly increased life expectancy for those who can access the… → Read More

Terror Attack In Heart Of London Kills Seven

Three assailants were shot dead after they rammed their vehicles into a crowd and then stabbed dozens of pedestrians near London Bridge → Read More

How Theater Is Helping These Incarcerated Teens Build A Better Life

You have chosen to receive our #NAMED_LISTS# newsletters at #EMAIL_ADDRESS#. You will receive an e-mail shortly confirming your subscription. So excited to have you! → Read More

Last Night's Debate: The Winners And The Losers

Marco Rubio was not at the center of the stage last night, but he emerged the clear winner. At Wednesday night's CNBC debate in Boulder, we heard more from Rubio than anyone else except Fiorina, per NPR's count, and the senator delivered several of the best lines of the night — including one → Read More

Joe Biden Announces He's Not Running For President

Vice President of the United States Joe Biden stood next to his wife and Barack Obama in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday morning and told the world he's not running for president. "Unfortunately, I believe we're out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign," Biden said. → Read More

The Two Sweetest Bernie Sanders Moments In The Democratic Debate

"I know it's probably not good politics," said Sen. Bernie Sanders, setting up the best line of the Democratic debate so far, "but I think the Secretary is right. The American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn emails!" It was the biggest applause line of the night, drawing a → Read More

Indiana Frat Suspended After Video Shows Alleged Rape Of Pledge

A fraternity at Indiana University was suspended late Wednesday night, pending investigations around an alleged hazing incident. A video, reportedly of pledges from the Alpha Tau Omega frat, shows a sex act that to many looks like rape. A short video made the rounds on Twitter yesterday, showing → Read More

Striking Photos Show What Growing Up Really Looks Like

Photographer Danielle Levitt started out by taking street style pictures in New York City — but sometime around the early aughts, she found herself getting interested not just in the clothes but in the people who were wearing them. Specifically, she found herself fascinated by young people, and → Read More

Gunman Reported At Philadelphia Community College

The Community College of Philadelphia is on lockdown after reports of a gunman on campus, according to the school's Facebook page. The posting says students have been asked to shelter in place. A local Fox affiliate reports that a SWAT team has arrived on the campus. So far, there are no reports → Read More

Someone Set A California Planned Parenthood On Fire

Presidential candidate and senator Marco Rubio didn't think the vote this week over defunding Planned Parenthood mattered. In fact, he didn't even bother showing up, calling it a "show vote" and instead, spent the week campaigning in Iowa. Late Wednesday, a Planned Parenthood clinic in Southern → Read More

Up To 10 Reported Dead In Shooting At Oregon Community College

Between seven and 10 people are reported dead in a mass shooting incident at a community college in Oregon, with up to 20 injured. Early reports put the death count as high as 15, but this is a live situation and exact numbers are continuing to change. The attack took place at Umpqua Community → Read More

The Most Powerful Republican In Congress Is Quitting

Representative John Boehner, the highest ranking man in Congress, is stepping down at the end of October, according to his aids. The Speaker of the House, who has led the Republican-dominated Congress since 2011, will also give up his seat in Congress, as first reported by the New York Times. The → Read More

The GOP Debate's TRUE Winner? The Mystery Hot Guy In The Crowd

The second GOP debate on Wednesday night got off to something as a slow start. Rand Paul criticized Donald Trump for being mean. Donald Trump responded by calling him ugly. Everyone forgot about Mike Huckabee. In other words, pretty much what you'd expect. But, the first block of the debate did → Read More

Janet Mock On Global Poverty, Beyoncé & Texting Oprah

It seems like Janet Mock can talk about anything. In a conversation last week, the MSNBC host and activist held forth about global poverty, Kanye at the VMAs, discrimination against trans teens at Souhern high schools, Celine Dion's response to Hurricane Katrina, and the veracity of Oprah Winfrey. → Read More

This Is What Hurricane Katrina Looked Like — In 13 Striking Pics

Photographer Kathy Anderson was working in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. After following the mayor's evacuation order, she turned around and headed back in to photograph for the The Times-Picayune, where she worked. “It was not until I flew over the city in a Blackhawk helicopter that I → Read More

Two TV Reporters Shot & Killed On Live TV

We love you, Alison and Adam. pic.twitter.com/hLSzQi06XE— WDBJ7 (@WDBJ7) August 26, 2015 A TV anchor and a camera operator were shot and killed during a live broadcast Wednesday morning in central Virginia, local police report. The two victims have been identified by local news station WDBJ as → Read More

8 Things You Need To Know This AM

"You don't have to be a scientist to take on this urgent challenge that threatens us all," says Hillary Clinton in a big new video on climate change. (YouTube)Meanwhile, the Times apologized for a story alleging Clinton was under "criminal inquiry" for her emails, saying "We got it wrong." (New → Read More

8 Things You Need To Know This AM

New details about John Russell Houser, the man behind the deadly Lafayette, LA, movie-theater shooting, continue to emerge. (Refinery29) There have been 204 mass shootings in the United States — in the 204 days, so far, of 2015. (Washington Post) Some foreign workers who travel to the U.S. on → Read More

At Least 3 Dead, Several Wounded In Shooting At 'Trainwreck' Screening

A movie theater shooting in Lafayette, Louisiana Thursday night left at least three dead, including the shooter, according to reports in multiple news outlets. As many as nine other injuries have been reported, ranging from serious to life-threatening. This is a breaking story. We'll continue to → Read More

8 Things You Need To Know This AM

Donald Trump will visit the Mexican border in Texas this afternoon to talk with border agents…and probably say something offensive. (CNN)Trump also shared Senator Lindsey Graham’s phone number. Graham responded by destroying his phone — violently. (YouTube)Obama’s heading to Kenya, where → Read More