GOP opposition on Capitol riot becomes liberal rallying cry

NBC News is looking to improve our email offerings and we invite you to take this survey. We value your feedback and appreciate your input! Click here DAY, MONTH DATE, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.     The Republican blockade of efforts to investigate the Capitol riot has become a liberal rallying cry. Plus, what Naomi Osaka's tournament withdrawal means for tennis and some unusual health advice regarding cicadas.   Here's what we're watching this Thursday morning. Liberals use GOP blockade of Jan. 6 panel as rallying cry to abolish filibuster For more than 100 liberal groups across the country, Senate Democrats have a simple but important choice: protect the filibuster or protect democracy.   They are calling on progressives in the party to abolish the 60-vote threshold — which allows Republicans to block legislation. They see the Republican blockade of a commission to investigate the Capitol riot as a rallying cry.   "In the face of Republicans' inability and unwillingness to defend our democracy, it is clearer than ever that the filibuster needs to be eliminated," reads a letter dated Thursday, led by Fix the Senate Now and co-signed by Indivisible, March For Our Lives, Our Revolution, the Sierra Club and other groups.   Although the letter is addressed to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the real targets are Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, the two most outspoken proponents of the filibuster in the party   "These next two months are going to be absolutely critical," said former Senate leadership aide Eli Zupnick, a spokesman for Fix the Senate Now. "This is truly a five-alarm fire. Democrats have to make the fundamental choice: Are they going to protect the filibuster or are they going to protect voting rights?"   Read the article here. Thursday's top stories Naomi Osaka's withdrawal throws athletes' mental health into sports spotlight By Adela Suliman | Read more Tennis star Naomi Osaka's decision to push back against the sport's authorities and share her mental health struggles has drawn support from across the sports world and boosted hopes that greater attention will be given to the pressures faced by athletes. Discovery of Indigenous child graves pressures Canada to search for more — and search its soul By Yuliya Talmazan | Read more The remains of 215 children were found in unmarked graves at a former residential school, one of more than 150 institutions that for well over a century forcibly separated Indigenous children from their families.   Prosecutors seek 30-year sentence for Derek Chauvin; defense requests probation By Janelle Griffith | Read more Prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the murder of George Floyd, to 30 years in prison. OPINION Covid vaccine opponents are so desperate to be seen as victims they're hijacking the Holocaust By Tonya Russell  | Read more A Nashville hat store promoted a "not vaccinated" yellow Star of David badge. Only someone who's never been oppressed could compare vaccination to fascism, says Tonya Russell, a culture and wellness writer. Trauma, grief, a family's secret: Ashley C. Ford on her debut memoir 'Somebody's Daughter' By Char Adams | Read more Ashley C. Ford's debut memoir "Somebody's Daughter" takes readers on a journey of her own life as a Black girl in Indiana with a father in prison. BETTER From General Tso's to pad thai: A history of America's favorite Asian takeout dishes By Vidya Rao | Read more Kung pao chicken, General Tso's chicken, pad thai, sushi, banh mi, chicken tikka masala — these are now firmly a part of America's multicultural cuisine. But how did that come to be the case? INTO AMERICA PODCAST Blood on Black Wall Street: Excavating the Past Listen here In part 2 of a series on the Tulsa Race Massacre, Trymaine Lee visits a historically white church in Tulsa, where Reverend Marlin Lavanhar is working to get his congregation to confront its role in the massacre. Want to receive the Morning Rundown in your inbox? Sign up here. Also in the news ... Netanyahu opponents seal deal on new government in Israel to oust longtime prime minister Largest meat producer getting back online after cyberattack George P. Bush running for attorney general in Texas 9-year-old Utah driver, her younger sister were headed to the beach when they crashed   Overdraft fees a thing of the past at Ally Bank, first large U.S. bank to drop them Florida children, 14 and 12, ran away, stole guns, fired on deputies in shootout, sheriff says SHOPPING Amazon officially announced this year's Prime Day will start June 21 — here's everything else we know about the two-day sales event. One fun thing Cicadas are back. And along with them, a warning.   The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that if you are tempted to eat one of them, think again if you're allergic to seafood.   "Yep! We have to say it! Don't eat #cicadas if you're allergic to seafood as these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters," the agency tweeted.   Since the cicadas have emerged, recipes have popped up across the internet, as some describe the critters as a rare gourmet treat.   Read more here. Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.    If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: patrick.smith@nbcuni.com. If you're a fan, please forward it to your family and friends. They can sign-up here.    Thanks, Patrick Smith Download the NBC News App Follow NBC News Privacy | Unsubscribe | More NBC Newsletters | Contact View in browser