Thousands flee Ukraine
As the cease-fire truce nears an end, thousands of Ukranian citizens flee to Russia, many vowing never to return because they feel their government betrayed them. Over the past few months, tens of thousands have already fled to Russia seeking safety. Russia’s migration service reports they have registered the arrival of 90,000 Ukranians, with very few requesting refugee status, which would require them to stay in Russia for six months.
Beats Rosol, advances
Nadal beats Lukas Rosol in a game lasting two hours and 44 minutes on Wimbledon Centre Court. Two years ago, Rosol knocked Nadal out of the tournament in the second round of play. The score: 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 Nadal advances to the third round. Nadal says:
I never play for revenge. Every match is a different match. Today was another match, I had to win – my goal is not Rosol; it’s to play as well as I can in the tournament. It doesn’t matter if it’s Rosol or another player who has beaten me in the past.
Prime Minister stays
South Korea’s president has decided to retain the country’s current prime minister, Chung Hong. Hong had offered to step down as Prime Minister, the number two spot in the country’s government, in an attempt to quell the anger of the country’s citizens after the ferry disaster. An attempt to replace Hong was made by President Park Geun-hye, but the two possible candidates withdrew their names. The main liberal opposition party is criticizing President Park’s decision and calling it an acknowledgement of the government’s incompetence.
$4.8 billion spent so far
A report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) states that nealy $5 billion has been spent on Obamacare exchanges so far. A section of the Affordable Care Act that allows for “indefinite” funding at the discretion of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Initially, planning grants were valued at $1 million, though multiple rounds of “exchange establishment grants” cost much more, totaling $4.6 billion. The agency has requested another $1.788 billion for 2015.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is incurring significant administrative costs to support [federally-facilitated exchanges] FFE operations.
Company diversity report
Facebook’s first diversity report states most of their workers are white males. The report reveals that 69% of Facebook’s global staffers are male and 85% of the company’s tech workers and 77% of its management team, are also men. The company’s U.S. workforce is 57% white, 34% Asian, 4% Hispanic and 2% black. Maxine Williams, Facebook’s global head of diversity:
As these numbers show, we have more work to do — a lot more.
Plane likely on autopilot
The search for the missing flight moves further south in the Indian Ocean. A report about the change in the search area states the crew may have been unresponsive due to a lack of oxygen, a state known as hypoxia. The report states the assumption was:
made for the purposes of defining a search area and there is no suggestion that the investigation authority will make similar assumptions.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss says:
It is highly, highly likely that the aircraft was on autopilot, otherwise it could not have followed the orderly path that has been identified through the satellite sightings
Lifetime ‘Big Driver’ adaptation
Lifetime is set to film an adaptation of King’s novella, Big Driver, starring Maria Bello, Olympia Dukakis, Will Harris and Joan Jett. The short story was originally included in the 2010 collection Full Dark, No Stars and focuses on a mystery writer obsessed with revenge against the man who assaulted her.
Ordering app available
McDonald’s tests the ‘McDonald’s Mobile Ordering’ app in 22 locations in Georgia and Alabama. Customers can order and pay for their food on the app and pick up their food outside at a curbside check-in or inside from a special queue. The app is free on Apple iOS and Google Android operating systems.
We are testing these technologies in a few markets, so it’s premature to speculate on the decisions we may make after the tests, but we’re excited to bring a cutting-edge experience in the future to our customers.
Google Domains
Google announces the launch of Google Domains, a by invitation only service that will help small business find, register and manage their domain names. The service is now in the beta testing phase. This new venture puts Google in competition with companies they have partnered with in the past, the largest being GoDaddy.com. The pricing information has not been made public at this time.
Businesses will be able to search, find, purchase and transfer the best domain for their business — whether it’s .com, .biz, .org, or any of the wide range of new domains that are being released to the Web.
Chromebooks get Android apps
Google announces that they are bringing select Android applications to Chromebooks, starting with Evernote, Vine and Flipboard. Users can nominate their favorite Android applications to be released for Chromebooks.
https://plus.google.com/100585555255542998765/posts/2LR7bd3xPe8
Aide was racist
Mandela’s long-time personal assistant, Zelda la Grange, a white Afrikaner, reveals to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour:
I was a full-on racist by the time I started working for him. Now looking back, if you [asked] me at the age of twenty-three I would probably have denied being a racist.Now it’s easier, because you can recognize the change in yourself.
She tells Amanpour that meeting Nelson was “the turning point in my life.”
He was kind. He smiled. He extended his hand, and he spoke to me in my own language. He spoke to me in Afrikaans. And that is the last thing you expect of him, because I was brought up to fear this man.
Tunisia changing drug laws
Tunisia is revamping its drug laws. The laws have been criticized for having a one-year minimum sentence and for not distinguishing between hard and soft drugs. More than half of the 25,000 inmates in the nation of 11 million are in prison on drug offenses. According to a 2013 U.N. report, prisons in Tunisia are overcrowded, and some facilities are at 150 percent of capacity. The revamping of the drug law was spurred by the arrest of a popular activist and blogger, Aziz Amami. Amna Guellali, a researcher for Human Rights Watch group, says:
This law has destroyed the lives and futures of millions of young Tunisians who, like Aziz, found themselves, at one point or another, caught in the gears of the justice system. Law 52 reveals the fundamental problems of the penal and judicial system in Tunisia, which does not guarantee people’s rights and clogs prisons with minor offenders.
Military power use revoked
A vote by the upper parliament prevents Putin from using troops in Ukraine to deal with the crisis. Putin had requested the order be revoked on June 24. Only one lawmaker votes against revoking his power to use force, 153 vote in favor.
Wants Gomez
Lopez announces she wants Gomez to portray her in a movie about her life.
I would want Selena Gomez to play me in a movie. She is a cutie.
Takes control of oil fields
Sunni militants in Iraq take control of several oil fields. The militants launched a dawn raid on the Beiji refinery, which along with a nearby power plant supplies Iraq with approximately one-third of its fuel and one-tenth of its electricity. A Western diplomat tells Britain’s Daily Telegraph:
We have used the word crisis about Iraq before, but this is the real thing. Iraq’s political leaders now mostly realize the problems. But has it translated into action yet? It has not.
Agency punishes nurse whistleblower
A nurse working at a VA facility in Albany, NY claims her supervisors turned on her when she reported mistreatment of patients and stolen drugs. After Val Riviello reported that doctors had restrained a patient for seven hours, violating a VA rule, she was punished. She said the restraints are for patients who are a threat to themselves and others, and they are supposed to come off when that is no longer the case.
That’s really kind of barbaric.
She is now working in an office cubicle and has been stripped of her nursing duties and supervisory role at the facility. Rivello is facing a 30-day suspension without pay.
Presidential abuse of power suit
Citing alleged abuse of executive power, House Speaker John Boehner announces he will file a lawsuit against Obama. The suit needs formal approval by a group of House leaders. Once that step is complete, the suit is expected to be filed in a few weeks. The plaintiff will be the House of Representatives.
This is not about impeachment — it’s about him faithfully executing the laws of this country. My view is the president has not faithfully executed the laws. What we have seen clearly over the last five years is an effort to erode the power of the Legislative Branch.
NATO reviews Russia relationship
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO’s top civilian official, says that Russia’s occupation and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula has led the alliance to suspend programs for practical cooperation with Moscow.
This is “a critical moment for our security. When we face old threats and new, from Eastern Europe to North Africa and the Middle East. So we need to continue to adapt our readiness, and reinvest in our capabilities and partnerships. And I regret to say that we see no signs that Russia is respecting its international commitments. So today we will review our relations with Russia and decide what to do next.
FIFA investigates Suarez bite
FIFA opens disciplinary action against a member of the Uruguay team, who is accused of biting a member of the Italian team during the game that took place on June 24, 2014. The Mexican referee did not see the incident and did not take action against Suarez. Suarez has been suspended on two previous occasions for biting an opponent, once in Netherlands and once in England. Suarez and the the Uruguayan soccer federation have until 5:00 pm on June 25, 2014 to respond to the latest charges. Suarez commented:
These are things that happen on the pitch, we were both in the area, he thrust his shoulder into me,” Suarez said in Spanish. “These things happen on the pitch, and we don’t have to give them so much (importance).
Officials: Iraq warned of ISIS theat
Iraq received warnings about the “growing threat” from Sunni militants in Iraq as early as the beginning of 2014. US intelligence agencies say:
During the past year, the intelligence community has provided strategic warning of Iraq’s deteriorating security situation. We routinely highlighted (ISIS’) growing threat in Iraq, the increasing difficulties Iraq’s security forced faced in combating (ISIS), and the political strains that were contributing to Iraq’s declining stability…We knew exactly what strategy they were going to use, we knew the military planners.
Aside from the warnings from US intelligence agencies, both The Telegraph and Daily Beast are claiming Kurdish sources did warn American and British officials that ISIS was gaining strength and was ready to advance, but it “fell on deaf ears.”