• Anti-American demonstrations spread to embassies across the Middle East to Iran and Yemen with varying sizes and degrees of violence following the attacks on the Egyptian and Libyan missions. [NYT]
• New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s divisive initiative to ban sugary drinks over 16 ounces in size in New York City has been passed the New York City health board. [NYT]
• Warren Weinstein, a 71-year-old American businessman who was kidnapped by al-Qaida in Pakistan last year, has asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to intervene on his behalf to help secure his release. [JTA]
• Tablet contributor Shoshana Olidort writes on the works of Southern Jewish author Steve Stern. [TNR]
• Jonathan Goldsmith, who plays the character “the most interesting man in the world” in popular ads for Dos Equis beer, will host a fundraiser for President Obama in Vermont over the weekend. Let’s hope everyone drinks responsibly. (h/t Dan Klein) [HuffPo]
• A same-sex couple in Israel has been granted NIS 60,000 in damages after they were denied use of a reception hall for their wedding by the venue owners. [Haaretz]
Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.