Unsurprisingly, The Senate Fails to Pass Gun Control Laws
Despite having the NRA’s support for one of four gun control amendments, the Senate failed to pass any gun control measures on Tuesday. There is a big division among senators, with only 11 who don’t have a stance. Vox takes a look at which ones have support from the gun lobby. In some states, senators have taken as much as $33,000. [Vox]
“Many Hate Us” — Frank Ocean Reflects on Orlando
It took more than a week for Frank Ocean — one of the only openly queer men in hip-hop — to gather his thoughts on what happened in Orlando. But the feeling in his short piece on the tragedy are raw and powerful, reflecting on religion, his childhood, mental illness and transphobia. [Fader]
Famous Civil Rights Movement Murder Case Closes With No Murder Conviction
The "Mississippi Burning" case was closed this week after decades of trying to obtain a murder conviction for the deaths of Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and James Chaney to no avail. The attorney general for Mississippi said there was “nothing else we can do” unless more witnesses come forward to testify.
In 1964, Goodman, Schwerner and Chaney were teaching Mississippi volunteers how to navigate racism and violence they would encounter when trying to vote. They were arrested on charges of speeding and released. Then Klansmen, who were guided by the arresting officer, pulled the men from their car, according to the Los Angeles Times. The three volunteers were shot and buried, and their bodies were discovered 44 days later. No one was initially charged in the case. [Los Angeles Times]
Jeep that Killed ‘Star Trek’ Actor Anton Yelchin Had Been Recalled
The Jeep Grand Cherokee that rolled down a driveway and crushed “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin Sunday was recalled recently for a gearshift defect that has lead drivers to be confused about whether their cars were in park or not. Yelchin, 27, was on his way to a rehearsal when the car pinned him against a brick column. Fiat Chrysler filed a recall notice in April for its 1.1 million SUVs and sedans. So far, more than 100 incidents have been reported due to a gear selector problem. The Sunday accident is still under investigation. [CNN]
A Week on the Trail With the “Disgusting Reporters” Covering Donald Trump
Whether on Twitter or in a stump speech, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has made his strong disdain for the press known. In this piece you hear first-hand from those “dishonest” reporters who are covering the Republican presidential hopeful. [Slate]
Trump Paid $30,000 to a Fictional Ad Agency Named After Mad Men Characters
The agency's name is "Draper Sterling." [Mediaite]
The Ghosts of Fukushima
After the massive earthquake and tsunami forced a meltdown at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, Japan five years ago, only few have returned to the surrounding neighborhood. The government has finally deemed it safe, but the question remains as to how, or if, the devastated town can rebuild. [New Republic]
Starbucks Has Been Ripping You Off by Underfilling Your Latte
A judge ruled this week that customers can sue Starbucks over its apparent policy of underfilling lattes, a crooked strategy used to save cash on milk. [BuzzFeed]
The All-Female Ghostbusters Cast Addresses Sexist Criticism
Predictably, news that the upcoming Ghostbusters remake will feature female leads did not go over well with some fans of the original, who accused the filmmaker of giving in to political correctness. In an interview with the New York Times, the cast and director address the critics — and discuss which male roles they’d like to take on next. [New York Times]
Latest Critiques of Trump Hit Him Where It Really Hurts: How He’s Poor and Has Small Hands
Last week a superPAC called “Americans Against Billionaires with Small Hands” launched an ad campaign trolling Trump by demanding he release the measurements of his hands, NPR reports. “If the White House phone rings at 3 a.m. will his little hands even pick up the receiver?” the video asks.
On another front, Trump's campaign is broke compared to presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s and makes “dumpster fires look good,” according to the Huffington Post. Trumps coffers have around $3.1 million compared to Clinton who’s raised $26.4 million. [NPR and Huffington Post]
The City’s Newest Baseball Team: The New York Yankropolitans
If you’ve been underwhelmed with both the Mets’ and the Yankees’ seasons so far this year, The Wall Street Journal has come up with an innovative solution for improvement: combining the teams. The New York Yankropolitans/Mankees/Yets would feature a lineup including Jacoby Ellsbury, Neil Walker, Yoenis Cespedes and Alex Rodriguez and a rotation featuring Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Masahiro Tanaka, which just might be enough to overtake the Nationals or the Orioles, depending on which division the team ends up playing in. [WSJ]
The Artist Behind “The Gates” Built a Giant Floating Walkway Over an Italian Lake
The latest work from artist Christo the man who filled Central Park with bright orange drapery in 2005 for “The Gates” has a new public work in Italy that opened over the weekend. “The Floating Piers” is a series of orange floating walkways that allows visitors to traverse Italy’s Lake Iseo, what Gizmodo calls “the artist’s most ambitious piece from an engineering perspective — and one that actually adds value to its location.” [Gizmodo]
This column was compiled by DNAinfo reporters Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska, Jeanmarie Evelly, Eddie Small, Rachel Holliday Smith, Gwynne Hogan, Carolina Pichardo, Noah Hurowitz, Darunorro Clark, Danielle Tcholakian, Shaye Weaver, Allegra Hobbs and Irene Plagianos.
