Sen. Chris Murphy Held a Marathon Filibuster on Gun Control Last Night
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), along with several other Senate Democrats, held a nearly 15-hour filibuster into the early hours of Thursday morning to demand Republicans allow votes on gun control legislation in the wake of the massacre in Orlando. Just in case you didn't have a spare 15 hours to watch the whole thing, the Washington Post has highlighted four key moments from the event. [Washington Post]
Politician Gives Tearful Speech Regretting His Past Homophobia
Utah’s Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox apologized for not understanding the experience of being LGBTQ at a Monday evening vigil for the Orlando shooting victims, according to Vox. "My heart has changed,” he said in his speech. “It has changed because of you. It has changed because I have gotten to know many of you. You have been patient with me." [Vox]
Members of Congress Read the Stanford Sexual Assault Survivor’s Letter Aloud
In a symbolic gesture meant to raise awareness of sexual assault, members of Congress both male and female, Democrat and Republican, gathered on the House floor to take turns reading the powerful, anonymous letter penned by the woman who was sexually assaulted by former Stanford University student Brock Turner. [TIME]
One Woman’s Experience With Late-Term Abortion
Jezebel’s heart-wrenching interview with a woman about the abortion she had at 32 weeks pregnant, and the logistical and financial hurdles she was forced to jump to get the procedure. [Jezebel]
Oprah Winfrey Endorses Hillary Clinton for President
After throwing her support behind President Obama’s bid for the White House in 2008, and by some accounts giving his campaign a huge boost, Oprah has official declared her support for Hillary Clinton, saying, “I'm with her.” [ABC]
England Is Trying to Cheer Us Up and We’re Missing It
Does the word “brexit” sound like a brunch special to you? Do you know what a flotilla is? Today’s a good day to learn. As the United Kingdom grapples with whether to stay in the European Union (primer on that here), one British politician and one Irish rockstar (Bob Geldof) who chose to name his progeny Peaches, Pixie and Fifi Trixibelle decided to stage a NAVAL BATTLE on London’s River Thames. The Twitter responses are, of course, amazing. [The Independent]
Stop What You Are Doing and Read This Profile of Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian is so frighteningly organized that every night before she goes to bed she deletes every text and email on her phone. Come for the fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of Kim’s celebrity persona, stay for the description of “floppy toddler” North West making “purple noodles.” [GQ]
Don’t Talk to the Press, a Former “Daily Show” Correspondent Tells Fellow Upper West Side Parents
Jason Jones, responding to news coverage of a contentious proposal to move a UWS school, told parents Monday night to “stop talking to the press.” The husband of badass late-night talk show host Samantha Bee went on to say, “This story doesn’t exist without your quotes.” But as WNYC points out, Jones is no stranger to using quotes for his own interests. [WNYC]
The Ugliest Color Is ‘Opaque Couché’?
A green-brown “dirty” hue, with the amazing faux-fancy name Opaque Couché was voted the “ugliest” color by 1,000 Australian smokers. Why poll smokers? The goal was to pick the grossest color possible to put on cigarette boxes, to deter people from buying packs. [The Guardian]
Coffee Won’t Give You Cancer, It May Prevent It Instead, WHO Announces
Good news for coffee lovers. After listing it as a possible carcinogen that may lead to bladder cancer for 25 years, the World Health Organization changed its classification Wednesday and said that there’s no evidence to link drinking coffee to the disease. The organization also concluded that drinking coffee could actually protect against liver and uterine cancers. The group warned though that drinking coffee, and other beverages, very hot (hotter than 149 degrees Fahrenheit) may be carcinogenic, as some studies linked the practice to esophageal cancer. [New York Times and Wall Street Journal]
Sprite Lines Up New Artists for “Obey Your Verse” Hip-Hop Campaign
The beverage company is gracing their soda cans — from June 20 through Aug. 15 — with hip-hop artists 2Pac, Missy Elliot and J. Cole and 16 of their most memorable lyrics, from hits like “Keep Ya Head Up” and “Supa Dupa Fly,” for the “Obey Your Verse” campaign. The campaign, which launched in 1994, has already featured favorites like Drake, Nas, Biggie Small and Rakim. [Business Wire]
