Clinton Clinches
The Associated Press is reporting that Hillary Clinton has officially won enough pledged delegates and superdelegates to clinch the Democratic nomination. The Clinton campaign acknowledged the milestone but said it was still focused on winning the six states voting in the primary race on Tuesday, while the Sanders campaign was less enthused about the news, calling it a “rush to judgment.” [New York Magazine]
President Obama Endorsement for Hillary Clinton Is Coming Soon
The White House is signaling that “Obama's full endorsement” of Clinton could hit newsstands as soon as early next week. Although POTUS has shied away from making any public statements about the Democratic candidates, he’s been very candid about the Republican race, and is looking forward to making his endorsement official, official said. [CNN]
Lin-Manuel and His Broadway Friends Do 'Carpool Karaoke'
Broadway nerds around the world are crying their eyes out about this video — made to plug the Tony Awards and its host James Corden — of ‘Hamilton’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and three other big-time theater stars (Audra McDonald, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jane Krakowski) singing their hearts out in Corden’s car to favorite tunes from Rent, Les Miserables and, of course, Hamilton. [Vulture]
Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter and Pinterest Accounts Hacked
Even the founder of Facebook can be a hacking victim. Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter and Pinterest accounts were taken over last weekend because he reused the same password — “dadada” — to log into both social media accounts, according to published reports. Zuckerberg’s password was among more than 100 million usernames and passwords that were revealed in May after they had been stolen in the LinkedIn data breach in 2012. His Facebook account was not hacked. [Gizmod]
The Stanford Rape Victim’s Letter to Her Attacker
Brock Allen Turner, a former Stanford University student and athlete, was sentenced last week for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman on campus in 2015. The victim wrote this moving and poignant letter to him that she read in court, which she then shared with BuzzFeed, in which she details how the assault derailed her life and why she believes he deserves a harsher sentence than the six months in jail he received. [BuzzFeed]
New York State Has Its Own Flint, Mich.
Investigating the contaminated water crisis in Hoosick Falls, POLITICO New York’s Scott Waldman bypassed the Cuomo administration, which is notoriously bad about turning over documents requested through the Freedom of Information Law, and sought records instead from the federal government. He discovered that federal regulators had told the Cuomo administration repeatedly that the water people in Hoosick Falls were drinking was dangerously contaminated and that they should be warned, but the administration ignored them over and over. After Waldman’s story ran, the governor’s office shut him out of subsequent conference calls and press conferences on the issue. [POLITICO]
Remembering the Iconic Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali, who died last week, is profiled in this obituary by David Remnick, the editor of the New Yorker. Remnick, who wrote a book about the heavyweight champion, calls Ali “a fighter, a draft resister, an acolyte, a preacher, a separatist, an integrationist, a comedian, an actor, a dancer, a butterfly, a bee, a figure of immense courage.” [New Yorker]
Here’s What Made the Upstate Prison Escape Successful (Until it Wasn’t)
Two convicts had the nation captivated — and parts of the state terrified — when they escaped and sparked a three-week manhunt that featured heavily armed police crawling over every inch of the surrounding area. In interviews with officials, the surviving escapee, David Sweat, ‘fessed up about what allowed them to escape and remain on the lam for so long. [New York Times]
Bretagne, The Last Known 9/11 Rescue Dog, is Laid to Rest
The 16-year-old golden retriever, said to be the last surviving dog that searched the rubble for survivors after the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, was euthanized on Monday at a vet in Texas. She searched for 10 days. Last year Bretagne celebrated her birthday in New York City. [Chron]
Obama Weighs Protecting 2,000 Acres of Utah Land Amidst Possibility of Armed Conflict
Bear’s Ears, a 2,000-acre swath of land in southeastern Utah is known for some of the nation’s best preserved structures and artifacts made by from the area’s Native American residents that date back centuries. But despite its history the land is not protected by the federal government and there have been six confirmed looting incidents in the past six months. As Obama weighs protecting the land under the 1906 Antiquities Act, there are signs that his action might incite armed conflict from westerners pushing back against the reach of the federal government, the Washington Post reports. [Washington Post]
Meryl Streep As Donald Trump Proves She Can Literally Play Any Role
It’s been said that three-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep can play any role. But, Donald Trump? The acclaimed actress donned a scruffy blonde wig, orange bronzer and a stuffed suit to transform into the Republican presidential nominee for the 2016 Public Theater Gala in New York City benefiting Free Shakespeare in the Park. It’s arguably a notch up from her Oscar-winning portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. [Huffington Post]
A New Origin Story for Dogs
The long process that turned some wolves into your best furry buddy is still a murky history, and some scientists argue dogs were domesticated twice. [The Atlantic]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Jeanmarie Evelly, Nikhita Venugopal, Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, Gwynne Hogan, Eddie Small, Irene Plagianos, Rachel Holliday Smith, Dartunorro Clark, Danielle Tcholakian, Carolina Pichardo, Shaye Weaver and Noah Hurowitz.
